Sports Report – Common Time 2025, Week 8
Monday 3rd March 2025
WinCoFo: SEN IXs
Another exhilarating day on Palmer saw drama unfold at every turn. The contest between C and G was a thriller, with G edging a 13-12 victory in a game that could have gone either way. A’s double fixture saw them claim a solid 15-6 win over H before falling just short in a nail-biting 10-8 defeat to B. Elsewhere, I were in fine form, securing back-to-back victories over F (16-7) and E (11-9), while D and G both claimed narrow wins over C and F, respectively. The league table saw I and G surge three places, while C plummeted four spots after a tough day. B remain the team to beat, still unbeaten at the top. The next round on Palmer promises even more fireworks! (JCP)
Tuesday 4th March 2025
WinCoFo: Jun IXs
Another thrilling day on Palmer saw intense battles and determined performances. H stunned league leaders B with a commanding 21-7 victory before edging past D 9-8 in a nail-biting encounter. A and C could not be separated in a hard-fought 13-13 draw, while C showed resilience to claim a 15-12 victory over G. Elsewhere, F showed great spirit despite tough outings, falling 21-3 to both G and E, while I produced a strong 14-2 win over X before narrowly missing out in a 15-14 thriller against K. With ten matches played, B, A, and I have completed their seasons—congratulations to them! However, there are still matches to play, and K remain in the hunt. More excitement awaits on Palmer! (JCP)
Fives: U14A v St Paul’s (a)
Winchester 98 - St. Paul's 193
Golf: 1st v Charterhouse (n)
Charterhouse 0.5 - 2.5 Winchester College
Harry Ho & Seb Wells halved
Ray Sanmathy & James Redfern won 5&4
Sander Andreasen & Kevin Duan won 8&6
Rackets: v Tonbridge (a) Lost
Thursday 6th March
Badminton v Bradfield College (a) Draw
Basketball v Bradfield College (h)
This was a very good win for the Winchester U18’s. Both teams were missing key players, but Winchester started off with the confidence and calmness with which they had finished the previous game. Bradfield had some good perimeter defenders, but quick passing and dominance in the key allowed Winchester to pull ahead, with OJ and Lester proving too much to handle inside. Lester finished with a season high 20 points, but this was a team performance and all players came away with much of which they can be proud. W49-36 [LNT]
The Winchester U16s side is made up of a core of strong players, but after a rare loss in their last game they started nervously and made a few untypical mistakes. The team has not been able to train as regularly as would be ideal because of GCSE revision sessions and other matches, and it showed at times in terms of organisation. That said, the quality of the players remains and they work incredibly hard, and it quickly became clear that their superior fitness and skill was too much for Bradfield. As the game progressed the team looked more like its old self, and the victory was well-deserved. W48-31 (LNT)
Cross Country: Marlborough College Relays
U18A’s Benedict J (D, VIBk1) finished in an impressive 3rd place over the challenging 3.7 mile course. He was followed by Issa D (I, VIBk2) in 10th and Hugo B (I, VIBk2) in 12th. The Inters team placed 2nd, led by an impressive performance from Ed L (F, MP) in 5th place, followed by Rufus B (K, VBk), Xander T (D, MP) and Rory D (X, VBk). The other schools were hosts Marlborough, Eton (who won the Inters), St Edward’s Oxford, Kingswood, Clifton, Wellington, and Magdalen College School, Oxford. Our only competitor in the junior race, Freddie S (H, JP) ran well to finish in the top 10. Our JP runners should, however, be out in force at our final external fixture of the term at Clayesmore on the 13th. [CSM]
Fencing v Bradfield College (h)
Both Epee and Foil teams won against their opponents from Bradfield on Thursday. [LD]
Fives v Radley College (h)
U18A: Won
U18B: Won
Football: U17 v Marlborough College 1sy XI
After a close encounter on Saturday against Dauntsey's where the U17As narrowly lost 3-2, the team was prepared to bounce back on a Thursday afternoon against Marlborough. After an intense warm up led by captains Max (A) and Isaac (B) we started the game. Surprisingly energised after a long bus journey, the Marlborough team were keen to exert an early lead with constant pressure and communication, this ended up being the case when a rogue pass fed their attacker straight in, and with a chip calmly they secured the 1-0 advantage. Despite persistent efforts from James (D) continuing until half time, Winchester came in to the break losing.
