Newbuildings have the advantage after an abbreviated opening day in the Sportshub Senior Cup Final after asking Donemana to bat first.
The former Cup kings, appearing in their first two-day decider since 2017, were bowled out for 173 with only four batters reaching double figures.
Trent McKeegan was the pick of the bowlers, although Gregory McFaul and Jason Dunn shared seven of the wickets as the Donemana batters fell to rash shots.
Rain prevented a start to the second innings of the match which will continue into tomorrow if there is no result today.
McKeegan gave Newbuildings the perfect start with a superb yorker to dismiss DJ Dougherty, promoted to opener again despite a run of poor scores in that position at the start of the season.
He followed up with the wicket of fellow opener and Donemana skipper Gary McClintock, caught at slip by Johnny Thomson who took the catch of the day to dismiss Dean Mehaffey, running and then diving to hold on at deep extra cover.
That was the third wicket for off-spinner Jason Dunn who had snared Raymond Curry after a patient 39 from 86 balls, with just three fours, and William McClintock in the space of three balls to reduce Donemana to 95 for five in the 33rd over.
It could have been even worse had Newbuildings skipper Gareth McKeegan not missed a stumping off Levi Dougherty when the big hitter was on 13. It proved a costly miss because while wickets fell regularly at the other end, Dougherty upped the tempo and hit six of the 13 boundaries in the innings, including the only maximum.
McFaul was the destroyer in chief wrapping up the innings with wickets in each of his last four overs, David O’Sullivan trapped leg before, William McBrine caught at deep mid-wicket, Brian Dougherty clean bowled and Dougherty was last man out, also caught on the mid-wicket boundary, to give the opening bowler figures for 22 from 59 balls.
Beechgrove: Donemana 1st innings 173 (48.1 overs, L Dougherty 50, R Curry 39, R Buddhika 22; G McFaul 4-32, J Dunn 3-26, T McKeegan 2-28) v Newbuildings. Continues today at 11am.
Meanwhile, it’s a closed Saturday in the NCU with the first half of the season, when the Premier League splits into a top six and bottom four, ending tomorrow with two games.
After Cliftonville Academy shocked Waringstown on Wednesday night with a nine-run victory at The Lawn, their top-six spot is all but mathematically assured, ahead of their 20-over game against North Down tomorrow afternoon (4.00pm) at the Castle Grounds. North Down are actually playing twice tomorrow, starting off with a home game against Woodvale at 10am.
Carrickfergus won the other midweek game, beating CIYMS by eight wickets, leaving the Belmont side bottom of the table, four points behind Carrick and defending champions Instonians with Civil Service North a further four points clear. These teams play each other twice after the split to decide who gets relegated.