From an entry of 8 teams, the 8 goal Benson Cup Final was played between Bamboleo/Madams Farm and Maiz Dulce on Sunday 30^th June when spectators saw an excellent high-scoring match.

In Christian Staubach’s Bamboleo /Madams Farm team Will Millard (0 goals) took the number 1 position, with Staubach (0 goals) at 2, Nick Johnson (3 goals) at 3 and Glenn Sherriff (5 goals) at Back.  In Peter Barfoot’s Maiz Dulce side, Millie Barfoot (0 goals) played at 1, Will Harper (2 goals) at 2, John Martin (2 goals) at 3 and Pedro Harrison (4 goals) at 4.

Less than two minutes into the first chukka Pedro Harrison scored the opening goal for Maiz Dulce.  Racing away from the throw-in, he stick and balled all the way to the goal for his second score, and within less than five minutes he had made the score 3-0.  Sherriff and Johnson combined to make the first mark on the scoreboard for Bamboleo, the ball going through the posts off the stick of Nick Johnson, but before the bell had sounded to end the chukka Harrison had sent a beautiful lofted shot over the goal posts and it was 4-1 in Maiz Dulce’s favour. 

In chukka  2, a whistle against Bamboleo’s Johnson gave Harrison the chance to put a penalty shot through for  Maiz Dulce, luck being on his side as the ball hit the post before running through and 5-1 in the Barfoot team’s favour.  Being in the right position is the essence of the game and young Will Millard  was well placed in front of goal to finish a good effort by Sherriff and pull a goal back for Bamboleo/Madams Farm.  However by the close of the chukka Maiz Dulce had consolidated their lead at 8-2.

Although Bamboleo/Madams Farm made two goals in the third chukka, Maiz Dulce’s tightly-knit organized formation could simply do no wrong under Harrison’s captaincy and by chukka’s end the score had racked up to 9-4.  The final chukka saw determined play by Johnson and Sherriff to try and close the gap, Sherriff backing a lovely shot through to make it 9-5, but Will Harper answered with a superb run down the pitch to take Maiz Dulce’s score into double figures.  From the throw-in Sherriff dashed away to score a well-earned goal but the match was really all about Maiz Dulce and Harrison’s seven excellent goals, their victory being an impressive 10-6.  Lily Charteris presented the Benson Cup to Millie Barfoot and prizes to all players.  Pedro Harrison’s Ellie was judged to be the Best Playing Pony of the match.