Malvern College
Sunday, 17th March 2024
STOP PRESS For Ben Beltrami it was a second success after his victory in 2017 with Dave Butler; for Theo Parker it was his first win in this annual event. In the final Ben and Theo beat previous winner Dave Butler and his new partner, Sam Russell. Penn Chai and Old Malvernian Shinan Zhang successfully defended the Plate, beating Sam Roberts and young Pauline Freddie Hammond Giles in a close three-gamer.
Harry Akerman reports: The 2024 Barnes Bridge was held at Malvern — last time we were there it ended up being final fives tournament before the Covid pandemic. Photos of wet courts in our wet Spring in the run-up to the tournament were cause for concern, but heroic efforts by the local players ensured that we had all courts in action during a day of fantastic fives. With all of last year’s finalists missing with four valid excuses, we were guaranteed a new winning pair, and that it would be Beltrami and Parker was never really in doubt, but there were many cracking matches in both the main and plate competitions. Ben and Matt Hale overcame Richard Christie and Ed Ward 15-11, 15-16, 15-10, whilst the Oxford (and ex-Winchester College) pair of Shiloh Wu and Kaito Bremner overcame Sam Roberts and Freddie Hammond Giles 15-13, 9-15, 15-8. Perhaps the closest match though was Lewis Keates and Chris Davey (who themselves would push Dave Butler and Sam Russell hard in a close semi-final) overcoming Penn Chai and Shinan Zhang 15-10, 15-16, 15-12. With all non semi-finalists entering a 2-pool round robin plate there was plenty of fives for everyone and perhaps as expected it ended up with Penn and Shinan taking on Sam and Freddie in the final. The match was a cracker which saw Penn and Shinan coming back from a game down to win and retain the plate 2-11, 11-8, 11-5.
And so to the main final, in which Ben and Theo took on Sam and Dave. A high quality final with perhaps a closer first game than many expected, but in the end Ben and Theo’s power and precision won out 15-12, 15-6.
A massive thanks once again to Malvern College, and to Chris Thomas in particular, for getting the courts ready for action and for hosting 28 enthusiastic and, by the end of it, tired Winchester Fives players. Next year we hope for a good turnout on the new Winchester College Fives courts (did I say that last year as well?). For those who want a glimpse of what they will look like, please have a watch of this short video.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi534lu4OAU&feature=youtu.be
Scores
1st round: B Hale & M Hale bt R Christie & E Ward 15-11, 15-16, 15-10; K Bremner & S Wu bt Hughes & C Thomas 15-7, 15-8; F Hammond Giles & S Roberts bt A Passey & Wilson 15-1, 15-3; P Chai & S Zhang bt H Bishop & W Bishop 15-3, 15-3; S Coffey & H Tunks bt Guimont & D Spiegal 15-6, 15-0
Quarter-finals: B Beltrami & T Parker bt Hale & Hale 15-0, 15-2; Bremner & Wu bt Hammond Giles & Roberts 15-13, 9-15, 15-8; C Davey & L Keates bt Chai & Zhang 15-10; 15-16, 15-8; D Butler & S Russell bt Coffey & Tunks 15-13, 15-11
Semi-finals: Beltrami & Parker bt Bremner & Wu 15-2, 15-6; Butler & Russell bt Davey & Keates 15-13, 15-11
Final: Beltrami & Parker bt Butler & Russell 15-12, 15-6
Plate: Chai & Zhang bt Hammond Giles & Roberts 7-11, 11-8, 11-5
Images of the winners to come
The assembled cast
Executioners and Old Malvernians celebrate a Plate retained…..
… by Penn and Shinan
Organisers Past and Present
Brothers in action