Leinster had a surprising and surprisingly easy victory over North County at a sun-drenched Rathmines today. But it didn't start that way. Mark Jones hit three fine boundaries while his opening partner Carlos Brathwaite had threaded two twos over slip and past cover point. He then decided to swing Conor Shiel to leg.

So convinced was he that he had placed his front pad outside the line of off stump that when he missed the ball and it thumped into the pad, he left exhibit A precisely where it was and expected a summary dismissal of the less than full-throated appeal. Unfortunately the umpire didn't agree, and he had to go, albeit most reluctantly.

So short-staffed were County that Conor Armstrong got the call to relieve François van der Merwe from the Rathmines Road end, and induced Craig Mallon to give brother Dara catching practice. That was 49-2 in the eleventh over, and Anton Scholtz immediately got into the groove with Jonesey.

Cormac McLaughlin's two overs hadn't gone too well from the Mount Pleasant Avenue end, so Jonathan Andrews was introduced and straight away Jonesey, on 33, drove him loosely to Conor Armstrong at cover. He was replaced by the less than fluent Dave Lucas, but Scholtzy breezed away until he deflected one from Andrews onto his foot and thence onto the stumps.

That was 92-4 in the 20th over, Scholtz out for 36. Drinks were taken at 112-4 and, refreshed, Ian O'Herlihy decided that Shane Plant had to go. On 18 he was dropped by Clarke at mid off, and shelled the next ball at catchable height two yards to Clarke's left. After another boundary he found a more reliable fielder in Andrews, and went for 25 out of 127.

Will Lennon should have been stumped off Plant on three, but played very positively thereafter, and found Conor Shiel's medium pace much more to his liking when Andrews had bowled his ten. After 6, 4, 2 and a leg bye to get him up the other end, he was done by Plant in the air and bowled for 34. 170-5 in the 39th over became 185-9 in the 44th as McLaughlin took a couple of catches off Mossy Shiel's slow left-armers.

Chris Byrnes and Robbie Kenealy lifted the home team's spirits as they put on 33 for the last wicket, Byrnes with some meaty thumps, and Robbie with his trademark leg swish and a new shot – the straight swish. Byrnes was bowled by van der Merwe in the 49th over for 23, leaving Kenealy on 13, and the total a very gettable 218.

Andrews took 2/28 and Plant 3/34, and well as I know and much as I like their fathers, the sons were flattered by those figures. A Balrothery slip would have accounted for Conor Armstrong second ball, but after a single Brian Shields launched himself at Chris Byrnes and skied the ball for the man from Toowoomba to rush across to collect the catch at cover. Carlos Brathwaite did well to get out of the way.

Dara Armstrong joined his brother and normal service was resumed for County. But in the eighth over Dara played all round a straight one from Will Lennon to be lbw for 16 out of 33, and in Lennon's next over Conor nicked off for 15. An over later Ciaran Garry edged Byrnes to slip where it was parried, Mossy Shiel called him through for a single, and the throw beat Garry to the bowler's end.

Cormac McLaughlin gave Lennon victim no. 3 and Ian O'Herlihy no. 2 to make it 39-5. None of the County middle and late order had much of clue how to play Carlos Brathwaite's quick offies (I don't know whether he's spinning them or cutting them – perhaps John Wills could advise me), and three straight ones were too good for the batsmen.

Rob Miley was swung away for a six and edged for a four by van der Merwe, but so keen were Plant and Clarke to get after him that each fell to neat, swift stumpings by Ian O'Herlihy. The second was the last wicket to fall, County all out for 69 in 29.3 overs. Lennon took 3/21 off his ten, Brathwaite 3/8 off eight, and Miley 2/15 off four and a half.

That win should excise any fears Leinster had of slipping below Pembroke at the bottom of Section A, but County still have work to do, particularly if they should lose points for not providing a scorer for the match.