After a rallying team talk from Mr Dodd, Mr Gover and the two captains, the team was fuelled to comeback in the second half after changing formation. The team was playing with a more direct style of play but disappointingly our efforts continued to have no results, and after another rogue pass their attacker was in once again and made it 2-0. Heads were not lost however, and the team continued to play aggressively and with an intent of bringing the game back. With the security of the backline including Arthur (D), Max and George (E) and the width of James (A) and Isaac we were able to build up to several chances. The passing from the midfield of Ethan (D), Michael (I) and James (D) began to improve and our attackers were in on several occasions. Eventually our efforts were rewarded and after a scramble in the box, Michael (A) knocked the ball in for 2-1. Motivated by this change in position the team continued to press and after a long throw from Max, Seb (A) was fouled in the penalty area. Seb himself took the penalty and coolly slotted it into the bottom-left corner. The game played out fairly evenly but cagey at times and in the end the result was 2-2, a score in which the team can be proud of. [Arthur (H)]
Hockey: U16 Hampshire Trophy Competition
Results:
Embley, W, 1-0 (IH)
The Island Free School, W, 4-0 (IH, GSx2, BT)
KES Southampton, W, 1-0 (GS)
Ryde D, 0-0
Ballard D, 0-0
Thornden W, 2-0 (PMM, IH)
Romsey W, 2-0 (IHx2)
Winners of the Hampshire Trophy, unbeaten and without conceding a goal. [JPT]
Rugby 7s: U14 v Bryanston (h)
In the first game of three Winchester started strong by moving the ball to the wing, giving Ed B (I) a chance to stretch his legs, striding down the touch line to score and put us 5-0 up. Bryanston then took control of the ball and the game to score 3 quick tries but James M-W (E) broke through scoring under the posts. making it 12-21 at half time. In the second half Winchester struggled to keep possession of the ball giving Bryanston multiple chances which they took. 12-42.
In the second rotation Bryanston continued their dominance throughout with only a try from James M-W getting Winchester on the board. 5-26
In the third and final match Winchester’s defensive structure improved, forcing Bryanston into errors giving the boys a bit more possession. Winchester’s first try came from a well-timed set piece move, putting Emmanuel O (K) through a gap to score under the posts. He then scored again but this time going round the outside putting Winchester 14-12 up at half time. Midway through the second half Theo P (K) scored after some brilliant support play and offloads. But Bryanston did manage to score two more times, with the final scored 21-26. [THW]
Squash v Charterhouse (h)
In Thursday's match versus Charterhouse the Winchester College Squash teams had a very satisfying 14-1 victory .After their matches on the previous weekend at the Roehampton Invitation Tournament the 1st team were keen to avenge some of their losses. With a large number of supporters it was Felix C. at 1st string who demonstrated how to use the ball and make the court as big as possible. By taking the ball early and playing it to all corners of the court he recorded a very impressive 3-0 win. The rest of the team replicated Felix's play and won the match 5-0
Felix C (E) 3-0. Ludo R (I) (Capt) 3-1. Ayson K (C) 3-0. Sam B (A) 3-0. Matthew L (H). 3-0
The U-16 team had a tough match against their Charterhouse opponents. John L (K) and Holly W (I) had to really retrieve their opponents’ shots to stay in their matches and grind out 3-1 wins. The most impressive win was Oscar O'C (I) at 1st string. The first game was a real indication for how competitive the match was going to be with Oscar narrowly winning 13-11. With the next 3 games being shared it came down to the 5th game decider. Interspersed with breaks for decisions over lets as every rally was competed for, Oscar eventually wore his opponent down with the use of his superb forehand boast. With the 3-2 win the overall result was a very impressive 5-0 Win for the Home side.
Oscar O'C (I) 3-2. John L (K) 3-1. Holly W (I) 3-1. Ayush S (E) 3-0. Alex F (I) 3-0.
In their last match of the season the U-14 V were keen to retain their 100% record. Barney M (I), Matthew L (I), Bheesin P (D) and Aditya S (X) played really well, by using their skill and hitting the ball away from their opponents’ recorded impressive 3-0 wins. 1st string Ratan DS (X) was pitted against an opponent with good court coverage and short game who commanded the court for a 3-1 win. The team completing their very successful season with a 4-1 win.
Ratan DS (X) 1-3. Barney M (I) 3-0. Matthew L (I) 3-0. Bheesin P (D) 3-0. Aditya S (X) 3-0. (RAA)
Friday 7th March 2025
Swimming: Bath Cup
Last week, the Winchester College swimming team competed in our most important event of the year, the Bath Cup. Consisting of the 4x100 metre Bath Cup trophy and 4x50 metre medley John Nalson medal. The team consisted of the school’s best swimmers: Felix H, Humphrey G, Timothy O, Ruifu G, Andrey G and Charlie S. The event was held in the London Aquatic Centre, the United Kingdom’s main national pool where the 2012 Olympics were held.
