Mercedes-Benz Men take 2020 Battle title

It was the Mercedes-Benz men that drove off with top honours this year when the most highly-anticipated local polo tour came to an end this weekend. In front of a massive crowd at the Holders polo ground, the men beat the Diamonds International Barbados women to the title in the 2020 Battle of the Sexes on Sunday evening.

After the Women secured a win on the first day of the series, the men were able to bounce back when the women drew first blood on Sunday. Due to an inferior handicap, the women started with a leg-up of a half-point. To add insult to injury, the women got off the mark first with Paige Boone knocking home a 60-yard penalty in the 4th minute.

The Men got themselves in on the action inside the very next minute with a shot from Rhys Odle, while Luis Clerici followed up in the 6th to see the Men take their first lead with a shot at the North end uprights. The boys continued to pull away with Odle putting away a rather cheeky tap just before the first horn. Clerici made it four with a lovely cut shot at the northern end to finish the first chukka.

There was a single goal in the second chukka and it came from Boone as she fought tooth and nail to keep the women’s dreams of a win alive. Inside the third the girls were blazing toward the southern end with Kylie Sheehan in control before Odle rode her off her line. However, she had done enough work for Boone to come in and complete the transaction, putting the girls within half-point of the boys.

Two minutes into the final chukka, Boone got her hands on a 30-yard penalty and made no mistakes with it to see the girls take the lead once again. However, the boys would have the final say as Odle knocked home a 30-yard penalty of his own to pull out the 5-4 1/2 win in the final.

The other game of the evening saw the finals of The Villages tour going to the Barbados team. Goals from Philip Tempro (1), Adam Deane (1), Pablo Crespin (3) and Jamie Dickson (1) saw the locals coming out 7-5 1/2 winners over the visiting side of Boone (1) – who played twice on the day – Lord Lyall, Francisco Llosa (1) and Francisco Bilbao (3).