Our annual match against an RFA team that seems to be getting stronger every year was not as one sided as the WFA organiser had feared. This was mainly thanks to some fine play by the Andy Passey/ Ed Hawke pair and Steve Coffey/ James Bristow pair, the latter playing for the first time this season thus proving all this practice can be overrated. With the WFA putting all their eggs (and everything else) in the Will Ellison/ Dave Butler basket it was a relief to see them win their matches 88-37, however the 'second' Wessex pair of Mike Crompton and Harry Akerman lost by exactly the same score, effectively meaning that the match would be decided how Andy/ Ed and Steve/ James would fair against a mighty RFA team.
Thanks very much to all the players from both teams who travelled from Malvern, Cambridge, Bristol, London, Devon, King Somborne.... and Winchester for this annual match which is a real highlight of the Wessex year. As ever the Queen provided some resuscitation before the long drives home.
Will Ellison + Dave Butler vs Dan Tristao + Gareth Price 11-8, 11-5
vs Ed Kay + Hamish Buchannan 11-2, 11-9
88-37 vs Ben Beltrami + Sam Russell 11-2, 11-2
vs Ollie Arnold + Theo Parker 11-9, 11-0
Mike Crompton + Harry Akerman vs Dan Tristao + Gareth Price 2-11, 0-11
vs Ed Kay + Hamish Buchannan 5-11, 9-11
37-88 vs Ben Beltrami + Sam Russell 3-11, 8-11
vs Ollie Arnold + Theo Parker 8-11, 2-11
James Bristow + Steve Coffey vs Dan Tristao + Gareth Price 7-11, 8-11
vs Ed Kay + Hamish Buchannan 3-11, 11-7
54-75 vs Ben Beltrami + Sam Russell 11-2, 5-11
vs Ollie Arnold + Theo Parker 4-11, 5-11
Andy Passey + Ed Hawke vs Dan Tristao + Gareth Price 9-11, 5-11
vs Ed Kay + Hamish Buchannan 10-12, 5-11
51-89 vs Ben Beltrami + Sam Russell 5-11, 7-11
vs Ollie Arnold + Theo Parker 4-11, 6-11
RFA Win 289-230