Opening batsman Allen Richardson made Southampton pay dearly for dropping him five times as his top score of 101 helped to spearhead the east-enders to a 17-run victory over Southampton at the Oval yesterday.

The sloppy fielding by the home team saw Richardson participate in two stands that put on more than 50 runs. The first was the opening partnership with John Pitcher (33) that produced 68 runs and the second came when Richardson and Phillip Pitcher (39) put on 56 for the third wicket, taking the score from 84 for two to 140.

Richardson, who was the dominant force during each stand, finished with eight fours and four sixes and the longer he stayed at the crease the more evident it became that Southampton's winning target would be a formidable one.

Also contributing to the woes of the Southampton bowlers were tail-enders Herbie Bascome (18 not out) and Cecil Pitcher (16 not out).

Clevie Wade was the best Southampton bowler with two wickets for 22 from 10 overs of which three were maidens. Ryan Belboda was the only other bowler with more than one wicket, finishing with two for 47 from 10 overs.

For a while Southampton appeared as though they would repay their opponents by punishing the bowling -- at least one got that impression once Olin Jones (52) and Stevie Lightbourne (29) helped to steady their innings after openers Wayne Raynor (13) and Keith Wainwright (two) were dismissed with 18 on the board.

Jones and Lightbourne managed to put on 46 for the third wicket before the latter became the only victim of skipper Ken Pitcher.

However, Southampton's hopes of winning remained good as Jones and new bat Ricky Brangman (35) continued the onslaught and added 81 for the fourth wicket. But once this stand was ended with Jones' dismissal, Brangman was soon to follow and the two quick wickets only revived the bowling attack. Clevie Wade's lively innings of 45 raised the hopes of Southampton once again and he and Michael Brangman (18) added 50 for the sixth wicket. But too few others were able to contribute and the team fell 17 runs short as St. David's finished off the batting with only nine balls left.

Cecil Pitcher was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets for 40.

Warwick 88 Cleveland 89-5 Warwick fell for under 100 for the second straight week but at least Hoyt Zuill's young side made Cleveland work hard for the points before losing by five wickets at Somerset CC.

Zuill and PHC soccer players Sheridan Ming and Kevin Dill were the only three Warwick batsmen in double figures during an innings that lasted 31 overs.

Number three bat Ming scored 18 to top the batting while Dill, batting at number four, scored 15 and Zuill 16.

Peter Philpott, filling in behind the stumps for Allan Douglas who arrived late, caught Dill before Douglas took the catch to remove Ming. Douglas also had two stumpings late in the innings.

Warwick had a bad start, losing openers Aaron Burrows and Theodore Morgan with just two runs on the board as Albert Simons went on to claim four for 38 from 9.3 overs and spinner Del Hollis four for eight from seven overs.

Cleveland lost their first four wickets in the 20s (23, 28, 29, 29) and the fifth on 34 before an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 55 between vice captain Aaron Adams (43 not out) and captain Philpott (13 not out) took them to their second straight victory.

Zuill claimed three for 26 from eight overs and W.Burgess two for 39 from six.

Social Club 101 Somerset 102-5 Perry Maybury is fancying his role as a batsman more and more as he smashed an unbeaten 38 to bolster what had looked an unimpressive batting performance at St. John's field.

Somerset were in a spot of bother at 52 for five against the seam attack of Roddy Thompson and Vincent Tweed when wicket-keeper Cordell Gilbert joined Maybury at the wicket.

Tweed was the chief danger man for Social with four of the five wickets to fall. But after once having figures of four for 26 from four overs, Tweed eventually conceded 65 from eight as Maybury cut loose.

The wiry right-hander struck two sixes and four fours as Somerset ended the match in the 17th over. Gilbert was not out on 13. Opener Dwight Basden made 21.

Earlier, Social's hopes of setting a challenging target were undermined by Somerset skipper Andre Manders, Charles Swan and Donovan Livingston.

Maybury and Steve Brown struck early with the new ball as he sent back the first three with 28 on the board.

But Leonard Gilks proved a stubborn customer with 28 and he added 35 for the fourth wicket with Webster Mills.

Then Mills was trapped lbw for 14 by Livingston and Gilks caught behind off Swan to start a collapse that saw the last seven wickets fall for 38 runs.

Swan claimed three for 28 from 9.4 overs while Maybury took two for 20 from 10, Manders two for nine from seven, and Livingston two for 20 from 10.

CHARMED LIFE -- St. David's Allen Richardson made the most of his five chances to score 101 yesterday.