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Janet Davies from Chester Croquet Club – Overall Winner of Pendle Handicap

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Nine Players, the Egyptian Method and Emerging Crane Flies

Nine players assembled on Friday 16th August for the weekend of full lawn association handicap croquet, scored by the Egyptian method. This results in points being scored throughout the tournament and the overall winner is the player with the most points, trophies are given in differing handicap divisions.

The weather was varied, most players got pretty wet on the Saturday and the sunblock came out for Sunday. Those having travelled furthest, Glasgow and Norfolk, left early having played all their games. Pendle & Craven club members: Roger Schofield and Garry Wilson did well with Garry being in prime slot for most of the tournament in the over 10 handicap competition, but he was pipped to that trophy by Alan Morton from Fylde with 115 points. Roger won the low handicap trophy with 116 points, but Janet Davies from Chester  was overall Winner with 120 points.

The final day was enlivened for the watchers by a mass emergence of crane flies from the lawn edges, the weather having suited them.

Bury Member Keeps Croquet Prize in Bury

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Heaton Park, 10th/11th August Manchester Handicap Tournament.
Hosted by Bury Croquet Club and managed by Bury member Paul Rigge.

Paul Kenworthy (Bury CC Chairman) presents 2013 Manchester Handicap Trophy to Winner Margaret Anderton (Bury)
Paul Kenworthy (Bury CC Chairman) presents 2013 Manchester Handicap Trophy to Winner Margaret Anderton (Bury)

Summer still continues, with rain forcast only to fall overnight between the two days at this event, the Croquet Handicap Tournament returning to Heaton Park for the first time since 2009. However with only three courts in service (Lawn 3 covered in moss still) entries were limited to a maximum of 12, and that’s exactly how many we had up till 8:53 on the first morning – is that the latest anyone’s had a withdrawal? Anyhow, play started for the remaining players, gathered from Birmingham, Bowdon, Bury, Chester & Southport bang on 9:15.

By close of play, only one player was unbeaten with three others tied on one loss, so all to play for on day two – but wait! – as Sunday dawned, another withdrawal, none other than our overnight leader, then the day just got weird.

A new leader emerged, (The Bury member who had originally commisioned the trophy) and the player from Chester who *always* finishes games in the time turn, was the first to finish the morning game in just over an hour!

By Tea, two players were tied with the same number of wins, but on who beat whom, Margaret Anderson wins the trophy. Runner up was Alan Farrell (Southport), with Steve Reynolds (Bowdon) in third place.

Bury Club President Paul Kenworthy presented the Trophy,

Graham Good, too Good for Fylde Croquet Tournament

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Fylde Handicap Weekend 2013

Live comentary from Peter Wilson:

2013_Fylde_Hcp_GoodeThe first holder of the Jubilee Trophy, Andy Brandwood is back to defend it together with eleven others trying to stop him; Eileen Rossiter (18), Catherine Bass (22), Phillip Bass (22), Terry Vernazza (5), Eileen Gallagher (10), Joe Lennon (10), Janet Davies (14), Ian Smith (20) Fane Conant (18), Graham Good (16) Gareth Edwards (14).

A beautiful morning, 8 Plummers, Andy got his Silver Merit Award. Blisteringly scorchio well before lunchtime. Philip misses Bronze as he looses by two. Afternoon tea cup cakes melting as it gets hotter. We are missing the storms in the South. Graham runs between long take offs like Usain Bolt, sometime arriving before the ball. What was in that fruit cake? Rossy delivers the tournament’s first twenty six nil to Andy , she had the short straw so they both finish the day on two wins. Some cool air comes in from the East. Graham, playing one ball, beats Terry to take the overnight outright lead. Three games still in play at 20:00, it is a nice evening, four players not in bare feet.

Rain throughout the night clears for the start of play with an Easterly. The washing up bowl blows away rolling on its edge down lawn 1, judging by that it looks like 8 plummers again even with the rain. One or two injuries on show this morning, some arising from doing a Usain and others from the Blackpool nightlife. It is Barret 6, Pidcock 4, Wood Mallets NZ 1 and John Beech 1 by the way.  Jet 2 takes off from Blackpool banking over the lawns, the Alecante passengers should be able to see the misplaced clip on lawn 3 from there. Opening a bottle of Willamette IPA does the trick, the first result comes in and it a win for Graham putting him in a strong position at lunch.

Graham has beaten Andy in short order with bisques to spare and attracted the eye of the tournament handicapper with his high scoring 5/5. Clinical hoop running and rushing are Grahams strong points at the moment but gets away with a suspended sentence as his tactics are, well, lazy? He comes down naturally to 14, that is ok, well played and congratulations to a rising star. Elsewhere they are settling in for the long haul match. Mini Mouse has just turned up at the Tennis Club for a photo shoot. It must be hot in that outfit. Philip is on for a Bronze again, just needs to win the game. That means the result of Joe versus Janet, which started 24 minuets late, will decide the runner up and the sky is darkening with thunder clouds in the distance. Phlip gets his Merit Award as the rain starts, sending the wedding breakfast revelers inside the Tennis Club Bar. Mini appears to have been decapitated and this seems to please most of the children as they play football with her head. Janet is two ahead time goes, Joe misses. FCC Chairman Martin Bradshaw presents the trophy. So that is it until next year, thanks for tuning in.

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