Zacara, Talandracas fall in Cartier Queen’s Cup
By Herbert Spencer
Lyndon Lea’s Zacara, winners of the last British and US Open Championships, were eliminated from the Cartier Queen’s Cup Saturday when they were narrowly defeated on handicap by Nick Clarke’s Salkeld 9-8.
Zacara, originally one of the favourites in the 22-goal Guards Polo Club tournament, have now lost all three of their league matches and so are out of contention.
Salkeld, a 21-goal team, started the match with a point on the scoreboard reflecting the handicap difference and it was this that gave them their win.
Patron Clarke scored first for Salkeld, answered by Zacara’s patron Lea, and the first chukka ended with Salkeld 3-2 up. Scoring was equal in the second period, leaving Salkeld 5-4 ahead. Zacara outscored Salkeld in the third chukka to tie the match 7-7 at halftime.
Each team scored a single goal in the fourth period, leaving the game tied 8-8. Salkeld held Zacara scoreless in the fifth chukka and their James Beim hit the winning goal, with neither team scoring in the sixth and final period.
Luke Tomlinson, captain of the England national team, was high scorer for Salkeld, chalking up six of the team’s points.
In the day’s other league match, Iñigo Zobel’s Ayala beat Edouard Carmignac’s Talandracas, the Queen’s Cup titleholders, by 11 goals to 9. Newcomers Ayala became the first team with a 3-0 win/loss record, guaranteeing them a place in the quarter-finals.
Sunday’s league games in the Cartier Queen’s Cup will be Dubai v Les Lions, Cortium v Belmont Farm and EFG Bank Aravali v Saudi Zedan.