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2000/01 Alan Barber Cup

Ed Taylor reports:

A straight seeded knockout over four gruelling encounters... no round-robins, no second chances, no prisoners. One slip up and you're just another statistic on the EFA website. Fighting for the honour of their club, sweat would pour and blood would be spilt (and no doubt the odd dubious let requested)....it's all out war in the quest to win that most desirable Trophy...the Holy Grail of Club Fives...the Alan Barber Cup!

First Round

The Old Carthusians, Aldenhamians, Berkhamstedians, Harrovians, Cranleighans and Reptonians were swiftly smote in the first conflict. Actually I'm not sure smote is the right word...for each one surrendered without daring to don their gauntlets and grace the battlefield! I hope by sparing injury on this occasion, we might see their true battle-hungry colours next year. The remaining "surviving" crusaders, marched on boldly into the second round (the first round wasn't as gruelling and bloodthirsty as one had hoped.)

Second Round

Fortunately, these remaining clubs couldn't wait to get at one another's throats. The very courageous Old Ipswichians...feeling buoyant after their superb victories in last year's contest (reaching the semis for the first time in thirty-four years) faced the ruthless might of the Old Olavians. They fought terrifically hard - T S Fletcher & S Freeman beat T J Rakow & D J Haydon to win third pair for the Ipswichians. P V Boughton and M Graves very nearly caused a David & Goliath-style upset when they took S K P Cooley and K Rudman to five games in a remarkable tussle. The Olavians seemingly strolling the first two games 12-2, 12-4...only for the tenacious Ipswichian pair to somehow win the next two 12-9 12-5...alas the duel was suddenly resolved when the Olavian pair gathered their combined strength and delivered a lethal decapitating, mace-like blow 12-1 in the fifth! Elsewhere the Old Edwardians defeated the Old Citizens without dropping a game. The Old Cholmeleians emulated them in a ruthless destruction of Lancing Old Boys. Leaving the Old Salopians vs the Old Etonians... the Salopians won first pair (E O Taylor & I J F Hutchinson vs D Bailey & R Horne) and Eton won third pair (S W T Barber & T A C N Dawson defeating D Blofield & W Cheung) it rested on second pair. When the Etonian duo made an appearance it became fairly clear that their second pair (A H Illingworth & B A F Yarde-Buller) was arguably, if unintentionally, considerably better than their first... unfortunately by this stage the other pairs were well on their way. There was nothing the Salopians could do but pray. A good opportunity I think, to remind everyone that an official complaint against pairing can only be made before a match begins! The Salopians were quite concerned after losing the first game...but M P Hughes and A D Walters fought bravely to eventually win through 3-1 (the third game going to 15-14!) and take the Salopians to the semi-finals.

Semi-finals - Eton

And so those most ancient of adversaries remained...the big four of recent years. The Cholmeleians (winners 23 times in 35 years!). The Salopians, winners 1999 - and last year's finalists. Edwardians - winners 1995, and the Old Olavians...last year's champions.

The Old Edwardians faced the Old Olavians.

The Olavians have incredible strength in depth. With little to choose between their top seven or eight combatants, any third pair brave enough to face them had better be on good form! On this occasion K Rudman & P N Markkanen, schoolboy partners incidentally, played together at third pair for the Olavians - making life a little tough for P Knowles & P Scholey, who none the less battled hard.

At first pair Edwardians Richard Tyler and Jon Mole lost the first game 10-15 to the Wiseman brothers - Howard & Matthew, however, they levelled winning the second and pinned the third swiftly, in the fourth, Matthew sustained an injury, leaving the fraternal Olavian pair no option but to concede. At second pair Robin Mason & Courtney Friend - fighting with great devotion to the cause had a close tussle with James Toop & Seb Cooley. Robin and Courtney won a game to their credit, but the lack of errors from James and Seb won the match. The Olavians were again through to the final.

On the other side of the draw the Salopians faced - yet again - the Cholmeleians. At first pair Ed Wass & Jamie Halstead took on Ian Hutchinson & Ed Taylor. Each game played out almost identically for the first part... both sides edging up the scoreline inch by inch, neck and neck, with few mistakes and neither side allowing the other a run of points. However, the Cholms frustratingly (for us!) managed to gather the last few points in each game. Having reached 10-8 up in the second the Salopians still managed to let it slip through their fingers! So often these tight matches, rather like tennis, come down to winning a single point at the right time! Ed and Jamie eventually recording a ruthless 3-0 victory.

Second Pair: S Khan & G Chapman for the Cholmeleians, vs M Lascelles and M Hughes. After a seemingly close first game, won by the Cholmeleians - Mark and Mike turned up the heat and playing to a very high standard fought a long match to take the next three games and the match in sound fashion.

However, while second pair had been a long hard bone-crunching battle - things were only just hotting up at third pair. Mark Williams & Rob Beenstock vs T Walters (Jr.) and Gordon Gow. The Cholms had taken the first, the Salopians the next two...only for the Chums to take the fourth and level the match (some hours later)...the sun was swiftly descending in the fifth and I think stamina had become the deciding factor... Mark Williams continued to perform well - with his usual efficient guile and Rob Beenstock seemed to find a second wind and renewed accuracy - hitting several clean winners. The Salopian duo who had perhaps played a more energetic style to make it thus far were feeling the effects...a few unforced errors crept in, enough to turn the tide against them in the fifth. In a tussle with considerable casualties the Cholmeleians gathered their injured and hobbled into the final.

