Defending champions Western Stars scarcely avoided falling to their second consecutive league defeat when the herculean efforts of Southampton's Quinton Burch fell agonisingly short of securing victory.

Medium-pacer Burch raced through Stars' top order after the home team elected to bat on a wicket of true bounce.

Later on, Burch, the batsman, blasted 39 runs, including four mammoth sixes off spinner Hasan Durham's ninth and 10th overs.

It was Burch who gave Rangers a glimmer of hope after they initially looked like succumbing meekly to the challenge presented them by Stars.

Having surprisingly bowled out their opponents for a very reachable total of 160, Rangers front-line batsmen were made to learn a painful lesson for not playing along a correct line.

Indecisiveness by Olin Jones resulted in him presenting an easy catch to Gary Brangman at silly mid-on off the bowling of Allan Brangman.

And Keith Wainwright (five), Stevie Lightbourne (nought) and Clevie Wade (one) would all soon take up positions alongside each other in the pavilion, leaving Rangers dangerously placed at 15 for four.

The burden was thus left for the much less experienced shoulders of Kwame Tucker (22) and Janeiro Tucker (20) to bear, who along with Michael Brangman (38) went about halting the slide and inching themselves closer to the century mark.

Then came Burch. And after tantalising his supporters with thoughts of victory -- he and last man Garry Wiliams (six not out) notched 38 runs together -- he attempted one big hit too many and was bowled by Allan Brangman 16 runs short of the target.

Brangman ended with figures of four for 19 and was assisted by Durham, who took three. Gary Brangman, Arnold Manders and Wayne Richardson each recorded one apiece.

Earlier, Burch accounted for the departures of openers Gregory Sampson (five) and Anthony Foggo (one) and followed with the prized scalps of Andre Manders (four) and Arnold Manders (11) to leave Stars reeling at 43 for four.

However, Cleon Scotland continued from where he left off the previous day, when he notched 68 runs during the Central Counties second-round match against Police, this time weighing in with a patient knock of 29.

Anthony Manders similarly played a vital role, his 41 runs while batting at number eight anchoring the innings.

Others in double figures were Jeff Richardson (19), Durham (10) and Allan Brangman (13).

Burch finished with match figures of four for 30 as Wade and Janeiro Tucker managed two wickets each, while Ryan Belboda and Jones had the others.

St. George's 262-5 Hamilton Parish 104 Dexter Smith struck his first century for St. George's and Kenny Phillips claimed five for 50 to lead the home side to a comfortable, 148-run win over Hamilton Parish at Wellington Oval.

Smith batted through the St. George's innings for 111 not out with 14 fours and a six.

He gave chances on 61 and 83 to Curtis Lee and Irving Burgess but Parish's out-cricket left much to be desired as could be told by the 57 in the extras column.

Ricky Hodsoll followed last week's unbeaten century with 31 after coming in at number five. Opening bat Eugene Foggo made 21 and Clay Smith 19.

Cal Burgess was Parish's top bowler with two for 30 from 10 overs.

Irving Burgess and Cal Burgess were positive in the face of Phillips' pace, the former highlighting his knock of 14 by hitting the big Grenadian for six over extra cover.

But Phillips had the last say in both respects as he had Irving Burgess caught at second slip by Clay Smith and trapped Cal Burgess lbw for 12.

But before then, Greg Foggo broke through after Cal Burgess went off nursing a stiff neck.

Replacement Quinn Outerbridge was out first ball, fishing outside off stump and giving young Jason Anderson a head-high catch at first slip.

That started the rut with only skipper Dennis Trott (20) and free-hitting tail-ender Chris Caisey (22) joining the openers into double figures.

Foggo finished with three for 30 from 10 overs.

PHC 145 Bailey's Bay 149-3 PHC answered their critics with their highest total of the season, but it still was not enough to prevent them from crashing to their fifth straight loss at Sea Breeze Oval as Bay extended their winning streak at the other end of the table.

Sent in by Bailey's Bay captain Chris Smith, PHC recovered from a shaky start of 40 for four to post 145 in 47.3 overs as Dennis Bell, who came in at 26 for two, led their batting with 50 before being run out. Bell hit seven fours and a six and was at the crease for 104 minutes.

Bell and Antoine Greene added 53 for the sixth wicket -- the team's biggest stand -- as they took the score from 82 to 135.

Four Bay bowlers took two wickets -- Jermaine Outerbridge, two for 18, Ricky Hill two for 13, Noel Gibbons two for 22 and Clarkie Trott two for 26.

Glenn Smith led the Bay batting with five fours and four sixes in an unbeaten 55 while captain Chris Smith, with whom he added 64 for the third wicket, scored 38 before falling to a good catch by Mike Dill.

At his departure, Noel Gibbons joined Glenn Smith as they polished off the remaining 41 runs for victory with Gibbons finishing 25 not out. Bay took just 23.3 overs to reach their target.

The PHC bowlers succeeded in removing Ricky Hill and Charlie Marshall cheaply as Bay lost their first two wickets with just 44 on the board. Hill scored 13 and Marshall five.

HIGH FIVE TIME -- Western Stars wicket-keeper Anthony Manders congratulates skipper Gary Brangman after he bowled Keith Wainwright in the league champions' big win over Southampton yesterday.