John Reynolds reports:
Old Citizens returned to the Barber Cup on Sunday after at least 10 years away and knocked out the fourth seeds in what has to be the shock result of the first round so far. Spencer Chapman, playing in his Barber Cup debut in his early forties, was suddenly promoted to first pair on the morning of the match after last minute sickness forced a Citizen reshuffle.
The Edwardians had to concede third pair but equalised the draw with a win at second, Scholey and Purkis managing a staightforward victory over a (literally) off-colour Nick Gill and a just-returned-from-three-months-in-Berlin Alex Nice.
Which left the match hinging on first pair. Chapman stepped up to the mark and, despite a nervy start which saw him and his club captain falling behind in the first set, improved as the match progressed. Chapman and Reynolds nicked the first game with a late surge and managed to keep their nerve to win the second. Then they hung on despite characteristically gritty resistance from Tyler and canny drop shots from Friend to close it out in just three games.
So last year's semi-finalists the Edwardians have been knocked out at the first hurdle, and the Citizens are left preparing for a second round match next month against the Etonians.
To see full Barber Cup results and draw CLICK HERE