Sports Report – Short Half 2024, Week 9

Tuesday 12th November

Cross Country: Jun

On a crisp Autumnal day the hordes set off from beyond Hunter Tent on New Field for the Jun steeplechase. With pupils from three year groups running the race would provide the opportunity for the best runner amongst the juniors to come to the fore. Ivor M (G) secured his hat-trick of titles with a comprehensive victory to take the individual crown. In a fiercely contested podium race Caspar E (A) just pipped Freddie L (C) for 2nd. Well done to William R (I), winner of JunJun, who finished 5th overall. The overall House competition was a close one with a few recounts eventually resulting in a victory for Hopepr’s, just pipping Freddie’s with Chawker’s in 3rd .

Chess: National Schools’ Qualifier

In previous years, our A team would have qualified automatically, but revised rules meant that all teams across the country now had to go through a qualification stage. Winchester A won all three matches to breeze through into the regional stages, followed closely by KES A, who recovered from a draw against Winchester D in round 2 to qualify in second place. KES B, Winchester C and Winchester D all qualified in third place. There were especially strong performances from Barack (College) in the B team, who was still in good form after his success on Saturday during the blitz tournament in Sports Centre, Ben (Toye's) in the C team and Vardan (Chawker's) and Ratan (College) in the D team. Ben and Vardan played on the top board for their respective teams and overturned the strongest players the visitors could muster. (DIF)

Basketball 1st v Canford School (a)

The teams were quite evenly matched, but Winchester made regular fundamental mistakes and Canford had one sharp shooter who made us pay. He enabled our hosts to pull ahead to a 10 point lead (18 at one point) which, despite Winchester pegging them back to 5 points in the 4th quarter, they largely maintained throughout. This was a game that Winchester could have won, but on the day Canford were the deserved winners. L51-40[LNT]

Football 1st XI v Aldenham School (h) ISFA U18 Cup, Rd 4:

After a great win at Bradfield on Saturday we entertained Aldenham on a lovely sunny afternoon on Doggers. And what a performance the boys put in! The opposition coaches commented positively on the commitment, desire and work rate which was a pleasure to hear. We took the lead with a great ball from skipper Dominic (A) to Bailey (A) which saw him rise like a salmon and glide the ball into the top corner to give a lead probably against the run of play. Aldenham were excellent and caused us many problems but the boys were able to come up with the answers and keep them at bay until a mistimed tackle gave them a penalty that was struck comfortably into the corner.

1 - 1 at half time and the chat was about staying in the game and playing our normal game. What can you say about the performance! To finish the game even and force extra time was an amazing achievement for these boys and I can honestly say it was one of the best performances I have been involved with at school. The way they drove each other on and the togetherness on show was just beautiful, fuelled by a supportive and vociferous crowd. We went to the last minute of extra time and the game looked to be heading to a shoot-out in the darkening gloom but unfortunately we conceded a penalty which Aldenham put away. The boys were devastated and after giving so much and losing as they did I really felt for the boys. Credit must go to Aldenham who are an excellent team. The game was committed, but played how football should be played, so we wish them well in the next round and I am pleased we gave them a real test. L 1-2 [JRD]

Thursday 14th November 2024 Badminton 1st v Charterhouse (a): W 8-0

Winchester faced Charterhouse in a short-format fixture, playing three sets against two pairs each. The recently-formed pairing of Josiah E (F) and Edward Z (F) performed exceptionally well. They dominated their first match, winning 21-8 and 21-13, fuelled by an impressive 14-point streak. Building on this momentum, they secured another commanding victory, 21-10 and 21-12. Third pair Derek W (G) and Vincent G (H) also delivered an outstanding performance, winning all their matches. Their consistent play included a standout 21-5 scoreline in one set. The second pair, Benjamin W (A) and Jesse H (A), faced a challenging opening match against the Charterhouse first pair. Despite Charterhouse taking an early lead at 19-15, Benjamin and Jesse capitalized on unforced errors and unleashed well-placed smashes to steal the first set 22-20. Although Charterhouse fought back to take the second set 21-10, Winchester edged out the decider in a tightly-contested 2-1 victory. Their next match against the Charterhouse second pair was far smoother, ending in a clean sweep of 21-10 and 21-15. Finally, the first pair, Yuyao X (H) and Ayson K (C), showcased their dominance, effortlessly defeating both the Charterhouse second and first pairs with scores of 21-12, 21-10, 21-15, and 21- 12. Winchester concluded the match with an emphatic 8-0 overall victory – a truly successful outing. [Yuyao X, H]

