James Adderley with the latest sporting and football news
Good evening I’m James Adderley and it’s always a pleasure bringing you another this thing we call Sports Monday.
Week nine of the B.P.F.L. regular season brought the internecine struggle between F.C. Belize and the Belize Defence Force to the M.C.C. Grounds yesterday and indeed the outcome proved to be surprising. For the Military unit, the objective is to harness three points as they chase F.C. Belize in the standings. So Deon McCauley tries to set up Orlando Jimenez who just can’t catch up with the pill. In response F.C. Belize goes to the set piece to generate some offense but the floater from Ryan Simpson to Jeromy Jones is a bit too high. F.C. Belize then attacks off this corner kick launched by Cristobal Gilharry who gets a second chance to send it in. Unfortunately for them, Roberto Martinez misses with the header. At the other end Vallan Symms fires this spot kick from outside the eighteen and it serves to give warning to Elroy Rawley that he’s under serious attack today. A few minutes later David Trapp triggers this corner kick that finds Paul Nunez whose header gives the B.D.F. a 1-zip lead twenty-eight minutes in. It’s the Defence Force in the ascendency when Deon McCauley punches this left foot at goal only to see Rawley come up with a brilliant save. On the very next McCauley pushes this ball into the danger zone, goalkeeper Rawley punches it out, but the ball rebounds off Leon Cadle who makes it 2-zip for the B.D.F. with the dreaded auto goal.
Folks, we’re four minutes into second half when David Trapp delivers the corner kick in front of the goal mouth, Shannon Flowers makes a terrible defensive play that gifts the ball to Deon McCauley who makes it a 3-zip score at the forty-ninth minute. It’s the Military looking for a second goal off the corner kick except Deon McCauley fails to get the header between the sticks. The B.D.F. continues to press as Dennis Serano finds Evan Mariano with this swing but the header bounces outside the goal. We must say Roberto Martinez comes up with a great pass here and indeed Byron Usher should have pulled one back. Folks, it’s an impressive display of skill when Orlando Jimenez dances his way past to F.C. defense to find Deon McCauley who powers the shot past Elroy Rawley to make it a 4-zip ballgame. They would go on to grab the big W by that same score.
In the other match yesterday San Pedro Dolphins doubled Wagiya 2-1 at Dangriga. Thus going into week nine Hankook Verdes leads with nine points and did not play this weekend. F.C. Belize also has nine points but from seven outings. The B.D.F. pulls up to eight points, San Pedro Dolphins have seven, and Wagiya in the cellar with six. This Sunday schedule finds Wagiya hosting the B.D.F. while Hankook Verdes comes to the M.C.C. grounds against F.C. Belize.
In news from the Super League on Saturday Texmar United and Valley Renaissance battled to a 1-1 draw and San Pedro Islanders got a 3-zip default win from Cayo South. On Sunday at Toledo Paradise Freedom Fighters were held to a 2-2 final score by Hattieville F.C. Placencia Assassin and Santa Elena settled for a scoreless stalemate and Kraal Road got a 4-4 tie with San Felipe Barcelona on the road. On this week’s schedule there are five Sunday matches. Valley Renaissance will host San Pedro Texmar travels to San Felipe Barcelona, Cayo South should host paradise Freedom Fighters, Kraal Road will host Placencia Assassin and Santa Elena will be at home against Hattieville F.C.
Checking in on the female league play, this Sunday finds Triple B’s host Bullet Tree at the F&B Field and Suga City Gurlz will travel to Gentle Touch at the Norman Broaster Stadium.
Turning to the Table Tennis scene, Saturday’s play inside the Belize Elementary Auditorium saw Suga City pound Salvadoran 5-zip and also dropped Team Jones 5-2 while Racqueteers stopped Sukhnandan 5-nil. On Sunday team Jones rolled over Team Usher-Matus 5-1, Racqueteers blanked Jabiru 5-zip, Usher-Matus mashed Sukhnandan 5-1, Team Jones jerked Jabiru 5-zip and Team ACE also defeated Jabiru by that same score. Current standings show that team ACE, Team Racqueteers and Sugar City all have identical records of five wins and one loss.
Changing gears, we now take you south to Independence from where the fifth Annual Sagitun Banana cycle Classic blasted off as the Elite riders face a gruelling seventy-five mile ride on the Southern Highway. The junior riders riding for forty-five miles today are also in the hunt as they begin their journey. And today we have three females; Anthea Sutherland, Shalini Zabaneh and Jane Usher getting ready to battle for the forty-two miles. We rejoin the elite riders on their way to the finish line as some ten riders have broken out of the pack to command the pace. However, at the tape it’s Christian McNish of Benny’s Megabytes in three hours, nine minutes and forty-nine seconds beating out Gregory Lovell of Santino’s and his teammate Douglas Gutierrez and it’s time to break out the champagne as Benny’s Megabytes have finally won a big one. And i tell you something, even the banana man loves it.
On the female side, Shalini Zabaneh beat Anthea Sutherland by some sixteen minutes to grab the big W, sweeping twelve of fourteen station prizes, relinquishing the other two to Sutherland. Jane Usher pulled up third. At the Junior Level Tariq Cano of Indeco took top honours, Juan Umoa finished second and Geon Hanson third. While the master class saw Andrew Cutkelvin of Santino grab first prize, forcing Fred Usher into second and Glen O’Brien into third. In the meantime, folks, we just want to remind you that the Dr. Rosado race scheduled for this weekend has been postponed.
Finally, Sunrise of Lords Bank, the Belize District Cricket Champion and Excellence of Double Head, Champion of the National Cricket Association, kicked off a game series yesterday but the result was rather disappointing. Excellence batted first and got two hundred and forty-eight runs all out as Percy Flowers struck for sixty runs while Kenny Broaster took five wickets for thirty-two runs. Sunrise could only muster seventy-three runs all out which they blamed on the rain.
Percy Flowers, Excellence Cricket Team
“We work very hard for this game. We know that we are a great team and we come to play very hard. We don’t underestimate any team. In the next match, we will prepare and we will come for the victory. Excellence to the fullest; champion of champions.”
Edison Parks, Sunrise Cricket Team
“Any side who had batted first, the outcome wouldn’t be different. It would be the same outcome because we find out throughout the game, so as the pitch dries out ih lef wah lot ah ruts in the pitch so ih have di ball doing all sorts of things. So the batsman can’t stay there and really do what he wants to do. So you’ll find now that come Saturday, so long as the weather holds, Sunrise will definitely do a better play.”
So game two is set for this Saturday at Lord’s Bank and you won’t want to miss it.
Hey folks, that’s our show for today. We invite you back same time, same place, next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
