LAHORE, March 30: Six goals by Geredo Mazzini, including a hat trick, gave Bahria Town (BT) a perfect start when they trounced Wak Group Diamond Paints (WGDP) 11-6 in the Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup National Polo championships on Wednesday.
Mazzini, a seven-goal handicapper from Argentina, not only made a good start of the BT, his performance also ousted WGDP from the country’s top polo event.
WGDP had lost its both matches of Pool “A”. They lost the opener to BMA Capital Army 12-9.
The BT, one of the strong teams of the contest, led the first chukker 4-1.
Chris Hyde, a six handicapper from England, who scored five goals including a hat trick for the losers, missed a goal scoring chance in the very first minute of opening chukker when he tapped the ball twice while converting a penalty-hit.
The ball went through the goalpost but the umpire disallowed the goal calling the hit as foul.
The BT gained 2-0 lead in one minute when Mazzini was on target with back-to-back goals on field attempts. WGDP retaliated when Mujahid Omar scored a spectacular goal to make the score 2- 1. But the BT increased its lead when Atif Yar Tiwana netted back-to-back goals.
He struck first after a short melee and the second when Mazzini had missed the ball. Atif coming behind of Mazzini tapped the ball into the goalpost.
Both the teams scored two goals each in the second chukker as the BT came out with 6-3 lead.
Ahmed Ali Tiwana scored a field goal off a fine pass from Mazzini.
From thereon Hyde sgnalled his presence and fought hard till the last but unfortunately he could not receive due support from his teammates.
Hyde scored two consecutive goals to reduce the margin 5-3. First Hyde converted a penalty hit then struck a field goal with the help of Mujahid Omar.
Faaiz Rahim again increased the BT’s lead by scoring a field goal. The third chukker was the show of Hyde and Mazzini. Hyde registered hat trick while Mazzini pumped in two goals.
When Mazzini scored two field goals in the start to make it 8-3 it seemed the BT would have won easily. But Hyde showed his brilliance scoring a hat trick to bring back WGDP in the match.
He scored through 40-yard penalty hit on each time to reduce the margin 8-6. But the losers failed to match the BT in the remaining two chukkers, mainly because of poor finishing.
On the other hand the BT cashed in on the opportunities they met and eventually earn a big margin win. First Mazzini scored a field goal to complete hat trick in the fourth chukker which extended the lead to 9-6.
The losers could have remained in the contest, had Hyde not missed a chance when he failed to tap the ball only some yards away of the goalpost after receiving the ball from Mujahid, who had made an impressive move from the centre.
The BT earned two more goals in the fifth chukker to seal the fate of the match. First, Mir Shoaib of the losers, missed a chance with his way ward hit some 50 yards away to the goalpost.
The BT made the score 10-6 when Faaiz scored his second field goal. Atif initiated the move from the left side, centred the ball and gave Faaiz a fine pass who did not make any mistake in the finishing stages.
The BT, soon received a 60-yard penalty hit. Mazzini went to take it but his pony started making trouble for him and he went out to come back with another one. But surprisingly Mazzini tried indirectly and missed it.
But he soon scored his sixth goal after receiving a pass from Atif to complete the tally. In dying minutes Hyde misfired a 60-yard hit, too. Nokia Chimera will meet Bank Alfalah in pool “B” match on Thursday.
Teams:
Bahria Town: Faaiz Rahim (1), Ahmed Ali Tiwana (2), Atif Yar Tiwana (4), Gernado Mazzini (7).
Wak Group Diamond Paints: Mir Shoaib (0), Umer Sadik (2), Col. Mujahid Omar (3), Chris Hyde (6).
