A solid batting performance by Mark Ray (40) combined with some tight bowling by Chris Wright, Jason Lewis and John Ray helped Nationals to this 28-run victory over defending champions Devonshire Rec.

It was Devonshire's third loss in four matches and Nationals accomplished it with one of their key bowlers, Mark Ray, behind the stumps and with manager Barry Sousa having to fill in for the weakened team which was without regular wicketkeeper Winston Simmons.

Ray's fine batting steered them to their total and it was he and brother John who participated in the team's biggest stand of 57 runs for the sixth wicket, taking the score from 5-105 to 6-162 when John was out for 23.

But, once the stand was broken, wickets fell at a rapid rate with only eight runs being added by the last four batsmen.

Nationals were helped by a start of 43 between openers Gary Knight (17) and Jeff Pitcher (30).

Spinner Lloyd Morrison, seldom used as a bowler, led Devonshire's attack with three wickets for three runs off only three overs, including a maiden. James Pace, who also rarely bowls, claimed two for four with his spin bowling from 3.4 overs and one maiden while Anthony Edwards had three for 64.

Devonshire never recovered from a rocky start after losing opener Roger Trott (2) and Albert Steede (7) with only 15 runs scored.

There was some stability when skipper Anthony Amory (28) and Pace (45) added 68 for the fifth wicket, but once it ended Nationals quickly tore through the tail.

Jason Lewis led the attack with three for 27 while Wright had three for 41 and Ray two for 38.

Warwick 48 Southampton Rangers 50-1 Southampton Rangers made short work of a nine-man Warwick team, beating them convincingly by nine wickets at the Oval.

The man responsible for the meagre total put up by Warwick was Quinton Burch, one of only two bowlers used by Southampton. He grabbed six for 19 off 8.5 overs with three maidens while his opening partner Gary Williams snatched two for 25 off nine overs with three maidens.

Rangers were denied an extra bowling bonus point because Warwick were short-handed.

Opener Johnny Nusum was one of two Warwick batsmen in double figures with 17.

The other was Sheridan Ming with 15.

Southampton's opening pair Wayne Raynor (19 not out) and Keith Wainwright (19) put on 40 before Stevie Lightbourne (9 not out) joined the former to take the team to their winning target. Kallan Johnston took the only wicket to fall for 11 runs.

Police 222 Flatts 156 Opening batsman Dennis Archer hammered 51 and Henderson Hoyte claimed four for 35 to lead Police to a 66-run victory over Flatts.

Archer struck nine fours and joined Tyrone Smith in an opening stand of 92.

Smith made 36.

However, Flatts made great inroads after dismissing the two quickly with Smith going with the total on 92 and Archer a run later. Two more wickets fell with the total on 105 but David Greenidge (36) and Roger Blades (32) added resistance and put on 43 for the fifth wicket.

Spinner McDonald Woolridge took five for 61 while Rodney Woolridge had two for 26.

Flatts got a good start to their innings with Troy Dean (33) and Andrew Richardson (19) putting on 58 but once they were separated the bowling attack faced no real problems. James Bean got 21, Floyd Smith 16 and McDonald Woolridge 13.

Dwayne Leverock took four for 35, Tyrone Smith two for 15, Hoyte two for 26 and Archer two for 32.

Bailey's Bay 297-5 Somerset Bridge 83 Bailey's Bay leapfrogged into second place as they demolished a bewildered Somerset Bridge bunch at White Hill field sparked by a century by youngster Glen Smith.

Taking advantage of former leaders Willow Cuts' draw at St. George's, Bay improved their own standing and are now just two points adrift of Western Stars.

However, the day belonged to Smith who continued where he left off on Saturday when he just missed registering a half century. His timing and strokeplay was impeccable as he plundered a toothless Bridge bowling attack for 109 runs, including 17 boundaries -- 14 fours and three sixes.

Also getting in on the act were Cal Dill (65) and England professional Noel Gibbons, who after failing to score the previous day, came back to stand undefeated on 64 when skipper Chris Smith (34) called his batsmen in with the score on 295.

Bridge had used nine bowlers in an attempt to dislodge the Bay innings, but to no avail. Robin Swan captured two wickets in three overs, however he was blasted for 36 runs. Gladwin Ingham and O'Neil Virgil conceded 41 and 14 in claiming one wicket apiece.

No such resistance was forthcoming from the home team bats, whose number was reduced by he dismissal of Brian Gibbons by his own skipper David Jones following a team dispute.

Bay's three frontline bowlers, Clarkie Trott, Anthony Braithwaite and Gibbons, wasted little time slicing through a frail line-up. Trott and Gibbons each took three wickets and Braithwaite two as the west enders could only muster 83 runs on their home strip.

Ham. Parish 123 Cleveland 127-3 Parish captain Ricky Hill warmed up for his anticipated return to the Somerset Cup Match team with a knock of 61, while spinner Del Hollis helped his own chances of making the St. George's with his best figures of the season in this match at Sea Breeze Oval.

Hill's knock couldn't prevent Parish from losing by seven wickets as Hollis shared the new ball with Corey Lowe in the absence of Albert Simons and Diallo Sharieff and produced his best bowling figures of the season -- six for 47 -- as Parish were dismissed in 35 overs.

Chris Caisey hit 18 in the Parish tailend as Cleveland's other spinner, Johnny Richardson got three for 59.

Aaron Adams topped the Cleveland batting with 53 not out while opener Curtis Jackson scored 38. Corey Hill was the best Parish bowler with two for 24 from seven overs while Chris Caisey got the other wicket.

CLEAN BOWLED -- Wilfred Hodson of Nationals loses a stump to Devonshire Rec spinner Lloyd Morrison.