Fives Team Triumphs in National Williams Cup Competition

Having given George B time to change after his rugby semi-final, the fives team set off on Saturday afternoon on one of its regular forays to the South.

The Williams Cup is a 3-pair national competition which Shrewsbury has won for just the second time since 2012. Our team of 8 players, rotating, played matches against Charterhouse, Ipswich and Eton before meeting title-holders St Olave’s in the last round of the day. Shrewsbury had only dropped 2 of a possible 18 points in the tournament; St Olave’s had dropped just one, so we needed to win the fixture 4-2 or better to win the competition.

Each pair played two games and all three matches were evenly matched. After half an hour, we were 0-2 down after an agonising 11-12 at pair three and an almost equally tight 10-12 at two; at pair 1 our captain was suffering cramps. He had played every round, so had around four hours’ court time in his legs. Salopian backs were very much to the wall: we had to win every remaining game. First pair pulled through with a 12-9 win to keep hope alive. The minibus was raided for every remaining milligram of electrolyte.

The phrase "by the barest of margins" really does apply - in their second game, Freddie O and Jack L found themselves at 11-11, next point wins. With the opposition serving on Championship point, one of our shots went into play only with the help of an auspicious Carthusian ledge – no finer margin could there be. Still there was hope. Freddie and Jack pulled through to win. Our second pair had walked off between games and had a word with themselves; I would like to bottle whatever it was they said; they blitzed the second game to win 12-0. This left us 3-2 up in the fixture with just the first pair – Mike D and George B – left on court in the winner-takes-all final game of the day. They had to force their heart and nerve and sinew to serve their turn long after they were gone; but serve they did, taking their third Championship point to win the game and secure the cup.

A full team effort which added, as Shrewsbury sides seem to enjoy doing, several years to their coaches' ages. Callum D and Nathan H had put everything into earlier rounds and had won every game they played. Mike D captained with energy and utter commitment. George B was on court for every match and deserves special mention, having added four hours’ of court time to a National rugby semi-final on Saturday afternoon.

Mr Seb Cooley, Senior Fives Coach