2010 NEWS
The manager of an event isn't supposed to win, but he did this time beating John Moore in the final 7-5, having also beaten him in the block). Simon Carter beat John Skates in the third place play-off.
The event was organised as two blocks, with play-offs, and the final positions are:
| Player | Club | Handicap | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jon Diamond | TW | 2 | 6 |
| John Moore | TW | 7 | 4 |
| Simon Carter | Sydenham | 0 | 5 |
| John Skates | TW | 8 | 3 |
| Carol Bradley | Medway | 10 | 5 |
| Christine Parish | Ramsgate/Canterbury | 9 | 4 |
| Christina Rice | Ramsgate | 4 | 3 |
| Roz Cheesman | Medway | 9 | 3 |
| Tricia Francis | Medway | 11 | 3 |
| Derek Crocombe | TW | 8 | 3 |
| Doug Francis | Medway | 10 | 2 |
| Margaret Rose | Medway | 10 | 1 |
John Moore's handicap was changed to 6.
The club's internal competition for the Lewis Trophy (and the ensuing accolade of representation at the All England Regional Finals) duly took place on Saturday.
There were five entrants - Alex, Barney, Richard Mann, Chris Barham and Jeff Chapman.
It was played as 3 x 18 point games with the winner being Barney in a tight finish (+3) against Richard Mann in the final game, making the fifth time he's won his own trophy! Good luck to him in the Regional Finals.
In a very tight top block all six players scored either 2 or 3 wins in their 5 games. So it was by the closest of tie-breakers that Jon Diamond came second, missing out on having to regularly polish a superb 80-year old silver cup (phew), with Alex Jardine one of the players on 2 wins.
The weather changed for the better and the sun shone on the small number of 5 teams challenging for this year's trophies. Unfortunately, we'd chosen as a date the opening evening of the Football World Cup! Nevertheless the teams played with gusto throughout and thoroughly enjoyed the evening, saying that they would be back again next year.
For the fourth time a team from Lovat Insurance Brokers were the winners. This time it was Karen Hart and John Bagshawe (the Ventnors). The Churchill Retirement Living Salver for the best Community team was won by Charles Armstrong Wilson and John Tysoe (the Grass Monkeys).
Alex and Jon were part of the improving Kent team at the Association Inter Counties tournament, held from 28th May - 1st June at Southwick and Compton. The Inter Counties is, we believe, the largest croquet tournament in the world with more than 120 players involved, playing Advanced Doubles matches.
Kent came 6th out of 11 in the Second Division with 6 wins in 10 matches, which is a better performance than last year. The present system of two divisions of eleven teams has been in existence since 1997. In 1997 we were fourth with seven wins, but the three ahead of us all had seven wins and were promoted. The only other time we had six wins was in 2003, we were fifth then.
The current strategy is aimed at winning on the centenary of Kent's last win (in 1912), so there's some way to go, including winning promotion next year...
Just four visitors entered our first one-day advanced tournament of the season, aimed mainly at the working player; three of the “usual suspects” joined by the UK’s number 4 lady, Gabrielle Higgins, who took the honours with a clean sweep of 4 wins.
Alex very nearly prevailed but blobbed rover with all 3 peels done on partner ball (albeit in two turns), giving Gabrielle the “all four balls round rover” leave from which she duly finished +3.
Mick G had an exciting +1 win over Philip after having one ball pegged out and taking on the 3-ball break to the peg. He then finished with a comfortable win over our visitor Mike from Reigate.
Despite the rain showers in the afternoon, the day was generally warm, the lawns played beautifully and not one game went to the 2hr:30 min. time limit, proving again that four games in a day is quite practical and can be all done and dusted by 5:30 p.m.
| RESULTS | Handicap | wins |
|---|---|---|
| Gabrielle Higgins | 0 | 4 |
| Alex Jardine | 0.5 | 3 |
| Jon Male | 0.5 | 2 |
| Mick Greagsby | 5 | 2 |
| Philip Mann | 3 | 1 |
| Mike Bottomley | 5 | 0 |
Alex Jardine won the Ramsgate Croquet Club Advanced Weekend Tournament on six wins out of seven. Congratulations - but not quite as good as last year, though, when he won all seven games! (But then last year was a B-level and this year was totally open.)
