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Cavaliers, Forties battle for top spot

Commercial Cricket League heavyweights Spring Garden Cavaliers and Forties will put their 100 percent 2012 records on the line when they clash at Garrison Field tomorrow.Cavaliers, who completed a clean sweep of the league’s four major trophies last season, expect to be at full strength, according to skipper Dave Greenidge.His opposite number Gordon Campbell said: “I think we’ll be reasonable.”Cavaliers drew first blood as they did last season when they beat Forties by five runs in the Memorial Trophy in early May.Last season Forties quickly avenged the Memorial defeat by beating Cavaliers in their first league encounter, but lost the return match as their title challenge petered out.Forties currently top the five-team table, having thrashed Devonshire Stars in a match in which both teams played two short and followed that up by beating Jamaican Association by one wicket with one over in a nailbiter at Shelly Bay last weekend.Cavaliers, who had a first-week bye, scored a hollow victory over Stars, who were forced to default after turning up with only five players at Garrison Field last Sunday.Stars, who have returned to their former name after competing as BC Allrounders the past five years, face the risk of being thrown out of the league if they default a second match.Stars are due to face North Village at Shelly Bay tomorrow. Eight-man Village held on for a share of the points in their opener against Jamaican Association, who have a bye tomorrow, when bad light forced their game to be abandoned.With the outfield green and lush, boundaries were hard to come by at Shelly Bay on Sunday.Forties, who won the toss, did well to restrict Jamaican Association to 169 for six from 42 overs as they fielded with nine men for their opponents’ final 20 overs which yielded only 83 runs.“Still, this score was more like 220 on another field,” said Campbell.The Jamaicans owed their total largely to opening pair Presley Millwood, who struck seven fours and two sixes in his 120-ball 83, and Omar Amory (21).“Millwood batted very well for his 83,” said Campbell.Pick of the Forties attack were Yatin Gawas (two for 22 from 12 overs) and David DeSilva (one for 16 from six).In reply, number three Ernest McCallan (35), opener Gawas (29) and number four Edward DeSilva (21) were the main contributors in Forties’ 171 for nine from 41 overs.Veteran medium pacer Michael Campbell was Jamaican Association’s best bowler, claiming three for 22 from nine overs, while Ian Coke took three for 63 from nine and Junior Lindo two for 30, also from nine.Things looked bleak for Forties, last season’s runners-up, when they slipped to 138 for sven, “but a well-paced 18 in 20 balls from Saniru Dushantha, aided by cameos from Steven McCallan, Brian Holdipp and Dylan DeSilva, saw us over the line with an over to spare”, said Campell.He added: “Everyone batted sensibly and all contributed to the win.”