Club

Croquet

Wrest Park

AC Advanced Tournament 24-25 June

report by manager David Marsh

15 players (handicaps ranging from -2 to 3) gathered in dry, hot conditions at Wrest Park for the two-day June Advanced tournament. There had been no rain for ages and the lawns were baked and fast, measured at 12.5 Plummers a couple of days previously.

The tournament was played as a flexible Swiss with 3 hour time limits. This was just as well as only 11 of the 33 games played didn’t go to time. The lowest score in a game was 18 hoops, a 14-4 win on time! There were no TPs though several were attempted.   Closest to achieving one was Pete Trimmer who did all three peels but missed a longish peg out. The most ambitious turn was again by Pete Trimmer who started on a sextuple peel right at the start of the game against David Marsh. There was a very good opportunity to get the third peel going to 5, but somehow the peelee did not want to go through 3-back despite several attempts. The game eventually went to time.

The difficult conditions and odd number of players meant that not as many games were played as would be ideal and some players had not played the five games necessary to be in the running for prizes.

Peter Rothwell from Wrest Park was the winner with 4/5, having beaten Michael Bithell from Meldreth also with 4/5. Michael won the prize for most index points gained.  Honourable mention to Pete Trimmer who was on 100% but hadn’t played the necessary 5 games.

Peter Rothwell (2) 4/5

Michael Bithell (2½) 4/5

Rich Waterman (-1) 3/5

George Collin (1) 3/5

John Noble (3) 3/5

Tim Brewer (2½) 2/5

Heather Bennett (1) 2/5

Cliff Jones (3) 1/5

Stephen Mills (2) 0/5

Peter Trimmer (-2) 3/3

David Marsh (-1) 2/3

Rod Ashwell (-½) 2/4

Mark Simmerson (3) 2/4

Jonathan Smith (-½) 1/3

Eric Audsley (1) 1/4

Handicap changes as a result of the tournament were Michael Bithell down to 2, Mark Simmerson down to 2½ and Stephen Mills up to 2½.

Many thanks to the groundsman George (and his helpers) for the fast though often difficult courts and for hoops that were very fair once approached!  Gill Brewer provided excellent lunches with delicious home baked cakes at tea.

© Wrest Park Croquet Club  

The tournament arena. The colour resembles that of the material used to cover the ground in the original tournaments (arena is Latin for sand).

Winner Peter Rothwell receives the trophy from manager David Marsh.