Julian Black reports:
The Universities tournament was held this year on Saturday 15th November at Highgate School. Despite our best efforts, we were unable to persuade players from farther-flung universities to attend, but instead we got a good turnout from Oxford and Cambridge, the only two universities with active Eton Fives clubs, including three (and a half) Ladies' pairs.
After an intense morning session with many hard-fought games but no upsets, we proceeded to the semi-finals after lunch with Cambridge 1 (Max Little & Rob Desmond) playing Oxford 2 (James Batting & Peter Stewart) and Oxford 1 (Will Betts & Rex Worth) playing Cambridge 2 (Will Illingworth & Laurie Brock). These were two extremely competitive games, resulting in Cambridge 1 and Oxford 1 proceeding to the final.
Both pairs played extremely well in a high-octane game with both sides seeking to dominate from the front of the court. Cambridge 1 triumphed in the end in two games, with the scores 12-9, 12-7. All in all, an extremely enjoyable day for all involved, and it was fantastic to see such a strong showing from the ladies as well.
I would like to extend my thanks to Anthony Brunner, the EFA committee and also the Illingworths for their kind help with the lunches.