Scissorum Issue 186 February 2 2018 - mtsn.org.uk · Scissorum Issue 186 ... French mathematician Evariste Galois. ... This week the Outdoor Education Shooting Team embarked on a

ScissorumIssue 186

Merchant Taylors’ School

Phab Revue

September 29 2017

Weekly Newsletter 2 February 2018

02

From the Head Master

I would like to begin by

congratulating all those involved

in a spectacular Phab Revue

last weekend. MTS boys and

St Helen’s girls had a wonderful

time while raising funds for Phab,

a charity at the very heart of the

school. Members of the 1st XV

(and staff) will also be running a

half marathon in aid of Phab -

more details inside.

It is always a joy to read about

boys moving from being learners

to teachers. As part of Maths

Society, Lower Sixth Former

Rana Menon spoke on Group

Theory, a theory founded by the

French mathematician Evariste

Galois. It is immensely pleasing

to see the boys not only tackling

such challenging topics but also

being willing to present and lead

discussion amongst their peers.

MTS hockey is enjoying a stellar

term and this past week provided

yet more evidence of this. The 1st

XI drew with Reed’s, a fi ne hockey

school and then narrowly lost to

Whitgift. The latter’s side included

nine England players! This shows

how impressive our 1st team now

are, being able to take on the best

hockey schools in the country. My

grateful thanks to Mr Alexander

and Mr Penny who have prepared

the boys magnifi cently. In addition,

the juniors are keeping pace with

U13 side, having just qualifi ed for

the regional fi nals.

Lastly, well done to those boys

who represented MTS (and their

respective countries) at the Model

United Nations conference at

Dr Challoner’s. They came away

with three awards and continue

to forge a successful path in this

most valuable of disciplines.

This WeekMerchant Taylors’

The U13 Hockey Performance Team are through to the County Finals

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Good luck to our Arkwright ScholarsMerchant Taylors’ Arkwright Scholars of 2017 (pictured) would like to wish the current 22 applicants well in their exam next Wednesday.

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Phab RevueThe Phab Revue took place on Friday and Saturday last week. A week of Sundays and long evenings of preparation went into two nights of musical bravura showcasing the best of civilization’s finest art form - the inheritance of Orpheus. We were also treated to dancing of a primeval nature which anthropologists, were they present, would take great interest in. Everyone seemed to

enjoy themselves and this noble school tradition raised a total of £3000 for Phab week. DJ sets from Vincent Mastin and Jo Rich in Fifths and Darsheel Jani in Upper Sixth were particular crowd-pleasers. Performances also featured excellent music from bands The Strats, fronted by Luke Parry and The Fisherman fronted by Ore Olubode.

With special thanks to Miss Innes and Mr Macleod of MTS, and Miss Brand and Mr Goodden of St Helen’s for organising the whole event. To all the Phab boys and girls, backstage crew and staff who scarified time and energy putting on one of our smoothest running shows ever, my river of appreciation flows to you.

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1st XV run half marathon for PhabThirteen 1st XV players, Mr Mills

and the Head Monitor are running

a half marathon in aid of Phab. We

have a grand total of £5,000 to raise

and need your help to do so!

Phab is one of the most important

things we do at this school. There

are many things we take for granted

here - the staff, facilities and

opportunities. However, even bigger

than all those, is our good health.

Phab gives teenagers the chance to

live out their dreams and remove the

social barrier that currently exists.

Phab is something we do together

as a school. You don’t have to be a

part of Phab Week to be a member

of the team. By donating, you are

acknowledging its importance and you are showing you care. What we raise in school has an invaluable impact upon the lives of those we support. You can make a change!

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mtsrugbymarathon

Thank you for all your support,

The Marathon Team

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Where Maths Goes Wrong – The Prisoners’ Dilemma by Professor Tony MannOn Tuesday 23rd January the Alfred Marshall Economics society were proud to present Professor Tony Mann from the University of Greenwich to give a talk on Game Theory. The main part of his talk consisted of debunking the Prisoners’ Dilemma. This is a made up scenario whereby a police officer knows two men

are guilty of robbing a bank, but without substantial evidence. The policeman offers a deal to confess and tell on their partner. If neither confess they both get 2 years prison time for a more minor crime; if both confess then both get 15 years in prison; if one confesses the confessor gets 6 months jail time whereas

the partner who kept silent gets 20 years in prison. Using game theory and maths we were told that rational mathematicians should confess as it is the more dominant choice in this scenario. However the paradox arises as mathematical rational cowboys get 15 years each in prison, whereas irrational cowboys who

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don’t confess get 2 years each. In order to solve the dilemma a tournament was set up to find the best strategy over many ‘games’ of the prisoners’ dilemma. The winning strategy was dubbed ‘Tit for Tat’ whereby you start by co-operating and confessing then every other round copying what your opponent’s last move was.

