Chris Williamson wins the Viking Challenge

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Chris Williamson receiving the Viking Challenge trophy from Fiona Crompton

16 players from clubs in the north and northwest contested 9 rounds of short croquet over two days in the Viking Challenge, a competition in its 10th year and now well-established on the CqE Fixtures list.

Greener lawns than a month before, thanks to rain ameliorating the continuing Yorkshire Water hosepipe ban, were instead festooned with leaves from the early autumn drop. The York team swung into action with leaf blowing and raking in preparation for each day's play.

At the end of Day 1 and 5 games, 4 players had accrued 16 points, and 1 had 14 points, all earned by winning games (2 points), drawing a game (1 point), then a bonus point for running at least 7 hoops and 1 point for pegging out both balls. A scoring system designed to encourage positive rather than defensive play. Only hoops run difference separated the four leading players at this point.

Four more games on Day 2, with results nip and tuck throughout the day, with the four contenders jockeying for position. At 3pm everyone managed to ignore their phones going into emergency alarm mode and battled on. As everyone went into round 9 there was still all to play for; the final results were needed to determine the winner. As winner and runner up had scored the same number of points, hoops run decided the result.

The tournament manager Fiona Crompton did the calculations and Chris Williamson from Crake Valley was declared the overall winner. Congratulations to him and special mention to runner up Roger Schofield of Bury CC, and to Denise Foster of York, top hoop scorer over the weekend with a magnificent 98 hoops.