BY OSCAR PILIPILI
Fans’ hopes to watch Springbok’s captain Selby Williamson in Chevrolet Kenya Open polo tournament main cup final were disappointed after his team Chevrolet Cruz lost 5-4.5 to Chevrolet Captiva in a seeding match.
Cruz team, that also featured handicap two Philip Arungah, Phyllippa Marion (0) and Eugene Ngumbao (-1.5) was seeded fifth, while Captiva (Craig Millar, Jonty Barclay, Jonathan Stichbury and Jojo Barlow) were ranked second after day one matches.
Three winners, including Tall Horse and Captiva, were to be reseeded to determine top two sides that advance to the championship final today. The experienced Williamson plays in lower category.
Handicap three Casimir Gross and handicap 1.5 Charlie Dyer scored four goals each to help Tall Horse jump over Sandstorm with 8.5-3 victory in a match between seed three and four teams at Nairobi Polo Club yesterday.
Indian Professional
Indian professional, handicap three Ambhimanyu Pathak and Chris Foot replied for Sandstorm with one goal apiece, but that was not enough to bury Tall Horse during the tournament sponsored by General Motors under Chevrolet brand.
Shield final pits Capital FM team of handicap three Mini Trappe, Hansie Bruin (2), Vishal Somaia (1) and Craig Goodwin 9-0.5) against Standard Bank Private Clients quartet of Zimbabwean handicap five star Rory Twort, Dominique Grammaticas (0.5), Tony Sugden (0.5) and Rishi Ahluwalia match is scheduled for 10.30am at Stables field.
Karen Provision Stores team of handicap five Brad McGibbon, Nicola Barlow (0.5), Michael Camm (0) and Gideon Moi (0.5) face CFC Stanbic (Richard Stonewigg (3.5), Quentin Savage (1.5), Sarah Griffiths (0.5) and Suki Shretta (-0.5) in Wooden Spoon final scheduled for 9.30am today.
Karen went down 4.5-4 against Clients in a match pitting second best loser versus fifth best loser.
McGibbon converted three goals for Karen while Barlow contributed one in their match against Clients.
Clients had a bountiful day scoring through Twort who recorded a brace while Sugden and Ahluwalia managed one goal apiece to bank Karen.
Stanbic galloped their way to Wooden Spoon category after they lost 6-5.5 against Capital FM in a match between third best looser and fourth best loser.
Chevrolet Kenya Open is a 4-6 goal tournament and has attracted top professionals South African captain Williamson and national teammate handicap five McGibbon.
The tournament which is the most prestigious in Kenya’s polo calendar reach climax today with five final matches and two subsidiary encounters today.
And if attendance over first two days is anything to charge by, then Nairobi Polo Club will be filled to capacity with visiting professionals gracing the finals.