The strategy has 3 main character traits of being kind – as it never is the first to defect; forgiving – it doesn’t hold grudges; but fair as it retaliates every time the opponent defects. This game theory simulation has real life application in problems such as the Cold War where the superpowers, US and the USSR, had a choice between

expanding their nuclear arsenal or spending money on welfare. As rational thinkers both countries expanded their nuclear forces, not leaving them weak, but this had a negative effect on welfare and didn’t lead to a military advantage. The society would like to thank Tony Mann for giving this excellent and insightful talk on game theory.

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OMTsMerchant Taylors’

OMT Oladapo Afolayan signs for West Ham United!

This is reprinted from the West Ham United website.

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The Thirds and Upper Thirds

celebrated National Storytelling

Week with world renowned

storyteller Ben Haggarty on

Monday. Exploring myths and

legends from far and wide

Haggarty kept the boys on the

edge of their seats with tales of

intrigue and horror. Ben kicked

off his first performance with the

declaration “I’m looking at you.

You’re looking at me.”, instilling the

intricate bond between storyteller

and listener.

Live Storytelling is being held in the library on Friday 9th February in conjunction with the English Department. Boys are encouraged to come along to regale a story of their own.

National Storytelling Week with Ben Haggarty

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Max Kendix (Lower Sixth) writes:

On Sunday, nine of our delegates headed to Dr Challenor’s Grammar School in Amersham for a one-day MUN conference. Representing Pakistan, North Korea (DPRK) and the UK, committees ranged from health to disarmament. The first part of the day consisted of exciting and fruitful debate in the small committees, in which our delegates, ranging from 3rds to L6th, all participated. This involved the delegate of Pakistan (Raj

Shah, 4ths) surviving an attempted eviction from Western member states after accurately portraying Pakistan’s stance on women’s rights, and the USA vetoing their own resolution after changing their mind, calling it an ‘insult to the Rohingya people’. After a delicious lunch, all 120 delegates from over 10 schools gathered for the General Assembly to discuss resolutions passed in committee stage. Every delegation made their mark with speeches and

points of information alike – the UK referencing internet memes in their speech, and Guy Denne (3rds) calling out the West for imperialism as the delegate for North Korea. Everyone enjoyed themselves, and our delegations received three prestigious awards; Kardo Beck (Distinguished Delegate, UK Health, 4ths), Ayan Banerjee (Distinguished Delegate, DPRK Political, L6ths) and Max Kendix (Highly Commended, UK Security Council, L6ths).

Model United Nations

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U13 County Success


U13 Performance Team through to

the Regional Finals:

The MTS U13 Performance side

made it through their County

Tournament and join the U14

Performance side in the Regional

Finals later this term.

In a round robin tournament, the

team put together a fantastic set of

performances and results:

MTS vs St Albans 3-0(W)

MTS vs Watford Grammar 3-0(W)

MTS vs Hitchin 8-0(W)

MTS vs HABS 4-1(W)

MTS vs Aldenham 4-0(W)

MTS vs Bishop Stortford 2-1(L)

Well done to all the pupils that trained and competed for a spot in the side. These are the boys that represented the school at the tournament:

1. Sam Bonnett

2. Joshua Odegbami

3. Theo Russell

4. Charles Waddington

5. Rishi Thapar

6. Qinuo Wang

7. Michael-Daniel

8. George Dalton

9. Oscar John

10. Noah Softleigh-Moore

This weekend the Year 8s travel to Bath for a joint hockey tour with the prep school for what is set to be a highly competitive set of fixtures.

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Marksmanship at Northwood HQThis week the Outdoor Education Shooting Team embarked on a new adventure to Northwood Headquarters to use their DCCT (Dismounted Close Combat Trainer) range. Our students will be able to shoot at the DCCT every week. The range allows staff and pupils to analyse all aspects of their marksmanship and improve their skills.

We would like to thank Captain Shaw, Commanding Officer of Northwood HQ and MTS parents for affording us this fantastic opportunity.

