'Cherry' cooled Dragon All-Star

By Orville Clarke, Portmore Star Writer

DRAGON All-Stars suffered their first defeat in the Jamaica Skittles Federation Pattex Cup League last Sunday, going down 6-5 to defending champions Cherry's Strikers in a fifth round home match.

As a result, there are no more unbeaten teams in the competition, as Portmore-based Meadowvale were beaten by Waltham Strikers in a home match on October 14.

Dragon and Cherry's Strikers were locked at 5-5 going into the 11th and final game, before Cherry's skipper Basil Kelly and Robert Robinson teamed up to clip Dragon's Errol Wright and Chaplin Johnson in 1250 - 1210 the doubles match.

Despite the loss, Dragon still lead the standings with 56 points, eight more than Eastern All-Stars who recorded the biggest win in the fifth round, beating Mystix 8-3 in a home match in East Kingston (Windward Road).

Meadowvale bounced back to winning ways when they clipped House of Peace 6-5 in an away match at Berwick Road to be third in the standings with 46 points, 10 behind Dragon. Meadowvale have won four of their five matches.

In contrast, the other Portmore-based team, The Dip from Gregory Park, finally opened their account at the expense of Waltham Strikers. They defeated the visitors 6-5 at home. Rowe's Strikers, meanwhile, struggled to beat newcomers Olympic Strikers 6-5 in a home match at Chelsea Jerk Centre.

Cherry's Strikers hold down fourth place with 40 points, followed by Rowe's Strikers in fifth on 38.

Meanwhile, as the Sista singles championship continued last Saturday night at Mystix Sports Bar, 78 3/4 Hagley Park Road, defending champion Fitzroy 'Paul' Blair advanced to the round of 16 after his come-from-behind 2-1 win over Milton Smith of Waltham.

In the quarter final, Blair will meet Meadowvale's Winston 'Wimpy' Lyew, the man he beat in the final some months ago. Lyew, who is yet to win a singles title after playing in three finals, whipped teammate Excel Swaby 2-0 to advance.

Also making it to the quarter finals are former champion Robert McKen from Cherry's Strikers, Meadowvale's Lenville Pottinger who got the better of Allan Brown, former champion Hubert Fletcher who beat his Eastern team-mate Lloyd Smith 2-0 and will face Meadowvale's Richard Mohammed who got by Fred Marsh in straight sets.

The other big quarter final match-up is between Eastern teammates Keith Barrett and Nehemiah 'Fatta' Henry, both former champions, while other players still in contention are David 'Shabba' Adams, Garfield 'Milligram' Samuels, Emmanuel Munda, Roy Facey, Clinton 'Fly Up' Thompson and Rowe's Donovan Ashman who upset former champion Leslie 'Toothpick' Puranda 2-1.