CHESHIRE?polo supporters and players finally had something to scream about following their team’s 6-5 victory against Barbados at the Holders grounds in St James on Thursday.
After losing the opening game last Sunday and drawing the second on Tuesday, a more determined team, led by the hard-hitting Oliver Taylor, levelled the series with a win in the final minute of the exciting match. This victory has now set the stage for a thrilling climax of the grand final tomorrow at the same venue.
Unlike the previous two encounters where Cheshire made all the running in the opening chukka, it was the turn of the Barbadians, led by Alex Cole, with excellent support from Christian Chavez, Damian Luke and Roddy Davis, to put the visitors on the back foot with three unanswered goals by the end of the first chukka.
Facing a 3-0 deficit at the start of the second chukka, the Cheshire team stepped on the accelerator and kept the pressure on Barbados for the remainder of the match.
They swiftly clawed their way back into the game with two consecutive goals, one each coming from the mallets of Taylor and Charlie Walton to quell Barbados’ advancement. The visitors then drew level with Barbados at 5-5 early in the final chukka after the home team had again taken the lead with a well-timed strike from Chavez.
However, in the final minute of regulation time, Taylor, who was voted MVP, broke the deadlock with an easy goal, much to the delight of their many supporters.
Tomorrow’s final will see the Barbados team, led by Jamie Dickson and including former club captain Jeff Evelyn, Philip Tempro and Danny Atwell, taking on the likes of Oliver Taylor, Johnny Codington, Lucy Taylor and Walton of Cheshire.
This match is slated to start at 4:30 p.m. and will be preceded by a local match at 3:30 p.m. (CH)
