of the Commercial Cricket League's knockout with resounding weekend victories.

After a modest season Forties polished off league runners-up Jamaican Association in the first round and then trounced league champions Hemisphere Leg Trappers by seven wickets in Sunday's semi-final at Sea Breeze Oval -- also the venue for this Sunday's final -- despite a sparkling century by skipper Graham Strange.

It was Forties' first-ever win over Leg Trappers and avenged a 10-wicket thrashing in the first round of the knockout last season when Leg Trappers joined the league.

A five-wicket haul by left-arm bowler David DeSilva helped Watford defeat North Village by 66 runs in Sunday's other semi-final at Garrison Field after they were gifted a place in the last four by St. David's, who defaulted their first round tie.

It will be the seventh meeting between old rivals Forties and Watford -- formerly known as Sandys Sports Club -- in the final of the league's showpiece and the second time they have met at Sea Breeze in October.

Forties, 10 times knockout winners, have beaten the west enders five times, losing to them only once -- a three-wicket defeat at Wellington Oval in 1994.

But they avenged that reverse a year later when they won by six wickets at White Hill Field.

For their part, the west enders have won the knockout three times. They first won it in 1984 and again 10 years later as well as last season when they beat Jamaican Association by 98 runs at Sea Breeze.

Strange singlehandedly kept Leg Trappers in Sunday's match after winning the toss, accounting for 102 of Leg Trappers' 144 runs, stroking 12 fours and three sixes during his 130-minute innings.

But Strange had two slices of luck, being dropped by Brian Holdipp at deep square leg from a full-bloodied pull when he was on 22 and again on 43 when Forties' skipper Gordon Campbell spilled a steepling catch at mid-on.

Strange accelerated towards the end of his innings, reaching his second century of the season with a straight six off Craig Cannonier (two for 34) but fell two balls later at 144 when he flicked a catch to Andrew Paynter at square leg in the 37th over. The final two wickets went without addition.

The innings had begun disastrously for Leg Trappers with non-striker Pete Norris failing to beat David Hyland's throw from the covers and being run out to the first ball.

Campbell (three for 17) then bowled opener Gary Knight for a duck in his second over and also dispatched David Outtrim for six, leaving Leg Trappers reeling at 19 for three. Slow bowler Alan Lamb tightened Forties' grip on the game by claiming two for 16 in eight overs, including Ian Smith, next highest scorer with 10.

Openers Hugh Hollis and Harold Minors plundered 15 boundaries from the opening attack of David Hosier and Outtrim as Forties raced to 69 for one off the first 10 overs.

Hollis fell to a good catch by Rick Morris at mid-wicket for 33 (six fours and a six) and Smith, belatedly called into the attack, uprooted Minors' offstump for 40 (seven fours and a six) with the total 80.

But Campbell (18) and Lamb, who cracked five fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 42, added 44 for the third wicket to set up the victory which was secured in the 28th over with 100 of Forties' 146 runs coming in boundaries.

Watford were struggling at 104 for six after being sent in by North Village but a knock of 42 by teenager Ian Armstrong, who was run out off the final ball, and an innings of 45 by number seven batsman Troy Berkeley lifted the west enders' total to 162. Armstrong hit three boundaries and Berkeley six.

Derek Bell and skipper Dion Ball did the bulk of the damage, picking up four for 22 and three for 53 respectively from eight overs apiece.

Only opener Shiran DeSilva (21) came to grips with the Watford attack as David DeSilva claimed five for 20 -- all bowled -- in 7.2 overs and Ray DeSilva four for 20 in six overs as Village slid from 45 for one to 96 all out in the 29th over.

"We had a strong batting team. We did fairly well in the field but it was our batting that let us down,'' said Village spokesman Wendell Lindsay.