Page 29 - OO_2018

CROSS COUNTRY
By Jonathan Potts (C 98)
OO Cross Country has enjoyed something of a resurgence over the past year and it was fantastic to welcome four new runners to the Wimbledon Common season opener in December.
Now in its 65th year, the Thames Hare and Hounds Alumni Race continues to grow in popularity, attracting a record 270 runners.
Following several days of solid rain, conditions on the day were thankfully dry, but extremely muddy underfoot.
I didn’t have the legs to hold on to David Martin (LS 98), who was on fine form following a stunning 2hr 40min personal best in October’s Amsterdam Marathon and led Oundle home in 20th place.
On a break from his studies in Leeds, Johnnie Bland (G 12) was the first of the new recruits, closely followed by Patch Russell (Ldr 12) and Will Hudson (L 12).
The five-mile course was a mere warm-up for Patch and Will, who were training for a 100km ultramarathon around Burgundy’s Morvan National Park in May and raised a phenomenal £4,000 for the Teenage Cancer and Sue Ryder Trusts.
James Crossland (Ldr 04) put in a solid debut performance and was just pipped on the line by Iain Wadie (Sn 87).
The overall team finish was a very credible sixth out of 35 competing teams, a great result amid increasingly stiff competition and among Oundle’s best in recent years.
GOLF
2018 Halford Hewitt
By Steve Carr (S 84)
Our Halford Hewitt campaign at Royal St George’s in April was dogged by unwanted challenges as the tournament grew closer.
First, it didn’t bode well in January at the draw when we found out our first-round opponents would be the talented holders, Epsom.
Then, despite us winning our warm-up match against Denham for the second year running, our practice weekend at Deal in March was scuppered by the grip of winter.
Finally, bit by bit, normally vital team members fell by the wayside for various reasons, including captain Steve Carr, who succumbed to injury during the practice rounds, meaning that the original 11th and 12th men came into the side in the final week.
Things looked up when we won our ‘wine’ match versus Rossall the day before our tournament proper started, giving us a boost for the Epsom game.
As regular Richard ‘Bomber’ Harris (Lx 91) was missing in action, his usual partner, Angus Lang (F 09), was bumped up into trap one with the ever reliable Andy Lightowler
(LS 97).
In pair two we welcomed Tom Goodley (G 99) into the fold for the first time and his partnership with Henry Fray (G 08) would prove fruitful, leading them to be labelled ‘The Schoffel Brothers’.
Back row (left to right): Patch Russell (Ldr 12), Johnnie Bland (G 12), James Crossland (Ldr 04), Iain Wadie (Sn 87). Front row: Will Hudson (L 12), Jon Potts (C 98), David Martin (LS 98)
The 2018 race is expected to take place on the afternoon of Saturday 15th December and weekly evening training runs are planned in central London from the end of the summer onwards.
If you’d like to get involved, please drop me a line (jon@potts-uk.com) or join the club on Strava.
In trap three the firepower of Will Kendall (S 02) was teamed with the steadiness of Peter Edwards (Sc 73), who was making a comeback after a couple of years on the sidelines.
Pair four saw another debutant in the enthusiastic Jack Ireson (L 15), fresh out of school just two and half years previously. He teamed up with the improving lefty, Nick Whalley (C 96).
Finally, we had experience in the shape of Richard Pentecost (St A 05) and Mark Eddy (St A 84), playing in his 30th Hewitt, which bookended the side nicely.
It was cool and breezy when play got underway and it quickly became apparent that it would be a tight affair. As we went deeper into the match, it seemed a scoreline of 3-2 would be the most likely outcome, but which team would have the winning three points was up for debate.
While pairs four and five fought manfully against some excellent play from Epsom, it looked increasingly like it would boil down to the first three matches, where it was nip and tuck.
Lang and Lightowler stood on the 18th tee one up and after Lightowler crunched one down the fairway and Lang hit a wedge into the heart of the green, we needed a two-putt to close it out. Lang duly holed a nervy three-footer for the par four and the first point was on the board.
Match two was a ding-dong battle. After a car crash of a
14th hole, our boys teed off at 15 all square. It was a brute into
the wind and Goodley’s power approach missed right and Fray
faced a tricky 25-yard shot up a bank onto a slick green.
Epsom sat eight feet away in three and were hopeful of a win.
But Fray had other ideas as he plucked his putter out and gave www
SPORT
THE OLD OUNDELIAN 2017 –2018 <<<RETURN TO CONTENTS 29