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James Hopgood Wins Lancashire International Golf Croquet Championship

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Heaton Park 6th/7th April, 14th Lancashire International Open Golf Croquet Championship

Only 16 players this year faced Manchester’s iffy weather (sun/rain/sun/rain..) this early in the season, but what a sixteen! A World Champion, couple of Kiwi’s plus another couple of Internationals from Wales & Scotland, finally a CA Council member in the field. As is now traditional for this event, the players were split into two blocks (all play all) with the top four from each group qualifying for the Knock Out (Bo3) title run.

This year the block games were contested to 19 points with the Bo3 KO reverting to normal 13 point contest for the Sunday, this worked really well with all games finishing about an hour before twilight on the first day – although quite a few tired legs were admitted to on Sunday morning.

Seven of the seeds were true to form & broke out of the blocks, and then the top four achieved the Semis. Rachel (Ranked1) was the ony player to force her match into the third game in the KO, all other matches took two straight Games to maintain progress into the next round.  The effort of being a finalist yet again must have taken it’s toll on Paddy, since James only needed two in the final to lift this year’s title but some of his shots in that final surpassed Egypt’s finest.

The tournament was hosted by Bury Croquet Club and managed by Paul Rigge, who also presented the Trophy to James Hopgood.   The Consolation Singles title was won by Brian Storey & David Barrett presented him his prize.

Rachel Rowe(-1) Rachel 7-2 7-4 Paddy
7-5 3-7 7-4
James
7-6 7-2
Jarrod Coutts(?)
Paddy Chapman(-1) Paddy 7-4 7-3
Paul RIGGE(-1)
David WALTERS(-1) David 7-5 7-1 James 7-3 7-6
Tim KING(0)
James Hopgood(-1) James 7-5 7-5
Ray Mounfield(2)

All Matches: www.croquetscores.com

 

McWeeney Croquet Trophy Stays in Cheltenham

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l to r - Mathew Martin, Gerard Osborne-Bourke, Andy Brandwood, Liz Wilson, Joe McGowan, Peter Wilson, Paul Wolff, Nigel Werner, Garry Wilson, Frank Martin, Betty Bates Nathaniel Healy (kneeling).
l to r – Mathew Martin, Gerard Osborne-Bourke, Andy Brandwood, Liz Wilson, Joe McGowan, Peter Wilson, Paul Wolff, Nigel Werner, Garry Wilson, Frank Martin, Betty Bates, Nathaniel Healy (kneeling).

The Vera McWeeney Croquet Trophy will again be on display at Cheltenham, after being retained by this year’s CA squad in Dublin, over 28/29th September.  Carrickmines C&LTC hosted the event and six first time visitors travelled over from four different airports to contest this AC Advanced test match. On paper the Irish did have a slight advantage, having requested ‘B/C’ class players be sent this campaign to pair with their availability. However, due to a couple of late unavoidable withdrawals from their squad, the balance of strength swung in our favour as play commenced.

Teams:
CA – Peter Wilson  (1.5);  Liz Wilson  (2.5);  Paul Wolff (4);  Andy Brandwood (5); Betty Bates  (9);  Garry Wilson (12).
CAI – Nathaniel Healy (0); Frank Martin  (5);  Nigel Werner  (6);  Gerard Osborne-Bourke  (7);  Joe McGowan (8);  Mathew Martin (12).

The Irish are known the world over for being hospitable and this weekend reinforced that stereotype. We were made very welcome, players were billeted with CAI members, the tournament dinner was a huge domestic party with much laughter and conversation – or perhaps I should say ‘craic’. Do I need to say that the games were played universally in good humour under bright warm sunshine?

The final result (17-7) matters less than the fact that it has been held, this the thirtieth contest, and the win puts clear water between our two associations with the totals now 16-14 in England’s favour.

Two players deserve name checks, both Irish; Nathanial Healy for producing the only Triple of the event and Mathew Martin – a very promising young talent who had to get permission from his school to participate, Vera would have loved to have seen him play.  Thanks are due to Nathaniel for managing the event (and for ensuring it happened), and also the Club & its members for their hospitality at the club and for opening their homes to us.

Full Results (CA names first):

Wilson L & Bates beat Healy & Martin M +22;   Wolff & Brandwood beat Osborne-Bourke & Martin F +22;   Wilson P & Wilson G beat McGowan & Werner +21.
Wolff P lost to Healy N -23tp;  Wilson P beat Martin F +3t;  Wilson L beat McGowan J +24;  Bates B beat Werner N +5t;  Wilson G lost to Osborne-Bourke G -9t;  Brandwood A lost to Martin M -15;  Wilson P lost to Healy N -14;  Wilson L beat Martin F +26;  Wolff P beat McGowan J +8t;  Brandwood A beat Werner N +6t;  Bates B beat Osborne-Bourke G +3t;  Wilson G lost Martin M -11;  Wolff & Brandwood beat Healy N & Martin M +7;  Wilson P & Wilson G beat Osborne-Bourke G & Martin F +13;  Wilson L & Bates B beat McGowan J & Werner N +4;  Wilson G beat McGowan J +15;  Wolff P beat Martin F +18;  Wilson L lost to Healy N -4;  Wilson P beat Werner N +13;  Bates B lost to Martin M -5;  Brandwood A beat Osborne-Bourke G +4.

l to r: Garry Wilson, Paul Wolff, Liz Wilson, Betty Bates, Andy Brandwood & Peter Wilson.
l to r: Garry Wilson, Paul Wolff, Liz Wilson, Betty Bates, Andy Brandwood & Peter Wilson.
l to r: Betty Bates, Garry Wilson, Andy Brandwood, Peter Wilson, Liz Wilson & Paul Wolff.
l to r: Betty Bates, Garry Wilson, Andy Brandwood, Peter Wilson, Liz Wilson & Paul Wolff.

Matt Holmes Wins Croquet Treasurers Tankard

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Hamptworth Golf & Country Club, 6th-10th September 2013.

Bury’s Matt Holmes, regains his form and storms the Croquet Associations fourth ‘Eight’ upon his first invitation.    Having been promoted into the Treasurer’s Tankard eight, (format all play all – twice), Matt only dropped a single game in the first round and continued to pile the pressure onto the other players with multiple peeling turns in the second round, winning the this Top National Throphy well clear of the field with a day to spare!

Bury’s man of the year again? – Brilliant display from him & must surely place him near the top of the MacRob development squad.

In the ‘Eight’ above – the Spencer Ell at Nottingham, Paul Rigge had a torrid time as game after game got away from him without him even having a sniff. Paul not getting first win until the fourth day!

These results mean the Matt now is the Bury Croquet Club’s top player, being twenty odd places above Paul on the ranking database as the season draws to a close.

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