Thursday, September 25, 2008 X Gen faces last placed Donuts in IMBL
CELLAR-dweller Mr. Donut will try to improve its standing when it faces league leader X Generation at the resumption of the International Mixed Bowling League (IMBL) Thursday Thursday night at the Puyat Center.
X Gen comes off from a 21.5-2.5 win over Top 40 to up its lead to 10 points and appears to start a breakaway in the rather tight game going into the second half of the two round league.
The X Gen will once again bank on Nitz de Guzman, whose return to the IMBL from almost three weeks of absence after an 11-week absence, has pushed the team back on top.
Ed Claridad, Nellie Arciaga, Oscar Aquino and Rolly de Guzman, the recently retired banker and husband to the University of the Cordilleras (UC) professor, will even stretch the lead as they face the Cio and Rey Gundran led Donuts which also also has Mye Eslao, Jun Basabica and Cris Santos.
Second-ranked Budget Savers will face the 10th- ranked Kiwanis as the team, led by Jimmy Uy, tries to stay abreast with the leader. Third-ranked Pretty Pink Panthers are also coming off from victory last week against upset-conscious Khatib as they face off with the defending champion Gerco on lanes 11 and 12.
Gerco is banking again on the good game off Nikko Go after a record 690-scratch the other week was fresh from a 20-4 thumping of Wild Cards and is lodged at sixth spot from eight.
But it will not be a father and son duel as the 17-year-old Go plays the fourth man which would make him the opponent of Jun Rialubin.
The older Go, Peter, who was named last century's top amateur bowler by a local sports group, will be the anchor and is set to face 19-year-old Cheeno Loy.
Last season's high average bowler Joseph Tan of the Panthers meets Tony Salcedo, while Boy Retuya is up against Mike Casuga. Close friends Marice de Guzman and Doris Santiago, the only player who spoiled Flor Balaba once as high average bowler, are also scheduled to meet.
Fifth-ranked Cross Stitch will be up Chamba, one of the more dangerous teams in the league, which comfortably sits at the sixth spot, a match up between two contrasting teams with Cross Stitch playing for prestige against a team like Chamba that plays for fun and not the results.
Cross Stitch has some of the league's best players that have been together for the longest time. Perennial top female bowler Balaba is just the third man, while Ben Diaz, who plays second, was a three-time high average bowler. Equally good are Ben Ayoong, Dolph Lachica and Mike Ramat.
Chamba will rely anew on Jimmy and Cathy Cabfit, John Lee, Albert Buting, and newcomer Elmie Manasala.
In other games, it will be Moog against the Wild Cards, Mixed Nuts versus Khatib and former four-peat champion and former champion Liberty. (RO)
