forefront of the early-season averages.

The young St. David's all-rounder boasts a batting average of 51.00 to lead in that category while he is fifth in the bowling, his more distinguished discipline, with 13 wickets at a cost of 11.46 runs apiece.

Cann's form has not transferred into automatic success for St. David's who are languishing near the bottom of the Premier Division, but his all-round capability makes them a threat to most clubs such as Devonshire Rec. who they came from behind to defeat.

There is no other all-rounder who comes close to Cann, as far as standing in the averages are concerned as St. George's Ricky Hodsoll is seventh in batting and 19th in bowling while Bailey's Bay veteran Noel Gibbons is 19th and 15th respectively.

Western Stars' Arnold Manders, the incumbent BCBC most valuable player, is the top bowler with 27 wickets at an average of 9.33 and is just on the fringe of the batting averages (32.10).

Surprises always abound in the averages with Cleveland wicket-keeper Allan Douglas using two sound batting performances to weigh in second behind Cann at 46.00 with Stars youngster Cleon Scotland third after scoring three half-centuries in his last four innings.

Somerset Bridge captain Robin Swan led his team to the shock win of the season over Police, his unbeaten 100 the chief reason he is fourth at 45.00.

Chris Smith, the Bay skipper, is off to his best start in a few years and has scored the most runs so far, 337, followed by Western Stars trio Andre Manders (323), Anthony Foggo (301) and Gregory Sampson (301). Because of his 10 dismissals Sampson failed to make the averages, but the opening partnership with Foggo has been key to Stars' impressive batting start.

Manders, Glenn Smith, Dexter Smith and Clay Smith are tops among the specialist national squad batsmen so far with Bermuda and Devonshire Rec.

captain Albert Steede using an unbeaten ton in his last match to weigh in at 17th while Gibbons had his top score last time out (58) to slip in at 19th.

Notables missing are Charlie Marshall, Clevie Wade and Jeff Richardson, who are all averaging in the mid-20s while Stevie Lightbourne, who has scored 122 runs, has not batted enough innings to qualify. Ricky Hill is off to his worst start as a senior with an average of under 10 in seven innings.

Arnold Manders' bowling heroics are reflected in his big lead in the wickets category -- Kenny Phillips and Clarkie Trott are next with 21 -- as well as his economy rate. The off-spinner has bowled 123 overs for just over two runs apiece.

Willow Cuts' ever-reliable Rodney Fubler, the sort of stock bowler the national team is craving for, is second to Manders with 18 wickets at 9.61 apiece.

The surprises in bowling see Flatts spinner Gerald Sims third at 10.08, Stars' third-choice spinner Hasan Durham seventh at 12.36 and Somerset medium-pacer Charles Swan eighth at 12.50.

Diallo Sharrieff is the leading national squad specialist bowler with 18 wickets at 11.06 to rank fourth. Then come the Bay trio of Clarkie Trott (ninth), Terry Burgess (14th) and Noel Gibbons (15th).

Phillips, in exile since the Barbados tour, used his six-for-24 performance last weekend against Cuts to place 12th at 13.35 but he should be concerned about an economy rate that is over four runs an over.

Missing among Bermuda specialist bowlers are Wade, Anthony Edwards, and recently included spinner Bruce Perinchief who do not have enough wickets to qualify.

Stars' Anthony Manders, with eight catches and nine stumpings, is the leading wicket-keeper to date while Gladwin Ingham of Bridge used a five-catch outing on Sunday against Bay to join Arnold Manders and Grant Smith of Cleveland on eight.

Flatts' Maxwell Lawrence is the other player to have held five catches in one match.

Lawrence has seven in all, as do Stars captain Gary Brangman and Greg Foggo of St. George's.

Averages compiled thus far are from league, cup and Cup Match trials (both Somerset and St. George's versus Derbyshire), but not Bermuda representative matches.

LIONEL CANN -- First in batting, fifth in bowling.