Pressure is a privilege for Lisburn star Faiz Fazal as they look to keep Premier League defence on track

​The Wallace Park outfit led virtually from start to finish last season as they secured a first top-flight league title triumph since 1996 and are keeping pace once again this time around by winning four of their first five matches.

Callum Atkinson’s men are one of four teams currently tied on 16 points (Instonians, North Down and Waringstown the others) and while they emerged as surprise contenders last term, they have turned from hunters to hunted in 2023.

That sense of expectation from the outside has been more than earned and Faiz Fazal, who is sitting top of the Premier League run charts with 386, says Lisburn are embracing the pressure ahead of Saturday’s trip to Carrickfergus, where they’ll be looking to bounce back from last weekend’s Irish Senior Cup second round defeat.

"It was really special,” he said on last year’s success. “Winning the league was so important and we had so much fun after winning it.

"Winning once people can say it's a fluke but if you want to be consistent you need to have the hunger and try to win more games and give your best.

"Ultimately winning is not in your control but giving 100% effort is and when you go back home you should be wrecked, that's what I feel.

"We are so lucky to have that expectation. There are two ways to think about it always.

"Even with my first-class team when we have meetings before the season I always say that 'we're lucky to have all this pressure and expectation that we have'.

"Only so many people can have that so feel lucky and be proud of it.

"100% (there is more belief) because we won so many crucial games against CIYMS, Waringstown, Instonians - the belief is there."

Former Indian international Fazal has been one of the standout performers in local cricket since arriving at Lisburn in 2019 and is averaging an eye-watering 128.67 in the league this season after scoring two centuries and one fifty in five innings.

He has a simple outlook on the game that has helped produce devastating results.

"I love batting and scoring runs,” he added. “I play the situation and try to do whatever it takes to win.

"The hard work and being cricket intelligent is what I work on and I know if you want to be successful in this country you have to play straighter.

"As an opener you try to play in the 'V' and that's how I always start my innings.

"I try to play the situation and that's all I worry about. I want to make it simple. I feel cricket itself is such a simple game but we try to complicate a lot of things and make it confusing.

"If you want to be consistent you need to have simple plans, keep working on them and believe in it.

"Sometimes we don't believe in our games and look at others doing this and that, but you have to believe in yourself and keep it simple."