bowling to send Watford Sports Club tumbling to defeat but Lucozade Leg Trappers edged ahead on Sunday in the tight race for the Commercial Cricket League title as Forties knocked Police Recreation Club from the top spot.

Gibbs' eight for 29 from 13 overs -- the best by any bowler in Bermuda this season -- helped demolish Watford for 76 to clinch a 52-run victory at Devonshire Recreation Club despite a six-wicket haul by Watford's Blake West and avenge a five-wicket defeat earlier in the season. All Gibbs' victims were bowled.

Lucozade moved onto 51 points by completing the double over North Village with a 94-run victory at Nationals while Forties, one point behind the new leaders, completed their third victory in a row with an emphatic 67-run win over Police at Shelly Bay to gain revenge for an earlier 82-run defeat.

Defending champions West Indian Association joined Watford on 451 points when they completed the double over West End Warriors with a comfortable 60-run victory at Garrison Field in a game highlighted by Jerry Callender's six-wicket return for WIA and left-arm slow bowler Vernon Eve's five wickets for the Warriors.

Only 11 points now separate the top six clubs. The championship picture may become a little clearer after two make-up matches this weekend when Forties take on Watford and North Village meet West Indian Association.

Openers Norman Godwin (26) and Michael Campbell (20) gave the Jamaican Association a good start with a stand of 44 but wickets fell steadily in the face of some incisive bowling by West, who finished with six for 37 from 12 overs, before Ian Wickham (17 not out) and Cordell Simmons (16) added 35 for the last wicket. David DeSilva took two for 33.

Michael Corday -- the only Watford batsman not bowled -- topscored with three boundaries in his 12 but the West Enders had no answer to Gibbs' line and length on a pitch which tended to keep low.

"Gibbs was devastating,'' said team spokesman Glenmore Barrett. "His eight victims were all clean bowled -- that's the amazing thing.'' Forties were pinned down by Police Recreation Club's four-man pace attack following the early loss of Tim Bridges and Rohaan Simons and had reached only 74 for three from 30 overs, Gary Edwards going for 28 and Peter Borland eventually retiring hurt on 25 after being struck on the big toe by Ian Moe.

Skipper Gordon Campbell (37 not out) and Gerald Simons (23) led a furious counter-attack, doubling the total in the final 12 overs as Forties closed on 150 for four.

Skipper Grant Tomkins was the most successful Police bowler with two for 32 but Andy McCulloch's nought for 34 was a poor return from 15 hostile overs as a number of catches were spilled.

Police -- without their swashbuckling West Indian trio of Devonish Small, Roosevelt Maronie and Dennis Gordon -- started brightly but crumbled to 63 for nine in the 25th over as Campbell (three for 30) picked up three early wickets and leg-spinner Oscar Andrade followed up his six-wicket haul the previous week by claiming four for 11 from nine overs.

Last pair Dave Allen (13 not out) and Chris Clarke (five) refused to surrender and battled on for more than 12 overs before Andrew Paynter (two for 28) returned to have Clarke smartly caught low down at slip by Borland.

Lucozade owed their total of 164 for eight against North Village on a low, slow Nationals pitch to an eighth-wicket stand of 90 between Ian Falconer, who hit six fours in his 59, and Dave Hosier whose unbeaten 47 contained five boundaries after the side had been in deep trouble at 65 for seven.

Derek Bell, with four for 42 from 17 overs, and Mike Levon (three for 45) were the pick of the Village attack.

Despite an opening stand of 33 between Kevin Lapsley (15) and George Holdipp (seven) Village were undermined by Lucozade's varied attack and were dismissed in 25 overs for 70 -- extras was top score with 21! -- with Huw Williams leading the way with three for eight from two overs. There were two wickets apiece for Falconer, Vince Chaves and Noel Capewell.

West Indian Association had only nine men but still outgunned West End Warriors, Andy Boyce (32), Randy Liverpool (27), skipper Ken Savoury (24 not out) and John McConnie (20) being the main contributors in a total of 161.

Eve's five for 25 came from 11.5 overs.

Ronald Gibbons, the side's leading batsman, topscored with 29 as the Warriors fought hard for a draw after their ninth wicket went down in the 34th over but WIA clinched victory in the 40th of 45 overs at their disposal as the Warriors were bowled out for 101, Callender snapping up six for 22 in 13.2 overs and Savoury taking two for 14.