Pendle Win the 2006 Longman Cup (2/10/06 – by Barbara Dutton)
Pendle & Craven were victorious in Surbiton and are now the holders of the beautiful silver Longman Cup. This trophy was founded in 1928. The weather was showery and the lawns were frequently flooded, but drained well and played very level. On Saturday in the semi final v Blewbury, Oxon, Pendle & Craven won 4 -3. This put them in the final on Sunday v Parsons Green of London where once again the score was 4 -3 to Pendle. The victorious team for this competition was Robin Delves, Abdul Ahamd, Andrew Webb and Alice Fleck.
Pendle & Craven beat Parsons Green 4-3 to win the Longman Cup – by Nick Parish
Pendle won the Longman Cup, beating Parsons Green 4-3 in the final. On a rain-soaked day at Surbiton Pendle & Craven had a long battle before finally overcoming Parsons Green by the narrowest margin to win the Longman Cup by 4 matches to 3, for the first time since 1991.
There was an unfortunate incident in the morning games, when a clock was set wrongly resulting in one game being declared finished 55 minutes earlier than the 3.5 hour time limit. To make matters worse the game double-banked on the same lawn did not have its own clock (for reasons that aren’t clear – although there is a rumour that somebody sat on the clock and reset it!) and on the basis that it had started at the same time, also finished at that point. The truth was eventually discovered but at that point in both games, both participants were ruled to have quit the court in agreement the game being over.
The Longman Cup – Poetic Justice by Alice Fleck
Abdul was our driving force in the Longman Croquet game.
He drove us there; he drove us back in persistent heavy rain.
We played in rain on Saturday; on Sunday thunder came.
Who was it that asked me, to play this croquet game?
Late on our first night we looked for the club, but I led the boys astray.
A waiting taxi driver said, “I’ll show you the way,
Get in it will cost you nothing”. Then he got lost as well.
And it took him half an hour to get back to our hotel.
In my first game of singles, I wish not to be told.
I lost by one with a struggle to a budding twelve year old.
My second game with a bandit, who came from Parsons Green.
He played like a one and easily won with a handicap of eighteen.
In my doubles match with Robin, just when time was called.
Our opponents they were leading; had pegged out one of their balls.
So it was all up to Robin, to give everything he’d got.
He carefully lined up both our balls and pegged out with a single shot.
When Robin played his singles game, the whole show he was stealing.
With some brilliant hit-ins and his persistent peeling.
But sometimes his attention was distracted by the charms,
Of the tall elegant lady with magnificent long arms.
In a double banking game when you feel you’re in a crisis.
I would say to Andrew, ‘Do you know what my advice is?
When you play first colours and your balls are black and blue.
Playing to green and brown is not the proper thing to do.’
Robin’s keys were Abduls problem; he kept mislaying them.
Then just as we were about to leave, Robin lost them once again.
They searched in bags and pockets, and looked behind the bar.
Then they could see them clearly, they were locked in Robins car!
The hotel was very basic; it cost an arm and leg.
And all we got for breakfast was some toast and scrambled egg.
I think that the proprietor was Basil Faulty’s son.
But I am not complaining ‘cause we had a lot of fun.
So now we’ve all come home and we’ve been and gone and done it.
It was certainly a great team and I’m glad that we have won it.
At the Surbiton Croquet Club, we were right in the heart of it.
It was a great privilege for me, to be picked as part of it.