Could you lead Croquet England?

by Gabrielle Higgins [^]
30th June (CqE Official News)

Chief Executive Officer - Croquet England

4 or 5 days per week | Salary: £60,000 (pro-rata for 4 days)
Location: Remote, with regular travel and time in Cheltenham

Croquet England - the national governing body for the sport of croquet in England - is seeking an inspiring, strategic, and inclusive leader to become our first paid Chief Executive Officer.

This is a landmark moment for our organisation. After over 100 years of dedicated volunteer leadership, we are now ready to appoint a CEO to lead the delivery of our ambitious strategy for growth, inclusion, and innovation.

About Us

Croquet England became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in 2023, with the following charitable purposes:

• To promote community participation in healthy recreation through the provision of facilities for playing croquet.
• To advance the amateur sport of croquet for public benefit.

We are proud of our heritage and excited for our future. More than 10,000 players belong to over 200 affiliated clubs, with many thousands more enjoying croquet informally at home. The competitive scene is thriving, from local leagues to national championships and international tournaments.

Our strategy focuses on seven key areas: play, safeguarding, coaching, inclusion, wellbeing, funding, and sustainability. We are now looking for a CEO who will bring energy, vision, and professional leadership to bring this strategy to life.

The Role

You will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of croquet in England. Working closely with the Chair of Trustees and leading a dedicated community of volunteers and staff, you will:

• Drive strategic implementation across all areas of our work.
• Lead a culture change that embraces inclusivity, diversity, and modern governance practices.
• Champion croquet as a sport that can be played by all, at all ages and levels.
• Manage and support directors and committee chairs across key functions - including coaching, development, tournaments, laws and rules, international relations, communications, and IT.
• Oversee operations at our Head Office in Cheltenham and support integration between the small office team, the croquet shop, and our wider volunteer network.

This is a hands-on leadership role with a national reach. The majority of your work will be remote, with some travel to clubs, key sector events and a regular pattern at our Cheltenham office with the Croquet England staff.

For further details see the job description.

About You

We are looking for an experienced and values-driven leader who can confidently steer our organisation through its next chapter. You will bring:

• At least 10 years of senior management experience, ideally in the charity or sports sector.
• A track record of strategic leadership, culture change, and team development.
• A strong understanding of how sport can enrich lives and communities.
• The ability to work effectively with a broad range of stakeholders - including volunteers, clubs, funders, and partner organisations.
• A flexible and pragmatic approach, with a commitment to equality, inclusion, safeguarding and good governance.

You do not need to be a croquet expert - but you should be open to learning the game and embracing its unique culture. With our HQ based in the beautiful grounds of Cheltenham Croquet Club, you'll have the perfect opportunity to get involved!

Practical Details

• You will report to the Chair of Trustees.
• Meetings with the Board of Trustees (approx. 7 per year online and one in London) and the Executive Board (monthly online) often take place during evenings or weekends to accommodate volunteers.
• Travel within England will be required to visit clubs and key stakeholders.
• You'll use your own IT equipment, supported by a Croquet England Microsoft 365 account.
• Consultants currently support IT systems and Communications, including the Croquet Gazette, our members' magazine.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Croquet England is committed to building a sport and community that welcomes everyone. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

We support flexible working and welcome applications from candidates seeking alternative arrangements.

How to Apply

• For further information, contact the Chair, samir.patel#croquetengland.org.uk, or the Vice-Chair, carol.driver#croquetengland.org.uk
• To apply, send your CV and a covering letter outlining your interest in the role and your relevant experience and skills to the Secretary, gabrielle.higgins#croquetengland.org.uk by 30 July 2025.
• Interviews will be held online on 6 or 12 August 2025. A second in-person interview may be held if required on 3 September 2025.

Croquet England Trustee elections: call for nominations

Croquet England Trustee elections: call for nominations

Nominations are invited of candidates to stand for election to the Board of Trustees of Croquet England in the following constituencies:

• The Central Counties and Wales (the old counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire, and Wales)
• The Eastern Counties (the old counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Suffolk)
• The South West Counties (the old counties of the Channel Islands, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset)
• The Weald Counties (the old counties of Hampshire, Kent and Sussex)

The timetable is as follows:

• Opening date for nominations; 9 June 2025
• Closing date for nominations: 4 August 2025
• Opening date for voting if an election is required: 16 August 2025
• Closing date for voting: 6 September 2025

Candidates for election must:

• Be voting members of Croquet England (any subscriber aged 16 or over can register as a voting member by completing a simple form and declaration)
• Be proposed and seconded by voting members of Croquet England registered to vote in the constituency in which they are standing for election
• Be habitually resident in the constituency in which they are standing for election
• Agree to stand

Further information is available about the elections and the skills sought from trustees. Guidance for prospective trustees is also available.