The 10-lane 50 metre pool was a stark contrast to the much smaller pool we normally train in, but the warmup gave all six swimmers time to adjust to the challenge. The first event (the Bath Cup trophy) was mixed with Ruifu and Humphrey both successfully swimming on the flat 1-minute line and Charlie astonishingly achieving a long and short course PB. Andrey, however, had been plagued by illness leading up to the event and a 2024 Paris Olympics Siobhan Haughey style 100 metre final turn timing disaster but still swam very well given the challenge facing the team. In all, we came out 43rd (according to MeetMobile).
After Ruifu and Felix ate their body weight in food at Westfield for lunch and Humphrey impressively obeyed his fasting obligations, we returned for the afternoon session. Timothy, Ruifu, Humphrey and Felix all swam impressive long course PBs but, alas, it was not enough to vanquish the Harrow Olympic team. We swam a much better race coming out 40th overall despite coming in last in our very competitive heat. The heats were split into roughly 40 small schools and 40 large schools, judged on enrolment numbers. Had this been judged on ‘schools-without-pools’ we undoubtedly would have qualified for the final and come out tenth or better.
Congratulations to everyone who qualified for the team and to Humphrey and Ruifu for their contributions to coaching. My penultimate match and last major event leading this team was a pleasure. I wish the whole team greater fortunes next year at this very competitive and prestigious competition. (F Hall, K, Captain of Swimming)
MID Xs Fri 7 Mar
The curtain came down on a magnificent season of Winkies on Palmer, with the final round of matches delivering drama, triumph, and despair. B showed their class with a commanding 31-17 win over K, though H stunned them earlier with a 9-8 nail-biter. Elsewhere, C edged past G 13-8 before succumbing 18-4 to D, who also dispatched E 14-8 to round off their campaign in style. E will take no pride in their 19-0 defeat to I, while F finished with a flourish, overpowering I 21-10 and squeezing past G 14-9. As the dust settles, F stand atop the table as worthy champions! For all the highs and lows and literal "ups" and downs; congratulations to all teams for a season to remember. Another season goes into ropes! (JCP)
Saturday 8th March 2025:
Hockey v King Edward, Southampton
Having come along to support the U15's in their game the 1st XI had a focused warm up and were ready to go from the off against KES 2nd XI. It took less than three minutes for Martin (VI:I, I) to set the tone with a well taken finish after an excellent ball in from James (VI:I, B). James (VI:2, D) followed this up a few minutes later with a second goal, calmly slotting home in to the bottom right past the goalkeeper. Will (VI:2, D) had his first involvement in goal after ten minutes, being forced to make a good save and clearance. KES pulled one back from a well worked PC of their own. Further attacks from Isaac (MP, K), James (B) and Caspar (Vth Book, A) led to further penalty corners, though only one resulted in a goal – a fine strike through their right hand post man in to the corner from James (B) making it 4-1 at half time.
At the start of the second half KES won another penalty corner, and with Alberto (VI:2, B) now marshalling in goal Caspar did a good job keeping it out on the left post. An attack led by Isaac went via Ethan (VI:2, D) to Jonny (VI:I, B) for a tap in at the far post. KES again pulled one back, slightly against the run of play, despite a good first save from Alberto it was not cleared. An excellent press by Jonny allowed him to return the favour and give the ball to Ethan who fired it past the keeper with a clean strike. A confident 6-2 win for Winchester. (JPT)
The level of skill and organisation of KES U15s was apparent from the start with an attack wide down the left in the first two minutes eventually leading to a penalty corner which was finished tidily in to the bottom left corner past Nate (H). The Winchester boys were not discouraged and had their first attack with Will (H) winning the ball from an opposition 16, leading to a short corner. The difference between the well honed KES short corner and our own was apparent, with a slow injection leading to immediate pressure on Chris at the top of the D, leading to a turnover. The rest of the first half continued in the same manner, with some good defending from Ludo (I) and Nate and some good attacking play from Hector (H), Chris and Sid (F) but not being enough to prevent KES from finding the goal a few more times to make the score 4-0 at half time.
