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Forties in sight of first title for seven years

Gordon Campbell is set to dash to the airport on Sunday night to catch a flight en route to a European holiday, hoping to have sewn up the Commercial Cricket League title before he checks in.

Campbell, inspirational skipper of unbeaten leaders Forties, knows victory over St. David's at Lord's will clinch his team's sixth league title but their first since 1993.

Forties currently hold a commanding 23-point lead over 1997 champions Watford Sports Club with three matches remaining. Watford are the only team still capable of foiling Forties who have notched up 100 points with nine victories and two draws.

West Indian Association and Jamaican Association are respectively 33 points and 35 points adrift of Forties with defending champions Leg Trappers back in fifth place on 53 points after a largely disappointing season.

If Forties, who comfortably beat St. David's at Lord's in May with opening bowler Brian Holdipp claiming career-best figures of seven for 40, slip up they will need to secure at least seven points -- without Campbell -- from their tricky final two matches against West Indian Association and Leg Trappers to ensure at least a share of the title.

Forties beat WIA and Leg Trappers at Nationals earlier and will return to the same venue for the second encounters.

Watford's final three league matches -- two of them at home at the Royal Naval Field -- are against Jamaican Association, Leg Trappers and Devonshire Stars.

Meanwhile, yesterday's draw for next month's knockout tournament has pitted defending champions Leg Trappers against West Indian Association, who won the cup in 1996, the year they did the league-knockout double.

Forties, 10 times winners of the knockout but unsuccessful since 1995, are away to North Village.

Watford Sports Club, winners in 1997 and 1998, have been drawn at home to Jamaican Association. The other tie in the top half of the draw pits St.

David's against Devonshire Stars.

It was agreed at yesterday's draw that official umpires will be appointed for both semi-finals and the final, the venue for which has still to be confirmed.

The Commercial season is due to wrap up with two mid-week matches against touring New Haven Cricket Club of Woodbridge, Connecticut at the end of next month.

The Bermuda Cricket Board of Control have tentatively scheduled the games for Sea Breeze Oval on September 26 and 28.

New Haven's sports organiser Leighton Greenidge says the team range in age from 28 to 50.

Squads for the two matches will be chosen shortly. All Commercial League skippers are asked to call Ivan Clifford at 295-6666 with the names of two or three players who would like to be considered to play against the tourists.