MTS Rowers back on the water, braving the cold!

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UK Cyber Centurion Round 3 ResultsOn Saturday fi ve teams of boys competed in the UK Cyber Centurion Competition. This competition is open to 12-18 year olds throughout the UK and overseas territories. In each round

teams compete for six hours to ensure the computers they have been assigned are secure against all external and internal threats. This round consisted of Windows 10, Microsoft Server 2008 and

an Ubuntu 14 image. The teams showed impressive team work and problem solving and all fi nished in the top 30 teams in the UK.

Team Ranking

Metasploit Josh Hillier, Patrick Brown, Felix Chen &Adam Semenov 9th =

Console.Break() Joe Moore, Keval Kapdee, Kushal Patel & Alfi e Collins 19th

Trojan Unicorn Zak Torns, William Bettridge, Imran Zamin Ali & James Tillotson 22nd

MTS CCF Nikita Konovalchik, Alex Coleman 26th

Tech Support Patrick Keener, Daniel Maltz, Freddy Williams & Thomas Bailey 28th

(3rd placed CCF team)

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Fifth Form Chemistry: Electrolysis - A Microscale Investigation


Electrolysis has many industrial applications, the Octel bromine works at Amlwch, Anglesey, which was decommissioned in 2004, used to produce bromine gas from sea water, to then produce important brominated organic compounds. Internationally, electrolysis is also used to produce chlorine and sodium hydroxide - chemicals that are required to make bleach.

To explore this chemistry, Mr Powell’s Fifth Form class looked at a microscale version to analyse the products made when electricity is passed through a solution of copper(II) chloride. Armed with a little bit of knowledge from the previous lesson, they were aware that generally when electricity is passed through compounds they decompose to their respective elements. In the experiment in the photo, the students analysed the chemicals produced using an array of tests. Firstly, they noticed solid copper being collected at the positive, carbon electrode. Then at the negative electrode a gas was being produced and the room was starting to smell like a swimming pool: chlorine gas was being given off. Chlorine is a toxic gas, which was used by German forces in Ypres in April 1915. However, as this practical was carried out on a microscale, where only two drops of the reactant were used, the level of chlorine produced is well below that encountered in swimming

pools. This offers two advantages, firstly the students could carry out the reaction, rather than watching a demonstration, and secondly, they get used to working on a scale that is common in some research laboratories. The piece of paper in the photo was originally blue litmus paper, this turned red in and then bleached white, thus showing that chlorine gas was present. Similarly, the two droplets on the other side of the petri dish proved

the presence of this gas. They were originally colourless solutions of potassium bromide and potassium iodide. When the chlorine came into contact with these it produced orange bromine water and brown iodine water, respectively.

Whilst there is a considerable amount of chemistry behind this reaction, the end result is also quite elegant.

Many thanks to Casper Hassan and Barnaby Florent for the photo.

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SocietiesMerchant Taylors’

Maths Society Udi Menon (Lower Sixth) writes:

On Friday 26th December, Rana

Menon (Lower Sixth) gave an

intriguing talk on Group Theory.

This is a theory that was founded

by the French mathematician

Evariste Galois (1811-1832)

and can be thought of as the

mathematics of symmetry. A

“group” is a set whose elements,

when combined with a binary

operation results in another element of the set. There are many real life applications of this theory such as the Dutch wives’ mattress problem which allows you to work out the most efficient way to turn your mattress for even way. Furthermore it helped to predict the existence of elementary particles and create the conservation laws in physics. Finally, it was used by Sir Andrew

Wiles to prove Fermat’s Last

Theorem, one of the most famous

problems in mathematics which

was unsolved for over 350 years.

Maths Society is aimed at Sixth

Formers intending to apply for

mathematics at university, but the

society is open to pupils in all year

groups interested in the subject

who are willing to learn or talk

about different aspects of maths.

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???

??

Quiz Supper

Pre-booked tables of 8 – 10,bring a table of friends or book your tickets andjoin a table on the night and make new friends.

Tickets can be purchased through the school’s websiteat https://development.mtsn.org.uk/quizsupper

If you have any trouble booking, please contact Lucia Hull in the Development Officeat [email protected] or 01923 845545

Serenaders’

Saturday 24 February 2018at 700pmin the MTS Dining HallTickets £20 & £10 for students

Curry & BarGeneral Knowledge QuizDixieland Jazz BandRaffle

Parent 2 ParentMerchant Taylors’

Book now to avoid disappointment

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The Final of our Senior Music Competition takes place in the Recital Hall on Thursday 8th February at 7.30 pm. Come and support some of MTS most gifted young musicians. Refreshments will be served.