2nd v Bradfield College (h): D 8-8

This week, the 2nd team faced Bradfield College in an exhilarating match. The first three rounds were intensely competitive, with the score tied at 6-6. Winchester’s fourth pair, Matthew W (F) and Jayden G (G), along with the third pair, Vikrant K (F) and Oliver Y (D), initially struggled against Bradfield’s formidable first and second pairs. Meanwhile, Winchester’s first pair, Issac L (J) and Michael Z (E), and second pair, Harold W (A) and Manasseh S (A), began the match with commanding victories, securing their initial games 21-5, 21-19, and 21-7, 21-8, respectively. As the match progressed, Matthew and Jayden found their stride, playing with increased cohesion and fearlessness. They triumphed over Bradfield’s third pair 21-17, followed by an even more impressive 21-11, 21-11 victory against the fourth pair. Vikrant and Oliver, showcasing a dynamic style—Vikrant’s relentless attacks and Oliver’s powerful smashes—also gained momentum. They defeated Bradfield’s fourth pair 21-7 before engaging in a hard-fought battle that ended in close games: 22-20, 13-21, and 18-21. Harold and Manasseh displayed remarkable resilience, narrowly losing 17-21 to Bradfield’s first pair but carrying their fighting spirit into three gruelling games against the second pair, finishing 23-21, 8-21, and 7-21. Simultaneously, Issac and Michael maintained their dominant form, narrowly losing a close game 20-22 to Bradfield’s second pair before rebounding decisively in two of the three games, scoring 18-21, 21-11, and 21-12. The match concluded in a thrilling 8-8 draw, reflecting the strong performances from both teams and highlighting areas for further improvement. - [Harold W, A]

Football v Dauntsey’s School, Canford School and Frensham Heights School

The glorious 3rd XI made their debut on the hallowed Doggers pitch against Dauntsey’s 1 st XI. They were greeted by a sell-out crowd, with stewards working hard to contain the wild and adoring fans. They were not disappointed. Martin (I) the magician, threaded eye of the needle passes, carving up the opposition defence like a delicious Sunday roast. Stefan (B) rattled the post with a well-executed free-kick that whipped and cracked, but did not quite fall into the net. Despite this dominant display, it was the opposition that took the lead with a messy goal. Did heads drop? Did hearts falter? There may be a day to come when the strength of men fail, and we forsake all we love and hold dear... but that day was not this day. Inigo (A), henceforth known as Lionheart, was like a magnet for the ball, heading everything clear and pushing his team up the field with the help of his comrades Max (F), Henri (F), Daniil (F) and Sam (K). They would not give Dauntsey's finest an inch. Henry (H) and Milo (B) attacked their flanks, forcing their wide players ever deeper. It wasn't a question of if, but when. Cometh the hour, cometh the man! Alexis (K) stepped up to tuck away a scruffy goal. The crowd were jubilant! Justice prevails in this uncertain world.

Reinforcements were drafted in during the second-half. Tom (B) and Alex (D) gave much needed energy to the side – Tom (B) with his direct runs and Alex (D) with his skill and finesse. The dynamic duo was a masterstroke from the coaches as it was an inch perfect through-ball played in by Alex that released the monstrous Kostia (D) on their defence. Kostia lashed home the shot to put Winchester ahead. 2-1 it finished! The 3rd XI continue to put the 'Win' in Winchester! [JA]

4th XI v Dauntsey’s 2nd XI: W 3-0

6th XI: v Canford 3rd XI: L 0-2

SCA v Frensham Heights (a): W 5-1

Golf (h) v Canford School, ISGA Regional Semi Final:

Out first player was James R (A) and he was up against a very strong +3 handicapper from Canford, which looked to be a really difficult match. However, James flew out the gates and took a commanding lead of 3 up thru 5 with some clutch putting, then with a birdie on 6 seeing him go 4 up. With some top quality golf being played, James saw the game out with a couple more birdies along the way to take a convincing 5&4 victory, and an important point for the Winchester side.

Sander A (A) took on the number 2 from Canford, a player off scratch. Despite going down early due to some birdies (including a chip in), Sander then made back-to-back birdies to keep the match within reach, and then shortly after took the lead on the 14th. But, due to some bad luck and another chip in from his opponent, he was back to 1 down with two to play. Remarkably, Sander finished birdie, eagle after holing 2 long putts to just edge out his opponent and win the match on the 18th hole.

