Sports Report – Common Time 2023: Week 7
Tuesday 28th February 2023
Basketball 1st v Bradfield College (h)
The highlight of this game, overshadowing Li's 22 point first half, was the biggest dunk seen at Winchester in many years. Akinyanju soared above and 'posterized' Bradfield's centre and best player on a break mid-way through the second half. Winchester were ahead at this point and looking good for the victory, but unfortunately Akinyanju immediately fouled out and from then on Winchester failed to score so many simple shots that Bradfield, who had stayed in the game by taking advantage of some poor defending throughout, clawed back their deficit and finished the game ahead. (LNT)
Rackets v Tonbridge School (a)
Tonbridge is one of the strongest Rackets schools on the circuit and currently boasts the no 1 seed in the 1st and 2nd pair doubles in the imminent Nationals Schools event at Queen’s.
Although Tonbridge had to replace one of their team through injury, this still left an imposing 1st pair playing on their home court. After the long journey, Henry Nicholls and Bertie Vallat had to immediately get down to business. Highly effective serving from Henry resulted in a big lead in game one. However, Tonbridge came back and somehow managed to take the game. Winchester recalibrated and took the next two games with efficient returns of serve and rally play. Tonbridge recovered in game 4 and, at 2 games all, the match was in the balance. Crucially, Winchester managed to forge a vital lead in game 5 and resist the opponent’s attempts to respond. They eventually won the final game and posted an important win. The match had taken over 2 hours.
The 2nd. Pair fought well but narrowly lost with both George Gardiner and Stephen Lam taking the match to a final game. Sen. Colts, Oliver Frost and Rupert Balmain, represented the Sen Colts A pair. After a slow start and losing the first game, Winchester adjusted to the unfamiliar court and took control of proceedings. Some impressive runs of serve from Oliver, coupled with intelligent shot selection by Rupert, resulted in a Winchester win. Junior Colts A Pair, William Hammerson-Jones and Sebastian Kingsbury, did well to come back from a game down. However, they ultimately went on to lose the match 3-1. This was a close contest which the score-line does not truly reflect. Junior Colts B, Jamie Mitchell and William Hammerson-Jones again, found themselves in an exciting, even-balanced encounter. With long rallies and swings either way, eventually Winchester took the victory 3 -1, thanks in part to Jamie’s reliable returns and William’s effective volleying. Oscar O’Carroll and Dima Kasumov, the Yearlings A pair, achieved a resounding 3 – 1 victory. This was aided by Dima’s powerful serving and Oscar's adept stroke-play. All in all, this was a highly successful day for the Rackets Team. (TERC)
Wednesday 1st March 2023 Hockey (a) LWC Super 7's
A large chunk of the first XI Hockey squad set out with the intention of leaving a mark on the 7-a-side tournament hosted by Lord Wandsworth College. We arrived with what we thought was plenty of time to warm up only to find we weren’t allowed onto the until pitch five minutes before our first game - luckily, every team were faced with the same situation..
Of the five games we played, we achieved three wins and two losses. From our wins, highlights consisted of: Caspar (B, VI:I) cooking up 6 goals on his way to the Player of the Tournament award; one of which was during the opposition’s power play that meant the goal counted for 2*. Wilf (B, VI:I) doing well and playing to the whistle only to then miss an open goal as both teams stopped after thinking a foul had been called and Aaron H (G, VI:2) scoring a solid equaliser that bounced us back in the final game which we went on to win 4-1. And from our losses: Chris B scoring the only goal within our slightly controversial 1-3 loss against Gordon's.
A special mention to Mario GG (B, VI:2) who made many excellent saves on his way to collecting the Goalkeeper of the day award, but unfortunately, he did not score any of the GK short corner kicks at goal. Many thanks from the squad to Mr Taylor and Mr Winter for coaching and umpiring during the afternoon. Harry Dra[per-Barr (I, VI:I)
Final Standings:
Thursday 2nd March 2023
Cross Country at Marlborough
A mixed group of runners headed up to Marlborough and without full teams present we were never in with a shout of claiming any team victories.
