DEFENDING champions of the Michael Holding Masters cricket competition, New York Masters, were soundly beaten by Kingston Masters at Emett Park on Sunday.

Kingston won by eight wickets after making 114-2 from 21 overs in reply to New York's 113-7 off their allotted 30 overs.

Kingston won the toss and invited New York to bat on a slow wicket which still had some moisture in it. The start of the match was delayed by half-an-hour and subsequently reduce by five overs to 30 as the wicket was still too soft to bat on.

New York started badly, losing the first wicket for just 15 runs and continued losing wickets regularly after that. The only batsmen to get into double figures were Esward Thomas (29), Gaswell Birch (20) and Richard Staple (17).

The bulk of the wickets went to Dexter Barnaby (2-8 from six overs) and Nehemiah Perry (2-11 off six).

Raymond Ferguson topscored for Kingston with 64, while Richard Stephenson gave good support with 27. The only successful bowler was Staple, who took the 2-20 from his six overs.

In other results, St James Masters defeated Atlanta Masters; Ultimate Masters got by Caribbean Masters; St Elizabeth Masters beat Queens Masters; Clarendon Masters overcame Florida Masters, and Brooklyn Masters defeated Manchester Masters.

Tomorrow's matches will see Melbourne Masters taking on Atlanta Masters at Content Gardens in St Ann; St James Masters vs Queens Masters at Ultimate Cricket Ground in St Ann; Clarendon Masters battling Caribbean Masters at Melbourne and Kingston Masters facing Florida Masters at Emett Park.

The date for the Melbourne match is still to be decided.