St Paul’s School, Barnes
Sunday, 9th March 2025
As ever, a busy and very successful day overall, and particularly so for Berkhamsted. Their number one seed, Oscar Moss, was the standout player of the tournament – comfortable on the left and able to hit winning side nicks with the right whenever he was allowed to come forward. He won the Singles and with his partner, Oli Culpan, also won the Doubles, having already won the Eton Fives Championship last week – despite being still an Under 12! Lucas Manzi, from Durham, made it to the quarter-finals where he lost to Oscar, but took more points off him than anyone else in the tournament. Freya Dornan, from Alleyn’s, also made it to the last eight, losing very narrowly to the hard hitting Harry Leiper from Merchiston Castle. Freya had great tactical awareness and calm determination. Nick Pereira Nentwich, also from Alleyn’s, showed phenomenal fitness and focus, overcoming Archie McCulloch from Merchiston and then beating Sam Cooper-Rolfe from Berkhamsted in the semi-final in a marathon 15-13. The Doubles final was a hard hitting affair, with Archie and Harry from Merchiston not quite accurate enough to keep the ball off Oscar’s strong right hand.
In all 10 schools were represented and 50 players took part. It was a welcome return after some years for both Bloxham and Mount Kelly (formerly Kelly College), who acquitted themselves well and gained valuable experience of tournament play and conditions. The same can be said for the players from Pilgrims’, a fives-playing school who have had success in previous years, enjoying support this year from the President of the RFA. It was also good to see the continuing presence of players from Stoke Newington, of whom Wilf Gilbody was the stand-out. We are always pleased to see players from Scotland venture down to St Paul’s, and this year we saw a very promising squad from Merchiston making their mark in both competitions. Likewise the ever keen young players from the City of Durham Club.
The event was excellently managed by Sam Roberts, ably assisted by Alex Smith and Michael Lacewing. Our thanks as ever to St Paul’s for the use of their facilities.
Schools and Clubs represented: Alleyn’s School, Berkhamsted School, Bloxham School, Christ’s Hospital, City of Durham Club, Merchiston Castle School, Mount Kelly, Pilgrims’ School, Stamford School and Stoke Newington School.
U13 Singles
1st round: O Moss (Berk) bt D Northmore (MtKel) 11-0; L Manzi (Dur) bt D White (Merc) 11-8; F Dornan (All) bt S Stokes (Dur) 11-6; H Leiper (Merc) bt M Usselmann (All) 11-3; A McCulloch (Merc) bt J Tingle (Dur) 11-0; N Pereira Nentwich (All) bt M Boyd (Merc) 11-2; A Bhakoo (Berk) bt T Dreher (MtKel) 11-3; S Cooper-Rolfe (Berk) bt J Walker (Merc) 11-1
Quarter-finals: Moss bt Manzi 11-6; Leiper bt Dornan 12-10; Pereira Nentwich bt McCulloch 11-6; Cooper-Rolfe bt Bhakoo 11-3
Semi-finals: Moss bt Leiper 15-2; Pereira Nentwich bt Cooper-Rolfe 15-13
Final: O Moss (Berkhamsted) bt N Pereira Nentwich (Alleyn’s) 11-2, 11-5
Third-place match: S Cooper-Rolfe (Berkhamsted) bt H Leiper (Merchiston Castle) 11-5
Plate
1st round: L King (Stam) bt W Cornish (Blox) 11-10; O Walden (MtKel) bt B Cato (Blox) 11-8
2nd round: King bt T Vines (Stam) 11-1; L Pippet (Dur) bt O Culpan (Berk) 11-4; J Wright (CHosp) bt F Rai (All) 11-10; J Hartwright (Pilg) bt K Mills 11-6; W Gilbody (StoNew) bt C Line (Blox) 11-3; J Kapil (All) bt H Miller (Dur) 11-6; H Coleman (Pilg) bt M Rogerson (CHosp) 11-7; S Antonova (All) bt Walden 11-2
Quarter-finals: Pippet bt King 11-3; Wright bt Hartwright 11-3; Gilbody bt Kapil 11-3; Coleman bt Antonova 11-6
Semi-finals: Pippet bt Wright 15-10; Coleman bt Gilbody 15-8
Final: L Pippet (City of Durham) bt H Coleman (Pilgrims’) 15-8
3rd-place match: W Gilbody (Stoke Newington) bt J Wright (Christ’s Hospital) 15-7
U13 Doubles
1st round: Merchiston 1 bt Christ’s Hospital 2 11-0; Pilgrims’ 1 bt City of Durham 1 11-7; Merchiston 2 bt Alleyn’s 2 11-3; Stoke Newington 1 bt Alleyn’s 4 15-4; Mount Kelly 1 bt Christ’s Hospital 1 11-1; Berkhamsted 2 bt Stamford 1 11-1; Alleyn’s 1 bt Merchiston 3 15-7; Berkhamsted 1 bt Bloxham 2 11-0
Quarter-finals: Merchiston 1 bt Pilgrims’ 1 15-0; Merchiston 2 bt Stoke Newington 1 15-1; Berkhamsted 2 bt Mount Kelly 1 15-4; Alleyn’s 1 bt Berkhamsted 1 15-10
Semi-finals: Merchiston 1 bt Merchiston 2 15-6; Berkhamsted 2 bt Alleyn’s 1 15-5
Final: Berkhamsted 2 (Culpan & Moss) bt Merchiston Castle 1 (Leiper & McCulloch) 11-6, 11-6
Plate
1st round: Mount Kelly 2 bt Christ’s Hospital 3 11-3; Alleyn’s 3 bt Stamford 2 11-4; Bloxham 2 bt Pilgrims’ 2 12-10; Christ’s Hospital 1 bt Durham 1 11-6; Merchiston 3 bt Alleyn’s 2 11-7; Durham 2 bt Stamford 1 11-1; Bloxham 1 bt Pilgrims’ 3 11-9; Alleyn’s 4 bt Christ’s Hospital 2 11-4
Quarter-finals: Mount Kelly 2 bt Alleyn’s 3 15-9; Bloxham 2 bt Christ’s Hospital 1 11-9; Durham 2 bt Merchiston 3 15-10; Alleyn’s 4 bt Bloxham 1 11-5
Semi-finals: Mount Kelly 2 bt Bloxham 2 15-7; City of Durham 2 bt Alleyn’s 4 15-8
Final: City of Durham 2 (Manzi & Tingle) bt Mount Kelly 2 (Anthony & Northmore) 11-6
Medallists
Berkhamsted
Merchiston Castle
City of Durham
Singles medallists
Doubles champions
Fives is fun!