To stand for election, please complete a nomination form and return it to returning.officer#croquetengland.org.uk

Croquet England is looking for new trustees

by Gabrielle Higgins [^]
27th May (CqE Official News)

Would you like to use your skills and experience to develop the sport of Croquet? If so, have you considered serving as a trustee? If you are a member of Croquet England in one of the four constituencies with vacancies for elected trustees this year (the Central Counties and Wales, the Eastern Counties, the South West Counties and the Weald Counties), look at the details of how to stand for election. Meanwhile, the existing trustees are also looking to appoint additional Independent Non-Executive Trustees.

About Us: Croquet England, the governing body of the sport of Croquet, is looking for 2 enthusiastic and skilled individuals to join our Board of Trustees. Croquet is a great sport with a fascinating heritage, that is played in England by roughly 10,000 players across more than 200 clubs.

Croquet England has a small operating budget of around £200k a year so much of the work of running competitions, selecting the national team, coaching, publication of the Croquet Gazette magazine, and developing the sport is done through committees of hard-working volunteers.

After over a century of croquet being governed by an unincorporated association, Croquet England was incorporated as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in 2023 and started operating in 2024, with the elected Council members of the previous association as the first trustees. In future half the trustees will be elected by the voting membership, and half will be appointed. As we work towards meeting the standards of Tier 3 of the Code for Sports Governance, we seek to make our first appointments to help us build on the successful first year of operation and to progress our strategy, aimed at getting More People playing More Croquet in More Places.

Our Vision: We aim to increase club membership and participation in tournaments and develop future talent pipelines to retain our existing world titles and win more. The average age of our players is steadily increasing and we want to reverse that trend and recruit younger and more diverse players. We would love to recruit new Trustees who can help us meet with these goals.

The Role: The Board of Trustees meets 7 times a year online and once a year in person in London. The time commitment is around 15 days pa but could be more if you become involved in project work. It is unpaid, with specific expenses covered.

We are particularly interested in individuals with experience in:

• Governance in other sports
• Developing and implementing diversity and inclusion strategies
• Fundraising, or safeguarding

Our Commitment: We value diversity, equality, and inclusion and strive to provide an inclusive and supportive environment for all volunteers and employees. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are particularly interested in hearing from women, younger applicants, and those from different cultural heritages.

How to Apply: To apply, send your CV and a covering letter outlining your interest in the role and your relevant experience and skills to the Secretary, gabrielle.higgins#croquetengland.org.uk.

• Closing Date: 12 July 2025
• Interviews: by Microsoft Teams on an agreed date, followed by a face-to-face meeting for preferred candidates

Additional Information: For more information, see the role description and person specification or visit our website. For an informal conversation about the opportunity, please contact the Chair, samir.patel#croquetengland.org.uk, or the Vice-Chair, carol.driver#croquetengland.org.uk.

Surbiton beat Woking 5-0

by Phil Eardley at Surbiton [^]
1st July (AC - Inter-Club)

Samir Patel & Nick Parish beat Annabel McDiarmid & Mike Town +24

Philip Eardley beat Ian Anderson +13

Samir Patel beat Annabel McDiarmid +23tp

Nick Parish beat Ian Anderson +19

Philip Eardley beat Mike Town +3

Ashby beat Shrewsbury 5-2

by Richard Sanville at Ashby [^]
1 Jul (AC - Longman Cup)

Shrewsbury visited Ashby for a second-round Longman Cup match played on very fast, dry and challenging lawns. Most of the games were close, with 5 of the 7 being decided by a margin of 4 points or fewer. Just one of the games finished within the 3 hour 15 min time limit.

Ashby won the match 5-2, a reversal of the result when the teams met in the 2023 Longman Cup at Shrewsbury.

