Unbeaten North Village closed in on the Commercial Cricket League title as a lacklustre West Indian Association, their closest challengers, slumped to a surprise five-wicket defeat against last season?s champions Jamaican Association.

Village could manage only a ?winning? draw over lowly Western Stars but the seven points helped them open up a near impregnable 15-point lead over WIA with two matches remaining, while 10-man Forties moved to within two points of WIA by beating Fine Leg Byes by 21 runs.

Village, bowled out on Sunday for the first time this season on a difficult St. John?s Field track, need just six more points to celebrate their first title success in 13 years ? they shared the 1992 championship with Forties ? but face two tricky remaining fixtures, against Jamaican Association on August 7 after the Cup Match break and Forties the following Sunday.

Village, sent in after overnight rain cut the match to 37 overs a side, were bowled out for 144 in 30.2 overs, former national football coach Kenny Thompson topscoring with 37 in his first game of the season.

Allen Richardson chipped in with 20 but fellow former Cup Match star Ricky Hill made only five before he was caught on the mid-wicket boundary.

Opening bowler Floyd Smith took advantage of the damp pitch to claim four for 36 in 10.2 overs while Malcolm Woodley?s five overs were expensive but he still picked up three for 48.

Stars were left an extended 43 overs but survived to deny Village the double, closing on 103 for eight. Reggie Benjamin took three for 14 from seven overs and Hill two for seven from six.

WIA, sent in by 10-man Jamaican Association in the Caribbean showdown at Garrison Field, were bowled out for 137 in 35 overs, despite a decent start by openers Barry Richards (29) and Ricky Hoyte (38). Only Sri Narasimhan, who made 27 and later took three for 33 from 10 overs, offered much further resistance as Chris Daley put WIA on the back foot.

Daley snapped up four for five in his first three overs, including the prize wicket with his first ball of Hoyte, who hit a full toss straight to Norman Godwin at long on, and finished with figures of four for 24 from six. Others to get among the wickets were Ralston Wright (two for 16 from five) and Rowan Ramotar (two for 25 from seven).

Openers Godwin (40) and Daley (27) added 69 to lay the foundation for avenging a seven-wicket defeat at Shelly Bay early last month and the Jamaican total was boosted by 34 extras, including 19 wides, as Shefton Hall (14 not out) and Marvin Simpson (12 not out) teamed up to seal victory in 35 overs with an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 29.

?My bowlers were bang on target,? said Jamaican Association spokesman Glenmore Barrett whose team are in fourth place after a disappointing season.

WIA skipper Richards blamed his team?s defeat on a shoddy performance a week after a controversial five-point draw against Village virtually ended their title hopes.

?We didn?t show up to play. It was ugly, terrible cricket on our part. It was a psychological blow not beating Village. The Jamaicans were disciplined. We batted and bowled terribly,? said Richards.

Big boundaries and long grass in the outfield at Shelly Bay produced only three fours and a six in a low-scoring match and Forties were helped by ?some brilliant catching?, according to Fine Leg Byes? skipper Ishwar Narayanan.

Forties made a dreadful start after winning the toss, slipping to 12 for two as Braxton Stowe ran himself out first ball going for a second and Harold Minors holed out to mid-on from a long hop.

Gerald Bean rescued Forties with a knock of 57, adding 46 for the third wicket with Gladwin Ingham (16).

Leg-break bowler Nick Cardinez was the pick of the FLB attack as Forties slid to 118 all out in the 39th over, claiming four for 33 from 10 overs, while Jeff DeSilva, who later topscored with 19, picked up two for seven from 2.5 overs.

In reply, FLB were bowled out for 97 in 35.1 overs, Stowe taking three for 13 in 6.1 overs, Campbell three for 17 in eight and Brian Holdipp two for 20 in seven.