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Hi-Lyte Sport Mixx Open Junior Tennis

Several of the island's top junior tennis players will compete for championships honours at the third staging of the Hi-Lyte Sport Mixx Open Junior Tennis Championships.

At the official launch on Wednesday, tournament director Llockett McGregor said more than 75 players have been confirmed for the two-day event, scheduled for today and tomorrow at the Liguanea Club.

The tournament is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. each day with contestants vying for trophy prizes in the categories Boys 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18, and Girls 10, 12, 14, and 18 and under.

Julette HoSang, brand manager for Hi-Lyte Sport Mixx, said being involved in the tournament has forged a great partnership between her company and tennis.

"We are proud to be title sponsors. The partnership has been great and the drive to provide hydration for the tennis players has grown," HoSang said.

Meanwhile, Tony Martin of Tennis Jamaica said they appreciated the support by Hi-Lyte Sport Mixx and stated that the sponsorship would go a far way in further strengthening the growth of the sport in Jamaica.

The finals of the Hi-Lyte Sport Mixx Open Junior Tennis Tournament will be held at the Liguanea Club tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. and the presentation ceremony is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

Lady Strikers win first skittles match

Lady Strikers, the newly formed all-ladies skittles team, started out on a winning note in the Wray & Nephew White Overproof skittles competition last Sunday, defeating Portmore's The Dip 6-4 in opening-round action at the JPS Sports Club, Ruthven Road.

Twelve of the 14 participating teams were in action for the Jamaica Skittles Federation's first Super Sunday promotion for this competition.

The ladies came out in large numbers to support their team, and although only 11 could be selected, as many as 22 players (coming from various clubs) have been registered to play for Lady Strikers.

Jacinth 'Gigi' Kellier, a former president of the Jamaica Skittles Association in the 1990s, is player/coach of the team, which also includes the recent women's singles champion, Marsha Newsome.

In other matches played last Sunday, defending champions Eagles clipped the recent Pattex Cup champions Mystix 6-5, Mercury defeated Mister C 6-3 in the Spanish Town derby, Rowe's Strikers pipped Waltham Strikers 6-5, Starliner defeated former champions Eastern All-Stars 6-4, and Willies Strikers beat Portmore's Hangover 6-3.

Matches are on at three venues tomorrow, namely, Eastern vs Mystix and Starliner vs Waltham, both at Eastern Skittles Club, 113 Windward Road; Hangover vs Mercury and Lady Strikers up against Willies Strikers, both at Hangover in Portmore, and The Dip vs Olympic Strikers and Rowe's Strikers vs Dragon, both at The Dip in Gregory Park.

All matches start at 1 p.m.

Petrojam win BH one-day football rally

Petrojam, last season's KSAFA/Western Sports Business House Division One football champions, beat defending champions Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) 2-1 to win the BH one-day five-a-side opening rally at the NWC playing field, Mona, last Saturday.

The new champions went ahead in the ninth minute when Aphas Bernard netted, but Khani Caine found the equaliser for NMIA early in the second half. With both teams trying hard to gain the ascendancy, it was Petrojam who got the winner in the 20th minute of play when David 'Beckham' Shultz slotted home. Each match in the rally was of 30-minute duration.

Petrojam defeated newcomers ISCF 3-1 in the semi-finals to advance, while NMIA clipped NWC 1-0 in the other semi-final, a virtual replay of last year's final.

Meanwhile, the Business House league (divisions one and two) will commence on Saturday, May 14 with the dress parade and opening matches at the Red Stripe Oval, Spanish Town Road, starting at 10 p.m.

Frazer's Whip are triple champions

Frazer's Whip crowned themselves triple champions of St Catherine Division One football last Sunday when they clipped Christian Pen 1-0 in the LIME-sponsored league final at the Prison Oval.

For Frazer's Whip, it was a hard-fought contest. Christian Pen battled them tooth and nail, despite playing with 10 men after Dane Jackson was shown a red card in the early stages.

The winning goal came midway the second half when substitute Jevaune Benjamin scored with a powerful free kick.

The win confirmed the status of Frazer's Whip as the top team in St Catherine parish football this season, having earlier won the senior KO title and mid-season final to be unbeaten this season. Indeed, their only defeat came some weeks ago when they were beaten 0-1 by Tivoli FC in the quarter-final of the Flow Champions League.

The team is coached by Rayon Gordon, who was over the moon after the victory which capped a fantastic season for Frazer's Whip. The LIME Trophy was presented to their captain, Ricardo Whyte, by Courtney Bell, LIME's community programme manager.

Ackee Pod eye quarter-final spot

Ninth-place Ackee Pod (47 points) have a very slim chance of making the quarter-finals as they play Lime Tree Grove in the final preliminary-round games in the Jamaica Domino Federation/ Charley's JB Overproof Rum/ Supreme Ventures Portmore/St Catherine league.

Ackee Pod must defeat Lime Tree and hope that Passagefort beat eighth-place Masterpiece (50 points) by 20 or more points.

Match time 11:30 a.m.

The other seven quarter-finalists will jostle for position in the other fixtures.

