Skip to main content

1999 London Tournament

Howard Wiseman reports:

In the third year since its successful relaunch in 1997, the London Tournament returned to Highgate's courts. Once again, it proved a competitive and well-spirited event featuring a range of ages, abilities, styles and personalities, a TV crew from TransWorld Sport and Steve McGranaghan's video recorder. A total of thirty-four pairs took part, sixteen of which played in the Main and eighteen in the Festival competition, in weather which was almost perfect for playing Fives if a little chilly for the spectator.

The Competition

The Main competition was divided into two pools of four pairs and two of five, with two pairs from each pool qualifying for the quarter-finals on Saturday evening. Semi-finals and finals, as well as a Plate competition for those not winning through to the second day's play, were held on the Sunday. The Festival competition, composed of four pools of four pairs, adopted a similar format.

Main

In the Main competition quarter-finals Robin Mason and Tom Dunbar, an interesting new pairing, beat the Cambridge pair of Ross Bryan and Nick Shaw; Jamie Fleming and Ed Taylor (who had managed not to injure himself this year) overcame Tom Dawson and Peter Dunbar, younger brother of Tom; Howard and Matthew Wiseman won against Tim Chamberlain and Josh Rose; and Mark Williams and Will Sorrell came back to snatch victory from 10-4 down in the third and final game from Dan Hawkins and Chris Cooley.

In the first semi-final, Fleming/Taylor held a close first game against Mason/Dunbar, after which the latter pair took control to win the three remaining games. In the second match, the Wiseman brothers dominated over Williams/Sorrell to win 3-0, with Mark's shoulder giving him some trouble. The final was a fitting end to the Main competition, a well-contested match played in cordial spirit. As in their sermi-final, Mason/Dunbar conceded the first game to their opposition before rallying to take the next three and the match along with the distinctive 'Wooden Buttress' trophy; the scores 8-12, 12-8, 12-4, 12-8.

The Main plate an Sunday consisted of one pool comprising five pairs: Britton/Marriott, Cohen/Sarmah, Thompson/Taylor, Wong/Chapman and scratch pairing Cooley/Cooley. After a hard-fought pool, the final took place between Sarmah and Cohen and the Cooley brothers. The match was begun in some haste, to the disadvantage of Peter Cohen and Paran Sarmah who had not had time to recover from their previous game, and Seb and Chris Cooley took all three games and the silverware; 12-8, 12-6, 12-2.

Festival

In the Festival competition quarter-finals, Peter and Edward Boughton conceded to the High Wycombe first pair; Charlotta and Oliver Cooley (the tournament's youngest pairing) won against the impressive ladies' pairing of Anneke Wells and Marianne Rees; 'Cambridge Penguins' Tom Record and Ed Lewes beat David Cox and Ned Mockridge; and the Cambridge Penguins' second pair, Dallas/Chatterjee, came through in a closely contested match against Olli Markkanen and Jeremy Shindler.

In the semi-finals, Dallas/Chatterjee went through due to the withdrawal of the High Wycombe pair; and on the other side of the draw, Lewes/Record beat Cooley/Cooley in a hard-fought match. The final thus consisted of the two Cambridge Penguin pairs Dallas/Chatterjee and Record/Lewes. Again, it was a final appropriate to the competition preceding it in terms of standards of play and of sportsmanship, the former pair eventually taking the title after an epic 3-1 battle which looked evenly balanced all the way and went to setting in each game.

The Festival Plate consisted of two pools of three pairs, with the winners of each pool going through to the final. Disappointingly, favourites Kerry White and Erica Tadman decided not to take part, but this allowed exciting new talent to make its mark. The Plate final took place between the City of Norwich School pair Peter Brooks and Daniel Beier, and the City of London School pair Jonny Powell and Benji Hall, both relatively inexperienced but highly talented pairs who will have benefited greatly by participating. Hall/Powell having taken the lead in the first game, Brooks/Beier rallied to take it 12-7, and the second game went to the line with the Norwich pair again prevailing 15-12 and taking the glory.

Summary

The catering was tasty and the trophies impressive, but it is the enthusiastic and friendly atmosphere and high standard of Fives by which people will remember the weekend's play. It was particularly encouraging to see so many new players taking the initiative to come along, including two pairs from High Wycombe School, two from City of London School, one from City of Norwich School, and so on. Hopefully they will have been encouraged to spread enthusiasm when they go back to their schools, thanks are also due to those running Fives at these schools for their hard work. It is also wonderful to see players such as the Cambridge Penguins who are continuing to play the game after leaving school, as this is one of the organisers' main concerns about the health of Eton Fives. Thanks and congratulations to all involved.

PS Some of the matches, including the Main final, were recorded on video for the: EFA by Steve McGranaghan.

Results

Main Tournament

Semi-finals

T Dunbar and R A Mason beat J G Fleming and E O Taylor 3-1 (11-14, 12-3, 12-7, 12-5)

H M E Wiseman and M C T Wiseman beat C W Sorrell and C M B Williams 3-0 (12-7, 12-5, 12-2)

Final

T Dunbar and R A Mason beat H M E Wiseman and M C T Wiseman 3-1 (8-12, 12-8, 12-4, 12-8)

Plate Final

C J P Cooley and S K P Cooley beat P Sarmah and P M Cohen 3-0

Festival

Semi-finals

E Dallas and R A Chatterjee w/o High Wycombe

Record and Lewis beat O Cooley and C Cooley 3-1 (12-4, 12-8, 4-12, 12-6)

Final

E Dallas and R A Chatterjee beat T Record and E Lewis 3-1

Festival Plate Final

P Brookes and D Beier beat B Hall and J Powell 3-0