JP man, Kevin D (G) went out 3rd and was up against a top-year Canford #3. Giving away 2 shots (on account of slope-rating discrepancies between the men's & women's scorecards) Kevin had his work cut out. It was doubly tough given the distance advantage his opponent enjoyed but, he kept fighting. Unfortunately, the match came to an end on the 15th green as he lost 5&3, which is a very respectable showing and bodes well for the future as well as the next round, the Area Final. Winchester College 2 - 1 Canford [RSM]

Rackets v Marlborough College (a):

A strong JC second pair, comprising of Theodore (E) and Eddie (D), started off with a particularly tight first game, which fortunately went their way through the racket work of Theo and the calculated angles used by Wheeler. Despite their strong start, they could not convert the second game but in the 3rd and 4th games, they picked up their rhythm and comfortably sailed to an impressive win. With the right-hand court at Marlborough already having seen a tight match, another one would follow in similar suit.

Our 3rd pair of Rupert (K) and Angus (I) took on their opponents in what can only be described as a match with many twists and turns. The first two games of this match comfortably went the way of Marlborough who seemed to be arriving at what would be a relatively straightforward victory. However, in comes Rupert (K). Throughout the course of the next two games, Rupert kept in the service box, amassing 22 points in a row. Paired with the power of Angus (I), they were able to clinch back the score to 2 games all. In the 5th game the clever returns of Angus (I), along with the tactical awareness of Rupert, seemed to give them the edge and this got them over the line with a comfortable 15-8 scoreline.

After having seen arguably the most entertaining match of the day, the right-hand court was then ready to receive the second pair of Amar (I) and William (A). This was a new pairing and positioned William on his favoured forehand side. The match started with powerful winners by William with Amar (I) playing his part with well-measured serves and volleys. The first game was soon over with Winchester smashing through the defences of Marlborough without the loss of a single point. The second game went much the same way, with a scoreline of 15-3. The third game was looking like it would go the same way until an unfortunate miscommunication led to a missed opportunity to continue the assault. However, it was soon “back to business” with Amar and William sealing the victory 15-0, 15-3, 15-6.

Next, the JC A pair of Casper (E) and Sam (A) took on a strong Marlborough pair with one player being seeded in the upcoming Nationals Under 15 Singles tournament. Despite losing the first game, Winchester was able to fight back and take the next two games. However, in the fourth, there seemed to be a slight lapse of concentration, and this resulted in the match going to a final game. However, the powerful serving of Wilson and the well-timed volleys of Sam (A) saw Winchester claim the win. Following a tight first match on the left-hand side court, the SC first pair of Amar (I) and John (K) took on a well-rounded Marlborough pair. After the first and second games, it seemed the Marlborough pair would not face much of a challenge. However, after some resilient returns by Langdon and top erving from Amar, Winchester was able to take the third game. However this recovery was short-lived and despite losing the next game and the match this was a valiant effort.

The last match on involved Winchester’s first pair, the Furleyite duo of Sebastian (A) and Jack (A). After a close first game, which went the way of Marlborough, there seemed to be a continuation of their momentum into the second, which they took 15-4. In the 3rd game, thanks to some precise backhands from Sebastian and the dominant serving of Jack, Winchester was able to claim it, 15-4. Unfortunately, in the 4th, it seemed that Winchester was simply unable to continue the momentum, leading them to lose this game 6-15 and the match 1-3. [TERC]

Squash v Radley College (a):

The Winchester 1st V suffered a 4-1 defeat by Radley. Ludo (I) (Capt) played two matches and tried his best to defeat both of his opponents but lost them both 0-3. Matthew (H) at 3rd String played well, winning the first game 11-6 and narrowly losing the 3rd 13-11 but was unable to contain his opponent and eventually lost 1-3. At 4th String was Pran (D). who played his shots accurately into the corners of the court and won 3-0. The closest match was the 5th string Freddie (I). who won the 2nd game 12-10 but eventually succumbed to his opponent’s pace eventually losing 11-13 in the 4th. A good match by all the team who are looking forward to future matches.

