for the second straight weekend when they travel to Sea Breeze Oval to take on second placed Bailey's Bay.

The leadership could change for the second time this season with just a single point separating the top two teams. And with third and fourth placed Western Stars and Devonshire Rec just seven and eight points respectively out of first place the title race is shaping up to be an interesting one.

Cuts took over first place by beating the island's top team, Devonshire Rec, last weekend and now they will be out to prove that result was not a fluke.

Against a Bay side containing the likes of Charlie Marshall, Glenn Smith, Cal Dill, Devrae Hollis and Jermaine Outerbridge in their batting and Anthony Braithwaite and Clarkie Trott in the bowling, Cuts can expect a tough challenge.

Teenager Smith (55.71) and Marshall (47.42) are the batsmen Bay will rely on for a big total.

Cuts have their own potential match-winners in Rodney Fubler and his nephews Dexter and Richard Basden, with Fubler being the man capable of doing to Bay what he did to Devonshire last weekend.

Bay did not miss Noel Gibbons last weekend against Flatts but their experienced allrounder has left a hole in both their batting and bowling that will be very difficult to fill. The two teams have already met this season in the limited overs with Bay winning comfortably. It should be closer this time especially with Richard Basden now back from injury.

Third and fourth placed Stars and Devonshire, who meet in today's Central Counties final at St. John's Field, are waiting to close in on the leaders.

The champions are at home to Cleveland while Stars travel to White Hill Field to meet Somerset Bridge.

Albert Smith (490 runs) should take his total past the 500 mark this weekend.

He is averaging 54.44 from 12 league and cup innings while his captain Anthony Amory has a 37.88 average and James Pace a 34.12 average.

Other close matches should be at Somerset where the home team entertain St.

David's -- both off good performances last weekend -- and at Police Field where Southampton Rangers pay a visit.

Police have three players averaging more than 30 runs per innings, opener Dennis Archer (47.44), captain Ferdinand Thorne (42.22) and Roger Blades (37.00). Tyrone Smith is averaging 29.00.

Police played out for a draw against St. David's last weekend while Rangers squeezed out a one-wicket win over Western Counties rivals Somerset Bridge.

Somerset will be pleased with their performance last weekend, beating Nationals by four wickets after losing their first five wickets with just seven runs on the board in pursuit of a winning target of 114.

Mid-table Nationals need a good win against Warwick at Southampton Oval to restore confidence in time for next weekend's Benson and Hedges semi final meeting with St. David's. Depending on what Cleveland and Police do Nationals could move up a couple of notches in the middle of the table.

Captain Darrin Lewis has a 54.60 average to lead the Nationals batting with brother Jason on 32.87. Chris Wright is their top bowler with 24 wickets.

St. George's, who have won many admirers with their entertaining cricket in the last few years, provided little entertainment in their drab draw with Western Stars after batting for six hours for 130 runs when the two captains agreed to a draw.

These days the former champions are languishing near the bottom of the table and tomorrow 11th place St. George's will be looking for a rare win when they entertain Flatts, last-placed and winless, at Wellington Oval.

Wendell Smith (43.00) is their top bat while Troy Dean (24.20), captain Rodney Woolridge (25.50) and Brandon Woolridge (25.71) are the leading Flatts batsmen.

In the other match Social Club are at home to Hamilton Parish at St. John's Field. Parish pacemen Terry Burgess (17 wickets at 15.88) and Chris Caisey (16 wickets at 15.87) have almost identical bowling figures.