And another win

Chester Croquet Club clocked up another win on Wednesday, 23 June, in a home match against Westmorland in the NW Federation midweek association croquet handicap league. At the start of the match the weather was dull and cool but the lawns were dry and fast running. The Chester team of David Guyton (captain), Sally Slater, Brian Walton and Paul Watson made good progress and finished the morning winning the doubles game and two singles games giving Chester a 3 – 0 lead at half time. By then a damp drizzle had started which turned to more incessant rain during the lunch break. Westmorland returned to the lawns re-invigorated after lunch and at one stage were ahead of Chester in all four singles games during the afternoon. By this time the players and lawns were getting wetter and wetter and it was becoming more and more difficult to hit the balls accurately over any distance. However, Chester held on doggedly and managed to win two of the four singles games in the afternoon.  This gave Chester a satisfying 5 – 2 result for the match which implies a much easier win than was felt at the time. By the end of play the lawns were totally saturated with widespread puddles. After several weeks of dry weather the lawns will have welcomed the rain but the players would have preferred fewer umbrellas and rather more sunshine.