The U-16 V had a very good 5-0 victory v Radley. All the players played well hitting good length and controlling the rallies. First on court was Fergus (B), who took control of the game by starting every rally with a good serve. Alex (I) at 4th string played consistently well and kept ahead of his opponent in every game. Ayush S. had a close match at 3rd string, winning his 2nd game 13-11 and then the 3rd 11-5. Holly (I) at 2nd had an even tighter match, winning the 3rd game very narrowly 12-10.

The closest match was at 1st string where Oscar (I) narrowly won the first game 14-12 and with encouragement from the rest of his team was able to win 11-8 in the third. A very good win for the very consistent U-16 side. In their first match for Winchester College the U-14 V had a very good 3-2 win. On the colder Radley courts getting the ball past the opponent was essential. Louie (G) began the match at 5th String and had a great match, controlling the rallies but eventually just lost 10-12 in the 5th game. Matthew (I) at 4th string playing good length and keeping his opponent under pressure won 3-0. At 3rd string Pun P. had two really close games winning both 12-10 , then lost the 3rd 1-11 only to regain his form and win the fourth 11-8 and the match. Barney (I) had a good game at 2nd string but his opponent was able to retrieve his shots and he narrowly lost 9-11 in the 3rd.

It was left to Winchester's 1st string Ratan (X) to try and secure a win for his side. Commanding the rallies was going to be essential and this Ratan was able to do in some rallies but at times the Radley Number 1 was able to use his very good boast to win the rallies. The match became really close with Radley winning the first game 11-9 only for Ratan to win the next two games 11-9 ,11-8. The two players then shared the points until 8 all in the 4th game only for Ratan to close the game with three winning serves which his opponent was unable to stop dying in the back corners. A very good win by the team. [RAA]

Swimming v Marlborough College (a):

In the team’s third and final meet against Marlborough College, the swim team managed to cling onto second place in the boy’s category of a triangular meet with Clifton College, beating Marlborough by one point. Particular mention goes to Jayden (C) for being the only swimmer to win a race (50m freestyle U16) and Tristan (F) for being 0.20s off 1st place in the 50m breaststroke. We were once again struck by disaster losing two of our most proficient swimmers less than 24 hours before start time so as we look to next term, we are confident that by avoiding illness and injury we can bring in some good results for our team in our primary competing term. Thank you to the whole team for a good pre-season set of meets, recognition goes to Timothy (F), Enoch (I), Ruifu (X) and Ozan (H) for particular dedication and effort to a team that demands unusually high effort. [Felix VIBk1 (K)]

Friday 15th November 2024 Cross Country: Eastleigh & Winchester Schools’ District Trials

Six Wykehamists competed on the King George’s Playing Fields, Bar End, at the District Trials Cross Country on Friday afternoon, 15th November. Three JP boys represented WinColl in the U15 race over 2.3 km, and three VBk boys represented the school in the U17 race over 3.6 km. The results were: U15: 34th Henry Balmain (B), 42nd Tristan Soon (A), 52nd James Pett (G) U17: 6 th Ivor Martin (G), 17th Freddie Laarman (C), 20th Rufus Bell (K) The winner of Junior Steeplechase the same week, Ivor Martin, will qualify to represent Eastleigh & Winchester District at the Hampshire Schools Cross Country Championships in January.

Saturday 16th November 2024

Badminton 1st v Wellington College (a): W 11-5

Fresh off Thursday’s resounding success against Charterhouse, Winchester’s 1st VIII entered Saturday’s fixture against Wellington brimming with confidence. The fourth pair, Josiah E (F) and Brian H (D), endured a rocky start, dropping their first three games. However, they rose to the occasion in their final match, delivering a fiery and decisive victory over Wellington’s fourth pair. Third pair Derek W (G) and Vincent G (H) faced a mix of challenges and triumphs. They battled valiantly against Wellington’s top pair, falling 14-21, but rebounded with a nail-biting 21-19 win against the second pair. This momentum carried into their clash with the fourth pair, where they claimed a confident 21-16 victory. Their most thrilling encounter came in a three-set rollercoaster, eventually sealing a 21-18, 17-21, 21-15 triumph.

The second pair, Benjamin W (A) and Jesse H (A), showcased grit and flair. Their opening match against the third pair was a tense affair, narrowly secured at 22-20. Fully warmed up, they cruised past the fourth pair with a commanding 21-10. The real drama unfolded in their match against Wellington’s top pair, where relentless all-out attack led to a stunning 21-19 victory. Their final encounter—a gruelling three-set duel with the second pair—was a crowd-pleaser, with Winchester prevailing 21-15, 10-21, 21-16 in a thrilling display of resilience.

