Four Southern clubs have reached the third round of the Irish Senior Cup - sponsored by Royal Liver - to be played on June 23rd. Two of the four, The Hills and North County, saw off Northern opponents, Waringstown and Strabane, in Saturday's second round, while Merrion and Malahide defeated Phoenix and Clontarf, respectively.

The most decisive Leinster victory of the day was at Balrothery, where North County crushed Strabane, the trophy winners in 1998, by 192 runs, thus celebrating in fine style the Government capital grant of £100,000 which they were awarded last Friday and which will enable the club to get started on the building of its Centre of Excellence indoor training facility.

The match was reduced to 49 overs a side, due to the rain-affected delayed start, but North County had more than 11 to spare as they skittled Strabane for 93 runs. Batting first, North County had scored an impressive 285 for 5 off the 49 overs, with Andre Botha, Paul Mooney and Conor Armstrong all contributing impressive knocks.

Botha top-scored with a majestic 87, hit off 95 deliveries and including 10 fours and one six. Mooney's dashing 63 came of just 37 balls, with nine fours and one six, Armstrong faced 87 balls and he hit eight boundaries in his 57run innings, while there were other useful contributions from Dara Armstrong (35 not out) and John Mooney (24).

Strabane's innings began disastrously, as Paul Mooney trapped John Gillespie leg before with his second delivery and then had Keith Finlay caught behind by Dara Armstrong with only five runs on the board. Peter and Mark Gillespie temporarily halted the decline with a third wicket stand of 28, but even by then the inevitability of defeat was looming large.

The draw for the third round, effectively the quarter-finals, is: North County v Malahide, Balrothery; Merrion v The Hills, Anglesea Road; Lisburn v Cliftonville, Wallace Park; Brigade v Downpatrick, Beechgrove.