Polo: Samurai edge out Royal Salute

 

Defending champions, Samurai, edged Royal Salute 5-4 to keep their hopes of retaining the annual Davis Cup alive at the Nairobi Polo Club in Jamhuri yesterday.

Hiromi Nzomo was the star of the see-saw match with a hat-trick. She was successfully assisted to the goals by her father Raphael and teammates Kevin Tanui and Magda Jurkowiecka.

Royal Salute, led by national team captain Rowena Stichbury, was the first to find the opponents back-line in the second minute of the opening chukka.

The goal was scored by Stitchbury who grabbed a lose midfield pass, paced with it then slotted it from an acute left angle which was out of reach for her challengers.

Nzomo replied for Samurai a minute later with similar skillful work that involved both power and intensity. Nzomo missed another open chance in the eighth minute after her shot went wide.

Samurai were punished a minute later by Dom Grammaticus who converted a left cross to make it 2-1 for Royal Salute before the sides proceeded for a break.

Samurai rose to the occasion in the second chukka, equalizing immediately on resumption through Raphael who tapped in a midfield pass from Jurkowiecka to make it 2-2.