Portchester take two wins from a testing SCPA Salver
Nine clubs gathered at Fareham for the SCPA 9-a-side Salver, a five-round competition played in a snake format. Each club brought a squad of up to 12 players, split across three triples. In each round, all three triples faced the same opposing club, with the option to rotate in a fourth player between rounds.
Portchester faced a tough field, with many opponents from the SCPA Division One. Whist we finished ninth, with two individual game wins, there were several close matches which showed how competitive the day was.
Game 1: Headley & Bordon
Team 1: Ian, Trudy, Mark C and John found little to separate the teams but couldn’t quite turn a close game into a win. The quartet had rarely played together as a triple and felt they gave a good account of themselves despite a few costly mistakes and luck going against them.
Team 2: Paul, Tina A and Kevin faced one of Headley & Bordon’s strongest triples on rain-affected “tarmac” piste. Sharp pointing from Tina and Kevin, backed by Paul’s consistent shooting, kept Portchester in the game. A loose end let Headley & Bordon pull clear, and a late rally wasn’t enough to catch them.
Team 3: Tina D, Andy and Kerry made a flying start, scoring five on the opening end. After a couple of singles and a two apiece, they led 10-5 after seven ends, then added three more to win 13-5. A fine victory!
Game 2: River Hamble
Team 1: Another close match ended in defeat. Another close game where things were kept tight and well on the scoreboard, but couldn’t find the finish needed for a win against this top team.
Team 2: Tina A, Kevin and Zoe took on the defending champions and their top triple. Portchester started well, but sharp shooting from Callum Lombard helped bring the score back to 6-6. River Hamble moved ahead before Portchester’s long coches and a late rally brought them close again. At 11-8, Tina had a shot for five and take the game, but it missed by a whisker. River Hamble won the next end to take the match.
Team 3: Mike, Tina D and Kerry took an early three-point lead on the rocky terrain. The score was level at 4-4 before River Hamble put together two strong ends to lead 10-4. Portchester replied with a couple of singles, but River Hamble closed out a 13-6 win.
Game 3: Handcross
Team 1: Team 1 again came away without a win, but again it was a hard-fought contest. One where small errors and fine margins continued to make the difference.
Team 2: Tina A, Zoe and Paul got off to a superb start, racing to 5-0 and then 8-0 by keeping the coche long and playing to their strengths. The next end saw Zoe’s fine opening boule forcing Handcross to use up their remaining boule. Paul and Tina then followed up to claim the five points needed. A 13-0 fanny registered against the previous season’s Division One runners-up.
Team 3: Mike, Andy and Kerry struggled to find their rhythm on the sloping piste. The teams traded singles, and Handcross edged ahead 4-3 before building a lead to 10-3. Kerry picked up one point, but they scored three on the next end to win 13-4.
Game 4: Cobbetts A
Team 1: Ian, Trudy, Mark C and John continued to compete closely, but couldn’t break their run of defeats. A few mistakes and some unfortunate breaks had repeatedly cost them points.
Team 2: Paul, Kevin and Zoe were taken onto the “moon surface”, where wild ricochets made it a game for the lobbers. Cobbetts A had spent much of the day on the same piste and made good use of that familiarity. It was a difficult follow-up to Portchester’s win against Handcross, and the team lost despite getting points on the board.
Team 3: Mike, Tina D and Andy pointed well, but Cobbetts A repeatedly outpointed them or shot their boule away. Portchester managed to regain the advantage only once, and Cobbetts A took the game 13-3.
Game 5: Fareham
Team 1: The quartet finished the day without a win but were pleased with how they had played. Their close games, friendly banter and the chance to catch up with friends from other clubs made for an enjoyable day despite the results.
Team 2: Paul, Kevin and Tina faced a solid Fareham team in a “Tiller vs Tiller” match. Fareham’s Sara opened with sharp shooting to put them 4-0 ahead. Portchester kept trading points but were mostly picking up ones and twos while Fareham banked more. A late comeback looked on the cards until one loose end to many opened the door for them to win game at 13-5, leaving Paul on Supper cooking duties!
Team 3: Tina D, Andy and Kerry started well and kept the game close. The score was level at 6-6 after around eight ends, but Portchester couldn’t add to their total and Fareham eventually won 13-6.
Results and reflections
Portchester finished ninth with two individual game wins. River Hamble took the title once more, with Cobbetts A second and Headley & Bordon third.
The day was smoothly organised, the weather was kind aside from a couple of short showers, and the games were played in a friendly spirit. Portchester had a demanding draw, but the two wins and several close contests gave the squad plenty to take from the tournament. We’ll go again next year.
As Captain for the day, I’d like to offer my thanks to everyone for their efforts, teamwork and the way we represented Portchester PC. Well done all.
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