While Leg Trappers cracked open the champagne to celebrate their second Commercial Cricket League title in four seasons after one of the tightest races ever their closest challengers were left to rue missed opportunities and reflect on what might have been.

Forties began Sunday's final round of matches holding a six-point lead over Leg Trappers and a seven-point advantage over West Indian Association but made a hash of overhauling nine-man WIA's modest total of 138 at Shelly Bay and let the title slip away in heart-breaking fashion, losing by one run after choosing to field first and taking a seven-point "winning" draw out of the equation.

It was a bitter-sweet victory for WIA who completed the double over Forties but knew success counted for nothing once word filtered through from the Royal Naval Field that Leg Trappers had thrashed lowly Devonshire Stars by ten wickets, despite needing 172 to win in 36 overs.

In the end WIA finished a single point behind Trappers, having surrendered their ten-point lead in the title race when they suffered their only setback, a one-wicket defeat at Lord's last month against defending champions St. David's whose inconsistency robbed them of any chance of retaining the crown they won so gloriously last season.

Forties, who had to settle for third place for the second season running, and WIA both won ten matches while Leg Trappers had two fewer victories but completed their league programme unbeaten.

"This just proves what I have been saying all along, we are the dream team. We never came close to losing a match," insisted Trappers' spokesman James Broadbent, although recent close calls against Forties and North Village might suggest otherwise. Until Forties fell at the final hurdle the dream had seemed likely to turn into a nightmare.

Forties' skipper Gordon Campbell, whose team face WIA again on Sunday in the first round of the 40 overs-a-side knockout, left Shelly Bay empty-handed and bitterly disappointed on Sunday night but admitted: "We have only ourselves to blame. We fielded atrociously - we dropped at least six catches - and most of us batted atrociously. If we can't beat nine men we don't deserve to win the league."

WIA skipper Barry Richards said: "It was an exciting game. I thought Forties should have won - it was not a big score to chase. We held our catches and they played a lot of rash shots when they didn't need to."

Elsewhere, ten-man North Village consolidated their fourth-place finish by hammering eight-man Police Recreation Club by 96 runs at Garrison Field while nine-man Jamaican Association avoided the wooden spoon by beating eight-man St. David's by 74 runs at Lord's, despite a six-wicket haul by George Cannonier, moving up two places and leaving Devonshire Stars bottom for the second season running.

Heavy rain during the Devonshire innings led the captains to reduce to match to 35 overs a side. Ten-man Stars were in deep trouble at 13 for four but a seventh-wicket stand of 61 between skipper Derek Smith, who blasted five sixes and two fours in his 45, and Andre Smith (33) and a knock of 20 by No. 9 Justin Bailey helped lift the total to a respectable 171 in 34 overs.

Marc Wetherhill took three for 34 and there were two wickets apiece for Colin Scaife and Graham Strange. Trappers coasted to 175 without loss in the 27th over as openers David Hosier (85 not out) and Gary Knight (71 not out) went on a run spree, lashing seven sixes and 16 fours between them.

Butter-fingered Forties' fielding woes began in the opening over when luckless David DeSilva had skipper Richards put down behind chasing a wide delivery. Richards was dropped again before he fell for 21 to David Jarrett (two for 17), who also claimed the wicket of Stan Francis in his fourth over as WIA slipped to 30 for two.

But steady batting by the middle order, led by Randy Liverpool's 23 and Richard Austin's unbeaten 22, helped WIA reach 100 for four before a clatter of wickets saw them dismissed in the final over for 138, slow bowler Allan Lee chipping in with three for 19 and John Ray - later last man out for a gallant 31 for Forties - taking two for 28.

Only opener David Stoneham, who topscored with 36 before being deceived by a slower delivery, and Ray got to grips with a WIA attack spearheaded by pace bowlers Stan Francis (four for 27 from 15 overs) and Adrian McLean (four for 46 from 13 overs, including 14 runs off his ninth over).

But it was Junior Watts who returned to deliver the killer blow with the first ball of his sixth over when he had Ray, batting at No. 8, caught at mid-off from a mistimed drive in near darkness after he had added 15 runs for the last wicket with Brian Holdipp to push Forties so close to victory in a pulsating finish.

An unbeaten 70 by opener Chris Daley, which included eight fours and a six, provided the backbone of Jamaican Association's 25-over total of 132 against fifth-placed St. David's. Kenny Wallen made 24 and Simroy Crosdale, appearing for the first time this season after undergoing treatment for a serious shoulder injury, made 26 as Cannonier claimed six for 41 from nine overs.

Only Gerald Bean, with an unbeaten 24 at No. 3, stood firm as St. David's were skittled out for 58 in the 13th over, Crosdale underlining his return to fitness with four for 29 while Junior Lindo picked up three for 25.

Mike Levon (44), Derek Bell (32) and skipper Dion Ball and Kenny Thompson, who each made 23, helped North Village pile up 168 against Police Recreation Club, whose attack was led by skipper Jim Walters (three for 52 from an unbroken 17-over spell), Lucan Joseph (two for 11) and Edwin Wickham (two for 82).

PRC had no answer to the bowling of Chris Caisey, Bell and Ball, who shared six of the wickets, and slid to 72 all out in the 32nd over.

"This was an improvement for us on last season when we finished one from bottom," said Village spokesman Wendell Lindsay.

"At this rate we should win the league next year!"