Senior Music Competition Final


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Sixth Form Geography Trip to Cuba, February 2019 (for current Fifths and Lower Sixth)To confi rm your attendance at the information evening on Thursday 1st March, please register online at www.farfrontiers.co.uk/mtscuba by 27th February. Questions email [email protected]

Discover Cuba February 2019

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SportMerchant Taylors’

v Reed’s 1st XI

Draw 3-3 MoM Ben Gould

On a cold rainy Saturday the 1st XI headed to Reed’s School looking to continue their unbeaten run so far this campaign. With a lot of pressure coming from Reed’s in the first ten minutes MTS were able to weather the storm and get a foothold in the game. After some good build-up play from David Cherry, the ball was slipped to Ashane for the opener of the game from 3 yards out - 1-0. For the majority of the rest of the first half it was a bit of a stalemate, with a couple of chances for either side. Some fantastic saves from Ben Gould kept MTS in the game. Just before the end of the half a

great run from Tom Richards won a short corner; a well worked routine ended with a neat finish from Tom Richards himself.

Once again Reed’s came out stronger than MTS in the second half and had the majority of the possession. After some unfortunate rebounds MTS found the ball in the back of their net within 5 minutes: 2-2. After this MTS came out fighting and after some beautiful interplay between Finn Edwards and Sam Bickerstaff they won another short corner. Finn Edwards pulled out a fantastic drag flick into the top left corner to put MTS back in front with 5 minutes to go. Unfortunately for MTS, Reed’s almost immediately responded with a goal of their own to draw it level, ending the game at 3-3. It was a great team performance that could have been won at the death with a couple of well created chances that were not put away. A tough game but a good result sets the team up

well for their midweek cup game against the formidable National Champions, Whitgift.

2nd XI

Loss 1-4, Dominick Mahon MoM Andrew Ingate

With the words of the their coach ringing in their ears as they took to the field - that this 2nd XI team is ‘arguably the strongest squad of players in the South East,’ - MTS spent the next 30 minutes unravelling this prophecy. After an hour, the dominant feeling is that the sides were evenly matched, but the scoreboard would suggest otherwise. A combination of factors meant the meandering walk to the astro was of similar length to the warm-up, resulting in the MTS colours moving around the pitch with a weary languor in the opening minutes. Coach-tired legs, on the back of a Cup fixture earlier in the week, was no

Hockey

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excuse against a group of highly drilled Reed’s players, who set their stall out early with a high press and looked to force errors with an effective pressure game. Continually over-run in the midfield, it was a chastening first half for MTS. Reed’s pressed high early and forced numerous errors, with wave of attacks being halted with last ditch tackles on the edge of our D. At the half time whistle, Reed’s found themselves 3-1 up, courtesy of an own goal, a baffling short corner and a neat flick from their striker. The quality of play from MTS was clear with our well worked goal. Replicating it would be the challenge. An emphasis upon pushing out midfield further up the pitch allowed MTS to establish a parity and the second half offered glimpses of what this match could have been. The boys played a fast, simple hockey, with strong passes into space and the wingers harrying their defence. Ruaridh, Andy and Dom combined especially well, although this was not MTS at its very best. Reed’s ensured that their unforced errors were lower and played with more space, courtesy of flat angled balls that fizzed across the midfield gap. The sort of hockey that you will regularly see on a Wednesday evening at Taylors’. Lessons to be learned for the rest of the season: start strongly, pressure their midfield and stretch the pitch to create doubt in their half backs. This team promises much. The forward five are astute and hungry for goals; the challenge will be ensuring they see more of the ball against the better teams.

3rd XI

Loss, 1-4, Thomas Matheickal MoM Dylan Bhundia

The score line doesn’t quite do justice to the efforts of the 3’s on this occasion, and had we kept out the second goal just before the break we might have come much closer. Reed’s passed more efficiently than us and their ball pace outdid us, as did their capitalisation of opportunities in the D, even though Selvan made some bold saves. Thomas Matheickal’s goal in the first minute of the second half came as a great encouragement and illustrated that when we pass at pace and post up to receive, we can be as good as any side we play. We’re going to work on this, alongside barrel rolls his week: the side has much potential.

