Author: Hugh Bray

A few matches were cancelled across the region due to the rain and waterlogged lawns, but Chester did field a short croquet team at Southport on Sunday 16^th Sarah Andrew (captain), James Thomas, Pat Wheeler and Maureen Corrigan lost narrowly by 9-7.

After travelling to the edge of the north west region on Thursday 20^th June, the level play team Chester Centurions found themselves up against some formidable opponents, in the shape of Crake Valley Croquet Club. The Chester team of Garry Greenwood (captain), Mark Lloyd and David Boyd fought a very tight morning session, to go into the lunch interval all square at 6 all. After lunch it remained very tight, until late in the day when Chester just managed to pull ahead 10 points to 8 to win the match. It was a very well fought match played in excellent spirits.

Chester played away against Southport on Sunday, 23^rd June, in the second of the club’s NW Federation advanced croquet league matches this year. The Chester team was Jerry Guest (captain), David Guyton and Brian Walton who was playing in his first advanced croquet league match. The overall result was an encouraging 4 – 1 win for Chester.

Chester CroquetClub had a stall on Saturday 22^nd June at the Westminster Park Summer Fayre as part of its commitment to being a community sports club. Lots of young people had a go at croquet during the afternoon, so hopefully we may be encouraging players of the future.

Children having a go at croquet at Westminster Park Fayre

Richard Smith of Chester Croquet Club won the recent Cheltenham AC A Class singles croquet event. Held at Cheltenham Croquet Club from Friday 7^th to Sunday 9^th June, Richard finished second in his group, however he went on to beat New Zealand international Jenny Clarke in the final.

Richard Smith with the trophy

Four teams from Chester Croquet Club were in action this week.
On Thursday 6^th June Chester Chariots played Bury Sovereigns at home in the North West Federation Level Play Golf league. The day was sunny and both teams enjoyed the day. Team captain Christine Thomas led Paul Taylor and Janet Jackson to a 16 – 2 win.
Also on Thursday the golf croquet handicap team played away at Bowdon. It was a very close match with the final score being 10 – 8 to Bowdon. The Chester team was Brian Hayes, captain, Jayne Taylor, Ian Graham and Cynthia Graham.
The Longman Cup is a national competition for association croquet played all over the country. On Friday 7^th June in terribly wet conditions the Chester team of captain David Boyd, David Guyton, James Thomas and Sally Slater triumphed 7 – 0 over a team from Bowdon at home to go through to the next round.
Finally on Sunday 9^th June the North West Federation association short lawn croquet league match was played between Chester and Bowdon at Bowdon. The team from Chester was captained by Jayne Taylor with team members Paul Taylor, Sally Slater and Robert Jones. The final score was 12 – 4 to Bowdon.

Chester croquet club held it’s Early Bird Doubles golf croquet competition on Sunday June 2nd, where 8 people of high handicaps were drawn in pairs and played three rounds of golf croquet. After the three rounds, the pair who had won the most games were the winners. Winning all three of their games were Angela Tindall and Cynthia Graham. They were awarded the trophy by competition organiser and manager, Jayne Taylor.

Competitors in the early bird doubles competition

Winners Cynthia Graham and Angela Tindall being presented with the trophy by Jayne Taylor

Also on Sunday, the association handicap team of John Dawson (captain), James Thomas, Sarah Andrew and Brian Walton travelled to Pendle to play in the North West handicap league. James and Brian won all of their games and the final score was a win for Chester 5-2.

Representing the North West in the national Secretary’s Shield handicap tournament 2019, Chester played their first round match against a team from Tyneside on Tuesday 14th May at Pendle Croquet Club, that being about midway between the two clubs. Representing Chester, John Dawson (Captain), Derek Bell-Jones, Robin Tasker and David Boyd, made a good start in the morning session by winning the doubles and one of the singles games to give them a 2 games to 1 lead by lunchtime. The first two results in from the 4 afternoon singles were both wins for Chester, to clinch the match victory. The final score line was Chester 4 – Tyneside 3. The match, played in brilliant weather, was evenly balanced and could have gone either way. Chester is now through to the second round and will play Broadwas CC, Worcestershire.

