May continues to be a busy month for Chester Croquet Club.
It was a lovely day on Wednesday, 18 May, when a team from Chester played a team from Branston near Lincoln in their first match in the national Murphy Shield competition on neutral ground midway at Nottingham Croquet Club. The team of David Boyd, Tom Grievson, John Hampson and Jayne Taylor enjoyed some very close games against the friendly members of Branston on the excellent lawns at Nottingham Croquet Club, ending the day victorious with a score of 5 rubbers to 2 . The rubbers consisted of both doubles and singles level play golf croquet games, played on a “best of 3” basis. As it is a knockout competition, we wait to hear which team Chester play next and where in the country the team will go.
On the following Saturday, 21 May, Chester played away against Bury Caesars on their home ground at Coronation Park in the NW Federation weekend handicap association croquet league. The Chester team of David Boyd (captain), David Guyton, Paul Watson and Nigel Worthington found themselves facing a strong team from Bury. By lunchtime Chester managed to be just ahead with David Boyd and Nigel Worthington winning their two singles games but Bury winning the doubles game. The afternoon proved more of a struggle with David Guyton winning his singles game against Bury’s lowest handicap player but the three other singles games were won by Bury, the last to finish being only three hoops ahead of Chester. The overall result was a 4 – 3 win for Bury.
The annual North West Millennium competition for short lawn croquet was held at Fylde on Sunday, 22 May 22. Sally Slater and Jayne Taylor represented Chester but, despite some good play and some very close games, were not successful in bringing home any silverware this year.