Club

Croquet

Wrest Park

Longman Cup 2024

Given that our last appearance in this competition was in 2019 it’s worth restating the format and conditions, some of which are new this year. The Longman is a national AC club competition played to handicap rules. Teams of four, aggregate handicap ≥24 and individual handicaps ≥3½. The match consists of one doubles (any pairing) and two singles in the morning and four singles (in handicap order) in the afternoon, arranged so that no-one plays the same person twice. Time limits are 3¼ hours.

Years ago the format was three doubles and two singles; the competition was intended for higher handicapped players who would learn tactics by playing doubles with a more experienced partner. This aspect has been given a boost in that, following proposals by the Competitive Play Working Group, for 2024 either doubles pair can elect to play in the normal way (where the partner can be on the lawn to offer advice) or by playing alternate stroke doubles (ASD) where consecutive strokes alternate between the two players. ASD is now being trialled as an option in all AC doubles events.

The relevant clauses from the Laws (omitting what happens if the strokes go out of sequence) are:

48.2 ASSISTANCE TO PARTNER The partner may advise and instruct the striker and assist in the playing of a stroke by indicating the direction in which the mallet is to be swung and by placing balls, although this must not be at the cost of maintaining expedition in play (see Law 56.3). When a stroke is played, however, the partner must stand well clear of the striker and of any spot which might assist the striker in gauging the strength or direction of the stroke.

56.3 DOUBLES PLAY In all forms of doubles, time must not be wasted in prolonged discussion or instruction. In alternate stroke doubles, the partner should help speed up play by retrieving and placing balls and, so far as possible, being ready to play the next stroke.

v Letchworth (home)     26 April     won 6-1

Peter Rothwell (8) & Ross Bagni (12) (alternate stroke doubles) beat Stuart Haggett (10) & David Clancy (14) (straight doubles) +5(t)

David Woolley (10) beat Colin Davis (5) +20

Tim Nurse (9) lost to Rober Skeen (4.5) -2(t)

Peter Rothwell beat Robert Skeen +21

Tim Nurse beat Colin Davis +1

David Woolley beat Stuart Haggett +24

Ross Bagni beat David Clancy +11

report by Tim Brewer

We were able to field a team made up of two newish players, a primarily GC player and an old hand. The day was dry, and the odd glimpses of sun raised the temperature to a more comfortable level than had been the case in previous days. The lawns were freshly mowed and we were all set for a good match.

Peter and Ross opted to play alternate stroke doubles whilst their opponents chose to play standard doubles. The pairing of Ross and Peter seemed to be a perfect combination of Ross’s GC ability to hit in accurately and run long hoops coupled with Peter’s greater experience of AC tactics and croquet shots. However an unfortunate consequence of choosing to play alternate shots often seemed to result in Peter needing to run a long hoop, and Ross needing to play some subtle little croquet shots! Progress was therefore less rapid than the team had hoped, with no big breaks, but they managed to get a lead and stay ahead to win by +5 on time.

David Woolley was playing Colin Davis in the morning and employed the tactic of keeping Colin’s balls well apart. The end game found David on peg and rover. David hit in following an error by Colin and rolled up to rover only to fall short, but used his last bisque to reset the approach, run the hoop and peg out. Tim Nurse was up against Robert Skeen and used his bisques to keep pace with Robert but wasn’t quite able to clinch the game, losing -2 on time. 2-1 up at lunch.

In the afternoon, Peter used his bisques to set up and play a break to rover, but the leave went awry. After exchanging a few turns and making a couple of hoops with the back ball a better leave was achieved, and a miss by Robert enabled the manufacture of a boundary cannon south of hoop 4 to bring all balls back into break-building positions. Peter then took the second ball around to peg and won shortly afterwards. Tim played Colin, where the end game demonstrated the perils of pegging out only one ball. Tim had been well in front during the game using his bisques to good effect, but Colin caught up and overtook Tim to reach peg and peg. He missed the peg out on his partner ball but chose to peg out his striker’s ball.

Time was pressing. Tim got one ball to peg and then had an opportunity to peg out, but he missed. Colin had several attempts at pegging out his single ball but missed each time. With one minute to spare, Tim successfully pegged out. It was a reminder of the perils of pegging out the striker’s ball if you miss the pegout, and a lesson in not going for a long range pegout when your opponent is joined up.

David’s game against Stuart went smoothly with David playing consistently apart from one six-inch hoop attempt where he tried a controlled hoop run and didn’t hit it hard enough! Ross was in the unusual position of playing against two bisques, but his GC skills came to the fore. He got an early break, and his opponent wasn’t able to catch up.

A successful day, winning 6-1. In the next round we will meet either Pinchbeck or Shrewsbury.

© Wrest Park Croquet Club

The lawns at Shrewsbury. Tim Brewer can be seen watching the play.
Photo by Peter Rothwell.

report by Tim Brewer

As we haven’t played Shrewsbury previously in the Longman Cup, the venue for the match was decided using the EACF virtual coin toss. We therefore had a day out in Shrewsbury! Tim Brewer provided the transport for Peter Rothwell, Ross Bagni and Tim Nurse with David Woolley travelling independently so that he could visit his old school whilst in the Shrewsbury area. We arrived in good time after a trouble-free journey ready for a good day of croquet.

The morning doubles paired Ross (12) and Peter (5) playing alternate shots and conceding 5 bisques to Phil (9) and Alberto (18) who opted for standard doubles. In contrast with the doubles match in the previous round, Ross and Peter more often than not found themselves “the right way round” with Ross making the roquets and Peter playing the croquet shots which worked very nicely. Alberto used several bisques but didn’t really get going, whereas we got in, made some good breaks and ran out winners by +18. Ross had to persuade Peter to take on a long shot at 4-back which proved successful and led to the completion of a break to peg out.

