Talented 15-year-old Jasun Smith was the toast of eight-man St. David's after smashing 66 to help steer the east enders to a narrow victory over luckless Centurions and close the gap on Commercial Cricket League leaders Forties.

Jamaican Association and West Indian Association joined St. David's on 30 points, 10 points adrift of unbeaten Forties, who had a Father's Day bye.

Jamaican Association beat Devonshire Stars by six wickets while WIA, who have played a game more than their main title rivals, were handed 10 points when struggling North Village failed to raise a team for their scheduled match at Southampton Oval and defaulted.

Village hoped WIA would agree to reschedule the match for August 3, the Sunday after Cup Match, which is a free week in the schedule, but the offer was declined.

"WIA are not the most sporting team in the world but they can have the points if they want and I won't lose any sleep over it," said a disappointed Wendell Lindsay, the Village spokesman.

But WIA spokesman Barry Richards countered: "I don't like to get the points like that."

"If there was another free day other than Cup Match, when none of our guys want to play, I would like to have accommodated them. It's unfortunate," added Richards whose side will have fast bowlers Stan Francis and Adrian Maclean in their line-up for the first time this season for this weekend's key match against Forties at the Royal Naval Field.

Sunday's match at Sea Breeze Oval saw teenager Smith blast eight fours and three sixes in his explosive half century, taking 23 off one over from Ishwar Narayanan.

"Jasun hammered their bowling - he'll be in the Premier team before long," said St. David's vice-captain Granville Bennett.

St. David's other hero was all-rounder Maclaren Lowe, who bowled a marathon unchanged spell of 21 overs, snapping up five for 54, and then made 35 as his side successfully overcame their numerical handicap to reach their victory target of 154 with 15 overs to spare.

Centurions lost an early wicket after being sent in on a good batting track before Alistair McNeish (35) and Simon Lambert (28) steadied the innings.

But steady bowling - 16-year-old Ricky Foggo assisted Lowe by taking two for 61 from 14 overs - pegged Centurions back and restricted them to 153 for nine in their allotted 42 overs, skipper Jeremy Leese hitting five fours in his 24.

St. David's lost two early wickets before Smith and Lowe took the attack to the Centurions bowlers. Lowe, who survived one strong appeal for a catch at the wicket, was content to play the anchor role and St. David's appeared to be coasting to an easy victory but the introduction of medium pacer Lambert gave Centurions fresh hope of earning their first points of the season.

Lambert took two for 18 in six overs, including the wicket of Smith, and when Nick Cardinez (two for 52) took wickets with successive balls the match seemed to be swinging irrevocably Centurions' way.

But an unbroken last-wicket stand of 29 between veteran Alan Lamb (18 not out) and 13-year-old Mikal Crockwell (14 not out) denied Centurions, Lamb ending the match in style with two successive sixes off Cardinez to earn a one-wicket victory.

Said a disappointed Leese: "What have we got to do to get a win? Surely the gods of cricket will smile down on us and give us our first win soon.

"St. David's opening bowlers put in some impressively long spells but we never really took advantage of their shortage of numbers in the field.

"When we we bowled young Jasun Smith hit us for six, quite literally, losing a few balls in the sea in a barrage of boundaries as he set about dismantling our attack in ruthless fashion."

Dropped catches proved costly for Devonshire Stars as they went down to Jamaican Association at Shelly Bay.

Only Quinton King with 30 offered any real resistance as Rowan Ramotar, who claimed five for 24 off seven overs, and skipper Junior Lindo (two for 17) combined to dismiss Stars for 104 in the 39th over.

An unbeaten 49 by opener Norman Godwin, who hit four boundaries, and 22 from Lindo guided the Jamaicans to victory in the 23rd over.

Larry Allen took two for 29 and skipper Andr? Smith two for 54 from 11 overs.

"We had numerous dropped catches, six or seven, and I might have had five wickets but it was a good game, clean fun, spot on," said Smith.