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On Thursday, 8 July, the Chester Centurions level play golf croquet team welcomed a team from Crake. The day was warm and sunny and the match was played in a very friendly spirit and enjoyed by all, including Crake, despite the fact that Chester Centurions beat Crake by 17 games to 1. It was not as easy as the score showed, Crake played very good croquet and had bad luck not to win more games. Chester’s team comprised of Garry Greenwood (captain), David Crawford and Mark Lloyd.

So far Chester Centurions have won all three of the six level play golf croquet league matches scheduled this season.

Chester’s away match against Southport in the NW Federation mid-week handicap league on Wednesday, 7 July, was not one of the club’s more successful achievements – a 6 – 1 win by Southport. The Chester team of David Boyd (captain), David Guyton, Paul Watson and Nigel Worthington found themselves facing some high handicap players from Southport who made consistently good use of their abundant bisques, free shots at critical times. In some previous more successful matches it has been suggested that Chester has some bandit players amongst its ranks with unduly high handicaps and bisques. This result suggests a contrary perspective. Merely a coincidence, of course, but the one game won by Chester was by Chester’s highest handicap player.

Apart from the disappointing result, the Chester team received a characteristically warm welcome at Southport. And the mild, dry weather was certainly preferable to the heavy showers at Chester.

In the North West Federation short lawn competition held at Llanfairfechan on Saturday, 3 July, a very close match was fought. The Chester team of Val Sanders, Robert Jones, Nigel Lloyd and captain Sally Slater were neck and neck until the very last game. Llanfairfechan narrowly won it and the match, the overall score being 9-7. Torrential rain greeted the Chester team in Wales, but it dried up quickly and was followed by a glorious sunny day in this lovely setting.

Another Social Funday this Sunday, 4 July,  2.00-5.00 pm.

Strawberries and Bucks Fizz provided.  Please bring something to share.

Family and friends welcome.

See you there!

The Secretary’s Shield competition is one of three national competitions which Chester Croquet Club is entering in 2021. It is a full lawn association croquet handicap knock-out competition for winners of regional competitions in the previous year, in this case 2019 as matches were cancelled in 2020.

On this occasion Chester faced Nailsea near Bristol on neutral lawns midway between the two clubs at Edgbaston near Birmingham on Tuesday, 29 June. Nailsea were able to muster a team of only three players rather than the usual four and Chester were represented by David Boyd (captain), Brian Walton and Paul Watson.  In the two  morning games Chester lost the doubles game but won the singles game and then went on to win the three singles games in the afternoon. The overall result was a 4 – 1 win for Chester who now go on to face the winner of Sheffield v Hampstead Heath.

 

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.

 

Last September after a weekend competition Sally Slater won the club’s AC full lawn handicap tournament and with it the Mason Cup.

Unfortunately, because of various Covid-19 lockdowns in force at that time, the Mason Cup itself was marooned in Wales along with the 2019 winner James Thomas.

However, today we welcomed James back from exile in Wales and voluntary service in Uganda to full lawn AC activity at Chester, and with him the repatriated Mason Cup!

This year’s annual Mason Cup competition will be held over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, 25-26 September. Plenty of time for practice between now and then!

Chester Croquet Club played a North West Federation golf handicap match against Culcheth on Sunday, 20 June,  on a surprisingly warm and sunny day.

Chester was represented by Pauline Walters (captain), Jude Wise, Kerry Dadson and Paul Cronin. Jude, Kerry and Paul are all relatively new to the club and Paul has only been playing croquet for about 6 weeks after he attended one of the taster days in April!

After an exciting match Chester emerged the victors with 12 games to 5 with one draw.

There was a festive feel at Chester Croquet Club’s first Social Sunday this season. A gazebo was set up for drinks and food outside in the glorious sunshine and members and visitors played croquet throughout the afternoon. Ages ranged from 5 to 89!

Croquet is an ideal sport for social distancing, with 8 people safely allowed on a lawn, and much fun was had by all who came. This was the first of six Social Fundays arranged this season.

We have another few more Social Fundays planned through the season – not all are on Sundays – so please put the following dates in your diaries:

Sunday, 4 July
Sunday, 18 July
Sunday, 1 August
Sunday, 22 August
Saturday, 11 September
Sunday, 3 October
Sunday, 17 October

We can’t always promise Buck’s Fizz and scones, but you never know!

Hi everyone

We are resuming our Social Sundays (now called Fundays as they won’t always be on a Sunday!) on Sunday, 13 June.
2 pm -5 pm.
Bring something to share if you can.
Buck’s Fizz, juice, tea and coffee and scones are provided.
We will be playing croquet, either GC or AC,
and you are welcome to bring along your friends or family.
We won’t be able to use the pavilion, apart from toilets, so we will be outside.
See you there!

Sally Slater