Chester sent three teams to the annual Southport Festival of Croquet over the weekend of 29 and 30 June.
Ten clubs from the North West Federation saw 80 competitors play in six different classes of croquet matches, in both association croquet and golf croquet, over the two days.
Poor weather dominated the festival, particularly on Saturday with very large puddles covering many of Southport’s twelve lawns.
Chester’s association croquet team of David Boyd, Robin Tasker and Andy Wilson-Chalon lost two of their three matches on Saturday in often driving rain but they managed to draw the third as conditions eased. On Sunday, Chester decisively defeated Pendle and drew against Bowdon in an exciting finale.
The golf croquet level play team of Sarah Clements and Rick Davies were in sparkling form despite the almost continuous rain and puddles, and they won all their Saturday matches in great style. Although Sunday was much drier, the cold and strong north easterly wind was unpleasant but the Chester pair won two of their three matches to finish an overall second in their class.
The Chester golf croquet handicap team was led by Sandy Grievson with newcomers Doreen Curtis and Christine Fryer who were having their first taste of this form of competitive croquet. Although they lost their four matches on Saturday, two were very close. On Sunday, they were soundly beaten by Fylde, the eventual winners of the class, but they came much closer in their remaining two matches.