Willow Cuts 104 Western Stars are now in good position to retain their Premier Division Overs title after this convincing 149-run win at Somerset broke a four-way tie for first place and eliminated Willow Cuts from the race.

Stars are locked on 10 points with Police and St.George's, both of whom have completed their schedule, while the champions still have a game remaining against struggling Cleveland.

A week ago Cuts had no trouble scoring 300 runs against Bailey's Bay while batting second. But this time they found the target too steep after being 33-4 after 13 overs with in-form skipper Dexter Basden out for just three.

Cuts struggled along to 56-6 before a stand of 34 for the seventh wicket between Gladwin Edness (32) and Cordell Gilbert (2) slowed up Stars' victory march.

Richard Basden, with 20, was the only other Willow Cuts batsman in double figures as the Cup Match trio of Gary Brangman, Hasan Durham and Arnold Manders did the bowling damage for Stars.

Brangman claimed three for 12 from seven overs, Durham two for 34 from 10 and Manders two for six off four.

Bruce Perinchief, making his first appearance of the season, claimed one for 23 from seven overs.

Earlier Albert Steede continued his good form with 86 while Manders, dropped on his second ball without scoring, hit 67 as they added 145 for the third wicket after Gregory Sampson (40) and Treadwell Gibbons (27) had put on 71 for the first wicket.

It was not a good day for the Cuts bowlers as none took more than one wicket.

Ossie Hinds was the most expensive, giving up 74 in 10 overs while Kevin Fubler went for 57 and brother Rodney 52, both also from 10 overs.

Charles Swan and Richard Basden were the most economical, giving up 32 and 34 from 10 overs.

Cleveland 193-9 St. George's 198-7 Cleveland will need to win their last two games against Western Stars and Willow Cuts to avoid relegation after losing this close encounter at Wellington Oval to remain in the bottom two.

After posting 193 they had St. George's in some trouble at 148-7 before an unbroken eighth wicket stand of 50 between Dean Minors (77) and David Adams (20) carried the home team to victory with just 10 balls remaining.

Minors scored his runs from 11 fours and it turned the match after Jason Lewis, Herbie Bascome, Eugene Foggo and Lewis Foggo all went cheaply.

St.George's were in deep trouble at 29-4 after just eight overs. A stand of 62 for the fifth wicket between Minors and his captain Clay Smith (38) turned the match around.

Then after Quincy Burgess and Greg Talbot kept Cleveland's hopes alive with three wickets between them, Minors and Adams saw St. George's to victory with their crucial stand.

Three Cleveland bowlers took two wickets apiece -- Andre Smith two for 37, Carlton Smith two for 39 and Burgess two for 37.

Earlier David Adams claimed five for 25 from 10 overs and youngster Travis Smith two for 29 as St. George's slowed up Cleveland after a good start.

Rangers relegated as Smith inspires Rec From Page 21 Opener Curtis Jackson scored 60, including 12 boundaries, while Courtney Trott (33), Aaron Adams (27) and Wayne Smith (20 not out) all made good contributions in the top half of the order.

Southampton 160-9 Devonshire 163-3 Southampton were doomed to relegation after crashing to their sixth Overs loss yesterday at Southampton Oval.

Dexter Smith, who could make a guest appearance for Rangers in the next round of the Western Counties, performed with both the bat and ball as Devonshire scored an easy seven-wicket win.

Smith claimed the last five Rangers wickets to finish with figures of five for 35 from five overs as the home team slumped from 140-4 to 160-9 after 42 overs when their innings ended at the cut-off time.

High man for Rangers was opener Keith Wainwright with 43 while Michael Brangman scored 41 and captain Olin Jones 33.

Wainwright and David Stoneham (14) put on 60 for the first wicket in 24 overs but further wickets in the 25th and 26th overs left them at 68-3. Jones then added 72 for the fourth wicket with Brangman before Rangers slumped again.

Smith led the way with the bat for Devonshire, scoring 66, including eight fours and two sixes, as he and Lloyd Morrison (47) put on 123 for the first wicket to lay the foundation for their fourth win. Lyndon Raynor claimed two for 21 from six overs.

Police 195-9 Bailey's Bay 198-5 Roger Trott celebrated his return to Somerset's Cup Match team with a stylish 70 to lead Bailey's Bay to this five-wicket victory over Police at Police Field yesterday.

And veteran Charlie Marshall, who was denied a place in the St.George's Cup Match team to the surprise of many, sent a message to the selectors by stroking an attractive 56.

Trott and Marshall joined in a third-wicket stand that took the score from 30 for two to 133 when Marshall was caught by Daniel Reece in the covers off Ferdinand Thorne. The partnership was worth 130 runs.

Despite losing Corey Hill (five) and Irving Romaine (five), Bay reached their winning target with Trott and veteran Noel Gibbons (17 not out) putting on 43 for the sixth wicket.

Earlier Police put a respectable total on the board thanks to a fine 49 by opener Dwayne Leverock, another who was celebrating his recall to the Somerset Cup Match team.

Also among the runs were Reece with 38, Peter Philpott 17 and Thorne 15.

Charlie Marshall led Bay's bowling attack with three for 28 off just five overs while Hill had two for 30 off 10 overs and Dennis Pilgrim two for 26 off 10 overs, including two maidens.