4th XI

Loss, 0-1 MoM George Williams

The 4ths, captained by Jamie James, fought hard against strong opposition. They defended heroically, as a unit, throughout. Nathan Dixon and Sam Davies were faultless in defence, and composed when distributing the ball. Louis Duggan and William Berrecloth often opened up the Reeds midfield, providing many options on the counter-attack. The Upper Sixth students played with grit and tenacity, never giving the opposition time on the ball, nor an opportunity to gain any momentum. However, it was George Williams’ standout performance that earned him Man of the Match, some important saves kept the 4ths in with a

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fighting chance right up until the end. He was ultimately unlucky to concede from a smart short corner, midway through the second half. They should be proud of both their individual performances and as a team: they gave it everything.

5th XI

Win 2-0, Robert Swan (x2) MoM Matthew Barnfather

This was a brilliant performance. We didn’t start very well and in the first half Reeds’s had most of the possession and the chances. However, we stayed resolute, especially Matthew Barnfather who made timely interceptions and carried the ball forward well.

In the second half we started to play some excellent hockey and our forward line were no longer isolated. Robert Swan took his two chances well, and we left deserved winners against a very accomplished hockey side.

U15A

Loss 1-3, Sachin V Patel MoM Malachi Aina

Reed’s is slowly becoming one of the best block fixtures not just in hockey but in all three main sports. The game was very evenly fought across the pitch and both teams did not want to let up with some very impressive defensive work. It was Reed’s however that took advantage

of the very few chances of the match and were more clinical in scoring. This was a good test for the U15s and one that will only make them stronger. This week’s training is important and they must work hard to learn from their loss on Saturday.

U15B

Loss, 0-1 MoM Dylan Williams

The U15B team came up against a well drilled Reed’s team and it was immediately a hard fought contest. Taylors’ started slowly and much of the first half was characterised by Reed’s having the majority of the possession whilst Taylors’ defended resolutely. Alex Shaikh

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made a number of excellent tackles and Sebastian Constantine some outstanding saves. The defence were unfortunately broken late in the first half and Reed’s went into the break 1-0 up. In the second half we saw a completely different Taylors’ team which worked hard and as a unit. Consequently the chances started to come; being led by the skills of Dyland Williams and Shiv Parmar in the center of midfield. Henry McNaught also showed a great ability to drive out of defence and start off an attack. However the improvement of Taylors’ was match by Reed’s and neither team was able to score another goal, despite there being numerous chances. The match ended 1-0 but illustrated the potential of the U15B team in future games.

U15C

Loss, 0-5 MoM Michael Flash

The U15 Cs faced a tough challenge against a very well drilled and organised opposition this weekend. The first 10 minutes were pretty even, with both sides challenging for the ball in the middle of the pitch. The deadlock was broken when Reeds started to play with more fluency. Three further goal were conceded before half time setting out a tough challenge for the second half. Whilst we conceded our 5th and final goal shortly after half time we showed some great spirit in the second half. The back line and goalkeeper kept

their strikers at bay for the rest of the match, Dylan Flanagan was strong in the midfield making use of Ryhan Patel and Alp Kilic on the wings. Alex Baldwin, Jake Bamber and Kailen Thakker had some good chances in front of goal but in the end their goal keeper kept a well-deserved clean sheet.

U14A

Win 2-1, Marcus Hills, Tom Groves MoM Tom Groves

The MTS U14A side we’re switched on and got off to a fast start, stretching the game and creating early opportunities with Tom Groves and Alex Jones coming close. After some good

initial pressure the Reeds team started to find their feet and nicked a breakaway goal. This seemed to knock the stuffing out of the MTS side who took their foot off the gas and found themselves defending for the rest of the first half. Due a lack of intensity, track back, height in attack, concentration... the list could go on! The score 1-0 to Reeds at half time. After the break the MTS side put together an exceptional second half performance. Javier Fraga has a top first performance with Daniel Adding huge impious from right back and Zayd Ahmed and Mayowa Temowo defending superbly. The midfield got on top and it was not long before the goal came through a great through ball from Harry Bridgwater to Marcus

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who finished the chance well. Tom Groves scored the winner and it was a well-deserved victory through the best hockey played by the side this year.

