AC Handicap Tournament
18-19 September

The tournament was won by Stuart Stafford, who won five of his six games, three wins being by 20 point plus margins. His only loss was to David Marsh, when he learned that is unwise to give a minus player a chance before making use of your bisques. David took a ball round to rover almost from the outset and only needed one further opportunity to win +15.

David himself had only entered at the last minute, partly inspired by success in handicap games in the Beds & Herts League, and it was perhaps ironic that the only loss in his five games was to John Bevington, his doubles partner in the League team.

John also featured in possibly the best game of the tournament against fellow Wrest Parker George Collin. John hit his own tice and went to penult. George then hit in from distance and went to rover. John joined up after a failed stop shot approach to hoop 4 from near corner 4, whereupon George hit in and went round again, did the rover peel and used one opponent ball to cannon partner near the peg before roqueting the other and finishing, leaving John’s bisques standing idle.

We started with 15 players, but Cliff Jones had to withdraw with an injury during his second game, and George Woolhouse stayed away on Sunday as the weather forecast did not augur well for the journey from Letchworth by bicycle, electric or not. As it turned out the rain when it came was neither heavy nor long-lasting, and for the most part it remained warm and sunny.

Most players were from local clubs, but Neil Adams made the trip from Westmorland and did well with four wins, and we welcomed back Barry Pilgrim from the Bodham club in north Norfolk (where he doesn’t get much chance to play AC). David Gillett came up from Southwick, but qualifies as a local having previously been a member at Wrest Park.

Many thanks to Geoff Strutt for his management and to the lawns team who had to shift the positions of lawns 2 and 3 on Friday afternoon.

Stuart Stafford (12)     5/6

David Marsh (-1)     4/5

Neil Adams (5)     4/6

Barry Pilgrim (8)     3/4

Jonathan Toye (5)     3/5

George Collin (0)     3/5

Jonathan Lambton (3½)     3/6

Heather Bennett (1)     2/5

John Bevington (1½)     2/5

Cliff Jones (1½)     1/2

George Woolhouse (3)     1/2

Andre Machell (6)     1/5

David Gillett (6)     1/5

Eric Audsley (½)     1/5

Tony Elliott (4½)     0/5

Geoff Strutt and winner Stuart Stafford

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