Wisemans Win The Aberconway

Wisemans Win The Aberconway

22/04/24: Howard & Gwydion Wiseman won their fourth successive Aberconway Cup in association with Advanta Wealth at Highgate yesterday.

Late withdrawals scuppered a potential record-breaking entry last year, but this year saw the 1998 record of 18 pairs finally beaten, with a fantastic turnout of 19 pairs making it to the start line.

There were once again two mother/daughter pairings in Mandie Barnes & Abi Butcher and Sarah & Natalie Lilienthal as well as four first time entrant father/daughter pairings in the shape of Salopians Marc & India Quinn, Brigands Alex & Grace Knight and Ipswichians Tim & Bella Wyndham and Chris & Carys Bradley.

Howard & Gwydion Wiseman had things very much their own way in 2023, but several of last year's absentees were back this time around to beef up the top end of the competition with multiple former champions Mike & Chris Hughes and Grant & Guy Williams back after missing last year's tournament as well as Adam & Jack Pemberton and Gareth & Tom Hoskins. Etonians Henry & Lochie Turcan were the other first timers taking part and with Tom & Jamie Dunbar in the draw as well as Paul & James Holland, James & Noah Caplin, Tom Leach & Jan Michalski, Brian & Henry Steele and Bill & Connor Christie there was plenty of competition at all levels. It was also great to welcome back David & Rob Cooper, setting new records as the oldest father and oldest son to take part in the Aberconway Cup in its 33 year history.

The morning group stages were an opportunity for the newer pairs to feel their way into the competition, while the more experienced contenders warmed themselves up for challenges to come. One or two early nerves were soon overcome, plenty of impromptu coaching took place and there were a handful of close fought matches with places in the quarter-final draw, the Mike Fenn Plate and Plate B all up for grabs. The seeded pairs all came through the group stages unscathed, with the Wiseman, Hughes and Williams pairings all in cruise control in their groups. The Pembertons were the other group winners, just about finding their way past the Turcans and the Dunbars, the Hoskins and Caplins were comfortable second place qualifiers and the Hollands completed the quarter-final line-up having come through a potentially tricky game against the Leach/Michalskis. The four qualifying slots for the Mike Fenn Plate for the pairs finishing third were also keenly fought, the Dunbars and Leach/Michalskis being joined by Bill & Connor Christie and Marc & India Quinn, who improved quickly during the course of the group stages to see off the challenge of the Wyndhams.

The semi-finals of the Plate were played as best of three matches; the Quinns played their best Fives of the day but couldn't find a way past Tom & 10 year old Jamie Dunbar, who were looking to win the Plate for a second successive year. Their final opponents initially looked likely to be the Christies, who took the first game against the Leach/Michalskis. They were also ahead in the second game - albeit with their opponents on a good run of points and threatening a comeback - when Connor unfortunately went over on his ankle and had to retire hurt. This allowed the Leach/Michalskis to move through to the final against the Dunbars and they seized their second chance impressively, winning the first game to 6 and then coming from behind to win the second 13-12 when it looked as though the Dunbars were poised to take it to a decider.

The Coopers had withdrawn gracefully after their morning exertions, leaving six pairs to fight it out in the initial stages of the B Plate. Two mini pools of three produced some terrific matches as the inexperienced players (both young and old!) continued to improve and the teamwork amongst the pairs began to get better and better. The group stages produced three finals - the group winners faced off for Plate B, with the Knights emerging victorious against the Wyndhams. The Steeles and the Bradleys took each other on in Plate C, with hopes high of a classic encounter after a 12-10 thriller in the group stages. This time, though, the Steeles were determined to end the day on a high and stormed through to a 12-2 win. This left Plate D, otherwise known as the Mother/Daughter final, with Mandie Barnes & Abi Butcher repeating their 2023 win over Natalie & Sarah Lilienthal, coming through 12-6.

In the main tournament, the quarter-finals almost all finished with exactly the same scoreline. The Wisemans were too strong for the Hollands in a repeat of last year's semi-final, the Turcans couldn't break the iron resolve of the Williams pairing and the Hughes duo were too strong for the Hoskins. The fourth quarter-final - between the Pembertons and the Caplins - looked like it had the potential to be a tight one, but the Pembertons were never really able to get going and last year's runners-up made it back into the last four comfortably.

All of the pairs in the semi-finals had had to work hard to get there, however, and this began to take its toll as the tournament reached its latter stages. There was some fine Fives played in both the semi-finals and the final, but none of the three matches managed to reach a natural conclusion. First of all James Caplin's ankle meant that his and Noah's race was quickly run against the Wisemans, before Grant Williams's knee finally gave up the ghost after a 12-10 defeat in the first game against Mike & Chris Hughes. The final - a first final meeting between these pairs since 2018, when Gwydion was only 14 - was a terrific contrast in styles with the aggressive Salopian attacking and volleying game up against the measured, tactical play of the Wisemans. In a first game that featured quite a few unexpected unforced errors as well as some fantastic Fives, the Hughes held sway, winning to 7. They got off to a good start in the second as well, but the Wisemans are experts at not panicking and they gradually worked their way back into the match, aware that their opponents were beginning to struggle physically, Mike tiring and Chris affected by cramp. The tide turned just in time for the Wisemans, who took the second game 12-10 and although the Hughes were able to get the first couple of points on the board in the third game, Chris was really struggling with cramp to the extent where he was unable to carry on.

The history of the Aberconway Cup is one of prolonged periods of dominance by a particular pair, with the Barbers, Dunbars, Williams and Hughes all serial winners of the competition. The 2020s have so far been the Wiseman era, with this their fourth win in a row and we wait to see which pair will emerge to try and take their crown in the future.

The Aberconway Cup is about so much more than that, though, and this was a wonderful day and a real celebration of Fives and its ability to bring together players from 10 to 84 and allow them all to enjoy themselves on court.

Our thanks go to Highgate for hosting the competition, to Advanta Wealth for their sponsorship, to Suna & Steve for being there and filming play and recording interviews for the EFA's Centenary (watch this space!) and to all of the players who took part and made it such a fun and enjoyable occasion.

Quarter-Finals

H & G Wiseman beat P & J Holland 15-5

J & N Caplin beat A & J Pemberton 15-6

M & C Hughes beat G & T Hoskins 15-5

G & G Williams beat H & L Turcan 15-5

Semi-Finals

H & G Wiseman beat J & N Caplin 2-0 (10-1 ret)

M & C Hughes beat G & G Williams 2-0 (12-10 ret)

Final

H & G Wiseman beat M & C Hughes 2-0 (7-12, 12-10, 1-2 ret)

Mike Fenn Plate

Semi-Finals