U14B

Loss 1-2, Michaelangelo Aiyetigbo MoM Dylan Patel

Great day for hockey- great mid-week preparation-great first half - great start to the second half- did the greatness continue? Who did greatness belong to? Some stalemate hockey in the first half saw the visitors go toe to toe with a well-drilled Reeds outfit- some ridiculous work rate in midfield paid off and Michaelangelo’s reverse

strike put MTS in front to shock the home side. The first half ended 1 up to the Taylor boys- get in! Some encouragement at half time ensured the start of the second half kept Taylors in front. 10 minutes remained and the boys began to dream but it was at this point, The Wall was hit with an an almighty blow. Energy levels decreased- pass accuracy went from exceptional to, well.... inadequate shall we say! Boom! Hit on the break, Reeds struck back! Level with 3 mins to go, surely we could sneak one back and claim a deserved victory. Some classic route one hockey saw MTS through on goal....... what a fluff! -ball goes wide! Coach quietly losing it and the boys holding on by the skin of their teeth, surely a draw now was on the cards! With full time at the next whistle play went on and Reeds

crammed the Dee - whistle goes - as the ball flies into the back of the net. 2-1 Reeds and full time signalled! MTS deserved a win but that’s not what it said on the score sheet on the 27th of January, 2018. Greatness denied! Gutted!

U14C

Loss 1-2, Aaryan Vora MoM Bruno Roberts

A number of absentees from the team that beat Felsted last week meant that this was always going to be a tough affair for the U14 C’s. Reed’s started well, setting a high press and winning a host of short corners. Good defensive work from Suraj Shankar alongside some strong saves from Ariyen Patel kept the score level for much of the first half. With five minutes to go before the break however, Reed’s pounced on a wayward pass, drove into the MTS D and after a scrappy exchange, put the ball into the goal. The second half began well for MTS, Bruno Roberts proved a handful for the Reed’s defensive and James Kenny bossed the central midfield. Soon MTS has equaled as Bruno broke down the left wing and crossed to Aaryan Vora who scored after his first shot was saved. MTS continued to put pressure on Reed’s and looked the most likely team to score. However in the last two minutes Reed’s broke with a quick counterattack and regained the lead. The full time score was a little harsh on the boys who had been much the better side in the second half. MoM: Bruno Roberts

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U14D

Loss 1-3, Sabarish Ganesh MoM Tooni Afotabi

In truth our finishing and the

opposition goalkeeper prevented us

scoring numerous goals. We need

to get a forward on the far post who

can tap in goals. We need to work

on putting the opposition under

pressure at free hits and we need to

pass more and dribble less. That

said it was a good game that we

could have won. Tooni Afolabi and

Jacek Krynski were very busy in

midfield, David Justus made some

good passes and had some shots

on goal, Scott Iyengar show some

good control and passes, Guilherme

Carruthers Hintze also showed some

excellent passes, Thomas Lemon

was always a threat in attack and

Raj Shah was solid in defence.

v Harrow 1st XI

Won 3-1, Myles Alexander-Bryan, Kabir Mandair, Aryan Dave MoM Oscar Ford

On a cold Tuesday night, the Merchant Taylors’ boys emerged slightly damp after house swimming. Looking to put in a strong performance against a well drilled Harrow team.

With 8 players missing resting up for for the Cup clash against Whitgift on Wednesday, it was always going to be a tough ask to beat a high performing Harrow team. This was just the case as the game started with Taylors’ on the back foot as they adapted to their new playing partnerships.

As the game progressed the Taylors’ men started to communicate more allowing their free flowing hockey to take hold of the game.

However it was Harrow who broke the deadlock before half time with a well taken goal. 0-1.

With a stirring half time team talk Taylors’ came out flying in the second half and it wasn’t long before this payed off through Myles Alexander-Bryan after a great lay off from Ashane Wijesuriya. 1-1.

With Taylors’ on the rampage

gaps started to appear in the Harrow defense. The every allusive Bickerstaff was leaving his man for dead with great pace and it was this that led to the second goal as Bickerstaff pulled the ball back from the baseline to find Kabir Mandair who duly delivered the ball calmly into the net. 2-1.

With only 5 minutes remaining it was hearth-break for Harrow as they received the decisive blow as the ball was delivered into the D and Aaryan Dave scored a neat deflection on his 1st team debut.

Special mention should go to Chris Loftus who has now represented the 1st team for Cricket, Hockey and Rugby!!! This is a very special achievement and I’m sure he will be looking to build on his Hockey and Cricket caps over the next few months.

