Justin Corday smashed 22 off the final four balls as Tuff Dogs edged The Associates in an Evening Cricket League top-of-the-table thriller, while Bailey's Bay broke their duck at the sixth attempt with a ten-run win over De Wicketest.

In a week of cross-group matches, Piers Carr drove CV Chargers to a fifth victory in six with an unbeaten 91, while resurgent Renegades, the top league team for the past two seasons, added a fourth win to close the gap on The Associates to three points in group one.

High Flyaz also picked up a fourth victory.

Tuff Dogs and The Associates, respective leaders of the two six-strong groups, put their unbeaten records on the line and the match appeared to be going The Associates' way, but Tuff Dogs plundered 42 runs off the final two overs, including 30 from the last bowled by Kian Wookey, who had conceded just one run from his other over, to snatch a dramatic six-wicket, last-ball victory.

“It was an epic game,” Terence Corday, Tuff Dogs' captain, said afterwards.

Wookey's first delivery of the final over was a wide, Monroe Darrell, who finished with 42 not out from 35 balls, hit the next ball for six and then took a single to hand the strike to newly arrived Corday, who proceeded to dispatch three sixes and a four from the only four balls he faced.

The Associates, having been sent in, posted 131 for five, underpinned by 33 from Dave Woodcock, 26 apiece from Wookey and Freddie Mascarenhas and 23 from their captain, Simon Jones. Dennis Musson (two for 19) and Arnold Manders (two for 30) were the pick of Tuff Dogs' attack.

Tom Edwards was The Associates' most economical bowler, taking one for 14 from four overs, as Tuff Dogs replied with 132 for four with Trevor Corday making 20.

Terence Corday described his cousin Justin's explosive innings as “an amazing four-ball display of hitting” and also praised Darrell, saying: “It was a good innings by Monroe to bat long.”

He added: “It was a great finish to a very good game. It was nice to be on the other end of a last-ball victory against them for a change.

“The Associates were on top for most of the game, but the guys kept plugging away.”

Jones, his opposite number, added: “You know, it’s never over until the last ball, and credit to Justin Corday, who smashed it all over the place. Monroe Darrell's innings was also very impressive.

“It’s a tough one to take, but we did everything we could. It was a great game of cricket and a testament to the standards of the Evening Cricket League these days.”

He added: “Over the last few years we’ve been pretty lucky ourselves in the last over and managed to scrape a win over Tuff Dogs, so it’s fair to say we were owed one [defeat]!

“The team put in a great shift; we felt 131 was a decent total and we bowled and fielded very well.”

Jones singled out Mascarenhas, a new recruit originally from Goa, as The Associates' man of the match, saying: “He bowled [one for 32] and batted brilliantly.”

Lorenzo Simmons, Bailey's Bay's 39-year-old captain, was over the moon after his 21 and two for 14 helped his team bank their first points since returning to the league following their withdrawal in 2016.

“It took some time, but we got it right this time,” Simmons said. "We had a strategy and stuck to it and it went down to the wire.

“As the league goes on we will get stronger and start winning more games.

“I told my guys that the beers taste better when we win!”

De Wicketest recovered from a poor start in pursuit of Bay's 135 for six, thanks to 35 from Garron Wingood and 26 apiece from Rian Lindo and Logan Phillips in the middle order, but their cause was not helped by four run-outs as they closed on 125 for nine, Phillip Burgess taking two for 40. Eunico Trott was Bay's top scorer with 26.

Renegades beat North Village by 107 runs in a game reduced to 14 overs a side.

Riaan Engelbrecht struck eight fours in his 49 as Renegades totalled 172 for five before Village were held to 65 for five in reply, Frederique Wagener and Hugh Stanton taking two for ten and two for 15 respectively.

“We put up a strong batting performance with our top six all getting at least 20,” Ryan Miller, Renegades' captain, said. “Some tight bowling then kept Village to 65.”

CV Chargers piled up 191 for one against Fine Leg Byes, Carr, a century-maker earlier in the season, hammering five sixes and eight fours in his 91 not out, and he was joined in the run spree by Rowan McLean (36 not out) and Matty Watson, the captain, who made 30.

Chargers then held Fine Leg Byes to 126 for six with Somers Carr snapping up three for 27 and Greg Rose two for 24.

“It was another solid win for our boys,” Somers Carr, the team spokesman, said.

“Matty [Watson] and Piers [Carr] got us off to a flyer again. Some big hitting and a string of extras put us in the driving seat. FLB did start well and were on the targeted run rate for a while.

“We were unlucky to have not had a few wickets early but once we got a few of their key guys out, their run rate dropped dramatically and the game was essentially done by the middle overs.”

High Flyaz defeated West XI by four runs.

Niel Thakur made 44 not out and Noel Woods 42 in High Flyaz's 145 for five before Sivakumar Senthamaraikannan hit 51 from 31 balls as West XI just failed in their run chase, closing on 141 for nine.

Groups one/two

Shelly Bay (High Flyaz won toss): High Flyaz 145-5 (16 overs; Niel Thakur 44 not out, Noel Woods 42); West XI 141-9 (16 overs; Sivakumar Senthamaraikannan 51). High Flyaz beat West XI by four runs

Sea Breeze Oval (Bailey's Bay won toss): Bailey's Bay 135-6 (16 overs); De Wicketest 125-9 (16 overs; Garron Wingood 35). Bailey's Bay beat De Wicketest by ten runs

Shelly Bay (Renegades won toss): Renegades 172-5 (14 overs; Riaan Engelbrecht 49); North Village 65-5 (14 overs). Renegades beat North Village by 107 runs

Shelly Bay (CV Chargers won toss): CV Chargers 191-1 (16 overs; Piers Carr 91 not out, Rowan McLean 36 not out, Matty Watson 30); Fine Leg Byes 126-6 (16 overs; Somers Carr 3 for 27). CV Chargers beat Fine Leg Byes by 65 runs

Shelly Bay (Tuff Dogs won toss): The Associates 131-5 (16 overs; Dave Woodcock 33); Tuff Dogs 132-4 (16 overs; Monroe Darrell 42 not out). Tuff Dogs beat The Associates by six wickets