Watson Grove chase triple

Watson Grove will, tomorrow afternoon, be chasing their third title of the season when they face arch-rivals Westport in the LIME-sponsored Portmore Division Two football league final at Passagefort field. Match time is 3 o'clock.

Meanwhile, Watson Grove defeated East Portmore Portals 7-6 on penalties last week to lift the Colin Fagan-sponsored Portmore Division Two knockout title, to add to the mid-season trophy which they wrested from Westport 2-1 earlier in the season.

Garveymeade take aim at Wanderers

Second-place Garveymeade (eight points) and leaders Wanderers (nine points) square off in the feature match of a triple-header in a Leander Marshall U-13 Football League at the Passagefort field this afternoon at 4:00.

In the opening game at the venue at 1 p.m., Cumberland are expected to trample minnows Clifton, while the 2:30 p.m. matchup pits newcomers East Portmore Portals against Daytona.

Wanderers are coming off a huge 13-0 mauling of East Portmore Portals last week, while, Garveymeade drew 1-1 with Waterford. In another game, Clifton blanked Daytona 5-0.

Teams make last dash at semi-final spot

Power of Faith Development (four points) are on a mission to upset the books by logging a win over last year's beaten finalists Old Harbour New Testament (eight points), in the final zone matches in the Power of Faith Ministries 20/20 Church cricket league this morning at 9:30 at Lime Tree Oval.

If PFM Development win today then net run rate will decide whether the Development team or Old Harbour from Zone Two qualify for the semi-finals. In Zone One, last year's champions, Faith Temple New Testament (four points), will face stiff competition from Power and Light Ministries (eight points).

Western Jamaica Domino League

National representative Carlton 'Warlord' Palmer and his partner Ardene Shippy, and Paul Little and Robert Harris led Star International to an imposing 300-235 win over Intouch Domino Club at Petersfield, Westmoreland, in the J. Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum Western Domino League.

The Trelawny-based team showed no mercy to their opponents, as they marched to their third win in six matches, which placed them fifth in Zone 'A' on 15 points.

In other games played, Strike Force maintained their perfect win record by whipping Rainbow Strikers 300-260, Unity Strikers crushed Long Bay 300-235, Deeside Untouchables beat Morning Stars 300-284, Fighter Jet uprooted Logwood 300-274, Cool Wave ensured that Retrieve stayed in the cellar by whipping them 300-260, Assassin beat Uptown 300-253, Tropical Riddim calmed Tornado 300-280, and Ewing Strikers gained full points due to the late showing of Mandela Green.

The Dynasty versus Tuff Gong game was postponed and will be played at a later date.

The competition continues tomorrow with games in both zones. Zone 'A' leaders Strike Force will travel to Unity Strikers, Rainbow will host Intouch, Dynasty will be back in action against Morning Star, Tuff Gong should find things a little difficult at home to Deeside Untouchables, and Stars International should have things easy against Long Bay United. In Zone 'B', leaders Tropical Riddim will host cellar dwellers Retrieve, Cool Waves are at home to improving Ewing Strikers, Mandela Green host Tornado, Uptown play rejuvenated Fighter Jet and Logwood will host a rampant Assassin team. All matches start at 1 p.m.

New Green rule Manchester

New Green came from behind to pull off a stunning 3-1 win over Hillstars and lift the 2011 Captain's Bakery-sponsored Manchester Major League title.

Hillstars had taken a 1-0 lead early in the second half, but veteran striker Norman Wright proved the architect of New Green's win, scoring twice after after coming on as a second-half substitute. Another senior player, Howard Daley, made the result safe after scoring in the final seconds of the game to kill off Hillstars late attacks.

The first half ended scoreless after both teams failed to settle down and confidently execute a consistent strategy. Hillstars came closest to scoring but it was New Green who demonstrated better control.

Hillstars began the second half with more urgency and were rewarded when Junior Baker's header hit the hand of defender Raymond Hamilton and the referee awarded a penalty.

The competition's leading goalscorer, Kenroy Mullings, then calmly slotted past Damion Salmon in goal to give Hillstars the lead in the 48th minute.

Coach Andre Swaby then made two inspired changes, inserting midfielder Cedric Griffiths and Wright at the hour mark. Within five minutes the tactical shift paid dividends, with Wright's deft header beating goalkeeper Roshane Allison at his near post for the equaliser.

The momentum swung New Green's way and after missing a glorious chance to put his team further ahead, Wright inflicted further damage by completing a good solo run in the 75th minute. Hillstars threw caution to the wind, attacking feverishly to gain the equaliser. It left them porous at the back, and especially vulnerable as the focus of defence was kept on Wright. In a countermove, Daley was virtually left on his own to score into an empty net.

The rivalry between the two had been strong, as in two preliminary zone matches between the two Hillstars had won 4-3 and 1-0 and even took the mid-season final on a protest after they were initially beaten 2-1. In post-match comments, New Green's coach said he was never pressured by Hillstars taking the lead.

"We always had the fight in us," also referring to the semi-final game against Comfort whom they also had to rally from behind to defeat 2-1. Also in that game, Wright scored after coming on as a substitute.

"We had plan A, B and C for Hillstars and when we went behind it was a matter of putting Plan B in place and they had no answer."