Thursday's Thrills: Netball and Hockey

Date: Thursday 22 January 2009

Senior hockey against Sutton Valence, Inter-House senior girls' netball, and a training netball match for the 1st VII against the UKC were on today's afternoon agenda.

The boys' 1st XI lost 2 - 7, a slightly wider margin than the one by which they had defeated Harvey G.S. earlier in the week. Skipper Ben Easter bemoaned the lack of 'hardness' in his squad, and a lack of 'streetwiseness' when playing more experienced and physically stronger teams. Nonetheless, goals from Jonathan Clarke and Harry Callaway, guaranteed a respectable scoreline, and debutant Henry Withrington made some good saves, deputising for the absent Rawlins. Ten days now to prepare for the annual visit to St Lawrence College.

The Pilgrims travelled to the Weald, and travelled back with nothing more than a 0 - 6 defeat. Several of the SV team would not have been out of place in our 1sts. Enough said.

The Inter-House netball semi-finals saw Baker beat Watson by 23 - 8, and Warneford overcome Wagner, 19 - 9. Baker, with four 1st squad players are the tournament favourites, but they could be run close by a resurgent Warneford, for whom Ellie Blanning was outstanding as goalshooter. Wagner were hamstrung by the absence of two key players, and Watson, with a limited pool of players to pick from, may find themselves with the wooden spoon after the finals day on February 26th.

The 1st VII played a training game against a squad from the UKC Netball Club, coached by our head coach, Mrs George. The UKC team contained several first team players, but were suffering from the previous evening's 'social events', and we were 6 - 4 up at the half-time break, with some strong defending from Sam Catford and Susannah Benham, and some good shooting from Jenny Wheal and Ellie Blanning. In the second half, the UKC girls stepped up their game, and came out as winners, by 15 - 13, but practice as a team was more important than the result from our perspective.

The last game of the afternoon gave the Under 14 hockey boys the chance to shine against Harvey G.S. They didn't - and the one goal scored by Max Bungay was swamped by the six that Harvey netted. Enough said - again!