Scores (Ashby players first):

Richard Sanville (12) & Mick Haytack (14) lost to Phil Extance (6) & Alberto Porras (16) -13T (9-22)
Andy Sherwood (8) beat David Hart (7) +2T (15-13)
Adam Wheatley (11) beat Brian Christmas (6) +1T (9-8)

Andy Sherwood beat Brian Christmas +15 (26-11)
Adam Wheatley lost to Phil Extance -3T (15-18)
Richard Sanville beat David Hart +4T (22-18)
Mick Haytack beat Alberto Porras +4T (13-9)

Guildford lost to East Dorset 2-5

by Michael Rice at Guildford [^]
1st July (AC - Longman Cup)

Nottingham beat Ashby 4-3

by Roger Steeper at Nottingham [^]
30 Jun (GC - Tier 3 Bowl)

Step Forward and Shape the Future of Croquet England

by Andrew Stewart [^]
30th June (CqE Official News)

Step onto the lawn where tradition meets new ambition - this is your invitation to become a driving force in English croquet. As our sport evolves, there has never been a more exciting time to get involved at the highest level and help shape its future.

Do you love croquet? Are you passionate about the future of our sport? Then this is your chance to make a lasting difference. Croquet England is calling for enthusiastic and committed candidates to stand for election to the Board of Trustees!

With the transition from the Croquet Association to Croquet England, our governance is entering a bold new era - and we need dedicated individuals to help lead the way.

Why Become a Trustee?

Being a Trustee of Croquet England is more than just a title. It's an opportunity to:

• Shape the vision and strategy for the future of croquet in England and beyond.
• Safeguard the organisation's finances, ensuring sustainability and long-term growth.
• Champion good governance and ethical standards, promoting trust and transparency.
• Act as an ambassador for the sport, inspiring players, stakeholders, and the wider public.

You'll collaborate with a passionate team, lend your voice to key decisions, and help build a vibrant, inclusive croquet community.

Who Can Stand?

We're looking for candidates in the following regions:

• The Central Counties and Wales
• The Eastern Counties
• The South West Counties
• The Weald Counties

To stand, you must:

• Be a voting member of Croquet England (easy to register if you're 16+)
• Be proposed and seconded by voting members from your constituency
• Be habitually resident in the constituency you stand for
• Submit your agreement to stand

Key Dates

• Nominations Open: 9 June 2025
• Nominations Close: 4 August 2025
• Voting Opens (if required): 16 August 2025
• Voting Closes: 6 September 2025

This is your opportunity to guide a national sporting body, support your fellow members, and leave a lasting legacy for croquet. Whether you're a seasoned strategist, a passionate promoter of the sport, or simply someone who cares deeply about our croquet community - we encourage you to put your name forward!

Croquet England needs you. Will you answer the call?

For nomination forms and more information, visit the Croquet England website https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=8803&pup=y

Debbie Lines won the East Midlands Championship

by Ian Vincent at Nottingham [^]
30th June (AC - Championships)

The East Midlands (AC) Championship was played at Nottingham from 27-29th June, in the second of this years June heatwaves. With only four lawns available, entries were restricted to 20, all with handicaps of scratch or below. 12 were visitors and 8 locals. Conditions appeared slightly more testing than usual, with some long games and only 10 tps (one straight).

There were no higher peeling turns, though not for want of trying by one of the players.

Debbie Lines won the finals of both the Draw, beating Lorna Dewar, and Process, beating Omied Hallam, to take the Hopewell Cup without the need for a play-off. The plate was won by Dave Kibble, who beat Ian Lines in the final.

Congratulations Reg Bamford!

Reg Bamford is the 2025 GC Open Champion (Photo: Brian Carroll)

Reg Bamford has won the Golf Croquet Open Singles Championship for the 13th time. The event is one of the most prestigious and popular tournaments to play in the Croquet Calendar and celebrated its 25th anniversary this year.

This year the tournament was held at Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club and was livestreamed to the Croquet England YouTube channel. 32 players began the tournament competing in four blocks, with four competitors from each block making the knock-out stages.

Top seed Reg Bamford was a strong favourite from the start, only dropping one block game to the second seed in that block. After overcoming previous winners, Aston Wade and Stephen Mulliner, in the quarter and semi finals, Reg faced the 2024 Champion, Jamie Burch, in the final. Jamie took the first game in the best of three match, but Reg showcased his usual consistency and accuracy to win the final two games.