A great performance with 6 players making their 1st team debut showing we have great depth in our second team. We now have 26 boys pushing for a 1st team shirt, what a great selection problem to have each week!

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2nd XI

Win 1-0, Tom Miller MoM Sachin Shah and Ed Poole

With many events all happening on the same afternoon, this game against Harrow’s 2XI gave a number of boys the opportunity to debut for MTS 2XI. Kieran Chauhan (GK), Ewan Townshend, Thomas Matheickal, Matthew Barnfather, Aman Golar and Marcus Chaplin all stepped up admirably under the leadership of Sachin Shah, captaining the team for the first time this season, and quickly got into their stride, with joint man-of-the-match Ed Poole causing all sorts of problems for Harrow’s defence with his speed and skill. MTS created numerous opportunities to score but Harrow’s goalkeeper made some vital saves to keep the scores level until MTS earned themselves a penalty corner which Tom Miller deflected in at the near post to put MTS 1-0 up.

In the second half, MTS produced a fine attacking display - all except

the final touch in the circle, any number of which would have resulted in goals. Head Monitor, Selvan Senthilkumaran, snuck into the forward line, delighted to debut for MTS 2XI having arrived late due to House Swimming, and experienced life as a forward rather than as a goalkeeper! Kieran Patel kept Selvan honest up front as some great crosses were put into the circle but to no avail as Harrow’s defence beat the forwards to the ball and cleared strongly. As Harrow then enjoyed quite a lot of possession, Sachin Shah, the other joint man-of-the-match, intercepted passes relentlessly, then clearing the ball out of defence often to the safe-hands of the experienced Ashley Patel, who worked tirelessly in midfield to keep possession and run at Harrow’s defenders with deception and pace. Ed Poole continued to cause Harrow’s defence serious problems but MTS just could not find a second goal.

However, the defence looked more and more invincible as the game went on, with everyone working

extremely hard to ensure Harrow did not get a good sight of goal; they finished the match happy to have kept a clean sheet and got a deserved victory in the end.

4th XI

Win 8-1 Duggan (4), Davies, Daryanani, Taylor, James MoM: Davies

Taylors’ 4th XI won their first match of the season with an excellent, attacking display of hockey.

From the first whistle Taylors’ dominated, with Duggan, Taylor, and James all pushing for goals. However, with Harrow sitting deep and defending well, it took 10 minutes before the deadlock was broken by Duggan. Two more were added in quick succession and the match looked over. However, with Taylors’ relaxing, Harrow started to counter-attack. With Davies, Dixon, Thomas, and Khatri having had little to do, the sudden pressure saw one mistake lead to a goal late in the half.

The second half started with Taylors’ under pressure as Harrow looked to close the deficit, with chance after chance going close. Taylors’ chances were limited to counter-attacks but with Khoo breaking down the left, and Powell-Tuck and Duggan making excellent runs into the D, Taylors’ were able to make it four. With that, Harrow started to tire and the rout was on, with another four goals coming in quick-succession.

All in all, an excellent display.

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The 1st VII squad endured an early start on Sunday morning last to head to Seaford College on the South Coast for the opening VIIs tournament of the season. After only a few training sessions and on boggy pitches, the boys struggled to get going and lost their first two matches by one score apiece. The call to action was clear and the boys responded marvellously. They identified that they were playing within themselves and without the enjoyment that characterises the approach of this particular group of boys. The final group game was against Haileybury – who were at the top of the group. Led in their endeavours by Dom Mahon, they were a completely different team.

Rugby Sevens

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A spectacular individual try by Dom, with a cheeky piece of flair at its heart sparked the renaissance. The boys tackled with vim and vigour and were 12-0 up at the break. Haileybury clawed back and

drew the game 12-12, but it was a sign of what this team could do. Entering the knockout vase, the team scored over 50 points and conceded only 7. Luke Parry and Ben Salkeld vied with Dom Mahon

for player of the day – but it was Luke’s work rate that won him the plaudits and biltong. The team are very well set up for their next tournament when they know how they can and want to play.

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v Christ’s Hospital 1st IV

Win 100-81 MoM Ewan Townshend

In their first proper fixture of the

fives season, the 1st IV led the way

away at Christ’s Hospital. Three

boys (captain Sarthak Garella,

Ewan Townshend and Jamie

Graham) came away with victories,

though their rustiness was evident

from the beginning, having only

played in Rugby courts once this

academic year. By the start of the

doubles each boy was in good

form and 5 of the 8 matches were

won, each by convincing margins.

