The two dominant teams of the past decade battled for almost the full 50 overs at Lorn Park until City's ability to win the decisive moments in the game prevailed to win by 38 runs after posting an impressive 7/243 after being sent into bat.

It was all the more impressive as City opening bowler Tim Burton was sidelined with a side strain halfway through his second over after claiming Norths' opener Mitch Saxby in his first.

The result and a narrow loss by Western Suburbs to Kurri Weston leaves City on 41 points one game clear at the top of the table.

Wests are now equal second on 35 points with Easts who won after being pushed hard by Tenambit Morpeth. In the other game Thornton returned to their best with an eight-wicket win against Raymond Terrace.

Terrace are fourth on the table on 31 point, Norths and Kurri Weston are both on 26 and Thornton on 21. The Bulls are still without a win on 11 points.

City's bowlers stepped up as a unit led by an outstanding 5-50 from spinner Nick Bower who turned the game back in City's favour dismissing Logan Smith (34) and Ben Sugden (60) with successive balls.

Sugden and Smith came together at 5/109 and shared in a 69-run partnership from just nine overs highlighted by big hitting and hard-running between the wickets.

Their departure slowed momentum and needing to lift the tempo to meet the growing run-rate required, Norths were eventually all out for 205.

"Ben Sugden batted really and the momentum was changing with him and Loges (Smith) at the bat. To get those two wickets in two balls was probably the game changer," City skipper Matt Trappel said after the match.

"Nick has obviously got plenty of experience and he was hot and bothered out there like us all, but I needed him to come on and step up and he got the wicket we needed.

"I'm glad to come away with the win as it could have gone either way.

"Everyone showed the fight to really take it to Norths as Norths played a good game of cricket.

"Out in the field it was really tough conditions with the heat and humidity and having Burto go down after one over made it even tougher.

"For all the boys to step up and put the hard yards in and come away with a good win I thought was excellent.

"I couldn't be more pleased with the boys the fight they showed today."

While the bowlers got the job done in the end, City's batsmen combined to build a formidable total in tough conditions.

Opener Andrew Vickery laid the platform with a big-hitting 65, of which 60 came in boundaries (12 fours and two sixes).

The other major contributions came from Todd Francis who made 43 and Anru Kriel who mixed fine touch with some brute hits to finish on 37 not out

"After getting sent in and to get 240 runs without no one really going on to get a big score, everyone contributing, I thought that was the best thing," Trappel said.

"This was the big game, Norths at full-strength and City pretty much full-strength to come away with a really hard-fought win is excellent.

"There were times during the game when both teams were in it.

"To go away with the win and show such a massive fight at the end that was excellent."