Just five points separate first from fourth in RSA Leinster League Division One after a day of shocks in the rain in Saturday�s sixth round of matches.

YMCA, who started the day third, leapfrogged The Hills with a six wickets victory at Claremont Road and also overtook morning leaders Merrion who lost by two wickets to Pembroke.

Captain Albert van der Merwe led from the front as YMCA eased to their revised target of 150 in 42 overs with almost nine overs to spare.

The retired Ireland international, still opening the batting in place of the injured Reinhardt Strydom, top scored with 55 and when he was out just 22 short of the winning post, Simmi Singh and Trent Johnston saw them home.

Earlier Johnston had bowled his full 10 overs quota, taking the wickets of The Hills� top scorers Cormac McLoughlin and Naseer Shoukat.

For the first time this season, Merrion�s batting failed, bowled out for 135 in the miserable conditions. After rain had reduced Pembroke�s target to 132, Brenton McDonald, who had taken four for 19, hit 38 to get Pembroke to within two runs of victory and Allan Eastwood then hit the winning boundary.

North County moved up to fourth and into title contention with a six wickets victory at Railway Union thanks to Eddie Richardson who, first, ripped through the home batting line-up to take six for 24 to bowl them out for 129 and then scored an unbeaten 35 as County won in the 28th over.

Leinster are still bottom but they moved to within five points of Phoenix after beating the northsiders by 15 runs in a 43 overs game for their first win.

In Division Two, history was made as Ireland captain Isobel Joyce became the first women to play in a senior cricket team, for Merrion II. Joyce scored 50 in her side�s 306 for eight as they beat Balbriggan by 140 runs.