Another victory tomorrow and Western Stars can start thinking about a league title...just halfway through the league season.

Stars, the last unbeaten team, will make another big stride towards that goal if they can extend their unbeaten run to seven games at home to second-placed St. David's.

Presently Stars are level on points with St. David's but with a superior net run rate. Victory would put them five points clear, and with a game in hand, that could translate to a 10-point gap halfway through the 14-game campaign.

And with the points against top teams like St. George's and Bailey's Bay already in the bag, there remain few teams capable of slowing up Stars' push for the title.

In fact, if it doesn't happen against St. David's, Police, Cleveland or defending champions Southampton Rangers -- all this month -- then it will be smooth sailing for Stars in their last four matches against Social Club, Flatts, PHC and Willow Cuts.

St. David's, pushing for their first league title, will be boosted by the return of player-coach Clay Smith and veteran batsman Allen Richardson from suspension for their first matches of the season. St. David's can hold their own in the batting department but there remain some concerns about the quality of their bowling. Two weeks ago St. George's smashed 283 off their attack and Stars, with arguably the strongest batting line-up around, are capable of matching that.

If there is some vulnerability in Stars' game it could be chasing runs, as they showed against Police in the Central Counties final when they struggled to score 215. They only managed it thanks to a century stand for the eighth wicket between the injured Cleon Scotland and Hasan Durham.

St. David's have plenty of firepower in their batting, too, where they have Smith, Glenn Blakeney, Chris Foggo, Philip Pitcher, Landro Minors, OJ Pitcher and Lionel Cann in their top six or seven. It promises to be a high-scoring game.

Rangers should remain in contention with victory over Somerset Bridge at White Hill while St. George's will entertain Cleveland at Wellington Oval. Police should be too strong for Warwick at Southampton Oval while Leon Place goes back to Devonshire Rec. hoping to help Somerset beat his old boys and remain amongst the league leaders. In other matches Willow Cuts should get a rare win this season over Social Club at Somerset -- having managed just two in seven league outings -- while the PHC-Flatts clash at Sea Breeze Oval could go either way as PHC look for their first win of the season, ahead of next weekend's Western Counties first round.

Both Cup Match clubs will be involved in their first trial matches today. St.

George's meet St. David's at Lord's for the Turkey Barnes trophy while Somerset will stage an inter-club trial at the west end club.

Bermuda have been drawn into Group B of Division One for the 2001 ICC Trophy competition to be hosted by Canada.

The Island joins Ireland, Denmark, Hong Kong, United States and Papua New Guinea in apparently the stronger of the groups, with Group A containing Scotland, Holland, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Fiji and Singapore.

Bermuda are seeded fourth in the group, with a new format expected for the 2001 version.

Meanwhile, Division Two is made up of the lesser 12 nations and is likewise split into two groups. France, Uganda, Malaysia, East Africa, Argentina and Israel make up Group C, while Namibia, West Africa, Gibraltar, Italy, Nepal and Germany comprise Group D.

Again the top three teams will be granted passage to the World Cup.