Fencing v RGS High Wycombe (a)
EPEE (LOST) 5-4
FOIL A (LOST) 6-3
FOIL B (LOST) 9-0
SABRE (LOST) 9-0
Football Yearlings A v Victoria College Boys (h) Won 5-0
Golf v Charterhouse (a)
On Thursday, the golf team played Charterhouse away at Worplesdon GC for their final friendly practice match before the Micklem Trophy the following week.
The third pair, S. Andreasen and J. Redfern, won 7&6. After a shaky first four holes, the lads managed to go two up in an excellent display of staying calm. Proceeding to win 3 holes in a row (aided by a birdie from Redfern), the pair ended up moving 6 up with 7 to play. The match eventually ended on the 12th after a solid birdie by Andreasen. The second pair, A. Hampel and S. Wells, again won in a dominant 7&6 finish. Good performances from both players led to them facing little opposition and they won comfortably on the 13th green after Hampel missed a hole-in-one by less than a centimetre following an eagle on the previous hole. The pair continued their commanding form, still unbeaten when playing together.
The first pair, T. Sood and I. Haines, won 3&1. Although they won less resoundingly than the lower seeds, the older players showed the rest why they are the best. A 5-under-par better ball across 17 holes meant that the pair led the fixture from the front against tough opposition, dropping only one shot between them. A clutch birdie on the 13th green by Sood and a shot-of-the-season-esque sandy par save on the 16th hole by Haines secured the match as they walk into the Micklem on their best form of the season. (T. Sood (X))
Hockey: U18B’s v Milton Abbey School (a)
The 2s took the pitch at Milton Abbey against their firsts, confident but slightly apprehensive about the fact that we had only 11 so everyone was going to have to keep it up for the full 60 minutes. We started strong and drew defenders nicely at 16’s to allow long balls up to our front three. After 14 minutes and a few penetrations of their D we won a short corner, a slightly wayward injection from Angus H (V:I) landed at the stick of Harry D-B (Vbk1:I) who struck the ball cleanly, fortunately the keeper only managed to lay the ball to Harry P (Vbk1:I) who converted nicely. However, Milton Abbey struck straight back less than a minute after. Then they scored once again through some nice link-up play to put them 2-1 up. However, Winchester dug deep and in the dying moments of the first half Oli F (V:G) scored a wonderful strike on the volley from the edge of the D. This meant that we not only went into half time level but also with the mental edge over our opponent.
Oli got his second with a clean sweep 10 minutes into the second half, however our fatigue was starting to show, and Milton Abbey scored just 30 seconds after. We dug deep to try and find our fourth goal, and after watching Harry and Harry link up like Xavi and Iniesta we felt there was one coming, and sure enough Lennart K (V:F) flicked one in after some beautiful interplay involving almost the entire team. We had the lead, but we were hungry for more, however Milton Abbey were looking more and more dangerous on the counterattack, our back four of William A (V:B), Angus, Charlie S (Vbk2:G) and Oli T (V:G), defended resiliently and good saves were made by Alberto G C (MP:B) however, it was only a matter of time that they scored, and they did so with a beautiful strike from the top of the D to make it 4-4 with 4 minutes to play. The whole team dug as deep as they could and everyone channelled their inner prime Barcelona, with our midfield 3, including George B (V:B), whose work rate was unmatched by anyone else on the pitch, linking up beautifully and giving us the impression we had a chance of grabbing a late winner. Unfortunately, the full-time whistle went just too early, as we had pinned them back and our midfield were once again putting testing balls through to our front 3, especially Harry P, whose vision was exceptional. The game ended in a 4-4 draw; we were happy with the result but couldn’t help thinking that it would have been our game another day. Angus Hay (V:I)
U15A’s v Milton Abbey School (h)
A sunny afternoon saw an incredible game of hockey at Bar End. An explosive start eventually led to a goal in the ninth minute for Winchester. A forward pass into the D from Aryaveer (K) assisted Piers (A) in getting his name onto the scoresheet. Then Milton Abbey got one back, equalising the contest. James (D), not long after, assisted Piers to give us the lead.
