Trailing 2-5, OCC had their backs to the wall but Dave Waltham and Neil Slater won the crucial doubles match 17-21, 21-10, 23-21 over Curtis Hodgson and Barry Rahman to keep them alive.

Waltham then toppled Officers' top player Derron Trott 21-11, 21-10 to make the score 5-4. And Mike Lindo came from a game down to overcome a nervous Hodgson 15-21, 21-17, 21-11 to even the score at 5-5.

The decider saw Slater take the first game 21-13 over Rahman, who then trailed 18-19 in the second and hit what looked to be a sure equaliser but Slater replied with an unplayable counter shot and went on to clinch the match 21-18.

To start the evening Rahman upset Lindo 16-21, 21-17, 21-10 while Derron Trott beat Slater 21-19, 21-13.

Waltham, who won his three single matches, defeated Trott 21-11, 21-10.

Trott and Hodgson beat Waltham and Lindo 21-16, 21-18 and Trott survived match point twice to beat Lindo 21-19, 14-21, 24-22 and put PO in a commanding 4-1 lead.

Waltham pulled one back when he defeated Rahman 21-10, 21-10 while Curtis defeated Slater 21-15, 21-17.

SAILING SLG A fleet of 13 boats turned out for the fourth and final race of the Bermuda Offshore Cruising Association Winter Series.

John Thompson's J105, Monkeyshines , eventually took the honours after spending a good part of the 22.24-mile course match racing with Buddy Rego's Tsunami .

In winds gusting up to 32 knots, Monkeyshines finished in one hour, 16 minutes and 30 seconds, 3:10 ahead of the Freirs 41 Tsunami , a time corrected to give Thompson a 19-second win.

Further down the course in the Great Sound, Shelagh Tasker helmed the J24 Sadiiqi in a lengthy battle with Tom Wadson's Swift of Paget and again the J boat triumphed.

Alphida Star missed a mark so technically did not finish, but Kirk Cooper's crew managed to hit a new personal speed record of sustained 18.2 knots.