Nicholas Dussard ( left) Alrick Wanliss - file photos

VICTORIES from teenagers Alrick Wanliss and Nicholas Dussard, along with a close draw from the veteran Arthur Barrows, was just enough to take Jamaica's Combined Martial Arts Team past Cuba's national Tae Kwon Do team in what turned out to be a bloody affair in Havana, on Saturday.

With Jamaica leading the five-bout competition 1-0 up after a superb opening display from micro-weight Wanliss, heavyweight Dwayne Brown, who carried an injury into the match, had to be stretched off the mat after suffering a gaping wound near his right eye.

Brown, considered one of the most reliable members of the Combined Team, was sent in to fight the new Cuban captain, Joseph Francis, a recent convert from Olympic-styled World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF) fighting techniques to the International Tae Kwon Do Federation (ITF) style, which the Combined Team practises.

Secret weapon

However, Francis was obviously the Cubans' secret weapon in a brand new team, which shocked the Jamaicans, who were depleted by injuries and absentees and were expecting familiar faces in their quest for a fourth-straight hold on the Caribbean Games title.

Expectations of a disqualification never materialised but came in later bouts as the Cubans drew 1-1 with Francis' victory, incensing the Jamaicans.

With captain Jason McKay and Sean Cummings injured and top fighters such as Kenneth Edwards unavailable due to Olympic qualifying duties in Colombia, along with the duo of Omar Rose and Bruce McFarlane away in Japan for the Seido World Championships, it took a brilliant showing from Dussard to regain the Jamaicans' advantage in bout three.

The US Open junior points sparring champion once again rose to the occasion by giving his lightweight opponent a thrashing, combining both ITF and WTF styles to put Jamaica ahead 2-1.

With tempers flaring on both sides, McKay sent in Barrows, who used his 20-odd years of experience to hold his Cuban heavyweight opponent to a draw.

With the Cubans needing a win from the final bout to force a sixth match, the bout descended into an outright brawl between Jamaica's Shai Shakoura and his super heavyweight rival.

Both fighters smashed their way to disqualification, ignoring the instructions of the referee.

The disqualification left Jamaica with five points to Cuba's three, giving them their fourth consecutive victory against the Cubans and 20th straight fixture without a loss in international team competitions.

Surprised

Captain McKay expressed surprise at the fresh faces he encountered this time around.

"I did not know one member," he said. "We were very fortunate to get away with a victory based on our injuries and absentees," he added, before heaping praises on Wanliss and Dussard.

"They have never let me down," he said.

In the invitational bout, Cuba dominated Jamaica's Ricardo Lewis and Shakoura.

McKay knocked the Tiger Fist-invitee Lewis for attempting to score point by point in a continuous sparring battle.

"It was a ridiculous approach to a continuous sparring match but he has another opportunity at the U.S. Open in Orlando this July to show his form," he said.

Shakoura, McKay said, appeared to have been affected by his earlier disqualification.

"He has spirit and will be back," he said of the newest Combined Team member.

Jamaica, which has been touring since January 2004, includes in their 20 victories, wins over the United States, England, Poland, Japan, China and numerous Caribbean nations.

The Caribbean Games in Cuba is the official start of the team's 2007-2008 season, which will include bouts against Trinidad and Tobago, United States and top teams at the US Open World Continental Championships.