Maple versus Mitres/TRAC clash set for Monday

The title of Division One champion of the Digicel National Netball Club Tournament will certainly be decided on Monday afternoon, May 18, at the Kingstown Netball Centre, when the two unbeaten teams, Vita Malt Maple and Mitres TRAC will square off.{{more}}

Maple, nearing 58 years of existence as a sporting institution, will be seeking to retain the title which they won last year. They also did the double in 2008, winning the Knock Out Competition.

However, their opponents Mitres TRAC, a merger which came into being for this year’s competition, poses the main threat to Maple’s retention.

In the ranks of Mitres TRAC are a host of national players: Jacintha Adams, Genella Andrews, Leanna Lewis, Anella Samuel, Nichole Sandy and Marcia Gordon, while Maple possesses the likes of experienced Skiddy Francis-Crick, Elizabeth Caruth-Matthews and Thelma Foster, with formidable reinforcement coming from Vasha Adams, Curlan Francis-Edwards as well as Rose Clair Hall.

The marquee match, apart from being the title decider, also determines this country’s representative to the sub-regional OECS Champion of Champions Club Championships.

Monday’s match should be the highlight of the Tournament, which has meandered and been riddled with some of the age old problems, including that of defaulting.

It is expected that there will be greater spectator interest in Monday’s match up, as this, too, has fallen off considerably since the start of this year’s Tournament.

But while Maple and Mitres TRAC are still to battle it out, the other divisions have been more or less decided.

Standard Shippers Falcons is almost certain to retain the Division 2A crown, with X- Ceed Sports Club large and in charge of Division 2B, snapping the title from Bop Clinchers.

Also, the reign of French Verandah X-Ceed has been extended for another year in Division 3, as they are run away leaders.

Monday’s match is scheduled to begin at 5:15 pm, with Umpires Michelle Guy and O’Neil Cockburn, the officials down to carry the crucial and sometimes temperamental match. (RT)