The Old Paulines successfully defended their Owers Trophy title with a series of emphatic wins against anyone who the misfortune to face them. In fact, such was their domination that the squad – Tom Dean, Charlie Brooks, Dan Tristao, Ed Kay and Sam Roberts – lost only a single game in the entire day's play.
Right from the off, they had looked in impressive form, brushing aside the Old Bradfieldians and the Old Eastbournians in their group games to claim a place in the semi-finals. It even looked destined to be an all-Pauline final, as the Old Paulines second team also won their group, scoring wins over the Alleyn Old Boys and Old Derby Moor.
The semi-final line-up was completed by the AOBs and the OEs, playing the OPs' first and second teams respectively. The Alleyn Old Boys (Hamish Buchanan & Bruce Hanton, plus the Brubert brothers, Jacob and Zack) at least managed the distinction of taking a game off the OPs, but the Paulines still won comfortably to claim a place in the final – as they have now done for seven years on the trot.
However, it was not to be an all-Pauline final, as the Old Eastbournians (Marcus Bate & Simon Beal, and Andy Pringle and Charles Compton) beat the OPs' second team (Mark Gibbor & James Tilston and schoolboy champions Francis Thomas & Theo Parker).
That meant the final would be a repeat of an earlier group game, and the result was the same: an emphatic win for the Paulines. The OEs had played well to reach the final, but they couldn't come close to beating a Pauline team that could boast three of the four finalists from April's N/national Doubles Championship. It says something of the strength of the Paulines that their lowest-ranked player was Ed Kay - and he (with Dan Tristao) is the current N/national Under 25 Doubles Champion. They scored a decisive win over the OEs, and set a couple of new records in the process. They have now won the title more times than anyone else (four times, while their closest rivals – the AOBs – have won it three) and appeared in a record-breaking seven finals; the AOBs managed six...
The day's final piece of silverware – the Plate – was won by the Old Bradfieldians (Jez Sinton, Tony Brown, Ed Ronan, David Butler and Ian Mettam) under the approving gaze of David Barnes, who had coached them all in his time at the school.
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RESULTS
GROUP STAGES:
Group A: Old Paulines 1 bt Old Eastbournians 60-23, bt Old Bradfieldians 60-60-11; Old Eastbournians bt Old Bradfieldians 55-35
Group B: Old Paulines 2 bt Alleyn Old Boys 43-36, bt Old Derby Moor 60-33; Alleyn Old Boys bt Old Deby Moor 58-36
KNOCKOUT STAGE:
Semi-finals: Old Paulines 1 bt Alleyn Old Boys 56-28; Old Eastbournians bt Old Paulines 2 59-44
Final: Old Paulines 1 bt Old Eastbournians
Plate: Old Bradfieldians