The whiteboard came out, and a chat about shape both with and without the ball had an immediate impact in the second half with a well taken shot from a bouncing ball leading to a goal for Chris. Further shots from Ben and Sid could have led to a more impressive comeback, but it was evident to all that Winchester grew in to the game in the second half, and despite a well taken goal from one of their more skilful players heads remained high throughout. A good challenge for the boys, and 1-1 in the second half was a fair reflection of their improvement.(TJF)
On Saturday the U14A Hockey team travelled to Wellington Sports Ground to take on KES Southampton U14B in a highly anticipated local derby. The first 5 minutes started brightly for Winchester as we moved the ball around nicely around our half with Clothier (B), Sinclair (E) and Hamilton (I) keeping possession and calmly transitioning into the central area of the pitch. Early eager runs from our wingers Law (A) & Collier (B) provided two early chances which were unfortunately missed. The game flowed back and forth over the next 20 minutes with some heroic defending from Symington (H) & Morris-Weston (E) as KES had 8/9 counter attacks within this period. This was ably backed up by White (C) who made some brilliant saves and prevented 2 short corner shots from the opposition. Half time Score 0-0
Unfortunately, the second half was a bit more one sided with KES coming out of the blocks strong and looked to dominate our side of the pitch with accurate sweeps and first time passing.
With 15 minutes to go the score was still 0-0 but this was not to last as two quick goals from KES on the counterattack were able to put them in the driving seat. A well worked short corner routine allowed KES to score their 3rd goal and take the score to 3-0. A nice consolation goal from Law (A) restored some Winchester spirit but this was little too late as the full-time whistle was blown and the score ended at 3-1. A brilliant effort from all against a relatively strong B team as we look forward to our U14 Hampshire Boys Trophy tournament next Thursday! (TJF)
Netball 1st VII v Milton Abbey School (a):
Winchester College dominated the game against Milton Abbey with an impressive 38-3 victory. With a clear skill gap between the teams, we focused on adapting our play to make the match more balanced, allowing players to rotate through different positions while maintaining a high standard of performance. Our shooting was consistently strong, and our defensive efforts ensured Milton Abbey had limited opportunities to score. Despite adjusting our usual playstyle, the team adapted well to new positions, showing versatility and skill across the court. It was a great opportunity for the girls to experience both attacking and defensive roles, something we don’t usually focus on in competitive matches. The team remained disciplined and professional, ensuring that Milton Abbey’s lower skill level didn’t impact our own performance. (FIJ)
Sunday 9th March: Sailing: BSDRA Keelboat Championship
Last weekend, the sailing team went to Queen Mary Reservoir to take part in the BKL Schools Championship. The weather was glorious with bright sunshine and a breeze of force 3 gusting 5 – a taste of the summer to come. We were fleet racing in Sonars, a 7m keelboat with symmetrical spinnakers that were very kindly provided for the weekend by the Royal Thames Yacht Club. We entered two crews of four, and both were excited to get out on the water. The first few races were quite a steep learning curve, as both teams had to adjust their starting tactics to suit the slower acceleration and more limited manoeuvrability of the keelboats, as well as learning how to fly a symmetrical spinnaker downwind. This is a very technical skill and one that requires perfect coordination between all four members of the crew, but it was great to see both crews develop their spinnaker hoists, gybes and drops over the weekend.
Winchester Red (Luke E, Olivia P, William H, Thomas F) had good upwind speed, often rounding the windward mark in a strong position. However, they initially struggled to hold their place downwind, experimenting with how best to fly a symmetrical spinnaker – a new skill for their team, and one which is essential to sail fast downwind. By day 2, their spinnaker handling had massively improved, and they subsequently achieved much better results, the highlight being a 3rd place in one of their last few races. This 3rd place was very well-deserved and, although their overall position was 19th out of the 22 teams there, they showed great potential and were only held back by a few slower races on day 1 while they were getting used to the boat.
Winchester Blue (Rupert B, Max B, Vincent G and Alex P) were consistently towards the top of a tight fleet, putting pressure on the leaders and also leading the fleet a few times themselves. We posted three 1st place finishes, and five other podium finishes out of our 19 races over the weekend. At the end of the first day, we were resting in 5th overall and close behind the two teams in front. We started the second day well, gaining on those teams in front of us, but two unfortunate races in quick succession where penalty turns slowed us down meant we dropped a few places in the overall standings. Determined to recover what we had lost, good tactical decisions and flawless spinnaker handling meant we achieved a 3rd place and then a 1st place in the next two races – quite the recovery! It was also great to see our results improve over the weekend, with half of our race finishes on day 2 being on the podium. Overall, Winchester Blue finished in 7th place out of 22 teams, a good result in a competitive fleet and, most importantly, an improvement on last year.
Overall, a fantastic weekend of keelboat sailing. All of us come away from it with a lot more experience racing keelboats, and it was brilliant to compete in such a closely matched and competitive fleet. Thank you so much to Dr Barron for organising our entry and for taking us, to Queen Mary Sailing Club for providing the venue, and to the RTYC for making it all possible.
R Balmain (K)Sporting quote for the week:
John Wooden, Former UCLA Basketball Coach
M.S. Burley
Director of Sport
11th March 2025
X: @WinCollSports