‘Winchester Fives Association’ defeats the RFA

News

RFA v ‘Winchester Fives Association’

Winchester College, Sunday November 1st

Harry Akerman writes: We had a cracking match at Winchester, with the RFA sending a strong team to try and repeat their victory from last year against the ‘WFA’. This has proved to be a tightly fought match over recent years with the RFA winning 258-230 in 2014 and 237-217 in 2013.

High-quality Fives was played throughout the match, with never more than a few points in it, and the result still very much in the balance going into the second game of the final round of matches. However, in the end, the WFA held on to win by a very comfortable(!) 9 points (266-257).

It’s hard to pick out individual performances from such a good match, but the young pairing of Tom Watkinson (2015 schools champion) and Winchester schoolboy Alec Younger played fantastically to not get blown away by such high-quality opposition, and their valuable points probably proved to be the difference between the two sides.

The Queen’s sandwiches were a welcome finish to a really enjoyable day. And, last, but not least, thanks to those who travelled so far (Malvern, Bristol, London and Brighton) to make it such a great match.

RESULTS (WFA names first)
W. Ellison & J. Marshall bt D. Tristao & S. Roberts 11-1, 11-8; bt O. Arnold & T. Parker 11-9, 11-6; bt A. George & H. Buchanan 11-4, 11-2; bt T. Dean & C. Burrows 11-2, 11-0

S. Coffey & H. Akerman bt D. Tristao & S. Roberts 11-4, 8-11; lost to O. Arnold & T. Parker 7-11, 9-11; bt A. George & H. Buchanan 11-7, 11-7; bt T. Dean & C. Burrows 11-4, 9-11

G. Munn & J. McManus lost to D. Tristao & S. Roberts 4-11, 9-11; lost to O. Arnold & T. Parker 9-11, 2-11; lost to A. George & H. Buchanan 9-11, 10-12; bt T. Dean & C. Burrows 11-4, 11-1

T. Watkinson & A. Younger lost to D. Tristao & S. Roberts 4-11, 0-11; lost to O. Arnold & T. Parker 7-11, 5-11; lost to A George & H. Buchanan 2-11, 1-11; lost to T. Dean & C. Burrows 12-10, 5-11

Overall Result
Winchester Fives Association win 266-257