Hamilton Parish completed the first half of their fixtures with a default victory over struggling Western Stars that has nudged them into a 10-point lead over Commercial Cricket League rivals North Village and Forties who have both played one game fewer.

Parish gained sole possession of top spot after Village ended Forties? 100 percent record by beating them by three wickets thanks to an unbeaten half century by perennial visitor Ricky Hoyte and a five-wicket haul by Rudy Smith, while bad light robbed West Indian Association of victory over Jamaican Association after a late start, WIA finishing 10 runs short of their target with four wickets and six overs in hand.

Western Stars? two defaults ? on Mother?s Day and Father?s Day ? would normally mean automatic expulsion for the St. John?s Road club but skipper Chris Smith has assured league officials that Stars will complete their fixtures and they have been given the green light to continue.

?It?s been a hard year for us so far,? admitted Smith. ?We had six players turn up on Sunday (at Garrison Field) but it was Father?s Day, a couple of regular players were off the Island and we just couldn?t make it.?

The victory left Parish on 50 points, ahead of Village and Forties on 40. All three of the leading teams have lost one match.

Former Barbados wicketkeeper Hoyte?s patient 50, which contained only two boundaries, helped steer Village to victory with three overs to spare at Shelly Bay after a weakened Forties were dismissed for 124 in the 41st over.

With the scores level, Hoyte, who was having his first Commercial knock of the season, hit Brian Brangman for six to complete his half century and secure the points after skipper Ricky Hill had been run out for 20.

Opening bowler Blake West took two for 56 from a marathon 20 overs while skipper Gordon Campbell took two for 24 from nine.

Earlier opener Gerald Bean and skipper?s son David Campbell, who is recovering from knee surgery, each made 27 while Yatin Gawas chipped in with 20.

Smith finished with five for 37 from 14 overs while Eugene Postlethwaite, another holiday-maker in the Village side who emigrated to the United States more than 30 years ago, claimed two for 11 from 2.3 overs.

?The game was a lot of fun. We didn?t expect to win,? said skipper Campbell.

?We were missing several players through injury and unavailability. Our three young replacements, two of them under 16, performed admirably. But in the end we just didn?t have enough runs with a batsmen of Ricky Hoyte?s class chasing our total. However, we did make it quite tight for a while.?

Village spokesman Wendell Lindsay said Village made hard work of securing the victory.

?We had a couple of run-outs, including Ricky Hill who was caught out strolling back to his crease at the non-striker?s end, and there were a couple of rash shots as well.?

WIA?s opening batsman Barry Richards claimed his side dropped 16 catches in the drawn Caribbean showdown at the Royal Naval Field where Jamaican Association?s 42-over total of 217 for eight included a massive 63 extras, 48 of them wides.

With victory in sight, WIA closed on 208 for six from 36 overs, Chris Clarke leading the charge with an unbeaten 71 from 58 balls which included seven fours and four sixes before the match was abandoned in near darkness at 8.20 p.m. Clarke added 72 with skipper Jerry Callender (37 not out) in an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 72. Dave Greenidge made 45.

Medium pacer Michael Chamberlain was the pick of the Jamaican attack with four for 50 from nine overs.

Earlier, the Jamaicans slumped to 119 for seven after being sent in but the tail wagged with Daniel Edwards (40) and Ian Coke (36) sharing an eighth-wicket stand of 90. Chris Daley made 22 and Andr? Greene 20.

Callender (three for 38 from 10 overs), Junior Watts (three for 41 from nine) and Stan Francis (two for 43 from 11) did the bulk of the damage while luckless former Bailey?s Bay fast bowler Anthony Brathwaite, who suffered from dropped catches, finished with nought for 61 from eight overs after peppering the Jamaican batsmen.

?We had to call the game off, it was really dark. We should have reduced the overs after starting at 1.40,? said Richards, who was nevertheless heartened by his team?s improved form. ?We?re starting to gel.?