Soccer supremo Kenny Thompson hammered the Commercial Cricket League's second highest score ever and shared in a sixth-wicket stand of 220 as North Village beat Jamaican Association by 74 runs in a run feast at batsman-friendly Southampton Oval but Leg Trappers lost ground in the title race despite a knock of 91 by Graham Strange.

Trappers hung on for a "losing" draw against Forties, who leapfrogged over their rivals into second place behind West Indian Association, after suffering a dramatic late collapse in which five wickets tumbled for four runs.

Leaders WIA stretched their advantage to ten points by completing the double over Devonshire Stars while Police Recreation Club missed the chance to do the double over St. David's, losing a low-scoring match by 24 runs as George Cannonier undermined their reply with a five-wicket haul.

Thompson, the Bermuda Football Association's Director of Youth Development, plundered six sixes and 15 fours in his 153 before falling to a skied catch in the 41st over when in pursuit of the record 165 by St. David's all-rounder Lionel Cann last month.

"It was Kenny's second century for the club. He was dropped two or three times but it was a sensible knock in which he mixed aggression with caution," spokesman Wendell Lindsay said. "He was letting the bat fly at the end as he chased Cann's record."

Thompson, batting at No. 3, and Cal Dill, Jr., who hit ten fours and a five in an unbeaten 70 in his first appearance for the club, lifted fourth-placed Village from a shaky 86 for five to 306 for six before the declaration came in the final over at 306 for seven, David Scraders chipping in with 25.

Norman Godwin took three for 61 and there were two wickets apiece for Junior Lindo and Glenroy Brown for the Jamaicans who went down fighting, replying with 232 as Lindo led the charge with two sixes and nine fours in his 88. Other useful contributions came from Godwin (26), Kenny Wallen (24), Brown (23) and Presley Millwood (23), Kentoine Jennings (four for 51), Chris Caisey (three for 46) and Ritchie Foggo (two for 55) taking the bowling honours for Village.

The match - handled by Premier umpire Lester Harnett - was played in a good spirit before a sizeable crowd and was in sharp contrast to the clubs' first fixture in May when the Jamaicans stormed off the pitch and conceded defeat after decisions went against them.

Leg Trappers, left 45 overs to overhaul Forties' 180, were 20 runs from victory with six wickets in hand at the Royal Naval Field when Strange played a loose shot, triggering a collapse that saw David DeSilva return to snap up four wickets and finish with five for 39 from ten overs. Trappers closed on 165 for nine, a reversal of the first fixture when Forties were forced to hang on for a "losing" draw.

Given an early life, Strange put on 81 for the third wicket with opener Gary Knight (43), hit 14 fours and a six and was in devastating form, according to Forties' skipper Gordon Campbell, before slashing a ball from John Ray (two for 39) to Terry Corday on the cover boundary when nine runs short of his century. David Jarrett took two for 20.

Slow bowler James Swan (two for 41) reached a milestone when he became the first player to take 100 wickets for Trappers. Marc Wetherhill claimed three for 50 as Forties recovered from a poor start with Braxton Stowe (44), Terence Corday (25) and Mark Melvin (21) leading the way.

Skipper Barry Richards, who scored an unbeaten century in the earlier fixture, again proved a thorn in Devonshire Stars' side when he flew back on Sunday after a brief business trip to New York to mastermind WIA's seven-wicket victory at Shelly Bay.

Skipper Derek Smith, who hit four sixes and four fours in an unbeaten 67, teamed up with Brian Trott (53) to guide Stars to 183 for six - Olwin Clarke took three for 48 and Junior Watts two for 69 - but Richards smashed five sixes and five fours in a swashbuckling knock of 75 to engineer victory. Jerry Callender chipped in with 27 before Clarke (33 not out) and John McConnie (19 not out) eased WIA home with an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 58, Chico Trott taking two for 32.

"It was a scary game for us. That seemed like a lot of runs to get at Shelly Bay but we got there in the end," Richards said.

Police Recreation Club's batting let them down as they were bowled out for 80 by nine-man St. David's at Police Field after the east enders had been dismissed for 104 in a match that lasted only 44 overs.

Reginald Pitcher (27), Cannonier (23) and Jeff Pitcher (21) were St. David's main scorers as Paul Roberts (three for 20), Raj Goonewardene (three for 26) and Jason Wade (two for 27) did the damage.

But Police had no answer to the bowling of acting skipper Cannonier, who collected five for 32 from 13 overs, and Gerald Bean, who bagged four for 13.