David played David (10) in the morning (it was confusing at times with multiple players with the same name!). Unfortunately, David W wasn’t able to overcome David H and so we had our first lost game.

Tim played Tim (12) in the morning, with the third Tim watching! Tim N played well but made life difficult for himself in the closing phase of the game. He self-pegged out one ball (his other ball was also for the peg), with only a 2-point lead against Tim Bunn. Tim had a shot at the Peg from the west boundary that missed before Tim B got through Rover, laying up about 7 yards south of the peg - Time had been called; so, with scores level, the game went to Golden Peg. Tim laid up about 2 yards north of the Peg. Tim B had a shot either at Tim’s ball or the peg; he went for the ball and missed. Tim pegged out to win +1. Tim B did say it was the most exciting ending he had participated in.

In the afternoon, Tim was up against David H. After being suitably chastised after the morning game, Tim eventually managed a couple of reasonably controlled breaks to win +17 without much excitement.

David’s second game was memorable, with David playing white and pink. White was on hoop 1 and pink was on 6. White was on the boundary in front of hoop 1. Both players had bisques left. David H kept separating David as he kept joining up at hoop 1. David H decided after a few repetitions to leave David’s pink ball at hoop 1 and move his white ball. David took a bisque and went round to rover. However, David did not notice that David H’s brown clip was on six as well, David thought it was red. So, David proceeded to peel pink through 6 and lay a rush to 1-back, whereupon David H took a bisque and regained the innings which lead to his victory.

In the afternoon, Peter played Phil in the singles, conceding 4 bisques, but winning by +17 with some controlled breaks at the start and end, punctuated by a mid-game period of rather lesser quality that included a couple of bad errors: Phil missed a short roquet that Peter then hit too softly towards the notoriously hilly east boundary on court 2, and also made a glaring error when croqueting a forward pioneer to hoop 5 from the south boundary whilst going to the pioneer at hoop 4 which was very close to the hoop and somehow, despite recognising the risks, misjudged the angle, hit the wire and stopped dead about half an inch from the ball but with no shot at it!  It was one of those that if you tried to do it, you would succeed about 1 in a 1000 attempts!  Luckily, Phil didn’t manage to take full advantage of either error and in both cases, Peter hit back in shortly afterwards from range so no significant damage was done and Peter completed a comfortable win.

Ross’s afternoon game went smoothly with Ross using his GC hitting in skills well to come out a winner +18.

A successful day, winning 5-2. In the next round we will meet either Nottingham or Bowdon.

The teams: l-r Tim Nurse, David Woolley, Ross Bagni, Peter Rothwell, David Hart, Phil Extance, Alberto Porras, Tim Bunn.

v Bowdon (away)     10 July     lost 2-5

report by Peter Rothwell

Peter Rothwell (4½) & Ross Bagni (11) beat Andrew Thomson (4) & Cas Sinclair (18) +7t

David Woolley (10) beat Liz Webb (12) +11t

Tim Nurse (8) lost to Ed Cheetham (12) -15

Peter Rothwell lost to Andrew Thomson -13

Tim Nurse lost to Liz Webb -13

David Woolley lost to Ed Cheetham -26

Ross Bagni lost to Cas Sinclair -23

We haven’t played Bowdon in the Longman Cup since 1997 and that was in the finals weekend at Cheltenham. The venue for the match was therefore decided using the EACF virtual coin toss. We lost the toss and so we were on the road again! Peter Rothwell, Ross Bagni and Tim Nurse and David Woolley made the journey north.

Tim (8) lost to Ed Cheetham (12) in the morning but at least got 11 hoops. He also lost to Liz Webb (12) in the afternoon. Note that games were played full bisque, base 6, an option specific to the Longman Cup which can be used if both teams agree.

David (10) beat Liz in the morning playing a blinder but in the afternoon, Ed hit in and went round to peg with 2 bisques. David joined up in corner 3 but Ed hit in from corner 4 and went round and that was it.

After initially falling behind, Peter (4.5) and Ross (11) stayed patient and eventually took advantage of their chances to stage a good comeback and prevail in the morning doubles against Andrew Thompson (4) and Cas Sinclair (18).

In the afternoon Cas had 12 bisques and barely let Ross in.

To Peter’s amazement, Andrew opened against him by running hoop 1 from baulk going two thirds of the way to 2, and then a couple of turns later started a break by playing a croquet shot from near corner 3 which drew gasps and a round of applause from onlookers as he split a ball to hoop 2 and got inside a ball in corner 4 leaving a perfect rush to hoop 1!  With few chances to get going, Peter was soon well behind with Andrew on penult and 4 back, but he finally got an opportunity and went round to peg, leaving a wired squeeze at 1 and 2 with a rush to 2 from the east boundary.  Sadly (for Peter!) Andrew hit the 20-yarder from hoop 1 to regain control and then kept Peter apart. Unfortunately, his hitting ability deserted him, and Andrew prevailed.

We therefore lost the match 2 – 5. Well done to the team for progressing so far in the competition.

v Shrewsbury (away)     21 June     won 5-2

Peter Rothwell (5) & Ross Bagni (12) beat Phil Extance (9) & Albert Porras (18) +18

Tim Nurse (8) Beat Tim Bunn (12) +1

David Woolley (10) lost to David Hart (10) -6

Peter Rothwell beat Phil Extance +17

Tim Nurse beat David Hart +17

David Woolley lost to Tim Bunn -9

Ross Bagni beat Alberto Porras +18

The teams: l-r Ed Cheetham, David Woolley, Cas Sinclair, Ross Bagni, Liz Webb, Andrew Thomson, Peter Rothwell, Tim Nurse.