EACF AC Leagues play-
The Beds & Herts, Essex & Suffolk and Northern League winners have a play-
Everyone arrived in good time, but not before three of the Wrest Park team had been led astray by the Apple satnav and were rescued by the more accurate Google equivalent. Peterborough then revealed that as Ian and Debbie Lines were otherwise engaged on a walking tour they had had to recruit Justin Beaumont, a complete beginner normally playing off 24 but would have to play off 20. There then remained the problem of what format to use as the normal League format allows for a draw, which was obviously inappropriate. It was decided to use the one doubles, six singles format similar to the Mary Rose but with the doubles pairs being 1 and 4 rather than 1 and 2 in handicap order.
David Marsh (-
John Bevington (1) lost to Stephen Cornelius (8) -
George Collin (-
David Marsh lost to Adrian Kirby -
George Collin lost to Stephen Cornelius -
John Bevington beat Keith Huggins +7
Tim Brewer beat Justin Beaumont +13
In the doubles Justin, who had been thrown into the deep end, responded well to Adrian’s advice. Tim got round to penult, but Adrian then went round, peeling him through penult and rover and pegging him out, and they kept control to win +13. John’s game was over quickly -
Stephen then completed a second whitewash with George not taking croquet, finishing with a rover peel and a half-
Glorious autumn sunshine, lawns flat and lush but with some bare patches around the edges as a result of the summer heat, with fallen nuts an occasional hazard. Hoops firm and generous. Many thanks to Newport for hosting and Terrey Sparks for management, and good luck to Peterborough in next year’s Secretary’s Shield.
The Newport lawns and clubhouse, with David, Tim, Justin and Adrian filling in time with some golf croquet before lunch.
Terrey Sparks presents the trophy to Adrian Kirby. Newport’s Fran Lambert stands in the doorway.
The teams: l-
© Wrest Park Croquet Club
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