Polo: Lachlan win Ndume title in Gilgil ties

Kigen Moi (in front) of Off beat battles out with Izzy Parsons of Lachlan during The Ndume Christmas Polo Tournament at Manyatta Polo Club in Gilgil Nakuru county on December 16,2018.Photo:Kipsang Joseph/Standard

Handicap 6.5 Lachlan team of Izzy Parsons, Kimoi Moi, Ben Stonewigg and Harry Stichbury are the 2018 Ndume Trophy Christmas Polo champions. 

They achieved the feat after defeating handicap 7 Offbeat team of Archie Voorspuy (3.5), Harry Griffiths(1.5), Kigen Moi(1) and Gideon Moi (1) 13.5-11 in the two-day eight chukka tournament at Gilgil Manyatta Club yesterday.

Starting the match with an advantage of half a fraction of a goal from their low handicap of 6.5, Lachlan proved their prowess against the superior handicap 7 Offbeat team that only scored four times yesterday to add onto the nine goals they scored on Saturday to win 13.5-11.

Yesterday, Offbeat outplayed their opponents in all the four chukkas and scored seven times through Archie Voorspuy (five), Gideon Moi (one) and Kigen Moi (one) to prove their superiority over their opponents. 

Gideon attributed their loss to the temporary absence of Kigen (Moi) whom he described as a utility player.

Kigen was substituted by Chris Foot in their opening match against Lachlan, which they lost 9.5-4 before the final match yesterday. 

"The brief absence of Kigen (Moi) in our opening match affected our play and completely disoriented us before we made a comeback in the final match when he was present. He was an integral part of our playing unit," Gideon Moi told Standard Sports.

Yesterday, Kimoi scored a brace for Lachlan with the rest of the two goals shared between Ben Stonewigg and Harry Stichbury in the last match.

"At first, we panicked, which gave our opponents a chance to close the gap between us and them after a fair start the previous day, but after we stabilised much later in the match, we contained them and won the title," said Kimoi.

After a round-robin of four matches in the second tier tournament of The Kessier Cup, Rift Valley Roses were declared winners with a 7.5-4 triumph over Tack Rack last afternoon.

James Grammaticas (one), William Millar (two), Kaila Millar (two) and Tom Stonewigg (two) scored for Rift Valley Roses while Megan Griffiths and Mike Du Toit each replied with a brace for Tack Rack.

Earlier, Hygrotech team of Chris Foot, Nick Millar, Louis Roumeguere and Izzy Stichbury defeated Morendat 6.5-3 in the penultimate match of the Kessler Cup that had no bearing in the final match.

Izzy Stichbury (three), Millar (two) and Roumeguere (one) scored for the winners while Morendat replied through on form Vishal Somaia who scored a hatrick.

[Ben Ahenda]