The Old Salopian Club

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For general information please contact the Secretary, Anthony Walters,
anthony@telarian.co.uk

29th JANUARY @ Eton
EFA Trophy (10.30 for 11) first round
2.30 Barber Cup Semi-Final V Harrow

Supporters very welcome for this Festival of Fives

O.S.E.F.C League Division I results

12th Sept: vs Old Etonians @ Westway

A.Walters & M. Hughes lost 0-3
F. Nicholson & C. Webster lost 1-3
M. Quinn & A. Taylor lost 2-3

Old Salopians make a dissappointing return to Division I Fives as the Old Etonians hand out an object lesson in simple cutting and returning . Much improvement needed for our next encounter at Eton with the current league champions !

24th Sept: vs Old Olavians I @ Eton

E. Taylor & M. Hughes won 3-0
B. Hyatt & P. Nicholls lost 0-3
A. Walters & H. Mainwaring won 3-2

A top class effort on a glorious Sunday at Eton saw Old Salopians open their account with a well deserved victory against old Barber cup foes and adversaries, the Old Olavians I. First pair Ed Taylor & Mike Hughes dominated former Kinnaird winner Matt Wiseman and his partner in inflicting a very satisfying defeat. Second pairing of Brad Hyatt and Peter Nicholls gained invaluable experience of top flight Fives and fought all the way before eventually succombing.
So it was left to the injured Anthony Walters and Hugh Mainwaring to clinch the points for us with a really hard fought victory at third pair. Given that Anthony could hardly walk, Hugh's contribution to this win should not be underestimated. Onwards and upwards !
Watch this space for news of our next match against the Old Edwardians on Oct 22nd.

22nd Oct: vs Old Edwardians @ King Edwards Birmingham

G.Williams & M. Yates won 3-0
P. Corn & S. Bickerton lost 0-3
A. Walters(snr) & A. Mitchell lost 2-3

It was great to see the Shrewsbury Monday Club taking up the baton of League Fives and producing a team to play at King Edward's School Birmingham against one of our oldest adversaries, the Old Edwardians.Whilst our first and second pairs had relatively easy games - one winning, the other coming second ! - the most closely fought, and ultimately deciding match was in 3rd pair, where A. Walters (snr) continued to defy the natural ageing process and give the younger Edwardian pair a really good run for their money. Unfortunately, the firy tale was not to be, and they finally succomed in the 5th set. However, a point is a point and we move relatively confidently back down south to take on the Old Olavians II on 24th Oct.

24th Oct: vs Old Olavians II @ Westway

I Hutchinson & E. Taylor won 3-0
M. Hughes & A. Walters (jnr) won 3-1
F. Nicholson & P. Nicholls won 3-0

Given the strength of team that we managed to field at Westway on this evening, we would have been very dissappointed to come away with anything less than 2 points, and all 3 pairs were keen to try and notch up our first whitewash of the season. Our first pair played like the former Kinnaird finalists they are, and proved far too strong for their game, yet slightly naive, Olavian opponents.
At second pair Hughes & Walters proved all the doubters wrong by playing well together at the same time ! Despite losing a set, they were never in any real danger and closed the match out at 3-1.
In 3rd pair messrs Nicholson & Nicholls showed a necessary ruthless streak in comfortably defeating their opposition 3-0. A very satisfying evening's work. We look forward to more of the same in our next match, at Eton on Sunday 5th Nov !

5th Nov: vs Old Edwardians @ Eton

E.Taylor & M. Hughes won 3-0
A.Sentance & G. Coren lost 1-3
B. Hyett & M. Skjott won 3-0

A new look O.S. side including 2 guest players gathered on Sunday to record another victory against an Old Edwardian side who had won the home leg of this fixture 2-1. This time the tables were turned, with the Salopians taking the victory spoils ! After a somewhat dissappointing start to the morning (delayed trains and an opposition no-show!) competition commenced. In first pair, Ed Taylor and Mike Hughes were never really pushed by a pair who just made too many mistakes to threaten. In third, a weakened Old Edwardian pair could not make up for the no show of one of their team, having to replace him with a junior player, and were comfortably beaten 3-0. It was at second pair that most of the entertainment took place. Andrew Sentance and Giles Coran put up a really strong fight against their more experienced opponents, and when they took the second set, it looked as though they may have got the better of them. Alas it was not to be and despite some very entertaining and good quality Fives, they eventually succomed 1-3. However, it was encouraging to see such quality, particularly from Andrew, who is not a regular player (yet !!).
Next up are the Old Olavians at Westway on Nov 14th.
However, before then, on Sunday 12th Nov, look out for the first appearence for many years of a Shropshire side in the county championships !

12th Nov: County Championships @ Eton

Shropshire lost to Kent 0-3
Shropshire lost to Middlesex 1-2
Shropshire beat Oxford 2-1

By way of some light relief from the rigours of the league season, Shropshire fielded a 7 man squad for Sunday's County championships.Our first opponents were the mighty, Olavian drenched, team of Kent, boasting, amongst others, two former Kinnaird winners. However, in true Salopian (and friends thereof) style, all 3 pairs did their best to make life difficult for the favourites, and indeed, M. Hughes & M. Yates, playing together for the first time only went down 7-12, 10-12 to the all conquering Kent partnership of Toop and Wiseman. Unfortunately, A. Mitchell & S. Bickerton, at third pair were the only pairing to be able to salvage any points for us in this opening fixture, gaining a very creditable 1-1 draw.
However, buoyed by what we thought was a very good showing first up, we quickly sought out our next match, against Middlesex. Again we had 3 very good matches, with the first and third pairs both drawing 1-1, whilst F. Nicholson & P. Nichols at second narrowly lost out on the points.
So to the last match of the day against Oxford. Despite obvious signs of fatigue, all 3 pairs gave what they had left, and at last came away with the lions share of the spoils, as the first pair won 2-0 and both second and third drew 1-1. This left us tied at second place in our group with Middlesex. However, with only one of us able to proceed to the semi-finals, Shropshire lost out to the Duckworth-Lewis-Wiseman count back system. However, we all went home highly satisfied with a great days Fives, and are already looking forward to next years competition !
Focus now returns to the league.

14th Nov: vs Old Olavians @ Westway

T. Walters(jnr) & F. Nicholson lost 0-3
M. Quinn & P. Nichols lost 0-3
H. Mainwaring & B. Hyett lost 0-3

Whoops ! Back down to earth with a bump i'm afraid, as a somewhat under strength Salopian team took on the full force of the current champions. However, despite the rather one-sided look of the results, each pair gave no less than 100%, and it was a great opportunity for some of our keen and able youngsters to gauge their own abilities with those of the seasoned campaigners from Orpington. Whilst we failed to score any points, the experience gained by these type of fixtures, when we ask 2nd and 3rd pairs to step up to 1st and 2nd pairs, will only stand us in good stead for the future. Indeed we will get an early opportunity to test ourselves once again, as next up are the Old Harrovians, who at their strongest can boast two Kinnaird winners, on 28th November at Westway.