Lacrosse is often referred to as the fastest sport on two feet, but with up to 9 games to play, stamina was needed as well. In total, 178 games of lacrosse were played on the day but it all came down to two showpiece finals.
It was a battle between the best sides from the North and South in the Women’s final as Wilmslow faced off against Oxford. Both teams had edged out tight games in their semi-finals by 4-3 scorelines. The final was also a tight affair as the teams traded early chances. As the game went on though, better conversion on the key chances by Wilmslow ensured that they ran out 4-1 winners against a spirited Oxford for their first win in the competition.
As Wilmslow women celebrated their win, their Men’s team then took to the field aiming to complete a unique competition double against fellow northerners Cheadle. However, it was not to be as Cheadle were too strong out of the gate, racing to a 5-0 lead in what looked to be a very one-sided final. Wilmslow kept battling though and were unlucky to only score once as Cheadle closed out for a 7-1 win. Cheadle became the first team to win the competition six times, moving one clear of both Wilmslow and Timperley.
While Cheadle and Wilmslow took home the silverware, the whole sport was a winner. Over 500 players competed as games were played in good spirit. Thanks also go to all the match officials for their role in ensuring the success of the tournament.
Footage from select games can be found on YouTube here: