As the third heatwave of the summer continues, so do the NW Federation league matches.
On Saturday, 18 July, Chester Senators played Pendle in the NW Federation golf croquet handicap league. The match was originally scheduled to be played at Chester but was moved to Pendle as the Chester lawns have been so parched and brown and unpredictably fast and erratic. At Pendle there was green, dew drenched grass everywhere and the lawns were flat. The morning temperatures stayed in the high teens with an occasional rain shower !
The result was a 14 – 4 win for Pendle but the Chester team all played well and spent a very happy day with convivial hosts in a beautiful setting. We didn’t come away empty handed as we were awarded a cup which the team was very proud to receive and bring home.
On the following day, Chester was host to Bowdon Griffins in the NW Federation association croquet 26 point handicap league. Here the lawns proved a real challenge to both teams with the slightest of shots overshooting and balls making unpredictable turns at the end of their runs. As an added challenge, the Chester team found themselves facing 53½ bisques – free shots – by the Bowden players compared with just 4 bisques for one of the Chester players.
As a result the Chester team of David Guyton (captain), David Boyd, Robin Tasker and Ant Fletcher, who was playing in his first full lawn association croquet league match, found themselves having to work hard against a keen and competent visiting team. In the morning games, Chester won the doubles and one of the two singles games, all three games finishing with very narrow hoop differences. The four singles games in the afternoon were similarly hard fought with both teams winning two games each giving Chester an overall 4 – 3 win against the Bowdon Griffins team.