Tuff Dogs have hit top form approaching the season-ending play-offs, but The Associates, the defending champions, may need a wild card to get into the knockout after slumping to their fifth Evening Cricket League defeat of the season and slipping to third in group two.

Tuff Dogs, three-times former league champions, completed the double over West XI and The Associates, walloping group leaders West XI by 43 runs — despite a five-wicket haul by former Bermuda pace bowler Jim West — and following up by hammering The Associates by 51 runs with ten men to move within a point of top spot with a game in hand.

However, West XI's lead may come under review by league officials after they claimed a six-run win over Fine Leg Byes.

Fine Leg Byes plan to file a protest over the result posted on the league's website — 128 for seven verdsus 122 for seven — insisting they won the game by six wickets after Ricky Waldron, the captain, hit the final ball for six.

CV Chargers made light work of overhauling High Flyaz’s 64 for four, while the game between PHC and KPMG at PHC was abandoned because of rain and bad light with five overs left and the result in the balance.

PHC then turned up short at Shelly Bay on Tuesday night and conceded victory to De Wicketest, who moved within nine points of runaway group one leaders Renegades, the defending champions.

West's five for 28, including four caught-and-bowled dismissals, was the second-most productive return of the season after The Associates’ Kian Wookey earlier claimed five for 24, but the 38-year-old captain could not prevent Tuff Dogs rattling up 146 for seven.

Trevor Corday led the way, fashioning a 25-ball 51, which included five sixes and two fours, and he was well supported by Curtis Jackson’s 33 and 28 from McLaren Lowe.

West XI struggled in reply, despite West and Sivakumar Senthamaraikannan chipping in with 22 apiece, and were restricted to 103 for eight as leg-break bowler Justin Corday claimed three for 24 and Andre Manders two for 17.

Corday later took his week’s tally to seven with four for 14 as he scythed through the batting of The Associates, who could muster only 97 for eight in reply to Tuff Dogs’ 148 for six, underpinned by 51-year-old former Bermuda wicketkeeper Dean Minors’s 36, Trevor Corday’s 34 and acting captain Justin Barritt’s 29.

Tom Edwards was The Associates’ most successful bowler with two for 38, while their main contributors with the bat were Simon Jones, the captain, who made 29, and Rich Biram with 26.

Barritt, filling in for Terence Corday, said: “We’ve managed to find form at the right moment and we hope to carry the momentum into the play-offs. We hope to get a full squad out for the play-offs as well.

“Justin Corday and [cousin] Trevor Corday have been leading the way; Justin with the ball and Trevor with the bat.

“Other than that, it has been a real team effort. Dean [Minors] has been a great leader who we’ve been grateful to have come back and provide us with knowledge on and off the field.”

PHC posted 148 for eight on their home ground, Henry Brinsford taking two wickets, and KPMG, spearheaded by James Annandale's 40, replied with 89 for two before the game was called off.

Dylan Marshall, captain of KPMG, said: “The win was very achievable given the smaller ground and wickets in hand, but I guess we’ll never know what might have happened."

CV Chargers’ Piers Carr made top score of 30 not out and his brother, Somers, the captain, 19 not out as they raced to a seven-wicket victory with more than six overs to spare after Piers produced superb figures of none for six from four overs to put a stranglehold on High Flyaz’s batsmen, Jarryd Dillas bagging three for 25.

“Feels great to get back-to-back wins [after defeating De Wicketest] in what’s been a tough season for the Chargers,” Somers said.

“It was our best bowling display of the season. Piers managed to limit them to six runs off his four overs, which was unbelievable against a stacked High Flyaz batting line-up.”

In the disputed match, Steve Jones made 26 and Senthamaraikannan 21 for West XI, while Waldron made 42 not out, Melvin Best 26 and Chris Clarke 22 in Fine Leg Byes’ reply. Ricky Hill’s two for 33 for Fine Legs Byes was matched by West XI’s Donald Smith’s two for 34.

Group one

Shelly Bay (High Flyaz won toss): High Flyaz 64-4 (16 overs); CV Chargers 69-3 (9.3 overs), CV Chargers beat High Flyaz by seven wickets.

Group two

Shelly Bay (Tuff Dogs won toss): Tuff Dogs 146-7 (16 overs; Trevor Corday 51, Curtis Jackson 33; Jim West 5 for 28); West XI 103-8 (16 overs; Justin Corday 3 for 24). Tuff Dogs beat West XI by 43 runs.

Shelly Bay (Tuff Dogs won toss): Tuff Dogs (ten men) 148-6 (16 overs; Dean Minors 36 not out, Trevor Corday 34); The Associates 97-8 (16 overs; Justin Corday 4 for 14). Tuff Dogs beat The Associates by 51 runs.

Shelly Bay (West XI won toss): West XI 128-7 (15 overs); Fine Leg Byes 122-7 (15 overs; Ricky Waldron 42 not out). West XI beat Fine Leg Byes by six runs.

Groups one/two

PHC Field (PHC won toss): PHC 148-8 (16 overs); KPMG 89-2 (11 overs; James Annandale 40). Rain and bad light stopped play. PHC drew with KPMG.