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Solent A Team Match 3

Match 3 - Kingston - 3rd July 2004

- By Adam Richardson solentateam@hotmail.com, Team Manager

- Note: You can get a bigger versions of all these pictures from the Photo Gallery, click on BML 3: Kingston, 03/July/04. These pictures were taken by Adam Richardson.

League: British Athletics League : Division 4
Team: Team Solent A Team
Match: 3
Location: Kingston
Date: 3rd July 2004

'Solent set up promotion decider'
A third place in the match has moved Team Solent up to third position in the league with just one match remaining. Solent trail Herne Hill and Crawley and means we must now win the last match (and hope Crawley finish two places and 37 points behind us) to clinch promotion.


Lee Tindal wins the 110m Hurdles 'A' string

For the first time in a few seasons Solent looked like a team with confidence and belief as we raced into a 20 point lead at the half way stage in the match.


Ben Richardson follows up with 1st in the 'B'

During one half hour spell on the track Solent piled on the points with four straight victories in the 400m for Pete Brend (49.57) and Darryn Campbell (49.67) followed in the 110m Hurdles by Lee Tindal (15.16) and Ben Richardson (15.84)


Tom Berry closing in on the line in the 'B' 100

Pete Brend followed up his victory in the 400 with another first place in the 'B' string 200m (22.76) and then ran a hero's leg in the 400m relay to put Darryn Campbell in the lead on the last leg


200m: Pete Brend powers down the straight

There was more success in the 100m where Darren Wall (11.34) and Tom Berry (11.57) both acheived 2nd places. Darren then suffered heartache in the 200m where he was disqualified for running on the inside of his lane, but bounced straight back by contributing to both relay victories.


4x100: Buller gives Wall the lead on final leg

The successful quartet from Derby of Ben Richardson, Tom Berry, Chris Buller and Wall put on a repeat performance at Kingston to ensure maximum points.


Debutant pole vaulter - Matt Day

There were several useful additions to the team which provided some welcome extra strength. Matthew Day, a student at Loughborough University, making his debut for Solent showed promise with a 3m jump in the pole vault (he would have got higher, but it was so windy that it blew the pole back onto the bar after he had safely cleared 3m10).


Andy Bargh over the final hurdle

Gary Solitt also slotted into the team and gained a victory in the 'A' string shot putt, throwing 15m99 and despite leading at the bell in the 1,500m, Tommy Davies had to settle for second place with 4m04.88.


John Beattie battles with the wind in the 5K

There were other consistent performances from John Beattie in the 5,000m and Alex Wall-Clarke, who finished runner up in the 'B' string 1,500m. Iain Robertson also gave a good account of himself to finish 3rd as our only runner in the steeplechase.


1,500m: Tommy Davies in the lead

Andy Bargh and Gavin Hodgson again provided good early points in the 400m Hurdles, with Gavin making it 3 wins out of 3 in the 'B' string this season.


1,500m: Alex Wall-Clarke stays in contention

There was more progress on the track where Russell Osborn improved on his 6th place in Norwich and his 5th place in Derby, with a 4th in the 800m. He was ably assisted by Simon Plummer, who picked up a 3rd place in the 'B' string.


Andy Waters drives accross the discus circle


Braced for release - Gary Solitt in this shot

The standards in the field were markedly improved from Norwich and Derby, but Andy Waters performed well in the discus and shot and improved again in the hammer with a throw of 32m87. I also managed to throw a seasons best 36m97 for 5th place in the 'B' string discus. Meanwhile, Anthony Llewelyn and Malcolm Bourne provided more points in the javelin.


Gavin Hodgson comes home to 'B' string 1st

However, points were very hard to come by in the jumps. Chris Buller, Tom Berry, Ben Richardson and I struggled to add many points to the tally.


Anthony Llewelyn on the runway


4x400m: Tom Berry on the first leg

The 4 x 400m relay was a fitting way to finish the match with a new line up Tom Berry (54.4), Darren Wall (50.4), Pete Brend (49.4) and Darryn Campbell (49.4) giving Solent it's first win in the longer relay this year. (N.B. Our time would have also got us first at either Norwich or Derby!)


4x400m: Darren Wall catches them (above) and Pete Brend passes them (below)


4x400m: Darryn Campbell comes home infront

This was another very good result and puts us in with a shout for promotion going into the last match. To get promoted we must aim to win the next match with a big points total and trust that Herne Hill get the better of Crawley.

Therefore, it is essential that we have the strongest team possible for the last match in order to give it a real go. So mark your diaries, change your shifts to get out of work and gear up your training because on 31st July at Abingdon (Oxfordshire) we need to be on fire! (Yes Dad - Ed!)

Adam Richardson (& Terese Swain)
Team Solent A Team Managers