NAVY NEWS, SEPTEMBER 2001
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Winner is so close to the star prize THE WINNER of the 16th RN Divers golf championship might have taken the honours - hut he was agonisingly close to an even bigger prize. After nearly ten years, Lt Tug Wilson won the title by one shot, scoring 151 over the two rounds at the Southwick Park club. But at the par-three 17th he hit the flag with his tee shot - and had it dropped into the cup, Tug would have been driving home in an MGZ car, the top prize for a holc-
Kent links up with the Gills Current PTIs have the edge
THE NAVY'S newest operational warship has forged a new link with a First Division football club. Following initial links when HMS Kent visited the county, a Gillingham youth team travelled to Portsmouth to take on the frigate's football side, accompanied by the club's commercial and public relations manager John Evans, who spent nine years in the Navy. Before the match John presented LPT Howe, of HMS Kent, with a new home kit
for the sailors. The Navy side soon realised they would have their work cut out. Already weakened by key players being away on leave or taking courses, they had to play without influential central midfielder PO Paddy Maunder, who was knocked off his bike the night before and suffered a dislocated shoulder.
Despite Paddy's encouragement from the sidelines, his team-mates struggled to cope with the Gills' stars of tomorrow.
Jones Awuah grabbed a hat-trick as the visitors rattled in seven goals without reply, although OM Jamie Beckley and STD Pony Moore went close. HMS Kent has now deployed to the Gulf, where the football side will spread the word about Gillingham while playing local teams. Photographs and match reports of fixtures the ship plays on tour will be sent back to the UK to feature in the Gills' match day programmes.
in-onc. Another competitor was just four inches from the hole, but the car, and a series of other prizes, including holidays, at other parthree holes were unclaimed. Helped by the Mediterranean weather conditions, the competition attracted a record 126 entries, presenting officials with a major headache in sorting out the scores at the end of the day. Second in the main competition was CPO(D) A. Wheeler, with PO(D) W. Sharp crowned
The prizes were presented by Cdr Chris Amcyc of the Defence Diving School, and the raffle helped raise £300 for AB Diver Eddie Silcox, who recently underwent surgery to remove tumours from his brain. The following supported the event: Haskel Energy Systems, Solent Divers, Carlcton
Technologies Inc, MSI Defence Systems Ltd, Molecular Products, Divcx, David Williams Engraving, O'Donnel's Bar, Oban, Key
Transport Services, Vie Andcrton Repairs.
Switch to snow no problem SKIERS from HMS Cumberland, recently returned from the heat of the Gulf and India, made an effective switch to snow in order to win a top prize at the RN Artificial Ski
Slope championships. Held on real snow at the Snozone complex at Milton Keyncs, the event took the form of a series of slalom and hcad-tohead dual slalom races which tested skiers and snowboardcrs from
across the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. Cumberland's team of four performed well in the individual slalom, winning the Minor Units title, and also provided the backbone of the Plymouth Command team which lost narrowly to Naval Air Command in the dual slalom
event. Two of the frigate's team - Lt Cdr Alex Bark and Lt Gavin Jappy - have been selected for this winter's Royal Navy ski team. CMEA Andy Beddard and MEA Adam Hawkins completed the
Cumberland team.
FOR THE first time in three years, the current crop proved to have the edge in the annual cricket clash between serving PTIs and
their predecessors. Played at HMS Dryad, the game was a close affair, with many making the 25 and having to retire - a local rule! The ex-serving PTIs were all out for 143, a tricky target, but the youngsters stuck to their task and matched the score with two wickets still in hand. The victory charge was led by WO(PT) Duncan Roberts (25*) and POPT Henry Cooper, while the partnership of CPOPT Dai Whitchcad and LPT Scan Cole hit the winning runs. This marked the last year that Gcoff Osbourne would captain the ex-serving side, as he is heading off to the United States. lan Rees will take over the reins.
Aussies are too strong for Services
Fullerton Sherwood Stablcford champion. First and Second Division winners were cx-CPO(D) E. Pattinson and ex-AB Diver K. Kcablc, scoring 77 and 75 points respectively. The Crookhorn Stcclcrs won the Solent Divers team trophy, and PO(D) W. Sharp and exLeading Diver S. Silcox won the pairs. Cdr Tony Podmorc was the Guests First Division winner, and ex-Lt Cdr J. Coggins won the Veterans' Trophy, played over 18 holes.
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THE COMBINED Services cruised to a win against the ECB
Schools at Vine Lane, but then came unstuck against a strong Australian touring side at Burnaby • HMS Nelson wicketkeeper Lt Andrew Ainsley attempts to catch a Heron batsman during the Navy Cup final at Burnaby Road.
Champions routed NAVY cricketers' confidence going into the inter-Services competition proved unfounded as the reigning champions lost both their matches to finish bottom of the pile. The first day at Burnaby Road saw the RAF restrict the Army to 176-7 in 50 overs. With the wicket drying and a heavy roller used between innings, the experienced RAF openers got their team off to a flying start, and the airmen reached their target in the 39th over with eight wickets in hand. On the second day the Navy invited the Army to bat on a damp wicket, and with the home bowlers keeping up the pressure the Army struggled to 111-7 before heavy rain forced the abandonment of
the game. The Navy again won the toss on Day 3 and put the RAF in. Despite a very early breakthrough, when RAF captain Mark Bray fell to the
second ball of the day, the RAF built up momentum and finished on 181-9, with LS Steve Miles
returning figures of 4-32.
