Sandys Sports Club opened up a 10-point lead at the top of the Commercial Cricket League when they scored an emphatic 70-run victory over defending champions West Indian Association, avenging an early-season defeat.

St. David's and North Village, two other clubs in the title hunt, shared the points in a nailbiting finish at Lord's -- where a 10-year-old came to the East Enders' rescue -- while the league agreed to postpone the other scheduled game between Forties and Safeguard Security.

All seven league clubs have two matches left to play but Sandys, with six victories under their belt, have emerged clear favourites to lift the title.

Sent in on Sunday at the Royal Naval Field, Sandys notched up 205 for four and then dispatched their opponents for 135 in 33 overs to gain ample revenge for a six-wicket defeat in June when they played short and were handicapped by a number of key players being away on a golf tour.

Sandys lost both openers, Troy Berkeley -- out for his second successive duck -- and skipper Terry Corday with only 18 on the board but an unbeaten 95 by David DeSilva and a knock of 48 by Terry Ward spurred the West Enders to their challenging total.

DeSilva hammered six sixes and five fours while Ward, who was run out, struck three sixes -- including two straight drives back over bowler George Rock's head -- and three fours.

WIA, playing calypso cricket like their better known countrymen in the current Test series in England, went for their shots and paid the penalty, slumping to 49 for five as Sandys reeled in the catches.

Useful contributions came from Rock (32), Randolph Byer (29), John McConnie (24) and skipper Randy Liverpool (20) but nobody stayed long enough to give Sandys any real worries.

Terence Corday and Paul Ross snapped up three wickets apiece and David DeSilva completed a fine afternoon by taking two for 31.

"Our guys didn't do well -- they just went in and batted really badly,'' said Liverpool.

Opener David Scraders and Elliott Jennings both hit half centuries to spur North Village to 187 for seven at Lord's but their victory hopes were thwarted by 10-year-old BCBC Under-11 League player Landro Minors, who helped St.

David's reach 180 for nine at stumps.

Scraders cracked six fours in his 64 while Jennings, coming in at number six, hammered four sixes and five fours in his unbeaten 54.

St. David's looked to be coasting to victory when they reached 156 for four, but spinners Reginald Pitcher and Robert Trew engineered a collapse which saw five wickets tumble for the addition of 16 runs.

Hard-hitting opener Dean Pitcher cracked two sixes and four fours in his 43, Dale Lamb hit three boundaries in his 40 and other useful knocks of 29 by Elliott Pitcher, Jr. and 28 by skipper George Cannonier gave St. David's the upper hand early on.

But former St. David's Premier Division player Pitcher and Trew halted the East Enders in their tracks, Pitcher picking up four for 38 in 13 overs and Trew three for 52.

St. David's slipped to 172 for nine but Minors joined Ed Burchall for the last four overs in a last-wicket stand of eight to save the day -- Minors hitting a boundary for good measure in his seven not out.

The league allowed a postponement in the Forties-Safeguard match because Safeguard were unaware matches originally scheduled for August 6 had been brought forward by a week.

Forties will now play Safeguard on Sunday while the other clubs take a Cup Match holiday weekend break.