Ian Coke narrowly missed out on a deserved century as Jamaican Association dented leaders Forties' Commercial Cricket League title hopes by taking the lion's share of the points from a high-scoring drawn match.

There was also plenty of drama off the field.

Despite playing with only eight men in their first two league matches, Hamilton Parish have scotched rumours they are planning to pull out of the league after defaulting to Spring Garden Cavaliers.

And North Village say they plan to file an appeal after losing to St. David's, claiming the East Enders fielded an ineligible player in Landro Minors, who masterminded their 33-run victory.

Cavaliers were left fuming when no Parish players turned up for their scheduled match at Southampton Oval.

But last night Parish spokesman Ernest Lathan said his club were under the impression all Commercial matches had been called off because of the Bermuda v Scotland Intercontinental Cup match at the National Sports Centre.

"We're not pulling out of the league. It was an honest mistake. We're really sorry," he said.

Parish sailed into next month's Twenty20 League Cup semi-finals by winning all their group matches but have since lost all three league games.

Coke was left stranded on 98 not out from 97 balls as the Jamaicans, who now trail Forties by six points with a game in hand, rattled up 293 for five at Warren Simmons Community Field in a match reduced to 40 overs and then restricted ten-man Forties to 177 for five.

The Jamaicans, who took seven points to their rivals' three, put the Forties attack to the sword in the closing stages, hammering 120 runs in the last 12 overs. Batting at No. 4, Coke struck ten fours and a six and added 120 for the fifth wicket with Kevin Abrahams, who smashed six sixes and six fours in his 36-ball 79. Other support came from Daniel Edwards, who made 48 from 26 balls, while skipper Chris Daley chipped in with 28.

Opener Alistair McNeish, better known as an Evening League player (he skippers The Associates), stroked ten fours and two sixes in his 71-ball 89 in Forties' reply but he played a lone hand as none of his colleagues reached 20.

"We put up the shutters at the fall of the fourth wicket at 152 when the asking rate was ten or 11 an over," admitted Forties' skipper Gordon Campbell.

He paid tribute to Coke, who also took two for 29 from six overs, saying: "Ian played a very disciplined innings and it is a pity that he didn't get his century."

Minors, the player at the centre of controversy at Garrison Field, made 81, including six fours and three sixes, and then took three for 18 from eight overs as St. David's made 161 before dismissing Village for 128 in a game cut to 35 overs a side.

St. David's total was boosted by 24 from Mikkail Crockwell, who later took two for 22, and 22 from Milton Jones while four bowlers shared eight wickets for Village.

Newcomer Sonny Ranaweera took two for 29 from seven overs, skipper Reggie Benjamin two for 33 from eight, Rudy Smith two for 34 from 8.3 overs and Lyndon Fubler two for 39 from five.

Allen Walker was Village's top scorer with 38 while Jahson Smith was St. David's other top bowler with three for 33 from eight.

According to the Bermuda Cricket Board's website, Minors has been a regular in St. David's Premier team this season, most recently scoring 77 on June 22 against Young Men's Social Club and 27 against Southampton Rangers earlier this month.

BC Allrounders edged Ernst & Young by 19 runs in a 35-overs-a-side match after they switched from T.N. Tatem Middle School to Southampton Oval when word filtered through of Parish's default.

Lower-order pair Lavor Talbot and Jason Bailey rescued BC Allrounders, who closed on 197 for eight.

Talbot's 52 included four sixes and three fours while Bailey hit three sixes and six fours in his 46.

Pick of the Ernst & Young attack was Dhammika Jayalath, who claimed five for 71 from 16 overs, while Aussie Stephen Connors took three for 65 from 15 overs and later hit 11 fours in his side's top score of 60 as they were dismissed for 178 with an over to spare.

Jason Wakeford made 47. Andre Smith, with four for 59 from nine overs, and Derek Smith, with three for 20 from seven, were on the mark for BC Allrounders.