Clontarf suffered a League Cup hangover as they slumped to a four-wicket loss at Merrion.

The Castle Avenue side were in trouble early on at 17 for 4, but rallied thanks to counter-attacking fifth wicket stand of 78 in just 12 overs between Ruan Cronje and teenager John McNally.

Cronje hit nine boundaries in a top score of 44, while McNally's 41 came at better than even time (4 fours, 1 six).

However, they lost six wickets for 30 runs to be bowled out for 125 in the 33rd over - three wickets apiece for skipper Tom Stanton and Amish Sidhu plus a brace for Max Neville.

John Anderson's quickfire 31 (7 fours) got Merrion up and running and they were always in control of the chase despite losing wickets at regular intervals.

Swapnil Modgill (27) and Sean Stanton (26) sealing a four-wickets win that was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests.

Another side suffering a post-final hangover were winners Pembroke who lost to near neighbours YMCA by 18 runs in a high scoring match at Sydney Parade.

Jack Tector hit 11 fours as he top scored with 89 in YM's total of 258 for 6, with half centuries too for Aaron Bailey (68) and Rory Anders (50). Bailey's 68 came from 72 balls (7 fours, 1 six) sharing a fourth wicket stand of 73 with Tector, and also 54 for the fifth with Anders - whose half century took jyst 42 balls (6 fours, 1 six).

JJ Garth continued his recent good form with 60, but a middle-order wobble saw YM well in control. Poonsih Mehta then hit 5 fours and 3 sixes in a hard-hit 72 from 70 balls, as he and skipper Theo Lawson (37) shared a seventh wicket stand of 98.

They left themselves just too much to do with 32 needed from three overs, losing by 18 - three wickets for Johnson and a combined five for the Anders brothers.

Balbriggan have certainly announced themselves in the top flight of Leinster cricket after they trounced Malahide by 181-runs in the Fingal derby.

A powerful batting display saw them rack up 278 for 6, with Chris De Freitas hitting 6 fours and 3 sixes in his 54, adding 62 for the second wicket with Ghanim Dara (31) to lay a solid platform.

Skipper Greg Ford and Farooq Nasr (46) then added 82 for the fourth wicket, before the real fireworks began.

Ford top-scored with 79 from 84 balls (7 fours, 2 sixes) as he and Dylan Lues added 84 in the last six overs, with Lues clearing the ropes five times in his unbeaten 41 from just 19 balls.

Malahide's chase started with a 35-run opening stand before disintegrating to 97 all out, with four wickets for the prolific left-armer Kashif Ali.

On this form, Andre Botha's charges will take some stopping.

Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin scored a superb century as The Hills ran out convincing winners against Phoenix at The Vineyard.

He hit 14 boundaries in his 134 from 143 balls, firstly dominating an opening stand of 85 with Andrew Kavanagh (24) to set them on their way.

The second wicket partnership between him and Dylan Blignaut (66) saw them put on 140 in 153 balls and from then you got the feeling that the game was out of the reach of Phoenix.

A final total of 291 for 7 became a target of 288 in 46 overs after the chase was interrupted.

When Phoenix slumped to 133 for 8, it looked like an early finish, bit Conor Sheil hit 8 fours and a six in an entertaining half century, adding 81 in nine overs with Theo Dempsey (19).

However, wickets for Farooqi, Shields and Blignaut ensured the 67 run win that makes it two from two in the early stage of the season.