Sadly, long-standing and highly respected umpire, David Barnes, was indisposed, so his role was taken by the President of the ‘home side’, Cambridge. In a match conducted by all concerned with the customary good spirit there was little more for him to do than take down scores delivered with alacrity and hand out the jelly babies and trophies at the end.
Oxford, attired in their Neptune-sponsored ‘stash’, took the award for sartorial elegance; Cambridge took the Jock Burnet trophy and the ‘Fist of Iron’. It was Cambridge’s first hat-trick in the Varsity Match for 20 years. For the Sparrows it was the first time they had retained the ‘Fist of Iron’ since its inception a decade ago.
In the main match, Cambridge had too much fire-power at the top, with Ed Kay and Jacob Brubert winning every one of their games with room to spare, while in the bottom half Chase, Sloper, Judge and Ader had more than enough experience to overwhelm their opponents.
In a topsy-turvy contest between the Sparrows and the Beavers, Mathias and Chipping were also rather too match-hardened for their opponents, but Oxford’s left-handed Eton Fives player Birkett caught the eye.
Both captains are to be congratulated on raising 12 players each to make the day’s contest an engaging spectacle for the large number of parents and supporters. Our thanks go to the latter for creating a lively atmosphere in the gallery. The players’ thanks go to Pol Roger for sponsoring the event with a dozen bottles of champagne, which Ed Kay had much pleasure in distributing – for the most part – to his victorious team. Cambridge now counts 53 wins against 30 by Oxford.
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RESULTS
Singles (Cambridge names first)
EI Kay (Captain) (St. Paul’s & Emmanuel) beat HKE Jefferies (St. Paul’s & Oriel (Hon. Sec.) 15-4; JB Brubert (Alleyn’s & Queens’) beat FR Thomas (St. Paul’s & BNC) 15-6; JK Malde (St. Paul’s & Clare) (Hon. Sec.)lost to GWJ Barnes (St. Paul’s & LMH) (Captain) 14-16; JN Lane (Winchester & St. Catharine’s) beat CLY Waller (Clifton & New) 15-13
Doubles
Kay and Brubert beat Thomas and Waller 15-6, 15-12; beat Jefferies and Barnes 15-5, 15-1. Malde & Lane lost to Jefferies and Barnes 0-15, 10-15; beat Thomas and Waller 10-15, 15-9. TJG Chase (St. Paul’s & Churchill) and WJ Sloper (St. Paul’s & Girton) beat CDH McKelvie (St. Paul’s & Trinity) and AD Esin (St. Paul’s & Pembroke) 16-14, 15-8; beat H R Wilman & Whitney 15-1, 15-2. PRH Judge (Merchant Taylors’ & Robinson) and JS Ader (St. Paul’s & Pembroke) beat HR Wilman (Giggleswick & Hertford) and NA Whitney (Tonbridge & Magdalen) 15-1, 15-3; lost to McKelvie and Esin 9-15, 11-15
Cambridge won by 265 points to 176
Sparrows v Beavers
Singles (Cambridge names first)
RM Mathias (Christ’s Hospital & Fitzwilliam) [Captain] bt. AJW Mullan (Clifton & Balliol) [Captain] 15-1; MA Chipping (Tonbridge & Queens’) bt. OA Even (St. Paul’s & New) 15-5; WCK Lau (Tonbridge & Trinity) lost to EM Birkett (Charterhouse & Trinity) 4-15; BSI Quarry (St. Paul’s & Selwyn) bt. S Glynne-Jones (St. Paul’s & St. Anne’s) 15-1
Doubles
Mathias & Chipping bt. Mullan & Even 15-5, 15-6; bt. Birkett & Glynne-Jones 15-2, 15-1. Lau & Quarry lost to Birkett & Glynne-Jones 11-15, 11-15; lost to Mullan & Even 0-15, 0-15
Cambridge won by 131 points to 96