Page 69 - The Chapka 2016
P. 69

REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN) 67 Hockey
 Hockey within The Royal Lancers has gone from strength to strength in 2016, with many new players getting involved and showing some great promise. The more experienced play- ers have continued to impress and, the mix of experience and knowledge with enthusiasm and exuberance has proven to be highly effective.
The inter-Squadron Babington Shield tournament was run in February with a good showing from all Squadrons and some great hockey on display. A special mention must go to C Squadron, who fielded a side after coming in off exercise on the same morn- ing. Despite some tired eyes, they played extremely well, with Lieutenant Jibb finding the halfway house between hockey and rugby especially effective. B Squadron were crowned the cham- pions on goal difference after a hard fought day, with Corporal Cartledge once again showing his cat-like prowess in goal.
Hodson’s Horse was again the highlight of the year, coming to- gether for two fantastic days with our RAC brethren. We started with an extremely tight game against our neighbours the RDG. Before the game they insisted they had lots of hockey sticks, but a lack of hockey players. This turned out to be gamesmanship and we were really put through our paces. Fortunately, the su- perior skill of our midfield won through and we were off to a winning start. We continued this trend against the enthusiastic, but inexperienced Household Cavalry Regiment and Light Dra- goons. A fine performance against the RTR gave us a satisfying win against the long-time dominators of the Hockey scene in
the RAC and, therefore, set us up for a ‘final’ with the Scots DG in the last match of the tournament. The Scots DG were a very experienced and well-drilled side who have played a lot togeth- er; the match was close and tense throughout. It came down to the final minute. After several hacking attempts, many players losing their feet and many flying sticks in a mad goal-mouth scramble, one of the scrappiest goals in the history of hockey se- cured the Royal Lancer victory! So it was that we were crowned Hodson’s Horse Hockey Champions for the second year in a row, establishing a dynasty that we look to continue for a long time.
Looking forward to next year we are hoping to build on the suc- cess we have seen with a UK tour, setting us up for an overseas
tour the following year.
CNGH
  Unlike perhaps every other article in this edition of The Chapka, Royal Lancer’s cricket did not have a ‘busy year’. It kicked-off and culminated in a single and quite thrilling encounter: the Officers’ vs Seniors’ Mess match. The battle- ground for this season’s contest was the picturesque Crakehall Cricket Club, just outside Bedale. The nuances and peculiari- ties of the ground cannot be understated. Runs were on offer all over the ground – due to irregular and short boundaries – with extras included for hitting the church, garden wall, or indeed the stately home. High expectations were burdened on the batsmen; this year the teams might break double figures.
The officers opened the batting. Scores were posted by all members of the Mess with a notable performance by Lieuten- ant Jibb, bludgeoning the ball around the park and damaging the greenhouse several times. A brief cameo by the Orderly Officer left his immaculately bulled shoes in tatters. His be- tween-the-wickets speed left a little to be desired and he was dismissed with ease. This aside, the Officers’ Mess posted
a convincing score. The Seniors’ Mess were not to be put- off and quickly set-about trying to chase down the Officers’ Mess total. At first it looked as though the Seniors might make possible the impossible and do it. A breakthrough was then made with an unplayable 87mph out-swinging scorcher from none other than the Jibb. Immediate disarray ensued, followed by the inevitable mid-order collapse. Victory for 2016 belonged to the Officers’ Mess. This account may seem one-sided, but it is entirely accurate - the author remembers the day quite clearly. The short season was over as soon as it began.
Eyes now turn to the Summer of 2017. With a ‘move’ of RAC cricket to North Yorkshire – dead in-line and perfectly timed with the recently issued re-work of CGS’s Army 2020 plan – and an autumn deployment to BATUS, the Regiment can hopefully set itself up with a feast of Yorkshire cricket – at least until 2020...
JJ
Cricket in the Royal Lancers
  




















































































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