Polo: Rangitikei A complete three-peat

BAY FLAVOUR: Bill Glazebrook, centre, was the only Hawke's Bay player in the winning Dewar Cup polo team yesterday. PHOTO/DUNCAN BROWN

Many Hawke's Bay polo players have played the sport for a decade or more and never got their hands on the province's most prestigious piece of silverware, the Dewar Cup.

Kereru farmer Bill Glazebrook has only played for three years but this lack of experience didn't stop the -1 goaler from contributing to Rangitikei A's 5-2 win against Rangitikei B in yesterday's final of the Hawke's Bay Open played in ideal conditions at Elwood Park, Hastings.

"I played for a little bit 28 years ago. But circumstances didn't allow me to play again until three years ago when I joined the Birchleigh club," Glazebrook, 54, explained before his team collected the cup and $5000 first prize at the prizegiving for the three-day, 15-team event.

"Angus needed a player with my handicap and had nobody handy so the Hawke's Bay club put him on to me. I was very lucky to be a part of it and must thank the McKelvie family," Glazebrook said referring to Rangitikei A captain and No 4 Angus McKelvie who was inspirational as Rangitikei A won the cup for a third consecutive year.

"Whether or not they will want me again next year will depend on the handicaps," he added.

McKelvie's wife and 0 goaler, No 2 Harri McKelvie, and brother and No 3, two-goaler Cam McKelvie, were also in the winning team which led 1-0 after the first of four chukkas after a field goal from Angus who missed two shots at goal later in the chukka. The Rangitikei B team also had a family affair touch with Douglas Duncan and his son Mark playing alongside Adam Howarth and Nathan Schimanski.

No 3 Mark Duncan, who was the best of his team's players particularly with his composure on defence, scored the equaliser in the second chukka before Angus McKelvie gave the defending champs a 2-1 halftime lead when he succeeded with a penalty attempt.

The turning point in the final came in the third chukka when Rangitikei B were unlucky to be penalised for an infringement as a goal was scored. Minutes later Angus McKelvie converted another penalty attempt to give his team a 3-1 lead going into the final chukka.

He extended this lead early in the fourth with a field goal after sitting in the pocket and capitalising on some over-runs. Mark Duncan closed the gap with a penalty attempt but time was running out for his team.

It was appropriate five-goaler Angus McKelvie should have the final say with a spectacular field goal because he was the star of the tournament. Angus McKelvie scored the winning goal in Saturday's 12-11 win against Hawke's Bay Salsa on Saturday to end the Bay team's hopes of reaching the final.

His success during the weekend was the ideal way of erasing the disappointment he experienced as a member of the Mystery Creek team which lost 9-8 to South Island team Hurunui in the final of the national Savile Cup tournament in Hastings last month.