Watch the livestream back on YouTube

Alastair Broom won the Cheltenham GC B-Level

by Ivor Brand at Cheltenham [^]
30th June (GC - Tournaments)

Once again this weekend's event was quickly oversubscribed even with the increased allocation. (However my thanks again to Callum Pattison who did step in at short notice). The day started with the 32 players seeded into 8 blocks of 4. This would then allow for the 8 block winners to go into 2 blocks of 4. The same format was used for the runners-up, 3^rd place and 4^th place blocks. Fortunately, the weather was good and players enjoyed the extra rest over lunch while I wrote out the 8 new blocks and order of play! (Next year I really must get an assistant to help or change the format to the CA recommended way) There were 5 block winners who were undefeated, Neil Pinker, Chris Jackson, Colin Helps, John Duplock and Jill Richardson. The remaining 3 places went to Naomi Whitehead, Chris Webbley and Alistair Broom who all got through on net points. Neil Pinker continued to march through his block undefeated to the final, while Alistair Broom came through on net points in a 3 way tie over Chris Jackson and Chris Webbley.

The final saw Neil race to a 2-0 lead but then seemed to run out of steam allowing Alistair to catch up and indeed take a 5-2 lead himself. At this point Neil was forced into attempting a jump at hoop 8 only to promote Alistair through into a commanding position which he did not surrender winning 7-4.

(All scores are on CS.) It is normal to thank everyone at the club that help to set up and run a tournament for others to enjoy and so I will leave you with my lasting memory of watching Jill Bateman walking round the lawns with her bucket collecting the pegs while Naomi Whitehead is putting away the cushions at the end of the day!!!

Finally, a massive thankyou to all the players who did follow the guidelines and stuck to the generous 60min time limit which allowed this tournament to flow without an unnecessary interruption.

Sussex County beat Compton 4-3

by Christine Trice at Sussex County [^]
30th June (AC - Longman Cup)

Sussex County beat Compton

Longman Trophy played at Sussex County on 28^th June

SCCC players listed first

Simon Fenn-Tye (9) & Robyn Clarke (16) lost to Richard Platt (8) & Liz Dury (16) -16

Steve Chapman lost to Gerald O'Brien(10) -11

Nigel Billingham (12) beat Ann Bolland (8) +20

Steve lost Richard -7

Simon beat Ann +2

Nigel beat Gerald +10

Robyn beat Liz +4t

Middlesbrough beat Southport 5-2

by Julian Gibson at Pendle [^]
30th June (AC - Secretary's Shield)

Result of Secretary's Shield match played 19th June at Pendle.

Middlesbrough 5 Southport 2

Results (Middlesbrough first)

Brian Gardner & Nigel Durie beat Bill Nicholl & David Venables 11-10

Andrew Killick beat Eddie Green 26 - 22

Dennis Scarr lost to Peter Williams 18 - 21

Andrew Killick lost to Bill Nicholl 25 - 26

Dennis Scarr Beat Eddie Green 26 - 11

Brian Gardner beat Peter Williams 13 - 9

Nigel Durie beat David Venables 26 - 21

3 of the 4 afternoon matches could have gone either way with 30 minutes remaining, so a close result all round. Thanks to Pendle for their hospitality and providing such glorious weather.

Golf Croquet Open Doubles Champions 2025

Sam Cuthbert & Gary Phipps: GC Open Doubles Champions 2025

Sam Cuthbert and Gary Phipps are the GC Open Doubles Champions 2025

Last weekend sixteen pairs started the tournament in two blocks, with Eight pairs qualifying for the Championship knockout. Sam Cuthbert and Gary Phipps showed an excellent performance at the event which can be watched back on livestream.

See all the scores >> https://croquetscores.com/2025/gc/british-open-doubles-championship/competition/championship

Watch the livestream >> https://www.youtube.com/#CroquetEngland/streams

The GC Open Championship (Singles) are now in play and can also be seen on the YouTube Livestream. Subscribe to ensure you are notified of the live action.

See the current scores of the GC Open Championship 2025 >> https://croquetscores.com/2025/gc/british-open-championship

Ealing beat Hurlingham 6-0

by Tony Elliott at Ealing [^]
26 Jun (GC - Tier 3 Bowl)

Quarter-final - Ealing v Hurlingham

Played 26th June 2025 at Ealing

Result - Ealing 6 Hurlingham 0 (with one rubber left unfinished at 1-1)

Game scores - in the Doubles match, Tony Elliott & Richard Barkey played Mark Wellby & Bertie Maxwell, match left uncompleted at one game each (7-4, 3-7). For the singles matches, see the attached Excel spreadsheet.

