Rain reigns!

Adrian Frater and Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writers

Due to the inclement weather affecting the island, all sporting events were postponed yesterday. These include matches in the Digicel Premier League (DPL) and ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel daCosta Cup football competitions, netball matches in the ISSA/Digicel schools' senior and junior leagues, as well as the midweek horse racing programme at Caymanas Park, which has been rescheduled for tomorrow with a 12:45 p.m. post time.

Caymanas Track Limited's racing secretary, Denzil Miller Jr, disclosed that although the track was fit for racing and there was no flooding in the Caymanas Park stable area, a decision was taken to postpone the meet.

Inclement weather

Miller said this was attributed to the fact that more than half of the 63 off-track betting parlours islandwide were closed due to the dislocation caused by the heavy rains in many parishes. Simulcast racing was suspended for the day as well.

The DPL matches were called off as early as Tuesday afternoon, the same day when inclement weather also forced the postponement of the Manning Cup schedule.

Play in the penultimate round of matches in the first round of the preliminary phase of the daCosta Cup was called off yesterday as rains continued pelting the island.

"All the games have been called off," ISSA's competitions officer, George Forbes, told The Gleaner's Western Bureau.

"We have rescheduled all the games for tomorrow (today), weather permitting," he added.

Should the weather prove kinder today, the schedule will see the playing of some 32 games spanning all 12 competing zones. The Zone H clash featuring six-time champions Clarendon College and Edwin Allen should generate most interest, as the Clarendon College team seeks to extend its 100 per cent win record to five games.

Among the other teams that will be defending perfect win records are Zone C leaders Marcus Garvey (12 points), who will entertain struggling Albert Town (one); St Mary Technical (12), who will battle arch-rivals St Mary High (9) in a top-of-the-table Zone D clash; Zone L leaders Paul Bogle (9), who will battle second-place Morant Bay High (7); and the free-scoring Manchester High (15), who will square off with second-place Spaldings High (11).

Zone leaders

Champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), who trail zone leaders Munro College (10) by two points in Zone F, will be looking to return to winning ways against fourth-place Maggotty (4) following their 0-0 draw with Munro on Saturday.

Despite being set back by one day, Forbes is not worried about the daCosta Cup schedule because the fixture is flexible enough for rescheduling.

"Unlike the Manning Cup which has very little room for the rescheduling of games, the daCosta Cup is not a problem because, if needs be, we have teams playing three games in one week," said Forbes. "Once the weather breaks, everything should fall back in place."

Forbes also disclosed that today's scheduled Manning Cup matches will go ahead as planned, weather permitting. These include the feature Zone 'A' clash between the unbeaten teams Camperdown and Jamaica College at Vauxhall.

Today's Games

DaCosta Cup

Zone A: Spot Valley vs Cornwall College at Barrett Town, Green Pond vs Muschett at Cornwall Courts, St James vs William Knibb at Jarrett Park

Zone B: Frome vs Hopewell at Frome Sports Ground, Maldon vs Herbert Morrison at Maldon

Zone C: Cedric Titus vs Brown's Town at Clarke's Town, York Castle vs Ocho Rios at York Castle, Marcus Garvey vs Albert Town at Drax Hall

Zone D: St Mary High vs St Mary Technical at Highgate, Brimmer Vale vs Iona at Brimmer Vale, Annotto Bay vs Islington at Westmoreland Oval

Zone E: Manning's vs Maud McLeod at Manning's, Grange Hill vs Petersfield at Belle Isle, Little London vs Godfrey Stewart at Little London

Zone F: Lacovia vs Mile Gully at Lacovia, Maggotty vs STETHS at Maggotty, Munro College vs DeCarteret at Munro

Zone G: Alston vs Porus at Kobbla, Christiana vs Knox at Christiana, Spaldings vs Manchester at Spaldings

Zone H: Lennon vs Vere at Lennon, Thompson Town vs Claude McKay at Oval Office, Clarendon College vs Edwin Allen at Clarendon College

Zone I: Central vs Garvey Maceo at Four Paths, Glenmuir vs Kemps Hill at Brancourt

Zone J: Ewarton vs Old Harbour at Ewarton, McGrath vs Dinthill at McGrath

Zone K: Fair Prospect vs Buff Bay at Fair Prospect, Titchfield vs Happy Grove at Carder Park

Zone L: Paul Bogle vs Morant Bay at Paul Bogle, Yallahs vs R'Lighbourne at Phillips Field

Today's Games

Manning Cup

Zone A: Camperdown vs Jamaica College at Vauxhall, St Mary's College vs Oberlin, Cumberland vs Waterford

Group C: Kingston Technical vs Excelsior, Papine vs Charlie Smith, Calabar vs Innswood

Group E: Spanish Town vs St George's College, Edith Dalton James vs Donald Quarrie, Ardenne vs Wolmer's

Home teams are named first.

Match time is 3:30 p.m.