Malvern College, Worcestershire
Sunday, 21st May 2023
Louise Mathias and Ollie Arnold successfully defended their title at the Winchester Fives Mixed Doubles, making it four in a row. In the final they beat Shinan Zhang and her partner Penn Chai, having won a tough three-game semi-final against Eton Fives Ladies Champion Karen Hird and her partner Lewis Keates. In the Plate Helena Tunks & Ashwin Ahuja came through against fellow Cambridge players Holly Nugent & Sarthak Garella, with Sarthak eventually having to retire with severe cramp after the exertions of a tough Plate semi-final. Organiser Shinan was delighted to see several players new to the buttress game and to have chosen a day where the sunny spring weather allowed a picnic on the superb Malvern College grounds. Warmest thanks to the College and to Chris Thomas for hosting the event.
Results (Ladies’ names first)
Pool A: 1st L Mathias & O Arnold 88 pts; 2nd S Leboff & E Thursfield 72 pts; 3rd M Gibbons & C Davey 67 pts; 4th H Brown & J Garratt 52 pts; 5th J McIntyre & B Kirk 43 pts
Pool B: 1st S Zhang & P Chai 66 pts; 2nd K Hird & L Keates 54 pts; 3rd H Tunks & A Ahuja 39 pts; 4th H Nugent & S Garella 27 pts
Semi-finals: Mathias & Arnold bt Hird & Keates 14-16, 15-7, 15-9; Zhang & Chai bt Leboff & Thursfield 15-3, 15-8
Final: Mathias & Arnold bt Zhang & Chai 15-4, 16-14
Plate
Semi-finals: Nugent & Garella bt Gibbons & Davey 15-13, 15-11; Tunks & Ahuja bt Brown & Garratt 15-8, 15-7
Final: Tunks & Ahuja bt Nugent & Garella (rtd)
The four finalists Shinan, Louise, Ollie and Penn
Helena & Ashwin win the Plate
The Plate finalists
The trophies
The courts at Malvern College
Entry to the courts
Ashwin aiming down the left
All eyes on the buttress
Ollie Arnold serving
Emrys Thursfield going for the buttress
Louise in full flight
Joe Garratt attacking
Chris Davey in action