La Bamba de Areco rap 1870 in British Open

La Bamba de Areco rap 1870 in British Open 

By Herbert Spencer

Jean-François Decaux’s La Bamba de Areco swamped Adrian Kirby’s 1870 by 15 goals to 8 in their Group A match of the British Open Championship for the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup at Cowdray Park Polo Club.


It was La Bamba de Areco’s match from the start as they held 1870 scoreless in the first chukka to take a 5-0 lead with three goals by 10-goaler Gonzalito Pieres and two by young English 2-goaler Matt Perry. Gonzalito was high scorer for Decaux’s side, followed by his 10-goal brother Facundo.


French patron Decaux scored his first goal in the third chukka, then in the fifth found the posts three times to give his team their biggest lead of the match, 14-6.


Australian Ruki Ballieu scored six of 1870’s eight goals, with Polito Pieres accounting for two.


La Bamba de Areco, the only team in the tournament with two 10-goalers, now have a 2-0 win/loss record in their group and appear one of the strongest contenders to reach the final stages of this year’s British Open.


In a Group C match Tuesday, Oussama Aboughazale’s Sumaya squeaked past the Australian-patroned Stella Artois 11-10. This was the first Gold Cup match played on Jamie Packer’s new Ellerston ground at Manor Farm across the road from Cowdray Park’s Amersham grounds.