Western Stars took a major step to realising their dream of a first-ever league championship with a comprehensive victory over Central Counties rivals Police at St. John's field.

Police, chasing a total that the hosts put up in almost even time, were in trouble from the outset of the innings as Allan Brangman bowled prolific Dennis Archer for a duck with his second ball.

Six minutes later, number three bat Andre Hendrickson went without scoring as well, out to a bat-pad catch at silly mid-on by Hasan Durham off Brangman. The early setbacks put a brake on the usually flowing Tyrone Smith and with skipper Ferdinand Thorne out through injury a stabilising innings was needed.

Both Smith and new batsman David Greenidge gave slip chances early, but when the score reached 30, Arnold Manders atoned for a his miss with a fine grab at first slip -- the bowler, again Brangman.

And Brangman made it five out of five in his eighth over when he uprooted Smith's off stump after he had made 21 and had acting skipper Roger Blades caught at second slip by Jeff Richardson the next ball to climax a five-for-21 spell.

Dwayne Leverock came in at number five and did his part to right Police's innings. But spinner Wayne Richardson quickly got rid of Chris Graham-Ward (two).

Leverock had batted 63 minutes for 31 runs when his uncle Roger Leverock dove forward to take a return catch to leave the visitors at 71 for seven. Michael Jackman and Henderson Hoyte were the last line of defence but Leverock bowled the former for six with a fine leg cutter to introduce Patrick Waithe.

Waithe proved adequate against the fast bowlers and he partnered the confident Hoyte for eight overs before Durham took his second catch close to the wicket with Richardson bowling. The end came swiftly afterwards as number 11 Alwyn Clarke had no intentions of playing the match out, and he was bowled by Arnold Manders going down the wicket for a big hit with only five overs remaining.

Brangman finished with five for 42, Leverock two for one and Richardson two for seven.

Stars owed their highest total this season to in-form Jeff Richardson, who made 73, opener Dexter Smith who hit 65 and Arnold Manders who struck 38.

Smith and Manders put on 70 for the second wicket, Smith and Richardson added 57 for the second, and Cleon Scotland (14) joined Richardson for a 71-run stand that provided the bulk of the runs.

Richardson struck 10 fours and two sixes while Smith, in his last match for two months due to work commitments, hit six fours and Manders five fours and a six.

Blades was Police's top bowler with four for 68.

Cleveland 126 Willow Cuts 131-6 Vivian Simons and Vance Gilbert each collected four wickets and skipper Dexter Basden hammered 41 to lead Willow Cuts to a four-wicket victory over Cleveland County at Somerset CC.

Simons took four for 17 from 12 overs, including five maidens, while opening bowler Gilbert had four for 29 off 12 overs and four maidens.

It was the fine bowling of this pair that was responsible for Cleveland's modest total on a day when the visiting batsmen were out of touch.

Veteran Allan Douglas, batting at number six, was top scorer for Cleveland with 31. Otherwise, their batsmen were quiet with only openers Grant Smith and Curtis Jackson in double figures with 17 apiece.

Willow Cuts had a solid opening stand of 57 between skipper Basden and Anthony Fubler (17), but they lost six wickets before reaching their victory target.

Richard Basden was undefeated with 37 while Rodney Fubler scored 14 and Vivian Simons 13 not out.

Spinner Johnny Richardson had three for 43 while Del Hollis, also a spinner, had two for 47.

Hamilton Parish 195 Devonshire Rec. 197-7 Hamilton Parish had brief hopes of sending Devonshire crashing to their third straight loss yesterday at Wellington Oval after recovering to post 195 and then having the league champions 28 for two by the eighth over.

The early loss of Roger Trott, to a good catch by Ricky Hill at slip, which split his finger, and Donald Norford gave Parish some hope as Terry Fray then went off injured after being hit on the chin when trying to hook a Terry Burgess delivery.

However, things turned around when Lloyd Morrison came out to join Albert Steede. They put on 50 for the third wicket with Steede scoring 51 from 58 balls and Morrison 20 before the latter was out.

Fray came back to hit 35 from 44 balls before Erskine Smith (14) and Anthony Edwards (19) carried the team to victory with an unbeaten eighth-wicket stand of 35.

Burgess finished as Parish's best bowler with five for 78 from 18.3 overs but with Chris Caisey out injured Parish were short on bowling strength.

Earlier, Burgess held his end for 32 minutes to allow Quinn Outerbridge to reach 65 as they put on 43 for the last wicket. Rec. had them in trouble at 62 for six before Outerbridge and Corey Hill (41) started the recovery with a seventh-wicket stand of 63.

Rec., without the injured Anthony Amory and Winston Trott, were led by Leon Place's six for 57 from 20 overs while his new-ball partner, Edwards, claimed three for 53.

JEFF RICHARDSON -- Aggressive 73.