Red-hot Crystal to battle Starlight

Western Bureau:

Fresh from their mid-season title-winning effort on Sunday, reigning champions Crystal are favourites to beat Starlight Juniors when they bow into the second round of the 2011 Hunger Busta/Impact Auto St James Netball Association (StJNA) Senior League tomorrow afternoon.

The Zone A game, which is slated for the Montego Bay Boys' Club courts at 3 p.m., will be followed at 5 p.m. by a highly anticipated clash between Pacers Juvenile and Blazers, who are also competing in Zone A.

In their first game against Starlight Juniors, the Crystal team was all but flawless, winning the game by an impressive 50-29 margin.

Ladonna Lamonth, who was voted the most valuable player at the recent Star Search camp in Kingston, was the outstanding player for Crystal as she turned in an awesome display, scoring 40 of the team's 50 goals.

No serious challenge

In their bid to repeat their first win against Starlight Juniors, Crystal should not be seriously challenged, especially if Lamonth, Gina Haughton, Dahlia Rickettes and Rita Spence report in top form. The Starlight Juniors will be hoping that, unlike their first-round game, the team will show more composure and tactical discipline this time around.

In what was a memorable mid-season final, the unbeaten Crystal displayed scintillating form in clinically dismissing the challenge of Twelve Stars 34-21.

Interestingly, Twelve Stars were also the team they conquered in the competition's open rally final.

In tomorrow's second game, an epic contest is expected between Pacers Juveniles and Blazers, who battled to an intriguing 33-33 tie in their first-round meeting.

In their bid for victory, the Charles Stephenson-coached Pacers Juvenile will be banking on former national youth player Danielle Ellis, Georgia Ellis and Jodian Grant, while Blazers should be solid with the likes of Monique Bingham, Nickeisha Ferron and Janita Brown.

The eight-team competition, which is the symbol of netball supremacy in St James, is zoned as follows: Zone A - Crystal, Blazers, Juveniles, Angels B and Starlight Juniors. Zone B - Twelve Stars, Sting, Angels A, Pacers A and Starlight A.