Former Bermuda national team star Ricky Hill marked his introduction to the Commercial Cricket League by claiming a hat-trick and following it up with a boundary-filled half-century to keep his new club North Village ahead of the chasing pack in the title race.

Village?s narrow three-wicket victory in a Sea Breeze Oval thriller handed defending champions Jamaican Association their third successive defeat.

Meanwhile, regular visitor Ricky Hoyte, a former Barbados wicketkeeper, who is staying as a guest of Hill?s, snapped up four wickets and smashed an unbeaten 81 from 52 balls on his first appearance of the season as West Indian Association leap-frogged over Forties, who had a bye, into second place by crushing a youthful St. David?s by eight wickets at Lord?s.

Fine Leg Byes added to Western Stars? early-season woes by beating the newcomers, who are rooted to the bottom of the standings with St. David?s, by 75 runs at Shelly Bay.

The Jamaicans, who pipped Village for the league title last season, posted 193 for seven in their 42 overs after being sent in on a pitch that produced a feast of runs the day before when Bailey?s Bay beat Cleveland by 45 runs in a Premier Division match.

Opener Chris Daley (47) and Lloyd Morrison (34) added 91 for the second wicket, carrying the Jamaican total to a healthy 116 for one, before medium pacer Hill struck to claim his hat-trick. He had Daley caught at long-off, took a smart return catch to get rid of Morrison and then bowled Ralston Wright for a duck.

Skipper Junior Lindo (28) revived the innings in a fifth-wicket stand of 46 with Presley Millwood (17) but Hill had done the damage, finishing with four for 43 from 11 overs. Chris Caisey chipped in with two for 43, also from 11.

Village eventually reached their target in 38.4 overs but earlier were wobbling at 54 for four until Hill teamed up with Allen Richardson, another former Cup Match player, to tilt the match irrevocably their way.

The pair added 108 for the fifth wicket before Hill was fifth out for 61, which contained four sixes and six fours, while Richardson?s equally impressive 65 contained three sixes and six fours.

Opener Clarkie Darrell made 23.

David Gibbs and Simroy Crosdale, two fast bowlers who have returned to the Commercial League fray after BCB stints, were the pick of the Jamaican attack with respective figures of four for 65 from 14 overs and three from 39 from 8.4.

?It was like County Cup down there,? said Village spokesman Wendell Lindsay. ?There was a big crowd. It was a hard-fought match with two neutral umpires, George O?Brien and Kent Simmons, which always helps.?

?The standard is certainly getting better in the league,? added Lindsay whose team lead WIA by eight points after five rounds of matches.

Hoyte, who has taken advantage of lax Commercial League regulations ? which allow in players of any international standard ? to turn out for WIA for the second season running, took four for 19 from 9.5 overs and fellow medium pacer Jerry Callender five for 62 from 15 but St. David?s tailenders rallied to add 101 runs for the last three wickets after slumping to 70 for seven.

The resistance came from Mikkail Crockwell (32), Todd Fox (30 not out) and Craig Simons (21) after Ajuan Lamb made 22.

?Their lower order batted really well,? said WIA skipper Barry Richards, who added that his side were without eight regulars.

Although Richards played on for 12, left-hander Hoyte teamed up with opener Patrick Hamlett, whose 50 included six fours and a six, to carry WIA to the brink of victory with a second-wicket stand of 144. Hoyte?s 81 included 15 fours as WIA raced to 173 for two in the 21st over.

Hoyte, who made his first-class debut for Barbados against the Leeward Islands in Bridgetown in 1990, dented Village?s title hopes last season by blasting 155 against them at Southampton Oval.

Although regulations permit 35-year-old Hoyte to come and go as he pleases in the Commercial League, his current visitor status would bar him from playing in the top flight here.

?(Expats) must be resident, on a work permit and have been on the Island for at least four months before we let them play. Transitory people are not allowed,? said a Bermuda Cricket Board spokesman yesterday.

Jeff DeSilva, a Sri Lankan waiter, stroked his second successive half century to help guide Fine leg Byes to 178 for five against Western Stars. His unbeaten 60 included three boundaries, other useful contributions coming from openers Anip Seth (26) and Angus Lynn 21.

Leroy Wilson followed up his three for 36 from 13 overs by topscoring with 33 in Stars? 103. Allan Brangman made 25.

Andrew Holmes led the way for FLB with three for nine from six overs as Stars lost early wickets. The spin combination of Nick Cardinez (three for 24 from 11) and Seth (two for 10 from six) accounted for five more of the wickets before Sumit Tiwary took the final wicket on his way to two for 30 from 7.3 overs.