First pair Yuyao X (H) and Ayson K (C) dispatched Wellington’s fourth, third, and second pairs with composed performances, posting scores of 21-15, 21-16, and 21-15, respectively. They capped off their day with a 21-18, 21-13 win over the first pair. The final scoreline of 12-4 in Winchester’s favour reflected another stellar team effort. - [Yuyao X, H]

Football v Wellington College, St Benedict’s School, Lord Wandsworth College, Magdalen College School.

After two great performance in previous games Soccer XI travelled to a hastily arranged match against Wellington College full of confidence and looking to continue the good form. Although our expected opponents, Marlborough College, had pulled out at short notice, another match against the Berkshire opposition would undoubtedly be a useful test. The heightened expectation came to a crushing halt! We were out-worked, out-ran and taught a lesson that if you do not work hard you will get punished. We made more mistakes in this game than we have all season!! 3 down and needing something to get us going we bundled in a goal from a corner by Seb Kingsbury and then expected this to get back in the game. We then gave away a sloppy goal from a corner and even though Tim Oluwabusola scored with a left foot finish we just could not find away past the keeper who made numerous saves late on to keep the game at 2-4. I have to say I was disappointed with our performance and how we went about the game but we have a few games left to finish strong. Thank you to Wellington who not only deserved the win but their help in arranging the game at short notice. (JRD)

After a long journey on the coach to the Capital, the 2nd XI were ready to bounce back into winning ways against St Benedict’s after our narrow defeat against Bradfield. We started the match off strong, stringing some tight passes in the centre of the field as well as creating some early chances through our wingbacks David (D) and Felix (H) into our strike partnership of Amaar (I) and Jonnie (B). Despite the small pitch and rough conditions being against us, we persevered and kept the game level until just before half time whilst the midfielders Jason (F) and Ethan (D) tested the opposition keeper with several shots from outside the box. Just before half time, a scrappy through ball led to a goal for them, so we were one down at the break.

Despite this set back, we came back at them with more energy, only for two goal line clearances from their defence to prevent us from going into a lead. A corner from Arthur D (H) into their box led to a great header from Arthur JD (D) into the top left corner, equalising the game for us. The opposition didn’t hold back either, with some quick passing play mainly through their lefthand side. To keep us in the game, Anthony (B) made numerous diving saves from good opposition shots. In the last minutes of the game, their left winger gave us no chance with a good finish into the top right, securing the game for them. It was definitely not the performance we wanted today against an opposition that were very competitive. However, we did fight hard on a “what was supposed to be a rugby pitch” despite our several injuries and missing players throughout the team, which proves to be promising going into the final two games of the season. L2-1[Michael J (I)]

And guess who continues to put the ‘win’ in Winchester? Oooh yes, you guessed right!!! The Mighty 3rd XI made the trip down to the mean streets of London. They kicked-off the game with gusto, showing no signs of weariness after their long journey to the capital. The men of Wykeham started as they meant to go on, with Inigo (A) the Lionheart and Sam (K) the speedy forming a solid partnership at the back. The opposition attack found no joy through the middle, and when they pushed out wide, both Max (F) and Henri (F) were in place to ensure that Theo (A) had very little to do in goal, apart from expertly spraying the ball to the different corners of the field. Before long, Martin (I) and Stefan (B) - the engine room of the team - got to work, beautifully pulling the strings and playing inch-perfect through-balls to Henry (H), Alexis (K), Kostia (D) and Milo (B). The only thing missing was the final killer blow… and the coaches knew exactly who would deliver it.No challenge is too big! No foe too great! Underestimate him at your peril! Alex (D) the magician was called for. He twisted and turned, drove and dribbled at their defence. They couldn’t live with his trickery. Dumbledore himself would not have been able to contain the spells he was casting on the opposition. It came as no surprise that he was the one to break the deadlock with a well-timed run and shot. Winchester had a deserved lead!

