Sports Monday with James Adderley
Good night I’m James Adderly and this is Sports Monday.
Week 8 in the Belize Bank Super League Tournament brought the surging Orange Walk United ball club to the MCC Grounds to face Third World FC, a team that took the home pitch yesterday, fresh out of the cellar.
Even before the fans are properly seated Orrin Wade finds Oliver Hendricks whose right away right foot push rebounds of the crossbar, Hendricks gets another chance with the header this time only to being the same results and the ball returns to Orlando Castillo who pushes it into the net as OW take a 1-zip lead 6 minutes in.
At the 16th minute Oliver Hendricks catches up with this center off the right wing and his header makes it a 2-nil score just like that.
Folks let’s not mince words – this one is all Orange Walk United – Jarret Davis launches this from just inside the 18 and it beats the 3rd World Keeper as the visitors take a 3-zip lead into intermission.
In 2nd half 3rd World comes out with a little bit more determination but OW hangs tough on defense.
On this press the home team gets the chance to pull one back but the weak touch by Clifton Ramos won’t get past the veteran Charlie Slusher.
It would have been 4-nil for Sugar City when Oliver Hendricks beats the keeper with this toe push but Ernest Wiltshire digs it out of the goal.
Like they say frustration ain’t no fun, and Mark Kello Leslie vents his when Oliver Hendricks to power home his 2nd goal of the match – Hendricks is hurt and would not return as the referee rightly rules penalty.
Alfred Jesse steps up and easily beats the keeper for the 4-nil OW lead.
However, the punishment for 3rd World ain’t over yet. Christopher Hendricks the keeper with his low cruise missile but the defenders digs it out, Marlon Miranda fresh off the bench heads the rebound home for the 5-zip spread.
A minute later Dean Flowers fires this left foot that rebounds off the keeper to Marlon Miranda who smashes it into an empty goal for the 5-zip Orange Walk united big W and even the camera man was glad this rout was over.
In other action around the league R.G. City Boys United made it 8 straight wins with a 3-2 victory over Paradise Freedom Fighters at the Toledo Union Field s Deon McCauley scored his league leading 14th and 15th goal.
Placencia Assassins crushed Cayo South United at the Camalote Football Field in a 4-zip bashing while Hattieville Monarch and Griga Knights battled to a 1-1 draw at Hattieville.
Thus R.G. City Boys lead the standings with a perfect 24 points, Orange Walk United is next with 16 points, Paradise Freedom Fighters have 15, Griga Knights 14, Placencia 10, Hattieville 7, 3rd World 4 and Cayo South still shows 1 point from 8 appearances.
Week 9’s schedule begins on Thursday at the MCC Grounds where City Boys will host 3rd World and Hattieville travels to Cayo South. On Saturday Orange Walk United heads to Toledo Union for a date with Paradise Freedom Fighters and Griga Knights head to Placencia.
In news from the Smart Challenge Cup, on Friday Atlantic Insurance stunned Ebony Lake is a 3-2 finish while West Lake and Atlantic Bank struggled to a 1-1 stalemated. Action resumes on Wednesday as Brown Bombers take aim at KHMH Authority and Atlantic Insurance faces Atlantic Bank and this schedule will be repeated on Friday.
Turning to the Cricket scene it’s a fact that the higher you go the harder things get. Having won Division 3 rather easily but in Division 2 of the ICC American Cup tournament the National Team of Belize had to settle for 3rd place. We caught them as they arrived at the Philip Goldson yesterday and we must say they were nevertheless well received as their fans do take their team seriously.
Michelt Anthony accepted the fact that they made mistakes.
Michelt Anthony
Michelt Anthony, Member, National Cricket Team
“The competition was nice and we played against teams that we had plays against before and we could have won the tournament. but just little errors on ourselves cost us. What happened, I picked up this one against the Bahamas for taking five wickets for nineteen runs and batted twenty-five runs. And this one was for best bowler for tournament—picked up ten wicket overall.”
Gilroy Middleton, Manager of the National Cricket Team, had this to say:
Gilroy Middleton
Gilroy Middleton, Manager, National Cricket Team
“I think this was a very competitive competition, but I am really proud of the Belize national Team in that we were able to play with all the big teams; especially one of the big teams that came in second, Panama, we beat them in the tournament. I would like to go down in record to say that our team was as good as all the other team in the tournament. Just like sports, we just missed second place to play for first place just by three balls. And I think we will be seeing much better improvement in the future for the Belize Team. I think they have a far way to go.”
Moving on the 83rd Annual Cross Country Cycle Classics is set to blast off at 6am on Holy Saturday. Since Shane Vasquez’s magnificent win in 2006 Belize has been bereft of a champion. American Boyd Johnson took the garland in 2007. Brian Bowman also of the US set a new record for his 139 miles race in 2008 with a time of 5 hours 40 minutes 12 seconds. Carlos Lopez of Mexico took it in 2009 and last year Guatemalan Miguel Perez emerged the champion. Which Belizeans have a chance to be the hero in 2011?
Here is cycling expert Melvin Torres with his picks “(Race for the Garland II 2011)”
Melvin Torres, Cycling Expert
Melvin Torres
The best bet will be with Darnell Barrow. I think you have quite a few guys who can be around that circle that can assist, but honestly I believe Darnel barrow has the best chance. And my reasons for that: firstly, he is a young kid and he don’t have a lot of experience, but what he has in his legs is showing that he has the determination and the ability plus this is a rider who has certain skills and certain talents. And he have a very good sprint. We cannot take out Belize’s best rider, in my opinion, Marlon Castillo. Well then we will go to Giovanni. Last year he was the favorite last year. He is the best long distance rider Belize has. He knows what to do, where to go and how to make the move. Then we go to Greg Lovell. He was there also last year. Greg Lovell was the man that Santino put his team jersey on and say well you will be the person to take it home. Byron Pope. Byron has a very good chance because he has shown maturity over the years and he is making very good decisions for himself. But also you cannot take Shane Vasquez out of it. He’s been there done that. I think Shane has a very good chance. He showed it throughout the other races that he is right there. He probably lost a few steps but he is right there.”
Meanwhile folks, things kick off on Thursday at 4:30pm with the annual parade of Cyclists which will leave Court House Plaza.
Jah Overall, I’m James Adderley.
