It has been a busy last week on the Fives front with the final two national tournaments of the term. First up were the U12s who acquitted themselves with distinction. The first pair of Harry D and Lochie H mixed it with the superpowers of the game and reached the quarter-finals where they only narrowly lost. All the other pairs improved markedly over the day and won more than they lost. This age group is looking very good, with some real strength in depth.
The final tournament saw us off to Eton again for the season’s finale at The Prep Schools. This is always the most competitive event of the season and this year proved no different. Different pairings were forced onto us by absences and this seemed to affect all the new combinations as all started a little slowly. Frustrating narrow losses seemed to be the norm for the early part of the day with no fewer than four games being lost by scores of 11-12. This saw us going for the plate competitions where we gradually found our feet. Pair 1 won the prestigious Marston Plate for only the second time in the school’s history. A further plate final was narrowly lost after a best of three tussle but once again it is the improvements that all made that is particularly heartening.
It has been another exceptional Fives season with particular mention going to Ollie F and Jake J for reaching the National U13 Final and Jake and Carter for winning the Marston Plate at the Prep Schools.
Finally, my thanks go to all the boys and girls who commit to their Fives. It is very rewarding to see us competing so well on the national stage. This is a remarkable achievement for a non-selective activity where we only get to play once a week.
Also, my thanks go to Mr Stone and Mr Brewer for all their help and support in making sure everything happens as it should and also for their driving skills.
