BARBADOS MADE IT A CLEAN SWEEP of the 2015 UNNA ICBL Cheshire Polo Tournament when they handed Cheshire their third straight defeat in Sunday’s grand final played at the Holders grounds in St James.
Playing in front of one of the largest crowds seen at the Holders in quite a while, the local team of Philip Tempro, Jamie Dickson, Teddy Williams and Danny Atwell kept Barbados’ fine record intact a with workman-like 4 and a half to 2 victory against the visitors to successfully defend their 2014 title.
The 12-goal match was easily the highest level of polo played in Barbados for many a year.
Barbados started with a half-goal advantage and soon raced to a 2-1 lead at the end of the second chukka, thanks to strikes from Jamie Dickson and Teddy Williams. It was Charlie Walton who opened the scoring for Cheshire at the southern end of the field after a collecting a pass from his teammate James Fielding.
Missed chance
The scorecard could have been different had Danny Atwell not missed an easy opportunity to put Barbados in the lead less than a minute into the opening chukka. So too did Cheshire star player Oliver Taylor who failed to convert two penalties awarded to his team in that first chukka.
Tight defence by both teams in the third chukka resulted in only one goal scored by each team, through Danny Atwell for Barbados and Walton for Cheshire, whose exquisite cut shot drew loud applause from his many Cheshire supporters.
Barbados closed out the game in the final chukka with their fourth goal of the match. Jamie Dickson’s unchallenged run garnered him his second goal and, ultimately, the Man Of The Match award. The Cheshire team was made up of James Fielding, Charlie Walton, Johnny Coddington and Oliver Taylor.
With the Villages, The Battle of the Sexes and Cheshire now out of the way, all attention is now turned to the much anticipated “Barbados Open” which is scheduled to kick off today at the Lion Castle ground, St Thomas.
(CH)