After that, the floodgates were opened. Tom (B) worked hard down the left wing and set-up Alexis (K) for a well taken finish. Alexis added to his goal tally in the second half and Kostia (D) put the icing on the win with a decisive lash of his right boot. Daniil (F) seamlessly replaced Max (F) in defence and stopped any fight back the opposition could muster. The 3rd XI are displaying championship winning form. Who would dare take on this new footballing dynasty? W0-4 [JA]

4th XI v Lord Wandsworth College 1 st XI (a): L 2-3

Sen Colts C v Lord Wandsworth College U16A (a): L 1-2

On Saturday the SCDs went up against Lords Wandsworth U16 Bs. Right from the start we were the dominant side with our midfield of Sander (A), Archie (H), and Kirin (K) playing great passes behind the LWC back four to our front three. An excellent performance was also shown from our backline who kept a clean sheet. Goal scorers were Henry (I), with 3, Deniz (H), with 3, Aaron (H), with 2, and Matteo (X), with one. At the end of the game we decided to have a penalty shoutout and the final score of that was a 5-1 win for us. [Henry S (I)]

The Lord Wandsworth match was bound to be tough from the start, but knowing this the JCCs still decided to persevere through it right until the end. From the start Graydon (K) and James (K) our strikers were shooting some very promising shots but their goalkeeper was always on alert ready to intercept our attempts. We had some great plays running down the wings from Arlen where he played around with their defence finding their weak points. Lord Wandsworth capitalized on our weakness and managed to slide a ball into our net even with Barnaby trying his hardest. From a corner, the cross flew above our heads before landing a brilliant volley into the back of our net but even with this setback we kept our heads high, with adrenaline being pumped into our body. HT 2-0 down.

We knew we could turn this match around in the second half but LWC’s strikers kept on trying until, with a good block from Alan (D,) and Robbie (D) with a goal line clearance, the opposition were given a corner. They shot from the corner and swerved the ball into the net with a sensational goal but thankfully luck was about to turn in our favour. Spencer, while upfront, intercepted a weak pass, sprinted at the goal and chipped the ball over the keeper to make it 3-1. With only a couple of seconds in between, Graydon (K) took possession of the ball and from outside the box scored again to pull another one back for us. With a clever three vs one by Arlen he sprinted up the left wing to score the last goal of the match 3-3. A draw was a decent result but there is still room for improvement and so we will push ourselves even harder next time. (Robbie A, D)

The JCEs cruised to their first victory of the season against LWC U15Bs, with virtually every player in the team managing to get onto the scoresheet. As was the case last week against Bradfield, George (G) was especially impressive in midfield, scoring a hat trick and contributing significantly to several other goals. W16-0 [JL]

The last fixture for the Yearlings C against LWC U14A had been a tense affair and this iteration was to prove no different - albeit for different reasons. It was a tight match throughout, with both sides stringing together some strong phases of play but struggling to convert. LWC were able to turn up the pressure in the last third of the first half and they were able to thread a ball through the centre of our defence, on to which their striker latched and played it calmly under our keeper. Winchester came out fighting in the second half though and courtesy of our own spell of strong play, we were able to conjure up a well worked goal which was adeptly finished by Innes. The rest of the game was a little scrappy with both sides fighting hard to break the stalemate but it was not to be. The boys were a little disappointed not to level the series, but can take comfort from having played well against a well matched team. D1-1 [SJM]

The Yearlings A had a comfortable victory against MCS school, the score finishing at 9-1 with very good performances all around. In the first half we relied on the ball popping out of the box and taking shots from mainly quite deep. We had some lucky and some very nice goals with the HT whistle being blown at 5-1. We had some clumsy moments like Tobi (D) failing to clear the jump over the spectator rope (!) and we could have done better getting the ball out to the wings and having more people on the end of crosses coming into the box.

In the second half we put the game away nicely with a clean sheet and improved on our passing in the midfield dropping in for an option on the back three then short passes forward and a ball through to the wings or strikers. Very well played to Ed (I) who dominated in the back three and had one quite lucky and one quite nice finish. Overall, it was a good victory and comfortable for us. W 9-1 [Barney (I)]

Well, that was enjoyable. The Yearlings B scored eleven goals against MCS, but I still started the team chat at the end with a criticism because we almost lost our heads when the defence went charging up front to score more. The clean sheet was just as important. That aside, this was a most pleasing performance. Both Jeremy (D) and Pengxiao (B) scored hat-tricks, Will (I) scored two and Charlie (I) rounded things off with long range howitzers. However, perversely, I gave man of the match to Isaac (I) for a commanding performance at right wing-back. Special mention also to Hugo (D) who was magnificent in defence. W 11-0 [PAH]

Yearlings D v Wellington College U14B (h): W 6-2

Rowing: Avon Big Boats Head

WCBC arrived at Avon Big Boats Head on Saturday just in time to have a race brief, pick up their boats and head to the boating area. 5 WCBC boats were in the first division, one J14 8x+, one J15 4x+, two J18 4+’s and one J18 4-. In the second division we had two J18 8+’s and one J15 4+.