Short report - Ealing were pleased to host a Hurlingham team for a Quarter-final match in this new competition. Although the overall result looks rather one-sided, with Ealing not conceding even a single game in the six completed rubbers, we were contemplating a much tighter affair when the first doubles game was still locked at 4-4 after 75 minutes of highly competitive play ! Eventually the doubles reached 1 game each, so lunch was taken in the hope that (as proved the case) the decider might not need to be played. And the individual games were mostly close, with only two of the fourteen games being decided before hoop 10. The match was played in an exceptionally friendly and sporting spirit throughout, and Ealing's burgeoning reputation for lunch-time hospitality was given a further boost by Jane's superb cakes for dessert !

East Dorset June Tournament

by David Williams at East Dorset [^]
26th June (AC - Mixed)

East Dorset's June Tournament is split into two days of handicap play followed by a two-day level-play class event. All players mentioned are East Dorset members unless shown otherwise.

Twelve players gathered for first two days of knock-out handicap play with daytime temperatures in the high 20s and the courts looking pristine. With no time limits, concern was shown for Margaret Page (16, Ealing) and Phil Taylor (5, Tunbridge Wells), who slogged it out for almost 6 hours in their first game on the resurfaced Court 5, but Margaret eventually prevailed to join Jonathan Powe (-2), Jeff Dawson (-2) and David Williams (3.5) in the semi-finals. Jeff and Jonathan successfully made it through to the final where Jeff beat his clubmate +15, to take the splendid Cripps Memorial Cup. Additional congratulations to Jeff, as he has now joined an elite few players on -2.5.

In the consolation Swiss, the consistent play of David Fuller (-2) saw his 4/4 wins take the Parkstone Rose Bowl, with Tim O'Donnell (-1.5, Hamptworth) and John Freeman (16) sharing the honours as runners-up on 2/3.

The following two days were blessed with cool sea breezes, which made play during the weekend A- and B-Class Level Advanced tournaments much more comfortable. In the B-Class, Phil Taylor and Andy Meikle (4) both ended with 3/4 wins, so a 'Nottingham tie-break' (a two-ball break from Hoop 4 starting with a rush in Corner 4) was needed to find the winner. In the end, Phil's two hoops were enough to take the Weldon Trophy.

In the A-Class, with David Fuller and Tim O'Donnell locked together on 4/5 wins, another tie-break was needed. This time, a 14-point advanced game was chosen, which saw David eventually taking the honours (+2) after a nail-biting 3-hour marathon, finally receiving the Parkstone Salver in front of a small crowd of two at 8pm.

Special tribute was paid to Andrew Gregory (Newport) for the tenth year that he has so ably managed these tournaments, showing flexibility and consideration to the players' needs throughout.

Many thanks to the groundsman Kirin for the excellent courts, to the hoop-setters (Jeff and his team) for the firm hoops and to the cafe for providing first-class catering throughout.

Peterborough beat Nottingham 6-1

by Adrian Kirby at Peterborough [^]
26th June (AC - Secretary's Shield)

Peterborough beat Nottingham 6:1 in the Secretary's Shield today (26th June). The match was played at Peterborough. Detailed results (with Peterborough names first) were:

Ian Lines (-1.5) and Stephen Cornelius (4.5) beat John Davis (-0.5) and David Brydon (2) +5t (19:14)

Debbie Lines (-2.5) beat Andrew Beaumont (3.5) +8 (26:18)

Adrian Kirby (0) lost to Mark Innes (9) -1t (19:20, including a golden hoop)

Debbie Lines beat John Davis +3t (23:20)

Ian Lines beat David Brydon +22 (26:4)

Adrian Kirby beat Andrew Beaumont + 12t (23:11)

Stephen Cornelius beat Mark Innes +1t (8:7)

Peterborough are due to meet either Southport or Middlesbrough in the next round.

Phyllis Court beat Kington Langley 5-2

by Paul Franklin at Phyllis Court [^]
25th June (AC - Longman Cup)

High Wycombe beat Hurlingham 7-0

by Mike Porter at High Wycombe [^]
25th June (AC - Longman Cup)

High Wycombe 7-0 Hurlingham

At High Wycombe, 19^th June

High Wycombe scores first

Matt Miles-Griffiths (14) and Mark Wilce (18) beat Jane O'Neill (4.5) and Gail Freedman (14) +20t

Alan Clark (3.5) beat Noel Flint (4.5) +7t

Kenny Weir (14) beat Henry Bagwell (10) +13t

Matt Miles-Griffiths beat Jane O'Neill +12

Alan Clark beat Henry Bagwell +9

Kenny Weir beat Noel Flint +26

Mark Wilce beat Gail Freedman +8t

Reg Bamford wins the Roehampton GC Championship Open

Ignacio Senior (Plate) & Reg Bamford (Champion)

Sixteen players gathered to play in the Roehampton GC Open, the first time of playing as a Championship series event. Saturday was an extremely hot day with Roehampton's green lawns proving very quick.

