two seasons on Thursday with a stirring 6-5 result away from home.

With former Bermuda number one Dexter Smith winning three singles matches while team-mates Craig Trott and Andrew Smith claimed a critical one apiece, Stars wrapped it up in the first doubles when Trott and Dexter Smith beat Cal Burgess and Derron Trott in three games.

The result puts Stars alone on the top of the tables with 22 points while Parish lead BAA on games difference with 20 apiece. BAA have played one game more.

Parish scored a terrific comeback against BAA on Tuesday when they recovered to win 7-4 after losing the first four matches. And on Thursday they attempted to fight back against similar odds as Stars led 5-2 after Smith topped Corey Berkeley 21-17, 14-21, 21-17.

Cal Burgess picked up his only win of the night by stopped Craig Trott in two straight and Derron Trott likewise recorded his first win in the ninth match, a three-game triumph over Andrew Smith.

The first two games of doubles were one-sided with the Stars pair winning the first 21-11 only to lose 21-12 in the next. The third was predictably closer but Trott and Smith pulled away to 13-7 after making the turn at 10-7 and then held off a strong finish by the home duo. Smith eventually won it at 21-17 when a backhand caught the net and then hit the edge.

Parish made the score more respectable when Berkeley and Derron Trott beat the two Smiths 21-11, 20-22, 21-19 in the final doubles.

Earlier, however, Stars announced their intentions with Craig Trott playing some of his best table tennis this season to beat Derron Trott 23-21, 21-19, 21-16 in the opening match.

Berkeley evened it by easily handling Andrew Smith 21-16, 21-13 but Dexter Smith reciprocated in a 21-12, 21-13 win over Cal Burgess that put Stars up 2-1.

Berkeley's second win, 21-17, 21-15 over Craig Trott, levelled it for the final time before Stars ran off three straight.

First Dexter Smith overcame Derron Trott 21-15, 21-19 then Andrew Smith recorded his first-ever victory over Burgess.

Burgess actually won the first game 21-5, but Smith consolidated and played a more controlled game to keep it close.

Smith won the second game 25-23 but only after saving two match points. He had earlier led 20-16. And in the third game Smith and Burgess matched salvoes with the former hitting two blocks for winners near the end in a 21-19 cliffhanger.

That set the stage for Dexter Smith-Berkeley, a match that featured close control play. The first game was always close after Smith reeled in Berkeley who took an early four-point lead.

The game was settled when Smith took over service at 18-17 up. Berkeley dominated game two and was a deserving seven-point winner and he carried that momentum into the rubber game.

But when the two changed ends, Smith kept it close at 9-10, and held the upper hand from there. Again he used his serve to close the match from 18-17, with a service winners sandwiched by two third-ball attacks.

That was clearly a decisive match as Berkeley, Parish's top player, would not figure in the outcome from there as he was slated for the second doubles only.

Smith, meanwhile, confirmed his return amongst the top players after a season on the sidelines and he goes into the second half with the league's only perfect record at 27-0.

Matches that involved the fourth through seventh-placed teams were postponed -- Prison Officers v Southampton Princess and West Indian Association v BPSA.

The abbreviated schedule otherwise saw Bermuda College beat Wolves 7-4, Hamilton Parish II down Social Club 10-1 and two-man Cleveland stop St.

George's Community Centre 7-4. Rawle Frederick had three wins while Jaymo Durham and Shayne Scott both toppled an out-of-sorts Derrick Burrows for College's margin of victory. Kevin Lapsley and Ken Burns both won twice for Wolves.

Trent Smith and Peter Philpott both went unbeaten for short-handed Cleveland against the youngsters from St. George's.