Forties clung to their lead at the top of the Commercial Cricket League with a narrow win over Safeguard Security on Sunday in a controversial match highlighted by a half century from 62-year-old former Cup Match player Eldon Raynor.

Raynor, who last played for St. George's in Cup Match 16 years ago, hit a sparkling unbeaten 58 in his first game for Safeguard but his innings was overshadowed by a protest by most of his team-mates which held up the game at the Royal Naval Field for 20 minutes.

Most of the Safeguard team stormed off the field, threatening to concede the points, when a confident appeal for a catch at the wicket against Forties' number seven batsman Granville Bennett was not upheld.

Skipper Herman James persuaded his players -- apart from Barry Walkes who left the ground -- to return and Forties, capitalising on Safeguard's reduced fielding strength, eventually scrambled home by one wicket in the 36th over.

The victory enabled Forties to stretch their lead to 10 points but three clubs -- defending champions West Indian Association, who beat Sandys Sports Club by six wickets, and North Village and St. David's, who drew -- are snapping at their heels. WIA and Village each have a game in hand on the leaders.

The flashpoint at the west end came in the 23rd over of the Forties innings when Bennett -- who said later he did not think he had touched the ball -- survived an appeal off the bowling of Raynor whose five tidy overs of offspin cost 17 runs.

Forties, in pursuit of Safeguard's 185, were a shaky 124 for five when the players walked off. On resumption Gerald Simons, top scorer with 38, was caught at point by Paul Field from a fierce cut and five runs later Bennett was trapped lbw.

But the tail wagged and luckless Safeguard, who lost the only five points they had gained when an appeal by North Village went against them last week for fielding an illegal player, were left to rue the absence of Walkes during the tense closing stages.

Earlier Patrick Hamlett and Francis Grenado (23) got Safeguard off to a flying start, bringing up the 50 in the ninth over and sharing an opening stand of 60. Hamlett hit seven fours before he was run out for 44 and then Raynor stole the spotlight.

Cutting with his old panache, Raynor struck eight boundaries in his 58 not out as Safeguard reached 146 for five but then lost four wickets for five runs before Raynor and Field added 34 for the last wicket.

Slow bowlers Bennett (four for 34) and Leon Dickinson (three for 30) did the damage for Forties while Adrian Jennings, with three for 29, and Field (two for 38) took the bowling honours for Safeguard.

Sandys, who batted with only 10 men but used youngster Trevor Corday when they fielded, suffered their first defeat of the season when they went down to WIA at Police Field.

Terry Ward, who came in at the fall of the first wicket at 11, held the innings together with a gritty unbeaten 62 which contained two sixes and seven fours. Troy Berkeley contributed 35 but Sandys, missing a number of key players who were away on a golfing trip, subsided to 133 all out in the 24th over.

Fast bowler Olwin Clarke took three for 31 and there were two wickets apiece for Junior Watts and George Rock (at 59 now the league's second oldest player).

Andy Boyce and Winston Vaughn hurried WIA towards victory in 26 overs. Boyce, who came in first wicket down, cracked one six and 11 fours in his 64 and Vaughn made 37. Ward and Berkeley each picked up two wickets.

Maceo Dill, a right winger for the club's soccer team, was Village's hero in his first game for the side in their total of 198 for seven against St.

David's at Shelly Bay.

Called up at the last minute, Dill struck three boundaries in his 63 from 69 deliveries and rescued Village from a precarious 67 for four, sharing a fifth-wicket stand of 88 with Dion Ball whose 51 contained seven fours.

George Cannonier, who replaced Elliott Pitcher as skipper following a midweek club meeting, was the pick of the St. David's attack with three for 57 from 14 overs. Cannonier later hit 30 from 23 balls.

Dale Lamb, following his two for 26, took up the chase with an innings of 80 that almost brought victory for the east enders. Lamb hit 10 fours and faced 83 deliveries but when he was sixth out at 156 St. David's settled for a draw, closing at 167 for six. Ball, Mike Young and skipper Derek Bell shared the wickets for Village.

ELDON RAYNOR, seen here playing in his last Cup Match in 1979, made his comeback on Sunday with a sparkling half century for Commercial side, Safeguard Security.