Roger Barnacle won the Cryptorchid Handicap in this popular charity tournament. This year there were 19 club heats, some in far-flung corners - from Sidmouth to Colchester to Southport. Over 260 players participated, over £1,300 was raised for Macmillan Cancer Support and the quality of the final was as high as one would expect in any event seeking the cream of the cream.
Jeff had won our heat earlier this year and so qualified to play this year. He writes "I played at Winchester on Saturday and it turned out to be [apart from the weather] a sociable and enjoyable experience. The lawns were lightning fast with more undulations than at TW. There must be a law that accounts for the gravitational effect of some hoops when four simultaneous games are in progress. I did 'sport' the club badge on my shirt - not that anyone would know as the weather was so cold and wet that sweaters [full time] and rain gear [part time] were obligatory.
In the event I had a 50% record 4/8 - scores ranged between 0/8 and 8/8 in a good approximation to a guassian distribution. I played Rutgers Beijderwellen in my second game and having not seen him in his first game and having no idea what the really good players were like my tactics were abysmal and I ended up severely thrashed as he completed the hoops in two attempts. I'd wised up in my match against the next best player present [Marcus Evans], managed my bisques better and achieved a win."
Alex didn't win, but performed pretty well again as the "victor of the seeds’ graveyard quarter", losing in the semi-finals to the winner Jamie Burch. More details are here.
As part of the Croquet Association's One Ball Charity event we ran a heat for the very first time. Regretably the organisers failed to notice that it was Mothering Sunday, so the turn-out was somewhat down on forecast with a total of 4 players taking part.
From this very select group Jeff Chapman emerged as winner on a tie-break, so qualifies for the final in Winchester on 8th May. Obviously his handicap will be reduced very shortly...
Out contribution to the Macmillan Cancer Charity is £30.
Kate Sander has been co-opted and wll take responsibility for Catering this season.
A replacement Lawn Supervisor has been recruited. He's David Evans and has already made a good start with slitting and attacking the moss.
Our Californian correspondent writes: "This week we have had a Scrambled Doubles Tournament - playing American Rules (with the 'deadness board'). Because Mick doesn't play the game much and doesn't know the rules, let alone the strategy, he was put in the high handicap block - meaning he got to play partnered with a different low handicap player in each game.
He ended up winning the high handicap block and so was partnered with the winner of the low handicap block for the knock out ladder. His partner is a very good player - Bob van Tassell (handicap 0.5) - who coached him round the lawns. The two of them won the final game yesterday with both of them pegging out in the allotted time (the only pegged out game of the week)."
Due to a major project Elaine Houslop has decided to retire from the Committee. Carolyn Gunstone has been co-opted in her place.
A number of improvements to the Club House are planned in addition to the normal maintenance tasks - installing electric hand-dryers and lockable lockers in the Ladies Changing Room. New badges should be available by the start of the season. No replacement for Norman has been found yet, but we're advertising locally as well as nationally.
Aaron Westerby, an occasional member at our club, has been appointed Captain of the New Zealand team for the series of test matches to be held in the UK for the World Team Championships - MacRobertson Shield. This follows on from the NZ Open which finished on the 23rd, won by Paddy Chapman, who beat Aaron is the semi-final and Stephen Mulliner, from England, in the final.
At last the snow went, if only just, and 10 plucky people attended the first pub lunch of the Winter in Fairwarp. Well, actually you had to navigate slightly carefully through the slush in the local road and car park, but everybody got safely home after a jolly nice lunch!
Mick has just finished the Pat Apple Tournament - named for one of the club's founders - which is an Association tournament and the only time in Mission Hills, California that they play with bisques. It started with two flights - A and B, Mick being put in A, the one with handicaps 4.5 to 0.5 (having been given a handicap here of 3.5!). After block play, the two flights were divided into three for the play offs, based on the block results. Mick went into the second of these, where he had to play some of the A flight players again as well as the winner of the B flight. Well, he ended up winning his flight!
Here he is getting his award (an apple trophy), together with the winners of the other two flights - they all get their names on the trophy.
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