The second half saw us playing cleaner hockey, making use of the space we had on the pitch. The skipper, Stanley (K), had an incredible game. He won many duels and fought hard to win back possession of the ball on numerous occasions. Ethan (D) played a key role in maintaining the high standard of hockey we played in the second half. Luke (K) was a wall in defence, making it difficult for the opposition to get past him. Sam's (K) pace came in handy, as he was able to outrun the opposition and win back the ball. Rufus (D) took control in the centre when he moved there. Alexis (K) gained more confidence as the game went on, making vital runs down the wing. Matthew (X) made use of his impressive skills and ball control to make some good counter attacks.
Towards the end, despite many close misses, we benefitted from their 16, as a ball was played to Aryaveer, who played it into Oli (K) to convert into a goal.
The match ended with a victory, well deserved, but a hard fought one too. There were lots of positives, including the encouragement within our team. This win has given us confidence going forward in the season. Thank you to Mr McKinnel and Mr Taylor for coaching and umpiring and to Miles (F) and Mario (B) for giving their advice too. Well played everyone! Aryaveer Baljee (K)
Squash v Eton (a)
The Winchester Sen V were defeated by a strong Eton team 5-0. There were some close games but Ivo Sawbridge at fifth string was the only Winchester Player to win a game. The opponent's greater consistency put their opponents under pressure and ultimately won them the match. The Winchester Team's future matches are on their home courts and they look forward to regaining their winning ways. Match Facts: Bertie Vallat L0-3: Freddie Fisher L0-3: Oscar Henshaw L0-3: Brian Chan L0-3: Ivo Sawbridge L1-3
The Winchester College U15V had a memorable 5-0 win in their away match at Eton. Led by Rory McGregor at 1st string all the U15V played with good shape and length, retrieving their opponents' attacking shots, making them play tighter and ultimately making errors. A very impressive result against a strong side. Match Facts: Rory McGregor W3-0: Arthur Duckworth W3-0: Pran Busrapan W3-1: Zach Goulding W3-1: Matthew Leung W3-1
The Winchester U14 V lost their match Eton 0-5. Although the Winchester players put up great resistance their opponents were more consistent and ultimately won. The Winchester players all played well but although there were close games they were unable to secure a win. A good match with all the players playing well for their team. Match Facts: Holly Wang L0-3: Amar Fernando L1-3: Oscar O'Carroll L2-3: Ayush Shah L0-3: Johnnie Bailey L0-3
Saturday 4th March
Cross Country: Wellington relays
The inter boys came second (Benedict Judge, Issa Duggan, Seb Wells, Hugo Brett, Will Higgs), which was a great performance. The Juniors (Ivor Martin, Winston Chan, Harry Lund, Alex Fairmann, Giovanni Santagati) came fourth; Ivor Martin got the second highest individual lap time in this category.
Football v Dauntsey’s School (a)
This was a really fun game and a special thanks from me to all the Senior boys that made it such a good afternoon against Dauntsey’s 2nd XI. We displayed a really good attitude throughout the game, especially after making numerous substitutions and changing the formation.