Block play largely went with the seedings except in Block A where Tim Russell, Tom Coles and Ignacio Ariza all beat each other but all lost to Reg Bamford. Tom went through by virtue of beating Ignacio 7-6,7-6. In Block B, Dom Aarvold played well to beat the in-form Chris Roberts 7-6, 7-6. He also took a game off Euan Burridge who won the block comfortably.

Block C and D saw the top two seeds progress relatively untroubled, although last years winner Tobi Savage, did win his match against top seed Jenny Clarke 2-1.

Sunday was much more overcast and although the lawns were a little slower, a strong westerly wind made conditions different from the previous day. Three of the quarter finals were won in straight games, with Reg beating Dom, Stephen beating Jenny and Euan beating Tom Coles. The last quarter saw Tobi being beaten in 3 games by Aston.
The semi finals saw Reg beat Stephen and Euan prevail in a tight three game contest against Aston winning 7-5 in the third.

The final was a high quality affair with both players showing the full range of golf croquet skills. Reg's clearing was a pretty high standard throughout the tournament and his positioning and snuggles kept hitting the mark. However, his biggest improvement in the tournament came with his hoop running, exemplified by a beautiful hoop 10 from about 12 yards and a 60 degree angle through a tight gap between the other balls. Even on Roehampton's soft lawns, Quadways frequently repel the hard hit hoop attempt. Reg ran out a deserved winner of the tournament, not losing a single game. On this form someone will have to play very well to stop him claiming another British Open title at Budleigh this week.

In the plate Ignacio Senior, who played well throughout, won a compelling final (10-9) against Chris Roberts who missed one critical shot at the end.

Many thanks to the groundstaff at Roehampton and to Frances Colman, the referee of the tournament

Michael Bithell won the Newport B-Class

by Andrew Gregory at Newport [^]
24th June (AC)

Michael Bithell won 4 out of 5 games to win the Newport B-Class.

His only loss came when he went round to the peg with his forward ball, and Andrew Gregory was subsequently able to peg him out.

Even then Michael had a chance. Starting at hoop 4 he two-balled round the ladies' mile, but then missed a 7-yarder after 1-back, which would have given him a 3-ball break.

The dinner was at a local Indian, which was good but unlicensed. My first dry Saturday at a tournament for a while!

Anthony Miller won the Middlesbrough Advanced tournament

The finalists, The winner and the players

ANTHONY MILLER IS THE FIRST NAME ON THE TROPHY

For the first time the Middlesbrough Advanced Tournament would be played for a brand new, bespoke Trophy - but who would get the honor of being the first name on it ?

Well, as I've already said, the name on the trophy is Anthony Miller but there is a lot more to say about this Tournament other than who won it.

8 players with handicaps ranging from minus 1.5 to 8 were split into 2 Seeded Blocks of 4. All play all with the top two in each block progressing to what would effectively be the Semi Finals and then the Final.

The 2 hour 40 minute Time Limit worked well with only 4 of 20 games going to time.

The weather was glorious, in fact too hot. The Host Club provided an unlimited supply of water and cold drinks in addition to the usual tea, coffee, cake and biscuits. And, please note Hosting Clubs, all at no charge !! ( North East hospitality )

Block B was straight forward with top seed Andrew Winn largely untroubled in winning all 3 of his games. Second seed, Dennis Scarr was runner up in Block B.

Block A was not straight forward with 3 players finishing on 2 wins from 3.

Overnight the Manager devised an entertaining Playoff to challenge the participants and distract the remaining players waiting around to find out who they were playing next.

The Playoff participants were first and second seeds Andrew Killick and Anthony Miller and Mark Simmerson and it was Miller and Simmerson who came through the trial by '2 Ball Break starting in Corner 4'. I will not risk possible embarrassment to players by revealing how many hoops were made by each player, suffice to say the top score was 3.

The Semi Finals saw both the top remaining seeds beaten - Mark Simmerson beat Andrew Winn and Anthony Miller beat Dennis Scarr.

On to the final. Everything was going along quite nicely, Mark reaching Peg and 1 Back and Anthony on 4 Back and 4.

Anthony hit in and as the crowd was swelled by players from other games finishing and Mark pondering the wisdom of taking his ball to Peg, with each of Anthony's hoops an ominous hush fell over those on the sideline.

