St. David's hammered the depleted St. George's attack for 290 from just 43 overs at Royal Naval field before a spirited fightback by St. George's put some respectability in the 79-run loss.

With their weak batting, St. George's probably surprised even themselves with the way they battled back, having been asked to score at a rate of 6.74 an over and responding with 140 by the 14th over.

"We had 90 in 11 overs and were going at a good rate but we lack depth in our batting,'' captain Wendell Smith said last night.

After Eugene Foggo departed when the score was 26, the skipper and number three bat Graham Fox added 114 for the second wicket to put them on 140. But once Fox departed for 55 and Smith was eventually fourth out when the score was 158 for 65, the innings crumbled as only number five bat David Adams (15) and tail-ender Sinclair Gibbons (12) got into double figures.

Spinner Allen Richardson led the St. David's bowling with four for 22 from nine overs while captain Ken Pitcher and opener Herbie Bascome both claimed two wickets.

Earlier it was Pitcher who boosted the St. David's innings as he scored 32 of his unbeaten 60 off Eugene Foggo's 10th over, from four sixes and two fours.

Foggo finished with three for 77 while his nephew, Fox, was also punished as his one over to Lionel Cann cost him 22 runs from three sixes and a four.

Kenny Phillips, sharing the new ball with former Police player Ian Moe, took three for 57 from his eight overs wile Moe claimed the other wicket, for 29 runs from seven overs.

Adams, back after a year out of the game, failed to take a wicket with his wrist spinners and in his eight overs gave up 51 runs while Greg Foggo, Jr., also back after a spell out of the game, also finished wicketless.

Supporting Pitcher in the batting was number three bat John Pitcher with 54 while opener Shea Pitcher hit 32, Dean Pitcher 36 and Cann 37.

Shea Pitcher and John Pitcher put on 97 for the second wicket after Allen Richardson was dismissed for five.

Nationals 207-9 Somerset 211-5 Perry Maybury smashed 74 to lead Somerset to a commanding, five-wicket victory over Nationals at Somerset Cricket Club.

Nationals fought an uphill battle for most of the day but Maybury broke their backs in the end with an innings that included four sixes and seven fours.

Maybury was assisted by Donovan Livingston who struck 41 while opening bat Jermaine Warner made 27 and Cordell Gilbert 23 not out.

Nationals struggled from the outset after losing Gary Knight (13) at 25. Two more wickets fell for the addition of one run, and skipper Darrin Lewis was the remaining recognised batsman when the score was 57 for five.

But Lewis truly played a skipper's role with 76 then left it to tail-enders John Ray and Winston Simmons to bat out the remaining overs and carry the team past 200.

Lewis hit a six, two fives and nine fours in his fine innings. Ray made 29 and Simmons 23 in an unbroken 10th-wicket partnership worth 59 runs.

Charles Swan was Somerset's top bowler with three for 28 with Maybury claiming two for 36 and skipper Andre Manders two for 39.

Nationals had to be on a high after fighting back so well but they had few breaks when they took to the field as Warner then Livingston then Maybury contrived to hand frustrate them.

Social Club 127 Devonshire Rec. 129-6 Devonshire Rec., losing finalists to Bailey's Bay last season, were made to work before dealing Social Club a four-wicket defeat at Devonshire Rec. field.

Devonshire were cruising at 91 for three until top scorer Donald Norford was trapped lbw by Roy Trottman for 52.

Roddy Thompson, who finished with three for 54, then produced a double wicket maiden by dismissing James Pace (13) and Erskine Smith (0).

But Leon Place who came to the wicket at 65 for three kept one end secure to finish unbeaten on 20. Lloyd Smith was the other not out batsman on seven.

Norford, who first four scoring strokes were boundaries, made his runs off 47 balls and finished with 10 fours.

Trottman assisted Thompson by taking two for 28 from six overs. After losing newcomer Cecil Tucker (one) with only two on the board, Social consolidated their innings for a spell with Francis Grenardo and the combination of young Caldon Grimes and Webster Mills putting on 52.

Grimes was hurt early in his innings of 17 but returned quickly because Mills was out without scoring.

At the other end, Grenardo made 32 from 41 balls with a six and five fours.

Player/coach Lee Raynor, Sr. made a good impression in his first match with a team-high 35 in an hour and 54 minutes.

Raynor, who hit four fours, was the last man out after first coming to the wicket at 58 for three.

Devonshire had a balanced bowling attack with Erskine Smith, Anthony Amory, Lloyd Smith and Leon Place all taking two wickets.

Western Stars 172 Warwick 46 Western Stars overcame a spirited fielding performance by Warwick to record a comfortable 126-run victory at St. John's field in their Green Division opener.

After Arnold Manders (71) and Gregory Sampson (52) put on 105 for the second wicket, Warwick came alive with Mark Tucker taking five for 37 as stars slipped from 134 for one.

But Stars skipper Gary Brangman quickly had Warwick in trouble with a wicket in his third over and finished with six for 20 from 9.2.

Only PHC soccer star Kevin Dill looked comfortable at the wicket for Warwick but he was run out for eight after some slick fielding from point fielder Anthony Foggo.

Roger Leverock assisted the skipper with two for nine from four overs while Allan Brangman had the other wicket.

Earlier, Stars looked on pace for a big total despite the early departure of Foggo for five.

Manders took to the bowling immediately and Sampson proved trhe perfect bowling as he milked the bowling at the other end.

Manders brought up his half-century first and went on to hit a six and 12 fours.

Sampson hit a six and two fours in his stay.

Warwick's new skipper Hoyt Zuill brought his team in the match with the wickets of Sampson and Dexter Smith in successive balls. And save for 20 off the bat of Leverock, the rest of the Stars batsman went quickly.

Zuill finished with two for 16 from eight overs.