The netball VII began the 2016 season with a tournament at Bedford Modern School. Their first game was indoors against the NHS B team. The shooters were quickly able to get their eye in, which was clearly reflected by a final score of 36-0. Next in the group stage was Stowe. The defence proved strong at vital times. In particular, Izzy Myers (Sn) performed well. The final score against Stowe was a 13-1 win. For their third match they faced Wellingborough. Anna Hodgkinson (N) and Lucy Varley (N) were able to convert the opportunities consistently, leading to a winning score of 11-3. The final match in the group stage was Kimbolton. Hebe Hughes (K) and Flo Garnett (D) put great pressure on Kimbolton, while the defence was resolute with Mairi Donaldson (N) working well. The final score was 9-5 to Oundle. They met Felsted in the semi-final. Izzy Myers intercepted consistently and the shooters, Ellie Joseland (N) and Dora Nicolle (W) got in almost every shot. Ruby Goodall (L) ensured the game was played on their terms, and after an intense second half, the final score was 13-10 to Oundle, taking them through to the final against Wisbech School. The team maintained the same work rate that they had demonstrated from the beginning of the tournament, and when the final whistle blew, the score was 22-7 to Oundle, who won the tournament without losing a single game.
The Netball Club also travelled to Perse for their second tournament of the season. Unfortunately, the games didn’t go as well as at the previous tournament and the team were fifth at the close of play. Overall, the team has made a positive start to the new season, and are full of confidence for the fixtures ahead.
Elsewhere in the Club the U16C netball team played a closely fought match against Trent 2nd, losing 21-15. The U14E netball team had an outstanding victory against Bloxham, winning convincingly, 18-0, as did the U16Bs, who played against Bloxham and made a promising start to the season with a 24-9 win.
The boys hockey 1st match on Saturday was a tough fixture against a well prepared 1st team from Rugby School. The team got off to a poor start, and Rugby scored two goals before Oundle knew what was happening. After that they regained control and held most of the possession for the remainder of the match, although they didn't manage to capitalise on their opponent’s mistakes as much as they would have liked. Rugby then managed to put two more goals in when Oundle’s concentration slipped. However, Oundle then scored a well worked short corner routine with Max Norris (F) putting in the finishing touches. The final score was 4-1 to Rugby. As a new team playing together for the first time, it was a decent debut, with new members proving themselves to be indispensable in all aspects of the game.
At the start of the Quarter, the 1st XI football team played away at Rugby School for a pre-season tournament. They quickly dusted away any Christmas cobwebs, and with very little team training won four out of four matches. They returned with a trophy and plenty of confidence for the forthcoming season.
Dylan Martens (L)