The Final - Eton

...and so the final! The Old Olavians vs the Old Cholmeleians. The Olavians kicked off the controversy when announcing their line-up. For those of you unfamiliar with the players - the Olavians had cast one of their strongest players, J Toop, in third pair, joining their least experienced man. Of course, the rules state that the first pair must be stronger than the second and the second stronger than the third... but in a situation like this it's an almost impossibly tough call! Fortunately for me (as humble adjudicator)...the Cholmeleians decided that this line up was good for them too! So no problemo! Matthew Wiseman was out of action - injured, so Pauli "Mad-Dog" Markkanen stepped in at first pair with Howard. However, they were shown no mercy by the Wass and Halstead double act, back on top form. While Pauli and Howard played well, Ed and Jamie held an ice-cool composure and played neat, error free Fives, making the game look very easy indeed, winning 3-0 comfortably.

Second Pair: Anyone who hadn't kept an eye on this season's form, might have put a cheeky fiver on the class of J Pinner (the biggest Fives Player in the world!) and S Khan. However, Cooley & Rudman had enjoyed a terrific season, Karl in particular was in supreme form...playing on a higher level - partnered with Seb who concedes almost no unforced errors with his remarkable speed around the court and textbook technique they were going to be devilishly tough to beat. Khan and Pinner played extremely well, particularly as this was an unfamiliar partnership -a little unlucky not to pinch the first game...but ultimately the Olavians just wore them down, not only did they liberally distribute dazzling shots but they simply keep on getting the ball back...culminating in a 3-0 victory.

So third pair would be the decider...an unusual match with such a mix of ability on court! It seems that the Olavians blasted their way through the first, but as the match progressed Williams and Beenstock clearly started to work things out. Each game winning more points. By the time the third game was underway, all the other matches were over and the court was surrounded with cheering (and shivering) supporters from both sides... the third game went on for, well... absolutely ages...a siege in many ways...I was just contemplating throwing a deceased animal onto court to spice things up...when it was all, at last, settled... in the Olavians favour 15-10! Had it gone the other way heaven knows what might have happened...next year I may bring a tent and sleeping bag just in case!

The Old Olavians had ruthlessly smote, crushed, trampled and cut their way through all who dared to oppose them - the Grail was theirs once again and many congratulations to them on winning two in a row! With the eternal youth, it will no doubt grant them, the rest of us shall have to gather fresh troops (and patch up the old ones!) for more terrible confrontations and bloodshed next season! Is this the beginning of the Olavian Empire? Find out next season!



Results



1st Round

Played over the weekend 28/29th October 2000.



Old Ipswichians beat Old Carthusians

Old Citizens beat Old Aldenhamians

Old Edwardians beat Old Berkhamstedians

Old Cholmeleians beat Old Harrovians

Lancing Old Boys beat Old Cranleighans

Old Etonians beat Old Reptonians

 

2nd Round

Played over the weekend 13/14th January 2001.



Old Ipswichians lost to Old Olavians 2-1 at Ipswich

P V Boughton & M Graves lost to S K P Cooley & K Rudman 2-3 (2-12, 4-12, 12-9, 12-5, 1-12)

S A Woolfries & J A Caudle lost to H M E Wiseman & ? 0-3 (8-12, 7-12, 11-14)

T S Fletcher & S Freeman beat T J Rakow & D J Haydon 3-0 (12-2, 14-11, 12-4)



Old Edwardians beat Old Citizens 3-0 at Eton

J R Mole & R C Tyler beat A Kong & J P Reynolds 3-0 (12-4, 12-6, 12-2)

C K Friend & R A Mason beat L M Jacobs & M Schreiber 3-0 (12-0, 12-1, 12-0)

P J Knowles & P Scholey beat G G Bates & B A H Todd 3-0 (12-9, 12-1, 12-8)



Old Cholmeleians beat Lancing Old Boys 3-0 at Highgate

E A Wass & J C Halstead beat R N L Black & N L Cox 3-0 (12-1, 12-2, 12-0)

J M A Pinner & S Khan beat S M Brooke & M Searle 3-0 (12-2, 12-9, 12-0)

N O Addy & R H Beenstock beat N H Jones & D Hewitt 3-0 (12-4, 12-9, 12-2)



Old Salopians beat Old Etonians 2-1 at Eton

I J F Hutchinson & E O Taylor beat D Bailey & R Horne 3-0 (12-5, 12-4, 12-5)

M P Hughes & A D Walters beat A H Illingworth & B A F Yarde-Buller 3-1 (7-12, 12-8, 15-14, 12-5)

D Blofield & W Cheung lost to S W T Barber & T A C N Dawson 0-3 (11-14, 11-14, 4-12)

 

Semi-Finals

Played Sunday 11th February 2001 at Eton.



Old Edwardians lost to Old Olavians 1-2

R Tyler & J Mole beat H Wiseman & M Wiseman 3-1 (10-15 12-9, 12-4 ret)

R Mason & C Friend lost to J Toop & S Cooley 1-3 (9-12, 5-12, 12-7, 6-12)

P Knowles & P Scholey lost to K Rudman & P N Markkanen 0-3 (6-12, 5-12, 9-12)

 

Old Cholmeleians beat Old Salopians 2-1

E Wass & J Halstead beat E Taylor & I Hutchinson 3-0 (12-8, 13-10, 12-8)

S Khan & G Chapman lost to M Lascelles & M Hughes 1-3 (12-10, 6-12, 3-12, 3-12)

M Williams & R Beenstock beat A Walters & G Gow 3-2 (12-8, 7-12, 8-12, 12-6, 12-7)

 

Final

Played Sunday 4th March 2001 at Eton.



Old Cholmeleians lost to Old Olavians 1-2

E Wass & J Halstead beat H Wiseman & P Markkanen 3-0 (12-7, 12-3, 12-2)

J Pinner & S Khan lost to S Cooley & K Rudman 0-3 (10-12, 7-12, 7-12)

M Williams & R Beenstock lost to J Toop & D Mew 0-3 (4-12, 9-12, 10-15)