Narrow wins for Dubai and Les Lions II in Queen’s Cup matches
By Herbert Spencer
The Albwardys’ Dubai won their second Queen’s Cup match Sunday, defeating Victor Vargas’ Lechuza Caracas 9-8 to take the Kerry Packer Trophy at Guards Polo Club.
In their Queen’s Cup opener last week Dubai swamped The Telegraph 13-6. This time, however, it was a different story. Although Dubai kept the lead in five of the six chukkas, their star player, 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso, looked below form as he missed both tries from the field and penalty conversions more than once.
Dubai held the lead until the fifth period when Lechuza Caracas’ Miguel Novillo Astrada converted a spot penalty to tie it up 8-8. A lone goal by Dubai’s newcomer, Francisco Vismara, gave Albwardy’s team victory in the last chukka.
In an earlier match on the beautiful ground at Les Lions Farm, Max Gottschalk’s Les Lions II team beat Jerome Wirth’s Enigma 14-13. Les Lions II led for four of the six chukkas, with the game decided in the last minute of the match when Enigma’s Malcolm Borwick levelled the score at 13-13, only to see Augustin Merlos convert a penalty shot at the final bell to give Les Lions II their win.
All the Queen’s Cup matches except one thus far have been won or lost by only a single goal, with no team standing out as a potential winner of the tournament.