Thursday 16th May saw the team back in action, this time in a home match in the North West’s Midweek league against Bowdon Griffins. Representing Chester CC was David Boyd (Captain), David Guyton, Robin Tasker and new to the team, James Thomas, playing in his first full lawn league match. Chester made a dream start by winning the doubles and the two morning singles games to give them a 3 – 0 lead by lunch time and although Bowdon came back in the afternoon by winning two of the singles Chester managed to hold them off in the other two to give a final score line of Chester 5 – Bowdon Griffins 2.

The short lawn team of Helen Brophy, Pat Wheeler and Val Sanders played the inaugural match in a new competition, the North Wales and Cheshire tournament, played at Llanfairfechan on Friday 17th May. It was a friendly match, played in good weather and good spirit, but Chester sadly lost 3-6.

Persistent rain all day on Thursday 9^th May did not dampen the enthusiasm for the Chester croquet club annual derby, when the two level play teams met to battle it out in the North West Federation level play league.
The Chester Centurions David Crawford, Sally Slater and captain Alan Clare beat the Chester Chariots, Paul Taylor, Janet Jackson and Pat Clare by 14 games to 4. The Centurions have started well in defending their North West champions title.
James Thomas, from Chester and Llanfairfechan clubs, won the North West millennium short lawn event held at Fylde on Saturday 11^th May. James only started playing association croquet last season, so this was a fantastic achievement, and was the first external tournament he has entered. He remained unbeaten after three rounds, as did Tony Phillips from Bury club, so they contested a final game. James won with two fine breaks.

James receiving the trophy from Liz Wilson

This year’s Southport Croquet Festival will take place on Saturday 29^th and Sunday 30^th June. The format is as in previous years with the addition of a level play golf event. Teams of 3 for Handicap Golf, LPG, AC short and AC Handicap and 2 for AC Advanced. You can play on one or both days and in different team events (although not at the same time)

If you want to play in a golf event please contact Maureen, m.ivens@cardoness.net. If you want to play AC please contact Robin, robin_tasker@btinternet.com. Please indicate on which days you wish to play and on which team(s); and whether you want lunch/tea (which is normally excellent). Also please indicate if you intend to travel each day or stay overnight. Robin and Maureen will coordinate daily travel so that the number of cars is minimised. The club pays the entry fees, you pay the lunch / tea cost and contribute to the travel cost

Each team will have a captain for the day and Robin will be the overall Club Manager

The festival is great fun and has an excellent atmosphere .The formal entries must go in during the first week of June so please contact Maureen or Robin asap!

Chester croquet club won both their North West Federation matches this week.
Paul Taylor captained the short croquet team of Maureen Corrigan, Barbara Jones and James Thomas playing Westmorland at home on Thursday 2^nd May. They won 9-7.
On Sunday 5^th May Chester travelled north to play Fylde Falcons in the Golf Croquet League. Under sunny but very windy conditions the team of Maureen Ivens, Janet Jackson, Chris Thomas and captain Pat Wheeler came away winners by 10 games to 8 after a very evenly balanced match, with the final game to finish handing victory to Chester.

It’s been an excellent week for Chester’s association croquet players, as two teams won their matches and one player, Richard Smith, won an advanced tournament.
Against a backdrop of thunder and lightning, Chester beat Bury 4-3 in a closely fought association croquet away match on Thursday 25^th April . John Dawson (captain), Robin Tasker, David Boyd and Sarah Andrew all contributed to the first win in the North West mid- week league.
On Sunday 28^th April Bury were the losers again in a match played at Bury in the North West handicap league. Robin Tasker, Paul Watson, Brian Walton and John Dawson were leading 3-0 at lunch and only lost one game in the afternoon to give an impressive 6-1 final score.
Richard Smith competed in the weekend advanced tournament at Southport. As the sunny day 2 unfurled, a three way tie for the pewter Jubilee Tankard looked possible, but Richard didn’t falter and won all six rounds, overcoming some serious challenges on the way. The win improved Richard’s world ranking from 185 to 163.