Overall this was a good result

against a challenging side and one

the 1st IV can build upon as the

season progresses.

U14 IV

Win 121-12 MoM Mitul Matthews

The strength and depth of our U14

IV was well known to us before the

fixture against Christ’s Hospital but

the incredibly strength they showed

in winning every one of their singles

and doubles games, conceding no

more than 2 points in any of them,

was nevertheless a very welcome

surprise. Anikait Garella, Mitul

Matthews, Alex Tillotson and Ayaan

Sheikh each played fantastically

well and ought to be very proud of

their performance.

Junior Colts IV (U15)

Win 110-32 MoM Daniel Keren

The U15 result was not as close as the senior one and the MTS IV came out as emphatic winners. This was all the more surprising as the side were a member down to injury. Each boy - Daniel Keren, Avi Shah, Naathan Shetty - played fantastically well, ably assisted by a Christ’s Hospital substitute for number four and won every game. Very well done to them.

v Winchester College 1st IV

Loss 61-77 MoM Nikhil Kapadia

In their first fixture of the season on Winchester Fives courts the 1st IV made the trip to play at Winchester College. It was very much a fixture of two halves: in the doubles the boys were slow to start, outplayed by a strong Winchester side and finding it hard to find their bearings in an unfamiliar court. By the time the singles were played, however, the MTS boys were on top, regularly finding the buttress and working their opponents around the court on their way to winning three of the four matches.

Overall this was a strong performance against incredibly challenging opposition from the best fives-playing school in England, auguring well for the rest of the season.

Fives

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U14 IV

Win 116-62 MoM Anikait Garella

The U14s took advantage of their Rugby fives experience to annihilate Winchester. Every single player - Anikait Garella, Mitul Matthews, Alex Tillotson and Dominic Tillotson - won their singles matches with ease before combining to win 5 of the 8 doubles matches. This was an immense performance against the strongest fives-playing school in the country and a fantastically impressive result.

v Rugby 1st IV

Win 122-69 MoM Jamie Graham

The 1st IV were excellent in their fixture against Rugby School, the spiritual home of our version of fives. Though the singles were a mixed affair - only Jamie Graham and Nikhil Kapadia were able to win - the performance in the doubles was consistently strong. Seven of the eight games were won, greatly inspired by Jamie’s outstanding leadership and clever play.

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v Aylesbury Grammar 3rd XI

In a tough opening match the thirds came up against a strong Aylesbury team who took the lead early on before extending their lead to 2-0. Andrew Aresti pulled a goal back from close range and MTS had a good spell in which they placed the Aylesbury keeper under pressure. Aylesbury extended their lead to 5-1 with three quick goals from set piece situations. In the second half the MTS defence were much more organised and made chances on their goal rarer. Louis Cahn-Brown forced a fine save from a thirty yard free kick and Louis Phipps was efficient with the ball in midfield. In goal Zohair Din tipped onto the post for a fine save. A better second half gave cause for optimism before the visit of St Columba’s.

Squashv Aylesbury Grammar School and Harrow 1st V

William Berrecloth (L6th) writes:

On 31st January the squash team, led this time by Mr Innes, set out to Aylesbury to compete in the second round of the National School Championship. We were once again up against our nemesis Harrow and of course Aylesbury, whose first team consisted of a number of nationally ranked players that even Oscar Khoo (U6th) would have to break a sweat in order to defeat. However, it seemed luck was on our side as we learnt that it was not their first team but their second team who we would be battling with.

I’m sure Mr Hilton-Dennis would have been very pleased to see that we were taking the warm up very seriously going into the second

round. Rather than warming up with spasmodic rallies, in the form of Three-Quarters, we used an array of exercises and drills that pushed us to play very accurate squash, placing us in the right mind set.

Our fated matches against Harrow began with Kiyan Kassam (5th Form), Harvey Lidstone (5th Form) and myself. Each match was incredible and although they resulted in losses, we played ferociously, not letting up nor giving in for a second and in my opinion we performed at a far higher level than when we played Harrow in the last round. Oscar won a decisive victory 3-0 against Hector, a rival of his who he had defeated in a county final.

Oscar continued to win game after game and defeated Aylesbury’s Number 1 in a controlled manner which left the opponent wondering ‘What just happened?’, a feeling which I can presume some of our own members could sympathise with having finished our matches against Aylesbury.

Football

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Documents

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