We started the game very positively and were rewarded when Johnny Inglis scored a fine goal, with a good shot across the keeper. We continued to have more possession and good chances, but failed to convert and were left wondering at half time how we had fallen behind to be losing 2-1! However, we turned in a very good second half performance and goals from Bosco, another from Johnny and a brilliant 25 yard shot from Sasha meant that we won the game 4-2, which was thoroughly deserved. Well done everyone! (PNG)
U17A’s v U18A’s Dauntsey’s 1st XI
We took a mixed squad to Dauntsey's on a chilly Saturday afternoon to play their 1st XI. The start was excellent, moving the ball well and creating numerous chances which we managed to put away. A great first goal from Alexander Claisse was followed by Fergus Brant and a brace for Harvey Vere-Whiting to put us 4-0 at half time. Plenty of changes throughout the second half did not cause us too many problems as we continued to play some great stuff and the icing on the cake was a final goal from Harvey for him to gain a fine hat trick. A great run out for the boys and look to continue the good work in our next game against Bryanston next week. (JRD)
Rowing: Avon Spring Head
Winchester College Boat Club took a 40 strong contingent to the competition, with every year group represented and the first ever boat comprised fully of Winchester College girls.
Conditions were dull and overcast, but with little wind. The first boats to come down the course were the Senior girls coxed quad and the J14 Octuple. Both crews raced over the shorter course, 1,500m long. With this being the first race for the vast majority of these athletes, it was encouraging to see such confidence and skill on display. The girls quad showed excellent technical proficiency, a strong base on which to build. The J14 Octo stormed to victory in their category, with great team spirit and determined attitudes.
Next on the course were the two 8's, one from the Senior squad and one from the J15 squad. Both these crews are looking forward to the Schools' Head of the River Race on the 17th of March, the major race of the term. This competition allowed the boys to hone their skills and practice race craft. This worked well with both crews emerging victorious in their respective categories. The J15 squad is going from strength to strength, showing a really high level of rowing and cohesiveness.
Lastly, for the first division, we saw two boats from the J16 squad. A coxed four and a double scull. Both these boats have had significantly less prep time, but this did not stop them putting down some solid race pieces, showing a good base on which to build. The double scull will look to grow in confidence over the next training block, as we look to enter it into some bigger races later in the season.
The Senior 8+ remained for the last racing division of the day, to gain greater training benefit and to implement lessons learnt from the first run. This worked very well, as the boys responded excellently to pick up some extra speed. Morale certainly on a high at the end of the day.
Overall, this was a very successful day, with 27 athletes going away with medals and everyone gaining valuable racing experience. We now look forward to getting preparations in full swing for the Schools' Head and Junior Sculling Head. It was especially pleasing to see so many WCBC parents at the event. We are very thankful for their ongoing support of the boys and girls. The food provided was greatly appreciated by all! (SJL)
Rugby 7s
A mixed year group squad travelled over to Bryanston to play a competitive training session with the hosts and Sherborne School. With one player from the 5th year, three from the 4th year and six from the 3rd year it really was an opportunity to experiment with combinations. The first game was matched against Bryanston U16s and despite some handling errors and poor tackling in the first half we managed to take our chances to come out on top 4 tries to three. The second game was against a Bryanston U17 team so we mixed up the line up and came out comfortably on top. The final run out was against a Sherborne U17 team and we needed to continue with our progression. Some fine attacking and defensive play saw WinColl come out on top again giving the boys plenty of confidence going into the forthcoming Hampshire Schools’ tournaments.
Sunday 5th March 2023: Fives ~ Colquhoun Trophy
U18A’s: Once the group stages were concluded, this tournament was won by Henry Akerman (E), who beat JP Cheng in the final 11-4, 11-3.
U16A’s: This tournament was won by James Kennedy (D), who beat Arthur James-Duff (D) in the final 11-7, 3-11, 11-9. The final was a real contest with fortunes fluctuating both ways and a tense finish as Arthur clawed his way back from 3-10 down before James finally hit the winning shot.
All fixtures details can be found on: https://sportsfixtures.winchestercollege.org/
Sporting quote for the week:
“Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there - mental, moral, and physical” (John Wooden Former UCLA Basketball coach)
M.S. Burley
Director of Sport
7th March 2023
Twitter: @WinCollSports