All-rounder Trevor Corday struck a half-century and claimed three wickets as Tuff Dogs capped a memorable season by crushing The Associates by 66 runs in the final of the Evening Cricket League’s knockout final at Shelly Bay Field.

It is the third season in a row that Tuff Dogs have completed the league and cup double, and the third successive final in which 48-year-old Dean Minors, the former Bermuda wicketkeeper, has plundered a half-century to help to propel his team to victory

Minors hammered 77 against Renegades in the 2016 final, made an unbeaten 56 against the same opponents last season and followed it up with an explosive 27-ball 60, including five sixes and five fours, against The Associates on Saturday.

Minors’s onslaught at No 3, which helped Tuff Dogs to pile up 167 for four from their 20 overs, came after Corday, whose 32-ball 51 included two sixes and five fours, and Azeem Khan put on 60 in seven overs for the first wicket.

Khan fell for 19, brilliantly caught at point by Tom Edwards, who was the pick of The Associates attack with two for 43 from five overs, the maximum permitted in the ECL.

In reply, The Associates were quickly on the back foot, slumping to 31 for six after ten overs before Mike Penrose, with 20 not out, and Rich Biram, who made 22 at No 10, gave the final total of 101 an air of respectability.

Janaka Perera was Tuff Dogs’ most successful bowler with four for 11 from five overs, while Corday took three for 27 in 4.5 overs and Monroe Darrell two for 29 from five.

Terence Corday, captain of Tuff Dogs, who produced a big upset by winning this season’s Central Counties Cup, said: “I thought we batted very well and kept the pressure on their bowling attack, which I rate as the best in the league.

“We batted them out of the game and I was very confident in defending anything over 140, especially considering they were without their regular opening bat Will Tyrrell.

“Then, when our opening bowler Monroe Darrell bowled their number one and three batsmen from consecutive deliveries in his second over and we had them four down, I was confident we had the game won.

“Credit to The Associates, however, as they kept battling and kept us on our toes to the end.”

He added: “We are very proud of our season this year. We won the Fiqre Crockwell Sixes tourney to start the year and then the Central Counties Cup and, for the third consecutive year, we’ve won the Evening Cricket League double.

“It’s a credit to the commitment and camaraderie and love of the game we share as a team. Winning is always a bonus but for most of us, as we don’t know how many more years of this we have left, so we are trying to enjoy it while we can!”

Simon Jones, the losing captain whose side finished runners-up in the league, said: “It was a really disappointing end to what has been a great season for us.

“Credit to the Tuff Dogs batsmen who put us under huge pressure with the ball, and then their bowlers who made it hard for us to get any momentum.

“Congratulations to Terence and his team. They thoroughly deserved the win.”

Meanwhile, Derek Wright’s 85 powered St George’s to a 44-run victory over North Village in the final of the First Division knockout.

St George’s 165 for seven proved too steep a challenge for Village, who were dismissed for 121 in 18 overs, despite an unbeaten 31 from Nakia Smith and 28 from opener Dervin Adams.

Andrew Griffith took three for 16 for Village, while James Adderley took three for 29 for St George’s.