Sandys Sports Club completed the double over Forties to gain the initiative in the race for the Commercial Cricket league title.

Sandys, by virtue of Sunday's four-wicket win at the Royal Naval Field, have joined Forties on 65 points and have a game in hand.

Defending champions West Indian Association rallied to beat Safeguard Security by two wickets in a thrilling finish at Police Field, moving within five points of the leaders, while Mike Young played a starring role as North Village also kept their hopes alive with an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Pembroke United at Shelly Bay.

Three leg-break bowlers enjoyed a productive day with top umpire Randy Butler snapping up four for 41 on his Commercial League debut for Safeguard Security, Forties' Oscar Andrade taking four for 44 and WIA skipper Randy Liverpool picking up three for 34.

Just 10 points separate the top five clubs who are all involved in crucial matches this weekend.

Sandys will be seeking revenge for an earlier defeat when they take on WIA at the Royal Naval Field while St. David's, who had a bye last Sunday, are at home to Village. The clubs are level on 55 points. Forties, who scraped home by one wicket in their first fixture, meet Safeguard Security in Sunday's other game.

Forties, shot out for 75 by Sandys three weeks ago and trounced by eight wickets, managed only a modest 151 after being sent in on Sunday but made the west enders fight hard for victory.

Andrew Paynter, who rejoined Forties from Sandys this season, made 27 and Peter Borland 26, adding 46 for the fourth wicket but both fell in quick succession to leave Forties tottering at 82 for five.

A sixth-wicket stand of 51 between 53-year-old Gerald Simons and Granville Bennett, who made 16, restored Forties' fortunes and they appeared set to notch up a respectable total when they reached 133 for five with 15 overs left at the second water break.

But Forties lost their way after Simons was caught on the square leg boundary by Terry Ward sweeping at skipper Terry Corday's first ball on the resumption for an aggressive 30, including two sixes off Ward.

David DeSilva picked up three for 11 and Corday two for 10.

Paynter jolted Sandys by having Troy Berkeley caught first ball by Borland at first slip for a duck. Fellow opener Ray DeSilva fell for a patient five in the 16th over with the total 38, David DeSilva went at 68 and Forties sensed they had a chance of victory when they removed danger man Ward at 80.

Ward holed out for 42, which included seven boundaries, drilling a low, hard drive to Borland on the long-on boundary.

But former Forties player Paul Ross, who had missed the previous four matches, saw up the 100 before being fifth out at 107 for a dashing 44 which contained three sixes and three fours.

Andrade picked up a fourth wicket -- and Borland his third catch -- when Terence Corday lofted a drive to long-off at 123.

But skipper Corday (14 not out) and Joe Pimental (11 not out) steered Sandys home in the 38th over, Pimental sealing victory with a six over midwicket.

Safeguard Security seemed poised to pull off victory when they reduced WIA to 101 for eight chasing a 46-over target of 148 at Police Field.

But Safeguard, whose team average age this season is pushing 50, were thwarted by Lesbourne Lawrence (19 not out) and No. 10 Randolph Byer, top scorer with 25 not out, the pair clinching victory with four overs to spare.

Sent in by WIA, who were weakened by the absence of key players Olwin Clarke -- sidelined with chicken pox -- Junior Watts and John McConnie, Safeguard Security lost two early wickets, including Butler for a first-ball duck, but Eldon Raynor and skipper Alex Virgil stepped up the run rate, lifting the total to 57 for two in 12 overs.

Raynor, who needed a runner after pulling a hamstring, hit five fours in 43 before being caught and bowled by Liverpool while Virgil struck one six and four fours in his 37.

Jerry Callender, with four for 40 in 11.2 overs, and skipper Liverpool regained the upper hand as Safeguard subsided to 147 all out in the 38th over.

Besides Butler, Safeguard also brought in their former top bowler, 51-year-old Frankie Bento, for his first game of the season. Bento bowled 11 tight overs, taking one for 19.

Pembroke United, who walked off the pitch in frustration after a number of appeals went against them and handed the points to North Village in their previous encounter, slumped to 26 for six after being sent in on Sunday.

They finally reached 110 in the 38th over, thanks to knocks of 28 and 24 respectively by lower order batsmen Junior Lindo and George Fisher, but had no answer to allrounder Young, who took man-of-the-match honours with four for 32 and an unbeaten 73 as Village strolled home in 30 overs.

Village lost David Scraders for nine and Reginald Pitcher for a duck with 22 on the board but Young and Dion Ball (24 not out) added an unbeaten 89 for the third wicket, Young cracking three sixes and five fours.