Our J14 crew kicked all racing off for the day being crew number one, they were the final crew on the water and came down the racing track first. Lawrence (C) did a brilliant job in the coxes seat, even when faced with a microphone problem. This was our J14’s first race, the teamwork and camaraderie was great to see, they enjoyed their race and are raring to race again. The J15’s took to the water in the 4x, racing 5 crews in their category. They came 2nd , sandwiched between 2 Great Marlow crews, only 14 seconds behind the winners; the boys had a great row and were pleased with their performance when they came off the water. Both the J18 4+ raced each other along with 3 other crews in their category. There were only 26 seconds separating our 2 crews, the crew coxed by Will (B), including Jad (D), Ben (Coll), Jack (C) and Yasser (F) finished first earning an Avon County Rowing Club medal.

Our final crew in the first division was the J18 4-, with Hugo (E) in the stroke seat, Charlie (I) and Sacha (E) in the middle with George (B) steering, they won their category by a convincing 23 seconds and placed 14th out of all 117 crews that raced over all divisions on Saturday, a fantastic row from this crew.

The second division saw 3 WCBC boats take to the water, unfortunately for the J15 4+ they had to be on the water early as they were one of the last crews to finish the racing day off, which meant they had to wait at the start line patiently for all the other crews to go. They had a great row to finish the day, they were in a new boat and did their best and came second, just 16 seconds behind the winners, a very good first sweep race for the J15’s.

Our J18 8+’s went head to head in the final division and were the first crews to race in the last division of the day and unlike the J15’s, the 8+’s were amply warmed up for the start to spin and go. The 8+ coxed by Will (B) contained 2 surprise members due to illness and injury. After a short wait at the start the 8+ crew coxed by Fergus (A) set off first, they had a feisty start and were chased down the course by Will’s (B) crew. There were only 8 seconds separating both crews, with Will’s crew coming out on top. Both 8+’s had a great race coming 6th and 7th respectively, out of all 117 crews racing that day. A great day of racing for WCBC and great to take home some medals, everyone enjoyed their day of racing. [SLG]

Sunday 17th November 2024 Fives ~ School’s Winchester Doubles

The first Fives tournament to be held on the new courts was a great success. There were entries from Alleyn's, Marlborough, Radley, Stamford, St. Paul's and Winchester. The looks of awe and amazement on the faces of the visiting players and spectators when the first spied our magnificent new facility were a delight to behold - the Winchester Fives club know just how lucky it is.... In terms of the game play: Winchester IV may have lost their first match to Alleyn's 1 but they then enjoyed serene progress through the plate and overcame St. Paul's 2 11-9,11-5 in the plate Final.

Winchester III had beaten St. Paul's 2 in the first round of the competition but then went out to the strong Alleyn's I pair in the next round. this put them into the Bowl competition, which they eventually won after beating Stamford I, Marlborough I and Alleyn's II across the round-robin format. Winchester II, also known as Kenny's I, beat Marlborough II and Stamford I comfortably to earn the right to take on the number 1 seeds, St. Paul's I. Though they lost out 11-6, 11-5 this was a commendable result against a pair that included the U25 National champion.

On the other side of the draw, Winchester I sailed through the early rounds, despite Jeffrey not being 100% well, and were soon locked in battle with St. Paul's I in the final of the main competition. Anthony did all he could to help his partner and having gone down 4-11 in the first game, they fought back to take the second 12-10. Regrettably the effort required to even threaten to upset the number 1 seeds, meant they didn't have enough left in tank for the deciding game, which went St. Paul's way 11-2. Nevertheless, Anthony and Jeffrey deserve much credit for the way they took on such impressive opponents. [JM] Finally, here are the latest standings for Flower Pot and Ellis Pot. With one match to go in Flower Pot it will go down to the wire but things are more complicated in Ellis Pot with games in hand for some Houses

All fixture details can be found on:

https://sportsfixtures.winchestercollege.org/

Sporting quote for the week:

“Failure happens all the time. It happens every day in practice. What makes you better is how you react to it.” Mia Hamm, former USWNT player

M.S. Burley

Director of Sport

19th November 2024

X: @WinCollSports