Club

Croquet

Wrest Park

Mary Rose 2013


11 September     v Nottingham (away)     Lost 3-4

Bryan Harral (½) and David Marsh (½)  lost to Ian Vincent (0) and Richard Huxley (0) -17

John Bevington (1) lost to Peter Death (3) -7

Tim Brewer (3½) lost to Omeid Hallam (1½) -19

Bryan Harral lost to Ian Vincent -20

David Marsh beat Richard Huxley +16

John Bevington beat Omeid Hallam +22

Tim Brewer beat Peter Death +5

Report by Bryan Harral and John Bevington

Things did not start well but in a remarkable turn of events the outcome was on a knife-edge until 6pm. In the doubles Bryan got to 4b early on but then a tactical mistake and poor shooting lost us the game. In the morning singles Omeid’s very accurate hitting-in soon overwhelmed Tim. In contrast John’s game against Peter was taking so long it was pegged-down so we could enjoy lunch. Score 0-2. When Bryan lost the first of the afternoon’s singles to Ian Vincent the score was 0-3. Then suddenly, as if by magic, wins by David, John and Tim pulled us level, and the pegged-down game would be the decider. After 1.5 hours of cat-and-mouse play (4.5 in total) Peter pegged out to give Nottingham the match.

Our thanks to Nottingham for hosting the match and their kind hospitality, and especially to Martin Beacon for a lunch of coq au vin with all the trimmings, including wine, and a choice of desserts.

John adds: My morning game was littered with unforced errors: taking off long or short, mishits, you name it, and when Peter did stick in a hoop it always seemed to be off his own ball. When we pegged it down my clips were on 1-back and 4-back to his 3-back and 4-back. I had laid up for 1-back giving a lift, which he had hit. The memory of all this partially evaporated over lunch. I was not optimistic about the next game, having seen Omeid in action earlier, but somehow I just waltzed round and had plenty of time to take in Tim’s comeback.

When we restarted it looked as though the game could go on until dark, but Peter got round to peg and peg and pegged one out. Having hit the lift I managed to hold him off for a while but failed 3-back off a stop shot approach. The crucial moment probably came some time earlier when I had laid up for 1-back. Peter took off from near hoop 4 rather enthusiastically and his ball would have crossed the west boundary with something to spare, but it clipped one of my balls en passant. Such is fortune.


6 August     v Letchworth (away)     Won 4-3

David Marsh (½) and Eric Audsley (1) beat David Tutt (0) and Ian Mantle (2) +22

John Bevington (1) lost to Terry Mahoney (2) -6

Bryan Harral (1) beat John Hall (6) +9

John Bevington beat John Hall +24

Bryan Harral lost to Terry Mahoney -14

Eric Audsley lost to Ian Mantle -12

David Marsh beat David Tutt +14

Team captains will know the feeling. You have used up all your powers in merely getting a team together, and then one of them has the temerity to get his handicap reduced, thus taking your team’s total below the maximum limit. Thankfully the Regulations for Tournaments (H1f) allow a week’s grace, so all was well.

The result of the doubles game was decisive, but both singles were much closer. John Bevington was ahead until Terry found his rhythm and went round in two turns, finishing soon afterwards. John Hall set off like a train, but Bryan managed to apply the brakes and got home first. Terry’s good form (how could he do this to his ex-teammates?) continued after lunch, beating Bryan after John B had beaten John H. After Eric lost to Ian it was 3-3, but David Marsh won to give Wrest Park the match. It was David, of course, who had had his handicap reduced. The team captain now has to start all over again.


28 June     v Chester (away)          Won 4-2

Bryan Harral (1) and John Bevington (1) lost to Mark Lloyd (½) and Jerry Guest (1½) -17

David Marsh (1½) beat David Guyton (6) +9

Tim Brewer (3½) beat Dennis Graham (4½) +2

Bryan Harral beat Mark Lloyd +18

John Bevington v Jerry Guest abandoned

David Marsh best Dennis Graham +12

Tim Brewer v David Guyton abandoned


After a very wet drive up to Chester it was a relief to find the rain had stopped before play began. The doubles was scrappy to begin with, but an intended wide join which drifted down the slope to leave the balls much closer than had been intended gave Jerry the opportunity to go to 4-back. The games were paused for a much appreciated and very welcome hot lunch and concluded soon afterwards. Bryan recovered his form to beat Mark, who then had to dash off to appear in the Chester Mystery Plays.


The rain reappeared soon after lunch and got steadily worse, so when David had beaten Dennis to give Wrest Park a winning lead it was agreed to abandon the remaining games. Chester would in all probability have won at least one of these, as Jerry had just conceded the innings when on peg and peg against 2-back and 2-back. In typical fashion the rain stopped just after we had cleared everything away.


Many thanks to Chester for their hospitality and the excellent lawns. The club also has an excellent system for storing and transporting hoops and equipment using adapted wheelybins, which we might well consider for ourselves.

© Wrest Park Croquet Club