Police 189-9

YMSC 157

Match reduced to 48 overs

Police handed Social Club a 32 run loss at Police Field yesterday to extend their newfound dominance over their Central Counties rivals.

After electing to take first strike the home side posted a respectable total on a sluggish pitch and then managed to contain Social Club's batsmen who proved unequal to the task.

Number seven bat Wendell Ditten led the Police batting with an unbeaten 36 while the swashbuckling James Celestine hammered 33 and veteran all-rounder Dennis Archer 31.

Pick of the Social Club bowling were medium pacers Kani Darrell (three for 32) and Detroy Smith (three for 48).

The visitors made an inauspicious start to their reply, losing their first five wickets for only 59 runs before player/coach Charlie Marshall steadied the ship with a dogged 42.

As long as the veteran batsman was at the crease Social Club's hopes of avenging a recent loss to their hosts seemed within reach.

But once Archer made the big breakthrough by trapping Marshall leg before the pendulum swung back in Police's favour with only Jahmiko Marshall (26) offerring stubborn resistance lower down the order.

Others in double figures for the visitors were Daniel Morgan (19) and skipper Kevin Hurdle (23).

Seamers Melvin Best (three for 21), Archer (two for 32) and Traddie Simpson (two for 34) inflicted the heaviest damage with the ball for Police.

PHC 219 Cleveland 134

Match reduced to 45 overs

The mesmerising spin of Andre Manders, David Adams and Kyle Lightbourne proved too much for Cleveland at Sea Breeze Oval as the visitors cruised to a comfortable 85 run victory.

PHC's spin trio accounted for seven of the Cleveland wickets to fall with off spinner Manders (three for 17) and wrist spinner Adams (three for 42) claiming the lion's share as the home side were bundled out in only 37.1 overs.

Former skipper Jason Simons delayed the inevitable with a well-played 45 while promising all-rounder Damli Bell stroked 15 before the curtains finally came down on the home side.

Left -arm spinner Lightbourne (one for 16) was not as penetrative as his fellow spin colleagues but his left-arm deliveries offered his team's attack variation to keep the Cleveland batsman under wraps.

Earlier, opener Jason Anderson thumped 44 and he received solid support lower down the order from Daniel Caines (33), Dean Stephens (32) and Manders who stroked 28, batting at number nine.

Part-time off break bowler Carlton Smith led his team's attack with three for 32 while left- arm seamer Bell had two for 47 and Machai Young two for 61.

S'pton Rangers 237-8

St.David's 197

Southampton Rangers avenged Saturday's loss to St.David's at Southampton Oval yesterday to keep things tight at the top of the Premier Division standings.

Led by blistering half-centuries from Dion Stovell and player/coach Janeiro Tucker, Rangers rattled up a decent total which they managed to defend, thanks to some superb bowling from skipper Malachi Jones and left-arm spinner Dwayne Leverock who collected six wickets between them to secure the host team's 40 run win.

After openers Kwame Tucker (20) and Stovell (53) had added 71 runs for the first-wicket, middle order bat Janeiro Tucker smashed 66 off just 43 deliveries in a 74-run fourth-wicket stand with Curtis Jackson (26) to keep his team firmly in command of proceedings.

Tucker belted four fours and five sixes while Stovell, who faced 63 balls, smashed two sixes and five fours.

Leverock, batting at number eight, grafted an unbeaten 22 before the overs expired. Off spinner and skipper Delyone Borden claimed three for 36 to lead his team's attack.

OJ Pitcher jr struck an unbeaten 69 in St.David's reply. But it still wasn't enough to guarantee the visitors maximum points as Jones and Leverock had other ideas in mind.

However, after reducing the Islanders to 144 for nine Rangers' celebrations were put on hold as last man Del Hollis hit a stubborn 34 and along with Pitcher added 53 runs for the tenth-wicket to delay the inevitable.

Pitcher faced 80 balls and hit three fours and a six before Hollis was eventually dismissed to give Rangers three precious points.