Leaders West Indian Association shrugged off the handicap of playing two short to thrash butter-fingered North Village as the Commercial Cricket League's top three sides all recorded emphatic victories, keeping an engrossing title race wide open with four rounds of matches left.

WIA maintained their 10-point lead over Forties, who are three points clear of Leg Trappers, but WIA skipper Barry Richards admitted after seeing off Village: "We are in trouble with manpower."

Asked about his team's chances of holding on to clinch the league title for the first time since 1996, Richards said: "I am more afraid of Forties than Leg Trappers. I have more respect for Forties."

Forties' only defeat came against WIA in May and the clubs meet again on August 25, the last day of the league season.

On Sunday Leg Trappers crushed 10-man Jamaican Association by 10 wickets at the Royal Naval Field, Forties beat Police Recreation Club by eight wickets at Police Field and St. David's edged Devonshire Stars by 24 runs at Garrison Field.

As well as starting with only nine men, WIA lost the fielding services of Richard Austin, who pulled a hamstring after taking two for 25 from five overs and limped off during the closing stages of fourth-placed Village's innings at Shelly Bay.

"It was a good victory with eight and a half men really," said Richards, who hit a half century but was the only batsman to lose his wicket as WIA successfully reached a challenging victory target of 184 with 15 balls to spare in a match reduced to 40 overs a side after a late start.

Ritchie Foggo (48), Chris Caisey (23) and skipper Dion Ball (21) were the main contributors in Village's 183 for nine. Kenny Thompson, who smashed 153 the previous week, was absent because of the International Football Youth Tournament and Village lost Caisey who was unable to bowl because he had to report for security duty at the National Sports Centre.

Fast bowler Stan Francis, returning from a short break, was WIA's destroyer-in-chief, snapping up four for 51 from 14 overs while medium pacer Junior Watts also sent down 14 overs, taking two for 71.

Richards, who shared an opening stand of 109 with Jerry Callender, hit three boundaries in a patient 51 before hitting across the line and being bowled by Foggo (one for 40) but an unbroken second-wicket stand of 76 between Callender and Dave Greenidge ensured WIA's eighth victory. Callender's unbeaten 70 included four fours while Greenidge had three fours and a six in his unbeaten 44.

"We were atrocious in our fielding," Village spokesman Wendell Lindsay admitted. "We couldn't catch a beachball."

Leg Trappers needed just eight overs to polish off Jamaican Association after bundling them out for 66 in 23 overs, Marc Wetherhill (three for 20), Colin Scaife (two for 14) and Jason Roberts (two for 17) doing the damage.

Trappers began their reply sedately with a maiden and two runs off the second over before Gary Knight and David Hosier (21 not out) launched a furious attack on the Jamaicans, Knight blasting three sixes and five fours in his unbeaten 47.

Graham Strange, skipper of third-placed Leg Trappers, was noncommittal about the league title but said he was confident of "winning all our remaining games". WIA and Trappers, whose first match was ruined by rain, meet again on August 11.

Police Recreation Club subsided from 87 for three to 107 all out against Forties on a poor pitch. Brian Holdipp claimed five for 27 from 10 overs and there were two wickets apiece for David DeSilva and Braxton Stowe, who followed up with an unbeaten 43 as Forties prevailed in the 26th over.

Opener Raj Goonewardene, who hit five fours in his 30 and later removed both openers, skipper Gordon Campbell (six) and Allan Lee (13), nudged the score along with Ian Simpson (24) before an all too familiar batting collapse ended Police hopes of avenging a heavy earlier defeat by Forties.

The loss of both openers left Forties 33 for two but in-form Stowe teamed up with Gladwin Ingham (40 not out) to seal victory.

Ernest McCallan (48) and Alan Lamb (38) helped St. David's reach 164 and the east enders then dismissed Devonshire Stars for 140 in 32 overs with skipper George Cannonier and Jamie Roberts sharing eight of the wickets, Cannonier taking four for 20 from 10 overs and Roberts four for 64 from 12.