Yatin Gawas followed up his record 177 last week by smashing another century but it could not prevent nine-man Forties from slipping to a seven-wicket defeat against leaders Spring Garden Cavaliers, who tightened their grip on the title they won last season.Gawas’ 128 dominated Forties’ 237 but half-centuries by Jeff DeSilva, who lost his league record set two seasons ago to Gawas last week, and Craig Smith saw Cavaliers reach their target with 11 balls to spare at Devonshire Rec in a game reduced to 40 overs a side.Ten-man Jamaican Association, meanwhile, avenged defeat two weeks ago by beating North Village by four wickets at Southampton Oval in Sunday’s other game.Forties, who have rarely fielded a full side this season, seemed set to post a more challenging total after being sent in but playing two short against a full-strength Cavaliers side proved too great a handicap in the end.Number three Gawas struck nine sixes and nine fours in his 97-ball innings, guiding Forties to 233 for three, dominated by a fourth-wicket stand of 182 with Edward DeSilva, whose 50 from 68 balls included two sixes and a four, after the pair put on 178 for the third wicket against Jamaican Association last week.But the wheels came off as Lloyd Morrison scythed through the lower order with six for 44 from 9.4 overs, the last five wickets tumbling for just four runs.Rohan Henry bowled unchanged at the other end, taking one for 86 from a marathon 20-over stint.In reply, David Gibbons (31) and Donovan Livingston (34) produced an opening stand of 69 before number three DeSilva and Smith carried Cavaliers to the brink of victory with a third-wicket stand of 161.DeSilva who, like Gawas, followed up his then-record 166 not out, eclipsing Lionel Cann’s 165 in 2002 for St David’s, with another century the following week in 2010 struck eight fours and three sixes in his unbeaten 78 while Smith hit four fours and three sixes in his 50-ball 63.“We knew that 237 at the Rec with nine fielders was going to be tough to defend, especially with their batting line-up,” said Forties’ skipper Gordon Campbell.“We lost our last five wickets for four runs after being in a good position to push for a big score. It is too bad we couldn’t have built a little more on the platform Yatin and Edward gave us.”Added Campbell: “We were in with a sniff of a chance for a draw in the last 10 overs when they needed 78, but Jeff and Craig just took it away from us.”Junior Lindo, Keniek Wallen and Michael Campbell claimed seven of the wickets as Jamaican Association dismissed Village for 142 in 38 overs and then knocked off the runs in 28.4 overs.Only Reggie Benjamin, who struck six fours and a six in his top score of 36, offered much resistance as Lindo took three for 25 from 11, Wallen two for 12 and Campbell two for 23, both from six.Campbell then hit an unbeaten 39 after wicketkeeper Khyril Furbert made 41 to help guide the Jamaicans to 143 for five. Maurice Steede took two for 24 and Benjamin two for 35, both from seven.Fine Leg Byes have maintained their lead in the Evening Cricket League’s Premier Division, holding a nine-point lead at the half-way stage, while Deloitte were three points clear in the Second Division.