University of Cambridge Sport

The blues match is a three-pair fixture, and is always hard to predict. Nevertheless, we approached this year’s match expecting
to secure a result, and confident in the strength of our team.
Although Oxford’s first pair, containing a player who has won several national tournaments, were strongly fancied, some fine
shots from Aly Patel suggested that Cambridge might well upset the form book as they surged into an early lead in the first
game. Unfortunately Cambridge were unable to maintain the same level of play, the pair’s lack of stamina reflecting the fact
that they had both recently recovered from nasty bouts of ‘flu, and Oxford took the rubber in three games.
A third pair Robert Friedman and Paul Jefferys, took a tight first game, and then destroyed the Oxford resistance by raising their
game and improving their cuts returns, storming through the second game in ten minutes. Their determination and consistency
was too much for the Oxford pair who ceded the rubber in three straight games.
As last year, this left the result of the match to be decided by the second pair, a match which contained three present or former
Cambridge Captains. Nick Gill and James O’Callaghan, last year’s third pair, played very well together as a pair, and their
consistency wore away the Oxford second pair. Although the match was tight, they always maintained control and won in three
straight games.
Thus, Cambridge won the match 2 – 1. Whilst the score sounds close, we were clearly the better side at second and third pairs,
and it was just a pity that the first pair were still feeling the after-effects of ‘flu. This was our second victory in a row, and we
have every chance of repeating the achievement next year!
Second team report
The Second Team, Cambridge Penguins, beat Oxford Peppers 3 – 0. Unfortunately, due to some last-minute illnesses, Oxford
were unable to field a third pair, so ceding the third rubber. In the first two pairs, Cambridge’s strength in depth was evident.
The athletic Bartholomew brothers were simply too strong for their opponents, who were unused to such an aggressive style of
Fives, and Julian Black and Robin Chatterjee (playing in his sixth second team match!) played with great levels of consistency to
overcome their Oxford counterparts. Thus, Cambridge won the second team Varsity match 3 – 0, for the second year running, a
testament to the strength and depth in our squad.
Other News
Cambridge University Eton Fives Club recorded wins against Old Ipswichians (2 – 0) and Eton College (5 – 1) and defeats
against Highgate School (1 – 2) and Old Cholmelians (0 – 3). In the County Championship, Cambridge University accounted for
the entire Cambridgeshire team and were unlucky to lose to Middlesex, the eventual winners of the tournament. In the London
Tournament, Aly Patel and James O’Callaghan narrowly missed qualification to the quarter finals on points difference in a three
way tie. One men’s and one women’s pair were entered into the Festival competition.
BUSA
Cancelled this year.
Representative Honours
Charlotta Cooley reached the semi-finals of the women’s national Eton Fives competition.
Sponsors
• Pol Roger sponsored the Varsity match
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