Club

Croquet

Wrest Park

Mary Rose 2015

Final v Surbiton (at Surbiton)     October 3     Lost 2-4

Bryan Harral (0) and John Bevington (1) beat Nigel Polhill (0) and Chris Roberts (1) +23

David Marsh (1) beat Andy Dibben (2) +3

Tim Brewer (2½) lost to Graham Brightwell (2) -8

Bryan Harral lost to Nigel Polhill -7

John Bevington lost to Chris Roberts -18

David Marsh lost to Graham Brightwell -20

Tim Brewer v Andy Dibben unfinished

There was dew on the lawns and a cold mist in the air when we arrived, but Bryan soon warmed up when a successful roll-up to hoop 2 led to a break to 4-back. John then had a break of his own with a number of angled hoops, and it wasn’t long before Bryan pegged out. David won narrowly after hitting a lift when well behind and going on to peg out Andy’s peg ball. Tim had a drawn-out game and couldn’t get going at the start, but recovered somewhat before losing by 8.

The sun came out after lunch, but it seemed to shine on our opponents. Bryan missed a short cut rush to hoop 1, and Nigel then embarked on a triple. Complications ensued and Bryan managed to peg out Nigel’s peg ball, but with Bryan for 2-back Nigel, by now for peg, finally hit in. John had got to 2 and 5 when he “formed a picture” when rushing along the north boundary to pick up a ball near corner 2 and played the wrong ball, handing Chris a 4-ball break. Things did not improve when, after Chris left his balls outside corner 2 conceding a lift, John hit in from A-baulk with the hoop 2 ball but failed the hoop, and Chris played very accurately and eventually won comfortably.

David made six hoops in his game but pointed out that he had been peeled through two of them. Tim’s game was abandoned with both players on 3 and 4-back, but to look on the bright side Tim did say that he managed his only decent break of the day.

Never mind. It’s something to have got to the final, after all.

© Wrest Park Croquet Club  

At around 4pm in the early stages of the afternoon singles Frank Moir contemplates the split to hoop 3 and partner in corner 2, while Bryan prepares to take on hoop 2

The winners, with the trophy presented by CA President Quiller Barrett. L-R Andy Dibben, Graham Brightwell behind Nigel Polhill, Chris Roberts

The losers: Bryan Harral, David Marsh, Tim Brewer, John Bevington

John then found some form and got round to peg and rover, but let Frank in again after slightly over-rolling the approach to rover with a finish in prospect. Frank later missed a short shot and John finally finished to secure the match. In view of the lateness of the hour Bryan and Martin’s game was abandoned. What a relief. We now play Surbiton at Surbiton on 3rd October in a repeat of the 2004 final.


v Pinchbeck (played at Hunstanton)     July 16     Won 4-3

George Collin (0) and Bryan Harral (0) beat Terrey Sparks (1½) and John Filsak (2) +22

John Bevington (1) lost to Bob Thompson (3) -11

David Woolley (8) lost to Mike Bowser (4) -9

George beat Terrey +18

Bryan beat John +19

John beat Mike +5

David lost to Bob -23

With Bryan and George’s handicaps now at 0, meeting the minimum aggregate of 4 is becoming more difficult, and David Woolley came in to replace Tim. Pinchbeck is a one-lawn club near Spalding and play home matches at Hunstanton. The lawns were a lush green but not very fast; Jeff Race having been unable to give them another cut as he was busy preparing the adjoining tennis courts for an Inter County tournament (and was seen ruling an immacualte series of white lines as we were in play).

Bryan and George made short work of the doubles, and although David got off to a good start he eventually lost -9. John’s game dragged on for some time before he too lost. After lunch Bryan and George both won but David’s loss to Bob left the match at 3-3 with John’s game very much in the balance. He eventually got round and missed the pegout, pegging one ball. Mike joined on corner 2, but John hit the peg at the first attempt.

The journey home was enlivened by a detour taking in Wisbech and the road alongside the Sixteen Foot Drain. The latter was only reached after two false starts, so we all got home a bit later than planned. But never mind, we won.


v Sussex County (away)     June 3     Won 7-0

George Collin (0) and Bryan Harral (0) beat Simon Hayward-Tapp (0) and Tudor Jenkins (1) +17

Tim Brewer (2½) beat David Gaitley (3½) +25

John Bevington (1) beat Peter Pullin (1½) +2

George beat Simon +24

Bryan beat Tudor +17

John beat David +6

Tim beat Peter +8

Leaving early (in Tim’s shiny new Astra) we could have stopped for breakfast but as no-one needed it we arrived before half the home team. Tim demolished David and threw in a rover peel for good measure. George got off to a flyer in the doubles which was won soon after. John, on the other hand, had only got as far as 5 and 5 with Peter on peg and peg having left both balls in rover after a nudge peel, intending to rush straight back to the stick next turn. But one hit-in is all it takes, and John managed to pinch the game.

George won again in an hour or so, and after the others had finished John completed the whitewash after a messy ending which included a failed peg-out. Sussex did us proud for lunch, and what a pleasure to have the lawns to ourselves after the overcrowding of the Inter Counties. To cap it all, it was a warm and sunny day.

v Bowdon (home)     September 7     Won 4-2

On paper it should have been a formality. We were playing at home and our opponents had had a long and stressful drive, arriving at 10.45 as the sun disappeared and low cloud set in for the rest of the day. But things do not always go to plan. Barry’s play belied his handicap and he was the first to finish. Tim was having a nightmare but finally came good. In the doubles Martin got round to 4-back early on and Bryan and John were struggling. A welcome hot lunch (got ready by Gill Brewer, for which much thanks) was taken at around 1.45 with the doubles still unfinished and Bowdon well ahead.

When the doubles resumed Martin, with Frank for peg, tried for control at penult and just failed to get through, which let John in and we eventually won +4 for a 2-1 lead. Barry won again, and David’s win against Francois made it 3-2.