Orville Clarke, Portmore Star Writer

Portmore-based teams, The Dip and newcomers Hangover, started the Pattex Cup skittles competition on a losing note last Sunday, going down to Dragon and Mister C, respectively.

Dragon clipped The Dip 6-5 in a closely contested match at Eastern All-Stars Skittles Club, 107 Windward Road. Mister C, on the other hand, drubbed Hangover 9-2 in a home match in Spanish Town. Meanwhile, former champions Eagles came from behind three times to beat Rowe's Strikers 8-3 in a home match at Bejon's Sports Bar, Hughenden Plaza.

After coming from behind in the first three games to tie the scores at 3-3, Eagles moved into overdrive thereafter to shut out Rowe's in the next five games.

Their winning players were Fred Marsh, Robert 'Whirlman' McKen, Emmanuel Munda, Dane Jones, Ralston 'Fla-Fla' Robinson, Orville Mighty, who teamed up with McKen to win the doubles match, Cheryl Anderson, who won the ladies match, and Ricardo Willis, who teamed up with Godfrey Willis to win the pool players match.

In the first match at the same venue, Mystix crushed Waltham Strikers 9-2.

In other opening-round matches, defending champions Eastern All-Stars defeated Starliner 7-4 in a home match at Eastern, while Olympic Strikers gained a walkover from Willies Strikers, who turned up short of players.

Matches in the second round are as follows:

Olympic Strikers vs Mercury at Hangover Skittles Club, 3C Mega Way (near MegaMart), and Hang-over vs Willies Strikers in the second match at the same venue. Dragon vs Eastern in the feature match at Starliner Skittles Club, 113 Walthan Park Road, and Starliner vs The Dip in the second match at the same venue. Eagles vs Waltham Strikers at Rowe's Strikers Skittles Club, Chelsea Avenue, New Kingston, and Rowe's vs Mystix in the second match.

The first matches start at 1 p.m., the second at 4 p.m.