The inevitable happened - Anthony pegged Marks forward ball out, then not so expected, pegged his forward ball out also leaving Mark on 1 Back and Anthony on 4 Back.

Initially we had three turns around 4 Back with Mark limited to long shots. Anthony ran 4 Back to the Boundary with Marks ball on the east boundary level with 4 Back. Anthony obviously did not want to lay up in front of Penult as any hit in by Mark could effectively be a rush to his1 Back hoop. So, Anthony did not lay up in front of Penult, instead, from quite an angle he ran Penult. Well, that's that we thought. However Anthony had an hampered stroke out of Penult so could only position his ball half way between the Peg and Rover.

Mark hit in from the East Boundary level with 4 Back. He then embarked on a series of overtaking rolls, half rolls and full rolls plus after hoop hit ins getting position ( if you can call it that ) the right side of his next hoop but all in the 'less than 10% chance of success' category. The crowd marveled as starting at 1 Back he made his way through a minefield of possible failures to finally run Penult. But hampered ! The best he can do is rush the oppo ball short of Peg high. Time has expired. A take off to Rover perhaps ! No Mark goes for broke and rolls both balls towards Rover. Again not close and on this occasion the hoop known as Rover says 'No' and rejects the hoop attempt leaving Anthony with his turn at time to make a Roquet, run Rover, rush to the Peg and that's how Anthony Miller got his name on the Trophy.

All Results & Scores

Anthony Miller beat Andrew Killick 20 - 15 (T)

Mark Simmerson beat Steven Pratt 26 - 3

Andrew Killick beat Mark Simmerson 26 - 15

Anthony Miller beat Steven Pratt 26 - 14

Andrew Killick beat Steven Pratt 26 - 1

Mark Summerson beat Anthony Miller 26 - 4

Andrerw Winn beat Dennis Scarr 26 - 10

Julian Gibson beat Stephen Skelton 20 - 14 (T)

Andrew Winn beat Stephen Skelton 26 - 5

Dennis Scarr beat Julian Gibson 26 - 18

Dennis Scarr beat Stephen Skelton 24 - 19 (T)

Andrrw Winn beat Julian Gibson 26 - 4

Anthony Miller beat Dennis Scarr 26 - 10

Mark Simmerson beat Andew Winn 26 - 2

Andreew Killick beat Stephen Skelton 26 - 4

Julian Gibson beat Steven Pratt 26 - 18

Anthony Miller beat Mark Simmerson 26 - 24

Andrrw Winn beat Dennis Scarr 26 - 11

Andrew Killick beat Julian Gibson 26 - 3

Stephen Skelton beat Steve Pratt 21 - 7 (T)

Tunbridge Wells lost to Watford 3-4

by Brian Havill at Tunbridge Wells [^]
21 Jun (AC - Mary Rose)

Scores (Watford names first):

1 Nick Archer & Brian Havill beat Thomas Cullis & Jolyon Creasey +2
2 Jonathan Lambton beat Timothy Luke +9
3 Gary Bennett lost to John Greenwood -2
4 Nick Archer lost to Thomas Cullis -24
5 Brian Havill beat Jolyon Creasey +22
6 Jonathan Lambton beat John Greenwood +8
7 Gary Bennett lost to Timothy Luke -5

Teams & handicaps:

Tunbridge Wells:
Thomas Cullis (0)
Jolyon Creasey (0.5)
John Greenwood (2.5)
Timothy Luke (4)

Watford:
Nick Archer (0.5)
Brian Havill (1.5)
Jonathan Lambton (2.5)
Gary Bennett (3)

Sussex County beat Enfield w/o

by Chrissie Merrington at N/A [^]
22nd June (AC - Secretary's Shield)

Bath lost to Caversham 2-3

by Neil Pinker at Bath [^]
21 Jun (AC - Secretary's Shield)

Wrest Park lost to Nottingham 1-6

by John Davis at Wrest Park [^]
21st June (AC - Inter-Club)

Nottingham beat Wrest Park 6-1 at Wrest Park on Saturday June 21st. Results
Keith Aiton and Rick Harding bt David Marsh and Bryan Harral +5
Lorna Dewar bt George Collin +18
Richard Huxley bt Peter Rothwell +9
Keith Aiton lost to David Marsh -26tp
Rick Harding bt Bryan Harral +1
Richard Huxley bt George Collin +2
Lorna Dewar bt Peter Rothwell +4

Pendle lost to Southport 3-4

by Libby Dixon at Pendle [^]
21st June (AC - Longman Cup)

On Saturday 21st of June, Pendle and Craven CC played Southport CC in the Longman Cup. (AC National Inter-Cup Championship).

