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Leg Trappers cruise to cup triumph

Trappers blew Watford Sports Club away to win a one-sided Commercial Cricket League Knockout final.

Leg Trappers' emphatic 95-run victory at blustery Sea Breeze Oval on Sunday gave them the coveted double, having sewn up the league title for the second successive season earlier in the month.

Man of the match Damion Henderson was the chief destroyer, snapping up four for 21 from eight overs of tantalising leg spin and triggering a stunning collapse that saw the west enders slump from 40 for one to 73 all out in the 33rd over on a slow pitch that produced occasional low bounce.

"It was yet another example of a full team performance with most players chipping in, especially with the bowling and fielding,'' said spokesman James Broadbent as Leg Trappers celebrated their first Knockout title.

"No excuses -- we were well beaten,'' said Watford skipper Terry Corday whose side badly missed allrounder David DeSilva, forced out after suffering a knee injury in last week's evening league final.

Leg Trappers made an uncertain start after being sent in, losing openers Jeremy Franklin (six) and skipper Gary Knight (13) with only 27 runs on the board. Blake West, who finished with two for 39, had Franklin caught behind while Knight lobbed a simple catch to point off Terence Corday.

Henderson was trapped lbw for eight 17 runs later by Ray DeSilva (one for 29) but ever-reliable Graham Strange, who gave a sharp chance to Terry Corday at short mid-off before he had scored, and wicketkeeper Chris Fleming regained the initiative with a crucial fourth-wicket stand of 59.

Fleming stroked six fours in a dashing knock of 37 while Strange was the next batsman to go when he played on to the first ball of Terence Corday's second spell. Strange's watchful 94-minute innings of 41 contained 27 singles and one four.

Corday, who finished with the impressive figures of three for 28, struck again three balls later when he bowled Broadbent for five, leaving Leg Trappers 131 for six.

But former Somerset Cup Match player James Swan, a day before his 42nd birthday, and fellow slow bowler Gary Proctor (15 not out) added 37 runs in the final five overs to lift Leg Trappers to an imposing 168 for six. Swan's unbeaten 23 included two sixes.

Watford, bidding for their third successive Knockout title and chasing a similar target to last season when they thrashed Forties by seven wickets in the final at the same venue, began brightly with Andrew Paynter taking two boundaries off David Hosier's opening over.

But Hosier gained his revenge when he had Paynter (13) caught behind in his third over. Opener Terry Ward and Michael Corday carried the total to 40 but in the 14th over Henderson began the demolition of the Watford innings by having Corday caught on the square leg boundary for eight from a full toss.

Hosier struck another vital blow four runs later when he trapped Ward (12) in front with a ball that kept low. The spinners then took over to bamboozle Watford.

Troy Berkeley -- who spurred Watford to victory in last season's final with a swashbuckling unbeaten 75 -- was next to go when he was bowled around his legs for four by Henderson.

A run later Henderson, who also claimed four wickets in Leg Trappers' semi-final win on the same gound against Jamaican Association, bowled Quinton Burch for nine as he went for a big hit.

Without addition to the total Henderson struck again, having Terence Corday (one) well caught by Hosier running round from long leg to leave the innings in tatters at 57 for seven.

Terry Corday (10) responded by hitting offspinner Proctor for six but was eighth out at 70 when he pulled left-armer Swan (one for two) to midwicket where Broadbent took a fine low catch.

Proctor (two for 17) then bowled DeSilva for three and Strange (one for three) returned to complete the rout by bowling last man Timmy Simons for a duck.

Picture by Arthur Bean Short-lived joy: Watford Sports Club skipper Terry Corday celebrates after his brother Michael takes a legside catch at the wicket to dismiss Hemisphere Leg Trappers opener Jeremy Franklin. But Leg Trappers had the last laugh as they thrashed Watford by 95 runs in the Commercial Cricket League's Knockout final at Sea Breeze Oval on Sunday.