Club

Croquet

Wrest Park

Eastern Championship 24-26 July

Having spared no effort to prepare the lawns it was almost inevitable that the weekend weather, coinciding as it did with the start of school holidays, should turn from warm sunshine to continuous rain on Friday and Sunday, with a break for conventional summer weather on Saturday. At least the lawns did not flood, although the players might have wished they had. Ian Burridge later said that Friday was probably the most persistent rain he had ever played in.

Robert Wilkinson and winner Ian Burridge walk off at the conclusion of the final on Sunday afternoon.

Quarter-finals

David Maugham (-2½) beat Richard H Smith (-½) +25TP +13 +26TP

Ian Burridge (-1½) beat Philip Scarr (-1) -19 +23STP +6 -3 +26

Matt Holmes (-1½) beat Lionel Tibble (-1½) -25 -19 +7TP +6 +16

Robert Wilkinson (-1) beat Nick Mounfield (-1½)  +3 -6TP -17 +10 +18

Semi-finals

Ian Burridge beat David Maugham +9 +17 +17

Robert Wilkinson beat Matt Holmes -2 +7 +3 +17TP

Final

Ian Burridge beat Robert Wilkinson +3 +17TP +14

Plate

Phil Scarr won the Plate with three wins from four games. Only eight games were played as Sunday’s rain proved too much for some.

All the players are to be congratulated on the way they stuck to it in the appalling weather. A combination of the conditions and the use of Super-Advanced rules led to some drawn-out matches (Robert Wilkinson only got the better of Nick Mounfield on Saturday morning), but the standard remained impressively high throughout.

Ian Burridge in play. In the background is Nick Mounfield.

Lionel Tibble

Robert Wilkinson

Ian Burridge receives the trophy from David Maugham, with (L-R) Phil Scarr, Robert Wilkinson and Richard Smith

View from above - the lawns as seen from the Pavilion roof on Saturday morning.