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Hostile pace bowling by Patterson Thompson and enterprising batting from Robin Parris just failed to secure full points for Empire.

Set 110 for victory in 13 overs, Empire, led by an entertaining unbeaten 46 from Parris, raced to 93 for five.

Parris benefitted from four chances as he lashed five fours and two threes in 49 minutes. Needing to score at just over eight per over, Empire took 17 off the first two but then Roland Holder and Michael Inniss joined Sherlon Greaves back in the pavilion as the home team slumped to 20 for three.

Parris and Alphonso Lashley quickly took the score to 45 before Lashley was bowled having a swing at Winston Reid. Parris found a good partner in Shawn Graham and the pair kept the Banks fielders busy in adding 38.

Despite the urgency the task always seemed beyond them and when Graham was run out in the penultimate over Empire were left with 20 to score off Reid’s final over.

Earlier Thompson had put Banks on the run with six for 57 after Empire had added 31 to the overweek score before declaring. Thompson made the early breakthrough by removing both openers but was removed after sending down a spate of no balls. In his absence, Banks recovered from 21 for two, mainly due to the efforts of Derek Battershield who topscored with 35.

Thompson returned to remove Battershield, Barry Callender, Mark Estwick and George Brathwaite but only after the 56-year-old Brathwaite had defied Empire for 55 crucial minutes. He played several handsome strokes in a valuable 26 but remarkably faced only two deliveries from Thompson who operated throughout Brathwaite’s stay at the crease.