Commercial Cricket League title hopes on Sunday while leaders Forties pulled off a thrilling last-over victory against North Village and St. David's stayed in the hunt for honours with a seven-wicket win over Pembroke United.

Blades hit 126 not out and his former Cup Match rival Eldon Raynor hammered his third unbeaten half century in four innings, the pair adding an unbroken 143 for the fourth wicket as Safeguard Security piled up a commanding 238 for three after being sent in on an easy-paced pitch at St. John's Field.

Half centuries by opener Ray DeSilva and number five David DeSilva, who both fell in the closing stages, enabled Sandys to reach 151 for five and force a draw but the result leaves them 10 points behind Forties although they have a game in hand.

Sandys thrashed Forties by seven wickets earlier this month and the clubs meet again on Sunday in a crucial game at the Royal Naval Field.

In imperious form in his first Commercial League match of the season, 50-year-old Blades cracked eight sixes and nine fours despite suffering from chronic knee problems.

"Colin's timing was incredible,'' said club spokesman Paul Field. "It was one of the best innings I've seen for a long time.'' Now averaging 212 for the season, 62-year-old Raynor's unbeaten 55 contained one six and four fours.

Sandys lost three key wickets -- opener Michael Corday going for 19 and Troy Berkeley and the prolific Terry Ward for three runs apiece -- and the west enders quickly settled for a draw. William Sargeant took three for 30 and Francis Grenardo chipped in with two for one.

Skipper George Cannonier played a pivotal role in St. David's triumph at Lord's over Pembroke United, claiming seven for 58 in 14 overs and then making an unbeaten 39 in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 118 with hard-hitting opener Dean Pitcher.

Pembroke, having been sent in, made a respectable 193 for nine with opener Tony Jones hitting 42 (six fours), Rowan Ramotar 41 and Joshua Butler 28 (five fours) but they had no answer to the power of Pitcher who cracked three sixes and five fours in his unbeaten 87 as St. David's eased home in the 36th over.

Former St. David's Premier Division player Reginald (Lucky) Pitcher enjoyed mixed fortunes on his return to Commercial cricket after a seven-year absence.

He made a belligerent 46 not out but his efforts with bat and ball were in vain as Harold Minors set up Forties' dramatic last-gasp victory with a blistering innings of 80 at Shelly Bay where the boundaries and grass remain long and a big tear in the artificial surface at the southern end is a major handicap to bowlers going over the wicket.

Chasing Village's challenging 173 for seven, Forties' only realistic hope of salvaging any points seemed to be a draw as they stumbled to 59 for five after 27 overs.

But Minors, turning in his best performance for the club, had other ideas.

Coming in at number four and riding his luck as Village put down a hatful of chances, Minors cut loose after a cautious start to smash five sixes -- one of them to reach his 50 -- and three fours.

Minors took a liking to the slow left-arm bowling of Pitcher who picked up a wicket and conceded only 14 runs in eight overs before being hit for 14 runs in his ninth over and 12 in his 10th, finishing with one for 46 in 11 overs.

Minors finally miscued to Pitcher at mid-off, leaving Forties 127 for six in the 35th over, having added 68 with Gerald Simons, who fell seven runs later in the following over.

With five overs left Forties still needed 35 runs to win but Leon Dickinson (18 not out) and Ivan Clifford (22 not out) teamed up for a stand of 40 to clinch an improbable victory with two balls to spare.

Five runs were needed as Elliott Jennings began the final over but Clifford square cut the second ball for four to level the scores and secured the points with a single off the fourth ball.

Village, having been sent in, had also found runs hard to come by early on, reaching 53 for three in 20 overs. Dickinson (two for 45) made the initial breakthrough at 37 when he had David Scraders caught at the wicket by Minors for 13.

Minors also caught the other opener, Mike Young, for 32 off leg-break bowler Oscar Andrade (two for 42) at 53 and in the same over Andrade caught and bowled Mike Levon for a duck.

Minors claimed a third victim when he stumped Dion Ball for 26 at 101 and Jennings went for a breezy 15 six runs later but Pitcher hit the ball hard and, although he struck only three boundaries, he played the major role in Village lashing 72 runs in the final 10 overs.