The Bat Cup 2017

The 10 goal Bat Cup tournament drew 5 impressive teams take to the fields to battle for the title of winners 2017, to get their hands on the funky Bat Cup and of course bragging rights! Despite some grim weather throughout the tournament, each team turned up and played their all to get to the finals. In the end, the final saw Shibumi against Vampire Bats and the subsidiary final Tayto versus Los Chinos.

The Finals day attracted some very temperamental weather with blazing sunshine one moment and a downpour the next. This did not however deter our keen spectators nor did the players let it slow them down! The subsidiary match began as a steady game with three goals scored by Tayto and one by Los Chinos in the first chukka; a small lead from Tayto but the return from Los Chinos promised further fight. The second chukka saw a heavier defence concentration from Los Chinos with them allowing only a single goal through from Tayto, but their efforts spent on this meant no further goals from them either. The third and fourth chukkas saw a break-down of Los Chinos’ defences allowing Tayto to build and build their lead whilst also implementing their own defences to keep Los Chinos at a one-goal bay. The final score being 8-1 in favour of Tayto, thus they attained 3^rd place in the Bat Cup tournament and Los Chinos 4^th.

The final took place on the hallowed No. 1 ground seen in my sunshine but later to experience an air of pathetic fallacy as the rain came down heavily on the grounds as  Vampire Bats on the Shibumi team. Shibumi took to the field with every force on their side to play two chukkas with no return goals from Vampire Bats until the end of the third chukka where Shibumi were left with a 4-1 lead. The fourth chukka saw the rain and Vampire Bats both determined to make a bold statement. Vampire Bats built the score up to a tie 4 all, with Shibumi pushing back with one goal but Vampires levelling out again taking the game to a 5^th Chukka. The 5^th was a competitive and highly defensive game for both teams; they carried the ball up and down the pitch with neither letting a goal in until a Vampire Bat pulled a mere horse length ahead of rival team mate to take the sixth and final goal for the win of the Bat Cup.

As with every passing weekend we pass on our many thanks and appreciation to all who join us in whatever capacity that may be and we hope to tempt you back with our 18-goal Lady’s Tournament to follow up these strong matches with even more quality polo!