League championship when they beat North Village by five wickets on Sunday to stay 20 points clear of their closest challengers.

The defeat put Village, who shared the championship with Forties last season, out of the reckoning with only two matches left.

A draw from either of their remaining games will give Forties the title outright.

West Indian Association moved into second place and kept their outside hopes of a share of the championship alive by coasting to a seven-wicket win over Devonshire Stars while Pembroke United forced a draw against Sandys Sports Club.

Village struggled against a varied Forties attack -- and the long grass at Warwick Secondary School -- and it needed a last-wicket stand of 15 by Cleve Trott and Donville Yarde to lift the total past 100.

Having been sent in, Village slumped to 37 for six as Elliott Pitcher and Elliott Jennings -- victim of an arrow-like direct throw by Rohaan Simons in the covers -- were both run out.

A lusty knock of 21 by Derek Bell lifted Village hopes but man-of-the-match James Thomas, who later hit an unbeaten 42, undermined the innings with four for 33 from 12.1 overs as Village were dismissed for 104.

Trott, last out, hit four boundaries in his 23 and featured in the highest stand of the innings -- 23 for the ninth wicket with Alan Roberts.

Forties lost two wickets for 27 but a third-wicket stand of 52 between Thomas and Gary Edwards (35) laid the foundation for victory.

Edwards' departure at 79 -- out to a smart catch at silly mid-on by Pitcher -- triggered a mini collapse in which three wickets fell for the addition of seven runs but Adrian Jennings settled Forties' nerves by straight-driving Cal Smith for six.

Fine all-round performances by Olwin Clarke and Winston Vaughn, two of seven Barbadians in their line-up, spurred WIA to victory at Police Field.

Each picked up two wickets as Devonshire Stars were dismissed for 158 and then featured in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 99 as WIA reached their victory target in only 32 overs.

Clarke struck seven fours in his unbeaten 51 while Vaughn's unbeaten 40 contained one six and five fours, WIA replying with 161 for three. Gordie Hollis took two for 32.

Terry Grant was Stars' top scorer with 31 and other useful contributions included Merkell Smith's 25.

Michael Corday's unbeaten 71 was the highlight of Sandys Sports Club's 202 in their drawn game against Pembroke United at Garrison Field where the game was reduced to 36 overs a side because of heavy rain during Sandys' innings.

Corday hit 11 fours while Legay Cannonier of Pembroke claimed four for 45 from 10 overs.

A fifth-wicket stand of 93 between David Gibbs and Michael Campbell foiled Sandys' victory hopes after they reduced Pembroke to 61 for four.

Gibbs made 51 and Campbell an unbeaten 48, both hitting eight boundaries apiece, as Pembroke finished strongly on 165 for five.