Chester Croquet Club held a National A-Level Golf Croquet tournament on Saturday and Sunday, 2 and 3 August 2025, at its Westminster Park club. 16 players from as far away as Surrey, Lincolnshire, and Durham, and including three from Chester, gathered to compete in two intensive days of croquet.
On Saturday two blocks of eight players started at 9.30 am in an
all-play-all competition; a total of 56 games across Chester’s four lawns. The playing day finished at about 6.30pm with the top five players, led by Chester’s Sarah Clements, each winning five of their seven games. They were followed by six players each winning four of their seven games – a very unusual close result of a keenly competed, long, day. The leading pack also included John Carr (an Australian on a two month tour of the UK), Tony McCann from Durham and Robbie Dodds from Shrewsbury.
The weather on Saturday had been fairly kindly but Sunday threatened rain and gusty winds. Twenty three games were scheduled for Sunday’s knockout 19 point rounds. The sixteen players were again split into two sets; the top eight competed for the Cup and eight for the Plate. By the semi-final stage in the Cup the early showers of Durham Tony, Australian John and Shrewsbury Robbie were joined by Chris Higgins from Bishop Monkton, North Yorkshire.
The Plate groups semi-final was dominated by Northern players. Peter Tymms and Andrew Carpenter from Durham, Bob Strover from Bishop Monkton with Pamela Dawson from Gainsborough.
All the Cup and Plate games were close, hard fought contests with very little margin separating them.
The threatened rain arrived but did not last for too long but the increasing wind put both the gazebos and the players in a bit of a flap. The gazebos were dismantled but the competitors played on.
The Cup final was between the Geordie Tony and Aussie John. After a long and skilful tussle the Cup was won 10 to 7 by Tony, for the second year running.
Bob Strover played Peter Tymms in the Plate final. This was a somewhat quicker affair with Peter quickly establishing a commanding lead and winning by 10 to 5.
So, Tony McCann and Peter Tymms, both from County Durham, scooped the prizes and headed for the long drive North with big smiles and bottles of champagne.