The two national competitions that Chester croquet club are competing in resulted in mixed fortunes this week. Chester is representing the NW Region in the national Secretary’s Shield knock-out tournament for 2017. Having beaten a team from Oxford University in the first round, by 4-3, they went forward to the quarter final, in which they played against St Albans, Hertford at Nottingham last Sunday.
The Chester team of David Boyd (captain), John Dawson, Robin Tasker and Brian Walton had secured an impressive 3-0 lead by lunchtime, by winning the doubles and the two singles games. St Albans then took the first game in the afternoon, giving them some hope of a recovery but this was soon foiled when Brian Walton won his game giving Chester the vital fourth point. Each team won one each of the remaining two games to give a final score line of Chester 5 St Albans 2. Chester now play Sheffield in the semi-final.
In the Longman Cup Chester narrowly lost to Bowdon by 4-3. The team was John Dawson (captain), Paul Watson, Robin Tasker and David Boyd.
The Chester/Pendle and Craven mid-week croquet match was held at Chester on Wednesday July 26th. The weather forecast for the day was abysmal, and started with heavy rain, but due to delays on the M62 two Pendle players arrived mid-morning by which time the rain had stopped.
Initially the lawns were a bit wet, but by the afternoon the weather cleared and it was sunny and hot and the lawns dried out nicely. Chester were also hot as the team of Alan Clare (captain), Helen Brophy, Paul Taylor and David Guyton won the match 6-1.