With International Twenty/20 action at Stormont this weekend hostilities are temporarily suspended in the Premier League and after the intensity and drama of last weekends matches an opportunity to draw breath and recharge batteries is welcome.

Popular opinion and indeed results to date point firmly to a two horse race for the Championship. Reigning champions North Down hold a slender advantage with a perfect 100% record and consolidated their position as slight favourites with crucial wins last weekend over top rivals Waringstown and Instonians. The Comber side, who have won the title 4.5 times in the past 7 years (they shared it with Waringstown in 2005) have strength in depth in both departments and have coped well with defections of key players over the close season together with the unavailability recently of opening bowlers Peter Connell and Gavin McKenna due to Ireland call-ups.

Breathing down the leaders necks only 4 points adrift are CSN whose only reverse came in early May at home to Bangor and whose recent form both in League and Cup has been very impressive. Their Kiwi trio of overseas professional Ewen Thompson, skipper Nigel Jones and former Bangor pro Regan West, right, have been very much to the fore and with the possibility of Gary Wilson, recently appointed captain of Surrey 2nd XI, being available for some matches a top class batting line up would be on view. The Stormont side also have an excellent chance of completing a League and Cup double as they face Waringstown in the Cup final at Downpatrick on 15 August.

Crucially the title contenders have yet to meet in the League this season and their clashes promise to be occasions to savour.

Only a brave man would forecast the ultimate destination of the championship trophy and indeed the sides are so closely matched that the contest could easily go to the wire.

In joint 3rd place with 24 points are Instonians, Waringstown and Lisburn and realistically they cannot hope for anything better than third spot.  However the first named must be thrilled with the rapid progress of schoolboy prodigy James Shannon who displayed maturity far beyond his tender years in two brilliant innings against North Down and is surely an international player of the future. Unfortunately the Old Boys lack of consistency has cost them dearly together with batting frailties in the middle order.

Lisburn have the gratitude of the cricketing public (if not opposing bowling attacks!!) for the introduction to the NCU of Gerry Strydom – batting phenomenon!! The 28 year old left hander who plays his domestic cricket in the SuperSport Series with Cape Cobras has amassed 997 runs – almost 44% of his side’s total aggregate – at an average of 104.6 and on 2 occasions was responsible for over 70% of a final total for his team.Such statistics evoke memories of 2004 when Gerry’s fellow South African AB De Villiers plundered 857 runs for Carrick at an average of 122.4 and with 2 double centuries thrown in. Interestingly both players came to local cricket via the cricket agency of  Paul Carrick.

Waringstown have largely been victims of their own success in that their defeats have coincided with the unavailability of their Ireland players Kyle McCallan, James Hall and Gary Kidd. The Villagers will be hoping to put their League disappointments behind them and gain compensation in the Challenge Cup final next month.

Bangor and Carrick will almost certainly retain their Premier League status with a mid table finish and can both take encouragement from the progress made by their younger players..

The issue of relegation concerns 3 teams who are locked together at the foot of the table with 8 points.  Derriaghy are probably in the worst position as they have played 1 game more than CIYMS or Cliftonville.  Obviously games against each other will be crucial to the eventual outcome of this particular battle for survival. Cliftonville’s situation regarding their lack of a home ground only serves to cloud the issue and possibly present the decision makers at NCU with a headache should the “nomads” avoid the drop.  Having been promoted last season along with CI, Cliftonville would have entertained high hopes of consolidation in the Premier League but such aspirations have been seriously dented by the loss of the facilities at Greenisland.

CIYMS have found the going tough in the top section and can only hope that a strong team spirit together with consistent contributions from their experienced players such as Johnny Hewitt and Derek Heasley will pull them through. Derriaghy will be very dependent on a continuance of the excellent form of their overseas professional Kausik Aspale as they face an uphill struggle to maintain their Premier League status.

August will be a month of almost undiluted action for all clubs with so many games still to be played. We can only hope that all matters are properly decided out in the middle without the weather having any part to play.