Old Paulines retain the Owers Trophy

News

The Owers Trophy
Sunday, 15th September 2019
St. Paul’s School, Barnes

Ben Hale and Alex Smith report: The ‘Old Boys and Girls’ Tournament proved, as ever, to include a fantastic range of players from a number of current schoolboys – and girls – playing alongside and against alumni from many generations.

Last year just 4 teams made it to the tournament, this time we had 9 teams competing, the tenth team of Old Eastbournians having unavoidably pulled out overnight due to child illness (the remainder of the draw were perfectly happy not to be exposed to the pathogens, Andy!)

Group A
Alleyn Old Boys (Hamish Buchanan, Julian Hanton, Gwydion Wiseman)
Old Bedford Modernians 1 (George Larrington, Nishant Pradhan, Joe Sumner)
Old Derby Moor 2 (Bally Singh, Vishal Singh, Rob Whitehorn)
Old Paulines (Julian Aquilina, Theo Parker, James Tilston)
Old Rugbeians (from Chris Blakeley, Conrad Davies, Jeremy Ensor, Dick Warner)

Group B
Old Bedford Modernians 2 (Mark Kiteley, Matt Leydon, Katie Sumner)
Old Bradfieldians (James Birch, Dave Butler, Tim Hebblethwaite)
Old Derby Moor 1 (Antony Goodwin, Lewis Keates, Raheem)
Old Oundelians (Jeremy Manger, Charlie Rogers, Alex Smith)

Games were played to 11 in Group A, with the Paulines and the Alleyn Old Boys progressing to the semi-finals. Games were played to 15 in Group B, with Old Bradfieldians and Old Derby Moor I making it into the semis.

Winners: Old Paulines
Runners-up: Old Bradfieldians
Plate: Old Derby Moor II

Timing of the day’s play went almost perfectly. Play started at 9:45 am, only a fifteen-minute delay as the first organiser was some ten minutes late. Said organiser then left at 10am to go to the Oval but was able to keep abreast of developments via texts from the second organiser, who arrived after many train delays at 11am. The Group games were complete by 2 pm and the final game of the main final was wrapped up by 4:45 pm.

As ever, the unique format was very popular and led to much debate about tactics and progress as the games ebbed and flowed. The team epithet ‘Old’ was belied by some teams including young undergraduates, school boys and girls, but young and old alike mingled happily on and off court, with Dickie Warner in particular vocal in the gallery – and everywhere else.

Ben Hale and Alex Smith would like to thank all the teams that participated, especially those from Bedford and Derby, who each fielded 2 teams, but also Rugby and Oundle for entering after a few years away!

Scores:
Group Rounds
Group A:
1st Old Paulines, 2nd Alleyn Old Boys, 3rd Old Derby Moor II, 4th Old Bedford Modern I, 5th Old Rugby
Group B: 1st Old Bradfield, 2nd Old Derby Moor I, 3rd Old Oundelians, 4th Old Bedford Modern II,

Main Knockout
Semi-finals:
Old Paulines bt Old Derby Moor I 11-3, 11-2, 11-9; Old Bradfieldians bt Alleyn Old Boys 11-2, 11-6, 11-7.
Final: Old Paulines bt Old Bradfieldians 11-9, 11-1, 12-10.

Plate Competition
Preliminary Round – O. Rugby bt O. Bedford Modern II. Semi-finals – O. Derby Moor II bt O. Rugby 11-2, 11-4, O. Oundelians bt O. Bedford Modern I 11-0, 11-1.
Final: Old Derby Moor II bt Old Oundelians 11-4, 11-6.

Home win — Trophy successfully retained!

2nd place on the podium — but all smiles for the Old Bradfieldians

Old Rugbeians make a welcome appearance — in strength!

Down from Derby — back with the Plate!