GC Leagues 2018

reports by Richard Keighley

This season Wrest Park is playing in the Western Area of the Handicap league and has also entered a team for the Central and West Area of the new B level League. All the results and league tables can be found on the EACF website

Handicap League (Western area)

v Stony Stratford (away)     5 July     drew 9-9

Stony’s lawns (one three quarter size, one half size) are notoriously difficult to navigate when grass is evident. In bone dry conditions, they presented a real challenge.

However, our team competed very well and Roy Bradbury snatched a draw by winning the golden hoop in the final game. Our team comprised Roy(6), Chris Harrison (8), Terry Collis (9) and debutant Alan Gray (9).

By lunch, Stony were leading by 6 games to 4, but our team rallied in the next round of singles to level the score to 7-7. All to play for and all results possible, but it finished 9-9.

Chris Harrison won his 4 singles games, Terry 2, and Roy and Alan 1 each. Roy and Terry also won their Doubles game. An enjoyable day’s croquet on a hot day whisch was played in a competitive but always good-humoured spirit.


v Leighton-Linslade (home)     22 June     lost 7-11

A defeat by 11 games to 7. Wrest Park fielded a stronger team on paper namely Rob Chatwin(3), Richard Skidmore (4), Roy Bradbury (6) and Terry Collis (9), but to no avail even with home advantage.

Roy and Terry won their Doubles, and Rob won 3 of his 4 singles games. Terry contributed with 2 singles wins and Roy with 1, but Richard had a day to forget.


v Northampton Hoops (home)     15 June     won 11-7

Wrest Park won their opening home fixture against the Hoops by 11 games to 7. Our team comprised George Savage (6), Chris Harrison(7), Terry Collis (11) and Susan Savage (11).

The format is that each player plays a Doubles followed by 4 singles. Terry won his Doubles partnered by Chris and all his singles games. George and Susan also won their Doubles and 3 and 2 singles games respectively. An impressive win against a team with a handicap total of 52, thus an entitlement to countless extra shots.  


B Level League (Central and West area)

Clubs throughout the East Anglian Federation had been canvassed about the possibility of founding a Level Play League for GC players with handicaps mainly in the 3-8 range. There was sufficient support but it proved difficult to draft a set of Rules which pleased everybody. Wrest Park was placed in the Central and West Area for this League with the prospect of seven matches including away trips to Newport in Essex and to Enfield. The format of matches was teams of four to play a total of seven best-of-three games over two rounds.


v Newport Harriers (home)     3 July     won 4½-2½

It proved possible to field our strongest team on paper of Rob Chatwin (3), Richard Skidmore (back to a 5), Roy Bradbury (6) and myself (3). In the morning, Rob and I won our doubles 7-4, 7-4  but Richard and Roy both lost their singles.In the afternoon, the skipper’s pep talk worked for once and Rob, Roy and I all won our singles in straight games. Richard’s match was tied at 1-1 but the Harriers conceded defeat in their anxiety to be back home in time to watch an inevitable World Cup penalty shootout.  


v Letchworth Falcons (home)     26 June     lost 3-4

“Same old, same old…” but an extraordinary day’s croquet. Our team was Rob Chatwin (3), Richard Skidmores(4), Chris Harrisons(7) and myself (3).By lunchtime, Rob and I had won our doubles and the score was 1-1 with one match unfinished. It was decided to play the 4 afternoon singles which all proved to be titanic 3-game struggles. Rob and I eventually won both our matches, Richard lost his but by 5.45pm Chris was locked at one game all with his opponent. It was agreed that the decider would be timed, which Chris lost to give a match score of 3-3. Thus the unfinished morning match featuring Chris had also to be played. It was timed and it proved a step too far for a weary Chris. Hoops were drawn at 7.20pm.


v Enfield North (away)     18 June     lost 3-4

Our team was Richard Skidmore (now a 4), Roy Bradbury (6), Chris Harrison (7) and myself (3). We had a strange foreboding as to the final score, but Chris made light of this by winning both his singles matches 7-6,7-6 and 7-4, 5-7, 7-4.  I won my singles 7-3, 7-5, but it was not enough on the day.


v Newport Hawks (away)     12 June     lost 3-4

Holidays and other commitments meant that our team comprised Alan Gray (9), Karen Gray (10) and Terry Collis (11) and myself (3).The Hawks comprised 4 players each with a handicap of 6.

Alan and I won our doubles 7-1, 7-6 and I won my singles 7-2, 7-5. Terry won his morning singles 6-7, 7-6, 7-6. What was impressive was Karen’s resolute play and that both Alan and Terry took their respective opponents to the golden hoop in the deciding games in the afternoon. The pace of the lawns was lightning quick.

Alan was pipped 5-7, 7-4, 6-7 and Terry 5-7, 7-2, 6-7.


v Letchworth Kites (away)     25 May    lost 3-4

The smiling face of Peter Aspinall, skipper of the Kites, greeted our team of Rob Chatwin (3), Richard Skidmore (5), Marilyn Robinson (7) and myself (3). Letchworth fielded a team with almost identical handicaps and they won by the narrowest of margins. Richard Skidmore won both of his singles matches over three games, and Rob was pleased to dispatch Peter 7-3,7-3.


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