Dubai beat EFG Bank Aravali in British Open
By Herbert Spencer
The Albwardys’ Dubai defeated Karan Thapar’s EFG Bank Aravali 12-7 in their Saturday league match of the British Open Championship for the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup at Cowdray Park Polo Club.
EFG Bank Aravali’s Marcos Di Paola scored first, Dubai’s Ignacio Heguy equalised, then goals by Di Paola and Mark Tomlinson put EFG Bank Aravali ahead 3-1 at the end of the first chukka. In the second period three straight goals by Dubai’s Heguy and 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso gave Dubai the lead before EFG Bank Aravali’s Di Paola tied it up again 4-4.
Dubai upped their game in the third chukka, holding EFG Bank Aravali scoreless and taking a 7-4 lead at halftime. Cambiaso scored two to Di Paola’s one in the fourth period to increase Dubai’s advantage to 9-5.
Scoring was equal in the fifth chukka leaving Dubai 10-6 up. In the sixth and final period, EFG Bank Aravali’s Eduardo Novillo Astrada pulled one back before Cambiaso and Rashid Albwardy scored to confirm Dubai’s victory.
In the day’s other two league matches, Nick Clarke’s Salkeld downed James Packer’s Ellerston 12-9 and the Hanburys’ El Remanso defeated Jerome Wirth’s Enigma 11-8.
Sunday’s British Open league games will be Piaget v Zacara, Richard Mille v Coca-Cola and Thai Polo v Talandracas.