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Crake Win Double Croquet Success

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North West Federation League Play-Offs 2021

On Sunday 26th September 2021 Crake Valley completed a memorable double league success.

The team of Neil Adams, Jim Allcock, John Henderson and Steve Skelton took on Chester in the AC Weekend Handicap league play-off, hosted at the neutral Fylde Club. Crake started the morning in good form by winning two of the three early games. Jim and John played Robin Tasker and Paul Watson, winning the doubles and Neil won in his match against Brian Walton. Steve had a much harder match against an Sally Slater with a 13.5 bisques advantage, narrowly losingh by 1.

After lunch in the singles Jim and John both played well beating Brian and Paul with Steve having a long battle against Robin, finally winning on time. Neil played Sally with a 11 bisque disadvantage and struggled as Sally played well to win by 22. With Crake players each winning a singles match and with the doubles win the final result was a win of 5-2.

Crake AC Hcp Team of Neil Adams, Jim Allcock, John Henderson and Steve Skelton

On the day before, the GC Handicap team of Roger Coates (12), Sandra Cornes (6), Simon Robins (7) and Frank Sharps (5) took on a strong Southport side led by Terry Dunbar at Crake Valley, in the GC League Play-off. The 2 doubles games were shared but Crake managed to win 3 of the first 4 singles to take a lead of 4-2 mid morning.

2021 GC Play Offs – Mike Armstrong, Bryan Roberts, Tina Kelly, Terry Dunbar, Frank Sharps, Roger Coates, Simon Robins, Sandra Cornes and David Cornes

Thereafter the games were fairly evenly shared with the scores 6-4 at lunch and 8.5 to 6.5 going into the last round of games. Simon and Roger held their nerve to complete the necessary wins needed to ensure a final scoreline of Crake Valley 10.5 and Southport 7.5. Crake Valley retained the shield they won when last contested in 2019.

Crake GC Hcp team of Frank Sharps, Roger Coates, Simon Robins, Sandra Cornes, David Cornes

A mention should also be made of father and daughter, Frank Sharps and Sandra Cornes who finished 4th and 3rd respectively in the National C level finals in the Isle of Wight, the weekend earlier. John Armer (Crake & Westmorland) also qualified for the finals finishing a credible mid table position. 

Oxford Honour for Chester Croquet Player

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Osian Williams of Chester played in the Oxford University AC croquet team which defeated Cambridge University this summer. He won his doubles but lost his singles.

Osian joined Chester last summer but with Covid had limited opportunities for competitive play both at Chester and Oxford. Nevertheless he got his AC handicap down to 14 to make the team.

Osian Williams

The back drop to the photo is of course not the Chester club house but Hurlingham where the Varsity match is played.

The Half Blue which Osian gained for representing Oxford is a useful addition to his CV

Brian Storey Wins Millenium Short AC Competition

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Federation Millennium Shoirt AC Competition – Chester – 25th July 2021

Brian Storey with Millenium Short Trophy

The Millennium Short AC competition at Chester was keenly contested on Sunday by a small but select group of experienced AC players from Bowdon, Bury and Chester. It was a day of good news/ bad news. The good was that it was a lovely sunny day ; the bad that the lawns were lightning fast. One player tried to make light of his thin take off inevitably disappearing off the lawn by singing a pop song from his youth , ” Keep on runnin’ ”  – not quite as good as the 1965 original by the Spencer Davis Group .

The Swiss format over 4 rounds worked well with victories and defeats spread around. Brian Kerr and former winner, James Thomas both scored 3 wins and Robin Tasker, the tournament manager had to consult the ” who beat whom ” default. The match between Brian and James was fascinating; James took an early ball to rover but then had a frustrating spell of hard but unsuccessful long distance hit in’s as Brian slowly clawed back the deficit by cat and mouse tactics which threatened  both hoop scoring and the peels which he would need to do before pegging out. As time elapsed Brian was one up and won both the game and the overall competition.

James Thomas with Runners Up Wine

The winner took the trophy and both he  and James as runner up were presented with a bottle of the world famous Chester Sloping Lawn wine.  As the name suggests, the grapes must be grown on sloping ground – flat lawns produce flat wine, whereas sloping ground produces a wine  with an entirely different slant.  Once harvested, the treading of the grapes is a talent unique to players of the Association variant of croquet (far too complex a manoeuvre for devotees of Golf croquet).  I could go on, but suffice it to say that the whole process of production takes several years

A great time was had by all 

Chester Sloping Lawn Wine

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