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This is a brand new event aimed at the Midlands schools’ and any other schools that want to attend. It is a school pairing competition and any school can enter up to fives of their best school pairs in the under 14 age group.

In this the inaugural year we had a good entry of ten pairs from three different schools; Wolverhampton, St Olave’s and King Edwards Birmingham. The pairs were divided into two pools of five pairs, with each pair playing four one game matches to fifteen points. The top two pairs from each pool going through to a semi-final, final or third place play off. The remaining three pairs in both pools to enter the Plate competition (one big pool of five pairs) playing all against all in one game match to twelve points.

Pool Stages

The pool stages showed a range of promising young players from all schools. In Pool A the St Olave's pair of Tony Barker & Ryan Wilkinson breezed through their Pool matches, with their excellent vollies and back court shots. Unfortunately the King Edwards second pair had to withdraw due to injury.

Pool B had some very close matches. The best match at that stage of the competition was the St Olave's second pair Harry Ravi and Ed Philips, against Wolverhampton’s first pair Tom Weston & Matt Pritchard. It was neck and neck all the way. The St Olave's pair winning by just one point 15-14; it could have gone either way.

Finals

The top two qualifiers from each pool, to reach the semi-finals were:
St Olave’s 1 (T Barker & R Wilkinson) v St Olave’s 2 (H Ravi & E Phillips)
King Edwards 1 (G Murali & N Molnard) v St Olave’s 4 (A Panchara & S Kundu)

The semi-finals were well contested with great play all round.
St Olave’s 1 beat St Olave’s 2
King Edwards 1 beat St Olave’s 4 to make their way to the final

The final was between St Olave’s 1 and King Edwards 1. The St Olave's pair put up a great fight but could not defeat the King Edwards pair who played exceptionally well on top step along with their attacking “around the wall” shots into the buttress.

King Edwards 1 (G.Murali & N.Molnard) beat St Olave’s 1 (T.Barker & R.Wilkinson)
15-9

The Plate

The Plate consisted of five pairs, which were the pairs that did not qualify for the knock out stage. There were some very well contested matches which saw Wolverhampton 1 get to the final to play King Edwards 3. This match was not to be missed. It was a one game battle to fifteen points which went to the wire. Both George Worthing and Mark Yates were off their seats egging on their pairs to win with the Wolverhampton pair coming out on top to win the Plate Trophy 15-14.

It was a fantastic and worthwhile day of Fives and it was great to see genuine Midland’s pairs win the main event and the plate section. Well done to all player’s, and thank you to Mark Yates for his help in organising the event with the School and George for bringing the King Edwards boys.

D.E.A.R.

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Midland Schools 2007-2008 Report by Dominique Redmond
Created 17th January by Mike Fenn
efa@etonfives.co.uk

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