Rain had the last word as all three of the final round of Commercial Cricket League matches were abandoned with each team picking up five points but now attention switches to this weekend?s Knockout first round games.

Fine Leg Byes were the unluckiest team on Sunday, needing just eight runs to overhaul 10-man West Indian Association?s modest 116 in 28.3 overs at Shelly Bay when torrential rain left the pitch resembling a pond.

The fortuitous five points enabled WIA to claim runners-up spot, 10 points adrift of champions North Village, with Forties a further five points back in third place.

Forties? match against Western Stars at St. John?s Field was tantalisingly poised after a quickfire half century from Forties? Harold Minors when the rain ruined it.

No play at all was possible at Lord?s, where the pitch was left uncovered, in the game between St. David?s and Jamaican Association, who meet again in this weekend?s Knockout.

Leg-break bowler Nick Cardinez had WIA on the run as he snapped up four for 15 from 5.3 overs and found good support from Andrew Holmes, who took two for 25 off five, and Jeff DeSilva, who took two for 28 off six.

Opener Patrick Hamlett top-scored with 21 (three fours) and Sri Narasimhan made 20 in WIA?s total after danger man Barry Richards was out for 14.

?We were making steady progress towards their total and were on 109 for six off 29.1 overs when the rain fell,? said FLB spokesman Angus Lynn. ?It was only one squall but there was so much water on the strip the captains decided to call it a draw.?

FLB skipper Ishwar Narayanan struck a six and a four in his side?s top score of 46 while Stan Francis was WIA?s most successful bowler with two for 26 off eight overs.

Forties had reached 75 for four in 17 overs in reply to Western Stars? 140 for seven in an innings reduced to 40 overs when heavy rain returned, opener Minors having slammed three sixes and five fours in his 54.

Stars? ex-Cup Match player Allan Brangman enjoyed a profitable six overs, bagging three for eight from six overs.

Earlier, Stars? total was built around useful contributions from Shimori Gilbert (35), Wayne Campbell (32) and Kent Todd (28).

Medium-pacer Blake West took three for 20 from nine overs and leg-break bowler Oscar Andrade two for 32 from four.

The Duckworth-Lewis method will be employed by the Commercial League for the first time this season in 40 overs per side Knockout matches where an official umpire is present, otherwise captains are asked to consider using run rate in the event rain prevents a finish to prevent a backlog of matches. Each side must bat at least 20 overs to make a match official.

League secretary Dave Carruthers made it clear the league was not insisting on run rate being used in the event of rain and if the captains could not agree first-round matches would be replayed if not completed.

The introduction of the D/L method was agreed by team representatives at this year?s league annual meeting after controversy flared up in an uncompleted semi-final last season between North Village and West Indian Association that was ruined by rain.

Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association official Randy Butler was in charge but under existing Commercial rules he was powerless to name a winner of the match which was on a knife-edge.

WIA refused to replay the game after an executive committee meeting ordered them to but because of protracted arguments over the match by WIA, who threatened to take legal action against the league after they were not declared winners of the tie on the D/L method, the final between Village and Forties was held over to start of this season.

Forties beat Village by five wickets at Shelly Bay in early May ? a record 12th knockout title for Forties.

Their opponents in this Sunday?s first round will be Fine Leg Byes, who expect to be at full strength.

Forties? skipper Gordon Campbell, whose side are mostly in their fifties, said: ?Apart from half the the team playing with age and infirmity, we should be okay.?

The winners of the match will meet WIA, who have a first round bye, in the semi-finals.

Village will be at full strength for their game against Western Stars, with the winner of that tie taking on the winners of the Jamaican Association v St. David?s match.