National soccer coach Clyde Best turned in a dazzling performance on Sunday -- not with a ball but with the bat.

Best, a medium pace bowler for the Somerset Cup Match team before embarking on a glittering international soccer career with top English club West Ham, cracked five sixes and four fours in a sparkling 81 in his first match for Commercial Cricket League title challengers Watford Sports Club.

"He looked like a master out there,'' said skipper Terry Corday.

Opponents North Village, however, held on for a draw at Warwick Secondary to prevent Watford going top but still slipped to the bottom of the standings as Jamaican Association, led by skipper Norman Godwin's 95, ended a three-match losing run by thrashing West End Warriors by a massive 180 runs.

Bermuda Cricket Board of Control president Ed Bailey's son, Craig, angered his team-mates by walking off while fielding during the Jamaican innings.

Police Recreation Club remained in first place but for the second week running had to cling on desperately for a draw, denying West Indian Association victory at Shelly Bay with their last pair at the crease.

In an absorbing, but low-scoring game on a slow pitch at St.John's Field, Lucozade Leg Trappers had the better of a draw against Forties. Despite being bowled out for 104 they reduced Forties to 78 for eight at stumps, skipper Dave Wright claiming two for 28 from a marathon 20-over spell.

Village fast bowler Derek Bell snapped up seven for 52 in 16 overs as Watford were dismissed in the final over for 214. Terence Corday Jr. struck four sixes and two fours in his 51 as he and Best added 117 for the fourth wicket. Ernest Trott took two for 12.

A sixth-wicket stand of 69 between Mike Levon (28) and Shiran DeSilva (29) lifted Village out of trouble after three wickets had gone down for 52 and although three wickets tumbled in the closing overs they reached safety at 150 for eight by the close.

David DeSilva was the pick of the Watford attack with three for 19 and there were two wickets apiece for Terence Corday and Jim West.

Andrew Paynter followed up his five-wicket haul the previous week by snapping up three for 13 in his first five overs and skipper Gordon Campbell weighed in with two wickets as Forties reduced Lucozade Leg Trappers to 24 for five.

Paynter, who finished with three for 26 from 15 overs, removed David Outrim in his first over for a duck, had Graham Strange smartly caught in the gully by Anthony Zuill for five and then removed opener Gary Knight for 11, Campbell reeling in his second catch at mid-off.

When Campbell (three for 18) bowled James Broadbent for seven and trapped Pete Norris lbw second ball it looked odds-on Forties taking complete control of the game.

But David Napier stood firm against his former team-mates and added a crucial 27 for the sixth wicket with Justin Freisenbruch. Wright chipped in with 15 and Stuart Drake made 17, featuring in useful stands before Napier was eighth out at 92, well stumped by Matthew Lee for 24.

Off-spinner Peter Borland, who normally keeps wicket, enjoyed his first spell of bowling, taking two for 21.

With 43 overs at their disposal Forties found the going even tougher as Wright opened with five successive maidens -- he bowled 11 in all -- and Noel Capewell pegged down openers Borland and Gary Edwards.

Capewell (three for 19) broke through in the 13th over when he removed Edwards and Rohaan Simons and Forties later slipped to 43 for six as Strange, keeping the shackles on, picked up two for 13.

Borland was eventually out for 31 -- superbly stumped by Freisenbruch off Wright -- and although Paynter went cheaply, Mark Melvin (15 not out) held firm to save the day for Forties.

Oliver Bain arrived at Shelly Bay intending to play for West Indian Association but ended up turning out for Police Recreation Club when he found they were short.

Bain claimed three for 47 and skipper Grant Tomkins three for 66, restricting WIA to 179 for seven. Andy Boyce, out for two in both previous innings, returned to form with two sixes and four fours in a knock of 60. Olwin Clarke made 39.

Tomkins thwarted WIA, scoring an unbeaten 23, as Police held on for a draw, closing at 71 for nine after being 32 for five at the halfway point. Jerry Callender was top bowler with three for 15 and there were two wickets each for Clarke and Randy Liverpool.

"We had them on the ropes but dropped too many catches,'' said WIA's new skipper Ken Savoury.

Godwin laid the foundation for Jamaican Association's imposing 251 for six at Garrison Field, hammering three sixes and 13 fours in his 95 before being bowled and there were other useful contributions from David Gibbs, who hit five sixes and three fours in an unbeaten 48, and Ian Coke (30).

Trevor Bailey -- mistakenly identified as his cousin Craig Bailey in a recent report -- was top bowler for the Warriors with four for 63 from 11 overs.

Gibbs, who caused mayhem in a recent match, injuring two Police players with nasty blows to the face, had six maidens in seven overs -- but then hurt himself and limped off with a pulled muscle.

Mike Young (four for 21) and Michael Campbell (three for 19) did the damage as Warriors, batting with only 10 men, slid to 71 all out with six overs left.

Craig Bailey walked off when his team-mates questioned him after he made no attempt to take a catch on the long-on boundary. "That's his first and last game for us,'' fumed skipper Gladstone Eve, whose brother Leon fielded as substitute.

Clyde Best