[<<] [>>] by Roger Wood at Compton Croquet Club
2 Aug 2009 (AC)

Jamie Burch won the COWhorn; Tim Wilkins won the COWbell.

Compton Open Weekend - 2009 Aug 1-2: Eastbourne's sunshine was evident early on Saturday and for most of Sunday, but light rain at lunch on Saturday turned heavier as the afternoon went on and did not let up until close of play - the only good feature was that there was no wind; lawns - rather patchy showing variable pace. It was good to welcome COWhorn newcomers Jamie Burch, Dick and Mary Knapp and David Mumford; and to see Steve Comish again after a gap of 20 years. At the other end of the scale George Noble made a record 20th appearance in the 28th staging of the event!

Except for the final the results in the knockout went strictly according to the rankings, although Jamie Burch had a close shave against Phil Cordingley in his semi-final. The final produced two exciting games. In the first Rutger hit his own supershot ball third turn and went to 4-back. Jamie missed down the east boundary and Rutger looked set to finish when, having peeled 4-back, he failed a difficult, angled 3-back giving Jamie the innings. Jamie went to 4-back leaving Rutger's forward ball just in the jaws of H2, Rutger's other ball 5 yards off the east boundary just above H5, and himself a rush to H2 from the maximum length spot on the west boundary. Rutger lifted the H2 ball to A-baulk, nicked Jamie's boundary ball, made penult and rover, cross-wired Jamie at 3-back and retired to corner 2. Jamie shot with his backward ball and hit but only succeeded in getting a sharply angled rush to H1 which he cut superbly. However he then failed an angled H2 giving Rutger a 14 yard shot which he just missed, from where Jamie made no further error and finished with a triple. The second game saw Jamie to 4-back in the third turn leaving the rush on the east boundary just north of H4. From B baulk Rutger hit centre-ball. Having peeled Jamie's ball through 4-back he attempted a cross-wire at H1 with the intention of making a 1-back leave, but while rushing partner away from H1, cannoned one of Jamie's ball to a position NE of H5, and no longer wired. So he continued with the TPO until, pegging out from about two feet, faulted in the croquet stroke! Jamie took contact from Rutger's partner ball in corner 2 and finished in the fifth turn to win the COWhorn at his first attempt.

Before the final round of the Swiss the only players with a single loss were Mary Knapp and Tim Wilkins. The match between them was won decisively by Tim who got to take home the Swiss COWbell. Richard Dickson had a good run to come second. There were 14 triples completed during the weekend with Rutger and Jamie sharing the peeling prize with three apiece. Having only won one of his previous games Ian Vincent finished in style with two triples after lunch on Sunday!

Knockout for the COWhorn

Round 1

Rutger Beijderwellen beat Andrew Gregory +16
David Mumford beat Paul Miles +23
Dave Kibble beat Dennis Shaw +22
Jamie Burch beat George Noble +26(TP)

Round 2

Steve Comish beat Jon Diamond +13
Dick Knapp beat Martin Leach +5
Richard Dickson beat Mary Knapp +13
Rutger Beijderwellen beat David Mumford +20(TP)
Jamie Burch beat Dave Kibble +24(TP)
Martin French beat Louise Bradforth +3
Tim Wilkins beat Ian Vincent +25
Phil Cordingley beat Gordon Hopewell +21

Round 3

Steve Comish beat Dick Knapp +19(TP)
Rutger Beijderwellen beat Richard Dickson +17(TP)
Jamie Burch beat Martin French +16
Phil Cordingley beat Tim Wilkins +5

Semi-Finals

Rutger Beijderwellen beat Steve Comish +26(TP)
Jamie Burch beat Phil Cordingley +4

Final

Jamie Burch beat Rutger Beijderwellen +6(TP) +14

3rd Place
Phil Cordingley beat Steve Comish +17(TP)

Swiss for the Cowbell