The Commercial Cricket League’s revived League Cup produced some outstanding performances, but no major upsets, as the leading four teams underscored their current form by notching emphatic victories in opening round-robin matches.

Talented teenage all-rounder Makai Young made the highest score of the weekend, stroking 13 boundaries in his 75 to help guide league leaders North Village to a five-wicket victory over Fine Leg Byes.

Hamilton Parish, who are pressing Village hard for the league title, overcame a calamitous start to chase down West Indian Association’s challenging 214 for a four-wicket victory with skipper Irving Burgess taking the honours with bat and ball.

Forties, who have blown their chances of retaining their league title, almost let Jamaican Association off the hook but eventually emerged five-wicket winners, thanks to an unbeaten half century and four-wicket haul by all-rounder Rohan Davis, a PE teacher from Bequia.

Western Stars’ woes continued when they fielded only nine players and slumped to a crushing 10-wicket defeat against St. David’s.

Young, who turned 16 yesterday, and Dion Ball jr delivered the goods for Village after FLB, boosted by 34 wides, were dismissed for 188 in 29.3 overs at Saltus Grammar School’s compact ground.

Young’s 75 at number four included 10 fours and three sixes while Ball struck seven fours and a six in his 45, Village cruising to their target with more than nine overs to spare.

Young also showed his worth with the ball, picking up two for 46 from four overs. Randy Smith took two for four in two.

Jeff DeSilva, who hit five fours and a six in his 48, and fellow Sri Lankan Indika Perera (30) were the main contributors to the FLB total, David Gibbons also chipping in with 21.

Pick of the FLB attack were skipper Troy Berkeley (three for 34 from six) and Ishwar Narayanan (two for 25 from six).

At Shelly Bay, skipper Burgess struck a six and three fours in a polished unbeaten 70 and featured in a match-winning unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 96 with Chris Caisey (39 not out) after Parish had been wobbling at 19 for four and still struggling at 71 for five.

Corey Hill (30) and Cal Burgess (29) also made useful contributions as Parish raced to their target in only 32 overs despite Junior Watts’ three for 24 from six.

Earlier, Barry Richards, who is still having therapy for a left leg hamstring injury, barely left the crease as he smashed five sixes and five fours in his 55 after dropping down the order to number seven. Openers Dave Greenidge (22) and Patrick Hamlett (24) gave their side a handy start and Chris Clarke, coming in first wicket down, boosted the total with 39 before WIA were all out in 38 overs.

Irving Burgess claimed three for 33 from his allotted six overs and his cousins Mike and Cal Burgess also got in on the act. Mike took two for 17 from three while his brother Cal two for 34 from six.

“We thought we had Parish early on, but we couldn’t contain them,” said Richards.

“It was complete carnage in the end and Burgess played a real captain’s innings. It was a tough loss for us but Parish wanted it more than us.”

Forties had Jamaica Association on the ropes at 34 for seven at the Royal Naval Field but a half century by Keniek Wallen at number nine helped JA recover to a more respectable 140 in 24.5 overs.

Wallen’s 57 from 40 balls included five sixes and two fours, his first 39 runs coming from just 16 balls. Kevin Abrahams made 20 at number eight.

But the day belonged to Davis, who snapped up four for 28 from his six overs and then cracked three sixes and seven fours in an unbeaten 63 from 79 balls as Forties reached their target with more than 11 overs to spare.

Davis and Blake West (three for 14 from six) scythed through JA’s top order but Wallen’s rearguard action saw him add 45 for the eighth wicket with Abrahams and 60 for the ninth wicket with David Gibbs (17), who also took two for 29 from six but could not prevent Forties reaching 146 for five in 30.5 overs.

“We almost let them out of the bag but in the end we knocked the runs off fairly comfortably,” said Forties’ skipper Gordon Campbell.

Bundled out for 57 last week, nine-man Stars could muster only 59 in 17 overs at Garrison Field where St. David’s quickly knocked off the runs.

Openers Aaron Crockwell (31 not out) and Justin Denbrook (28 not out) needed just seven overs to fire St. David’s to victory. Earlier Crockwell and Gregory Outerbridge skittled out Stars with two for 20 and three for two respectively from six overs apiece.

[bul] St. David’s will meet 13-time winners Forties in a Knockout preliminary round match at Shelly Bay in this Sunday’s only fixture.