Promising Longparish and Hampshire junior age group cricketer Billy Mead has underlined his all-round sporting talents - by becoming a national schools rackets champion.
The 17-year old Marlborough College student won the prestigious Renny Cup at the National Schools Rackets Championships at Queens.
He dug deep showing real character and determination to pull back from two sets down to win the title.
Seeded fifth in the week-long tournament, Mead lost the opening game in his first round match, but then didn’t drop another as he swept into the final beating a succession of opponents from Cheltenham, Tonbridge, Eton, Harrow and Rugby.
He went into the final against the second seed from Wellington College in great form and with high hopes.
But all did not go according to plan.
“I struggled to find a good length and hit too many balls back into the centre of the court for my opponent to kill with ease,” he explained.
“Very quickly the first game went 9/15 and then the second I lost 10/15. I really had to dig deep and do it the hard way.”
Mead, who took up rackets four years ago when he went to Marlborough, promptly won the next two games 15/7 and 15-9 to take the final to a fifth leg.
Mead went 6/1 up, checked his opponent’s comeback to lead 12/6 and,after numerous twists and turns in a nail biting final, he eventually secured the crucial Renny Cup winning point from 14/10 up.
Marlborough professional Rob Wakely, who won the Renny Cup himself 40 years ago, said: “It was a fantastic effort of will for Billy to pull himself back from two games down in a best of five match and he richly deserves his victory at the end of his college singles career.”
Mead, who lives next door to distinguished former Times cricket correspondent John Woodcock in Longparish, will swap his racket for his cricket bat when he returns to Marlborough for the Lent term.
The Hampshire Under-17 cricketer has been appointed Marlborough captain next summer and will lead the college team in a February half-term tour to Barbados.
* Billy Mead is pictured with the Renny Cup alongside Marlborough rackets professional Rob Wakely.
The 17-year old Marlborough College student won the prestigious Renny Cup at the National Schools Rackets Championships at Queens.
He dug deep showing real character and determination to pull back from two sets down to win the title.
Seeded fifth in the week-long tournament, Mead lost the opening game in his first round match, but then didn’t drop another as he swept into the final beating a succession of opponents from Cheltenham, Tonbridge, Eton, Harrow and Rugby.
He went into the final against the second seed from Wellington College in great form and with high hopes.
But all did not go according to plan.
“I struggled to find a good length and hit too many balls back into the centre of the court for my opponent to kill with ease,” he explained.
“Very quickly the first game went 9/15 and then the second I lost 10/15. I really had to dig deep and do it the hard way.”
Mead, who took up rackets four years ago when he went to Marlborough, promptly won the next two games 15/7 and 15-9 to take the final to a fifth leg.
Mead went 6/1 up, checked his opponent’s comeback to lead 12/6 and,after numerous twists and turns in a nail biting final, he eventually secured the crucial Renny Cup winning point from 14/10 up.
Marlborough professional Rob Wakely, who won the Renny Cup himself 40 years ago, said: “It was a fantastic effort of will for Billy to pull himself back from two games down in a best of five match and he richly deserves his victory at the end of his college singles career.”
Mead, who lives next door to distinguished former Times cricket correspondent John Woodcock in Longparish, will swap his racket for his cricket bat when he returns to Marlborough for the Lent term.
The Hampshire Under-17 cricketer has been appointed Marlborough captain next summer and will lead the college team in a February half-term tour to Barbados.
* Billy Mead is pictured with the Renny Cup alongside Marlborough rackets professional Rob Wakely.
