In Your Neighbourhood

# BH cricket awards

The Business House Cricket Board, in association with main sponsors Digicel, will host its annual awards ceremony on March 15 at the Knutsford Hotel, starting at 7:30 p.m.

The board will also celebrate its 70th anniversary and the opportunity will be used to honour a number of former players.

Cable & Wireless defended their Reggae Jammin Foods title. The Best Dress Trophy (30-Overs) was won by St. Ann Bauxite; Cable & Wireless took the 35-Overs knockout; while the Digicel Twenty20 was shared by St. Ann Bauxite and Cable & Wireless.

# GC Foster Classic is Last Chance Meet

The 2008 Lucozade Sport/G.C. Foster Classic, which will be the 'Lance Chance Meet' for Champs, will be held on March 8.

The meet, to be held on the school's ground in Angels, Spanish Town, will start at 8:30 a.m. More details on the meet will be disclosed on Monday at a press conference at the school.

Over the years, the meet has attracted several big names, including world 100m record holder, Asafa Powell.

Several top schools, Kingston College, Calabar, Jamaica College, Wolmer's, St Jago, Holmwood, Vere, Edwin Allen, Manchester and St Andrew High are expected to take part.

The meet is also a qualifier for Boys and Girls Champs to be held at the National Stadium between March 12-15.

# INSPORT basketball

Twenty schools from Portmore and Spanish Town will participate in a one-day Institute of Sports (INSPORT) St Catherine Primary Mini Basketball Rally on March 7 at the Edgewater Community Centre basketball court.

The league, which will be played in a double round-robin format commences in April.

INSPORT, the organisers of the basketball league, hosted a coaching seminar at the G.C. Foster College on February 27.

The seminar, which dealt with the physical, technical and tactical preparation of teams, was held by Alf Remikie, national basketball coordinator for the Jamaica Basketball Association.

# Watson Grove set to advance

New league leaders Watson Grove are poised to advance to the semi-finals of the WIHCON-sponsored Portmore Division Two Football League tomorrow.

A win for Watson Grove, presently on 20 points, over Daytona at the Greater Portmore playing field at 3:30 p.m. would see them move to 23 points from 10 games.

In that event, only Portsmouth (19) and Racing United (17) could match or go ahead of them on points.

In the feature match of the round and the opening game at that venue, homesters and fourth-placed Greater Portmore will be involved in a heated battle with second-placed Portsmouth at 1:30 p.m. That game could also book the latter's spot in the final four.

In other games, third-placed Racing United (17) battle neighbours Christian Pen (13) at the Racing playing field at 1:30 p.m., while at 3:30 p.m., Braeton United (15) take on cellar dwellers Caymanas Gardens (five). In another double-header at the Hellshire playing field, Caymanas Gardens Site D play Newtown Braeton at 1:30 p.m. and at 3:30 p.m., Hellshire United host Port-more Pines.

# Hillel beat Cumberland 3-2

Hillel High edged newcomers Cumberland 3-2 in boys' Under-19 action from the latest round of matches played in the ISSA table tennis competition on Thursday.

In other urban Under-19 boys' matches, defending all-island champions Wolmer's blanked St Jago 5-0 twice in a double-header, KC trounced Meadowbrook 4-1 and Calabar crushed Ardenne 4-1.

In one rural Under-19 boys' encounter, former champions Manchester High blanked hosts Munro 5-0.

Wolmer's Boys stretched their lead atop the standings in Group One to 12 points, ahead of St Jago (nine points), JC (six), Campion (three) and St George's (one).

Calabar also widened their lead at the top of Group Two with their victory. They are now on 18 points, followed by KC (15), Hillel (seven), Ardenne (six), Meadowbrook (five) and Cumberland (three).

The top three finishers in these two groups will advance to semi-finals.

Manchester's victory pushed them to six points in the Rural Central Zone Two, ahead of Belair (four) and Munro (two).

The top two finishers will advance to semi-finals.

# Meadowvale are Pattex Cup Skittles champions

Rising to the big occasion, Meadowvale Strikers won the Jamaica Skittles Federation Pattex Federation Cup competition last Sunday when they defeated the highly-touted Eastern All-Stars 6-2 in the final at Bejon's Sports Bar, Hughenden Plaza.

The Portmore-based team won six consecutive matches going into the final and, having found the winning formula in the second half of the competition, humbled the star-studded team from East Kingston to secure the $70,000 prize and championship trophy. Eastern All-Stars collected $30,000 for second.

Paul Latchman won the first game for the champions after his opponent, Mark Prendergast, toppled the major pin on the last ball sinkers shot, while gifted left-hander Winston 'Wimpy' Lyew also won his match against 'Tiger' Smith, 1380-0400, to give Meado-wvale a 2-0 lead.

Thereafter, they never looked back, limiting their opponents to just two wins from the eight games played. Also winning for Meado-wvale, who raced to a 4-1 lead, were team captain Louis Palmer and Joe Patterson. Lyew and female player Sharlene Phoenix finished ahead of Winsome Brown and Hubert Fletcher in the mixed doubles, while Phoenix outplayed Brown in the women's singles and Richard Mohammed whipped the veteran Sidney Corrington in the eighth game.

In the third-place playoff, Cherry's Strikers blasted Dragon by an embarrassing 6-0 margin to pocket $15,000. Dragon got $10,000 for fourth.

# Classic humble Eradication

Caribbean Classic displaced long-time leaders Eradication at the top of the CTL-sponsored Portmore domino league last Sunday, beating them 300-262 in a big 13th-round clash at Caribbean Classic, Portmore Lane.

The match, watched by a large crowd, saw the home team asserting its authority in the second half to win 36 points.

As a result of this victory, Caribbean Classic are now joint leaders with Fort International, both on 57 points from 13 matches. Only a point behind are previous leaders Eradication on 56 from 13, followed by the improving Ackee Pod with 53 points from 13 matches. Rounding off the top eight in the standings are Eagle View in fifth with 51, Right Stuff 49, Old Harbour United 48 and defending champions Hurricane on 47, all from 13 matches.

# Campion on top

In action from the ISSA table tennis league, Campion blanked Immaculate 3-0 in a lone urban Under-19 girls match played on Wednesday.

Campion moved atop the standings in the four-team group from which the top two finishers will contest the final. Campion are now on 12 points, ahead of defending urban champions Ardenne (six), Immaculate (four) and Meadowbrook (two).

In individual results, Sharlene Carr outplayed Vanessa Moo Young 3-1, Kristen McKenzie defeated Shenneil Edwards 3-1 and Jomarie Malcolm overpowered Malanie Smithson 3-0 for Campion's three wins.