other end. Miles hit a breezy 29 not out, but AEM Steve Robinson (75*) the Navy fell short by 24 runs. maintained the attack, but when New Navy caps were presented Snelling fell Robinson started to to the following during the tournarun out of partners until the arrival ment: Mne Stuart Phelps, AEM
Confident of bettering a scoring rate of less than four runs an over, the Navy got off to a shaky start, losing two wickets with just 15 on the board. Accurate scam bowling of Steve Miles at 185-8 off 44 from SAC S. Sergeant (6-32) pre- overs, with a target of 11 runs an vented the RN batsmen from settling in, and only Lt Peter Andrew (22), skipper Lt Paul Snclling (18), new cap PO Gary Braithwaitc (22) and Ll Cdr Chris Slocombc ( 1 1 ) managed to get into double figures. The Navy could only manage 92 in 36 overs, 89 short of the new champions, the RAF. A SCORE of 103 in the Navy The spare day was invoked to Cup cricket knock-out final did complete the tournament, and not look nearly enough for again Paul Snelling won the toss Heron to take the title from and asked the opposition to bat holders HMS Nelson - but the but this time the Army batsmen air station's bowlers had other ideas. proved more difficult to winkle out and their side amassed 263-6 off With dark clouds threatening their 50 overs. throughout, Heron struggled to The Navy were quickly into their a paltry 103, with Lt Cdr Chris stride, with opener LPT Mark Slocombe (31) and CPO Paul Toogood smashing a rapid 71 off Barsby (29) providing most of 59 balls while Paul Snelling (28) the runs, while Lt Cdr Guy played an anchoring role at the Lewis netted 4-16 for Nelson.
Steve
Robinson,
PO
Gary
Braithwaite, Lt Cdr Guy Lewis and Lt Andrew Ainsley.
Low score proves more than enough But when the home side came to the crease they found the Heron bowlers too hot to handle. Lt Cdr Slocombe bagged 6-11 and CPO Barsby 2-20 as the holders were skittled out for just 80, with PO Yprkie Kitchen scoring 25, to give Heron victory by 23 runs. Simon Bateman of Allied
Domecq presented bottles of rum to all the players, with a large bottle going to man of the match Chris Slocombe.
Records fall at Bisley competitions WARRANT Officer Tom Sands has won a record fifth Queen's Medal by claiming top honours at the annual Royal Navy and Royal Marines Skill at Arms competition at Bisley.
the honours. The final phase was the prestigious interService competition, when the combined eight competed against the Army and
units across the Navy, using the SA80 Service rifle. Individual honours in the Royal Navy pistol championship went to Capt Simon Lucas RM, who achieved the highest overall score in the six stages shot with the standard issue 9mm Browning pistol. Concurrent with the individual competitions was the team event, between the Royal Marines. Portsmouth, the Fleet Air Arm, and Plymouth and Scotland - and for the first time the Royal Marines went away with the lion's share of the trophies, with the Fleet Air Arm close behind. The final event of the single Service phase of Bisley was the keenly-fought head-to-head match between the RN and the RM for th Aldershot Cup. This Service rifle team event pits 11 marksmen from each team, firing in precision rapid, snap and fire with movement practices, and it was the Navy which took
record scores but were just unable to catch the Army, though they consigned the RAF to third place. Meanwhile HMS Sherwood won
England/Wales Under-19s side against India U19s there was evidence of nerves in the field, and a steady pace was achieved by the Services batsmen, who reached 177 with five wickets in hand and two overs to spare. Put in by the Australian
Crusaders, the Services were pinned down from the start by tight bowling, and only 11 runs were on the board after ten overs
at the fall of the first wicket. The home side eventually crawled to 116 for 9 in 49.3 overs on a challenging wicket - but the tourists, in what they regarded as one of the premier matches on their tour, made a brisk start, despite losing a wicket in the third over. Stands of 50 and 30 for the second and third wickets against an undcr-strength Services attack put them well on their way, and the Crusaders passed their hosts' tar-
get after only 28.2 overs to win by eight wickets. The Services Under 25s had a good win against a touring Indian
Academy side at Aldershot. Arshad Ayub Cricket Academy was put in to bat and struggled to
130 in the 41st over, but the Servicemen found the mixed pace
brought them a five-wicket victory in the 33rd over.
In both events the Navy team set
Sports climbers to battle it out
all but one event at the RN Reserve skill at arms competition at Bisley. The team came first in the Roupell (Graham Challenge tro-
THE inter-Services sports climbing championships, organised by the three Service mountaineering associations, take place on
phy), the Whitehead (Duke of
in the history of the RNR to achieve this.
overs. With places at stake for the
expected, and they had to work hard for the 134 runs which
RAF using pistol and rifle.
Westminster trophy) and the pistol (Viscount Elvedon trophy) competitions, and second in the Fibua competition, securing the Cock of the Fleet trophy. And for the ninth year in a row, PO Nigel Raddie won the Tync Cup for rifle champion at arms, and the Vulture Cup for pistol - the only rating
wicket down and a combination of nagging Services bowling and athletic fielding, the scoring rate was low, and the youngsters' innings closed with 17ft on the board for the loss of nine wickets after 50
and spin attack caused them more problems than they might have
Royal Navy and Royal Marines team of
WO Sands (CTC Lympstone) took the championship after seven days of competition between 50 sailors and Royals, representing the best shots from
Road. The Schools won the toss and elected to bat, but with an early
September 12. Details of the event, sponsored by Cotswold Essential Outdoor, High Places and HB Climbing Equipment, arc available from Lt • A Bisley marksman's view of the Bisley ranges.
Mick Cookc (RNAS Yeovilton) on 935106027(01935456027).