DEFENDING CHAMPIONS ICBL Empire strolled to an easy eight wicket win over the Guardian General Barbados Youth A yesterday at Lodge, to maintain their unbeaten record in the Barbados Cricket Association's Sagicor Super Cup limited overs competition.

The Bank Hall team won the toss, asked the youngsters to bat on a slightly impaired wicket, and were in control most of the way.

The Youth did have a steady start from Rashidi Boucher and Renaldo Layne, who posted 57 for the first wicket. But once off-spinner Amory Holder broke through in the 22nd over, they slid to 112 all out, as the innings lasted another 20 overs, for the addition of just 55 runs.

Empire, led by a belligerent 65 from Jason Parris, cruised to the target with more than 21 overs still available.

At Bayfield: BNB St Catherine brushed aside Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme by five wickets and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Sagicor General Super Cup.

Set a modest 139, they achieved the target with 24.2 overs remaining. Patrick Browne, topscored with 39 from 45 balls with four fours, before he was caught at mid-off. Kenroy Williams hit 38 that contained four fours off 44 deliveries. Shane Ramsey captured three for 48.

Earlier, BDFSP batted with two batsmen short and managed a modest 138 for eight from 39.4 overs.

AT BLENHEIM 'A': Wanderers, inspired by a breezy knock of 35 by the ever reliable Shawn Armstrong, secured an easy five-wicket victory over BRC BCL.

After being inserted by the Wanderers captain, BCL struggled to 148 for nine off 42 overs, and the Dayrells Road lads in reply knocked off the required runs for the loss of five wickets in 34 overs.

AT WILDEY: Cable & Wireless defeated Police by 112 runs in the final match of the preliminary series.

Police won the toss, elected to field and bowled Cable & Wireless out for 283, in 50 overs, with Randy Thomas top-scoring with 79.

In their turn at the wicket, Police were restricted to 171, with Brian Corbin top scoring with 35.

AT CARLTON: Marlon Graham smashed the topscore of 44 and then grabbed five for 18 with his off-spin to guide Carib Carlton to a hard-fought 34-run victory over SuperCentre Spartan.

The win might have been more comprehensive had it not been for the sterling effort of the lion-hearted Dave Marshall, who made 80 and added 83 for the last wicket with Philip Browne, that took Spartan from 91 for nine to their eventual 174.

AT TRENTS: A sixth wicket unbroken partnership of 75 between Ormon Kellman and Kirk Brome enabled Maple to pull off an exciting five-wicket victory over Banks.

Maple, chasing 126 for victory, found themselves struggling on 52 for five, but Kellman, 51, and Brome, 15, saw the St James side to victory, with still 11.2 overs to spare. Earlier, Banks were bundled out for 125, after cruising at 93 for three in the early stages. Brome (2/43) and Barrington Yearwood (3/19) reduced them after 30.5 overs.

AT BRERETON: Fast bowler Zaheer Motara ripped through the early half of the UWI batting to set up an easy victory for Pickwick. Motara, also a national basketball player, took the first six wickets in a tremendous spell of sustained seam bowling as UWI found themselves struggling at 79 for six.

Motara ended his ten overs with 6 for 57. Floyd Reifer, 37, and Nhamo Winn, 38, tried but could not take UWI to victory. Earlier, Pickwick had reached 182 off 49.5 overs. Edwards, 35, and Guillen, 30, propped up their batting.

AT BECKLES ROAD: YMPC, led by the batting of William Lashley and the all-round ability of Tennyson Roach, easily defeated the weakened Guardian General Youth B by 84 runs.

The home team recovered from ten for two to reach 185, led by Lashley's unbeaten 58, 40 from Lonsdale Blake and 25 from Roach, who returned with the ball to capture three for 15 as the schoolboys folded for a meagre 101.