Lurgan are on the very brink of relegation from the NCU Premier League after losing their sixth match in a row to Instonians at Pollock Park on Saturday.

Stephen Johnston's men aren't quite through the relegation trapdoor just yet, but barring an unlikely turnaround they can starting planning for trips to the likes of Dundrum and Templepatrick in 2014.

Defiant, dogged and determined in their first season back in the top flight since 2010, Saturday was probably the first day when Lurgan looked to have accepted their return to Section One.

Three victories in their first six matches ought to have been a platform for survival, but thereafter they have rather lost their way, hamstrung by the unavailability of pivotal players at key times, and fatally damaged by snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against CIYMS last month.

They won what could have been a good toss at Pollock Park against leaders Instonians but any advantage they had from bowling first on a damp pitch was tossed away by a shoddy seam-bowling performance.

John Guy, arguably their finest performer of the season, was off-colour after returning from holiday and with Charlie Crasborn reluctant to bowl into a strong breeze at the other end, the new ball was given to Niranjan Godbole, to bowl off-spinners.

Godbole did remove John Stevenson with a beauty in the fourth over but Crasborn's dismal day was summed up when he dropped Neil Russell at slip an over later off Guy.

That would have been 19 for two and Instonians in a spot of bother but Russell, grateful for the reprieve, made Lurgan pay. It was trademark batting from the former North Down opener, with anything overpitched either plundered straight back over the bowlers' heads, or, more pleasingly, careered through the covers.

Carleon Brome, promoted to number three, was fortunate to survive one caught behind appeal, but what was more disconcerting for Lurgan was the lack of spark in the field. With each boundary so the atmosphere among the home fielders increasingly resembled a wake.

Russell, after plundering six fours and three sixes, eventually fell for 72 from 83 balls, lbw walking across his stumps to Jamie Holmes in the 32nd over when a century was there for the taking and James Shannon's forgettable summer continued as he gave long-on catching practice off the same bowler.

Brome brought up his century in 127 balls with another delightful cover drive for four in the 44th over, but in truth Andrew White's unbeaten 62 from 43 balls will live in the memory longer.

The Ireland man is enjoying a halcyon summer with the bat and Instonians smashed 54 from the last five overs to reach 294 for five.

What followed was confirmation that Lurgan have probably reached the end. Stephen Johnston, the captain, offered the briefest glimmer of hope with the bat, crashing Nikolai Smith over cover for six, but when he was bowled, playing back to a good length Eugene Moleon (4-20) delivery, it set an unfortunate tone.

Godbole, too quiet with the bat of late, fell lbw in the same over and Stephen Chambers, their most consistent batsman, spooned a routine catch to cover attempting a booming drive off the Inst captain.

Holmes offered no stroke to Brome in the 11th over and the tiniest contact dislodged a bail. At 51 for four this was a game all over as a contest but at least the veteran Peter Maxwell was defiant, hitting five boundaries in his 69.

The final margin of defeat was 120 runs but at least heavy defeats for Ballymena and champions CIYMS offer some vestige of hope.
In most other seasons CI would be relegation certainties. They have made 200 just once all summer so even when they bowled North Down out for 150 on a spin-friendly pitch at The Green, it would have been naive to think they had the points in the bag.

But when they reached 38 for the loss of just Chris Dougherty, the Belmont faithful might have been starting to dream of a win that would have guaranteed safety.

What followed was a batting collapse more akin to something in under-11 cricket. Incredibly nine wickets fell for just 14 runs as 38 for one became 52 all out. Tim Ley and James Cameron-Dow shared nine wickets, with no other bowler even required.

Ballymena, who Lurgan have beaten twice, were thrashed by a Civil Service North side who have more or less guaranteed safety with a fifth league win. Nigel Jones, who else, made a blistering century at Eaton Park as CSNI won by 144 runs.