The day's weather was warm and with expected thunderstorms everyone was wishing for for quick start. The Southport team of Bill N(7),Eddie G(8),Peter W(9) and David V(10) all arrived just after 9.00am. The Pendle Team consisted of Paul D(7), Catherine P(8), Andrew G (10) and Mark K(12) so with nearly matching handicaps it was going to be a great days play. Play commenced at 9.20.

The lawns were mown and set up by Libby D, Paul D with the hoops being set by a new Lawns volunteer, Leigh D. He had been told to set the hoops at a tight 1/16th but with the heat of the day it was found that the black ball would not go through three hoops which had to be reset on lawn 3.

Both teams decided to play Alternate shots in the doubles. Paul and Mark had 31/2 bisques against Bill and David who only had 21/2. This game went to time and despite a valiant effort, Pendle lost 10/16. In the mornings singles, Pendle and Craven team won both. Catherine's game against Peter was remarkably close and with time running out Catherine managed a win by 1 hoop (13/12), whilst Andrew, after pegging out Eddies yellow ball went onto win 26/16.

At lunch Pendle were 2/1 up and good camaraderie continued with discussions on the mornings play. The afternoon singles commenced in light rain showers that kept players running backwards and forwards to get rainwear but soon off when it stopped as the temperatures remained high.

Paul won 26/7 against Bill in a beautiful fluid display of play in just over an hour. Catherine struggled against Eddie who had found his form after lunch and lost 6/16. Andrew's game against Peter was very watchable with Andrew crying out many times "Oh Andrew" when his play went astray. Andrew lost 15/19. Marks game against David was a remarkably close game. Mark had managed to get back after being 8 hoops down to 21/21. Unfortunately, Mark missed a roquet letting David in, who went onto peg out. A thrilling match end.

Southport won 4 Pendle 3

Libby D the non playing Pendle captain thanked every for their contribution for an excellent days play. A cake afternoon tea was enjoyed by everyone and in the words of our Clubs father, Robin Delves, who has inspired many to play AC " It's better to have tried and failed than never to have tried ".

Edgbaston B-Level AC

Tricky contact leave at Edgbaston

Our B level AC Sally Nicholls Trophy was held on 7th/8th June 2025, for handicaps 2 - 8.

There were five past winners of the Sally Nicholls Trophy in the field this year.

In spite of a few showers on the Saturday, only one game had to be pegged down at 7 pm and only John Henderson from Penrith had won all his three games in the Flexible Swiss format.

(Full details on croquetscores at https://croquetscores.com/2025/ac/edgbaston-b-level-h-c-2-8/competition/edgbaston-b-level-advanced-ac-h-c-2-8 )

There were a number of players on 2 wins, and the situation resolved itself nicely (from the Manager's point of view) after the first games on Sunday: only John Henderson had 4 wins with Stephen Skelton from Keswick and Michael Finnigan from Nottingham on 3 wins. As John had beaten Michael in a previous round, a simple final was set up for the afternoon, when John beat Stephen convincingly +20.

Peter Wilson from Fylde, a winner in 2010, provided a number of interesting/entertaining moments. In successive games, he took his first ball to peg and set precise contact leaves.

Against Adrian Morris from Kenilworth (Adrian playing Green and Brown) he set the fiendish leave in the picture attached.

It seems impossible to get a break going from this leave…unless someone knows better ?

However, Peter thinks his best moment was running 4 back from the end of A baulk to the applause of a number of watchers !

Our former Chairman and President, Ken Jones of Bury, presented the Trophy to John Henderson

Ken and John thanked the Edgbaston Club members for lawn preparation , managing and catering

Our annual A Class ( H/Cs -1 to 5) AC Tompkinson Shield will be held on 16th/17th August 2025.

Watford Open AC One-Day tournament

by Simon Hathrell at Watford [^]
19th June (AC)

The 'official' entry of 13 players was supplemented by the addition of 3
students from Cambridge University, who took advantage of the remaining 3
vacancies in order to get some practice before the annual Varsity Match
against Oxford at Hurlingham the following Monday. However, the students
were techically ineligible to play in the official tournament because
their handicaps were too high, so they played in a separate side-
tournament 'C' block. The 13 players in the main tournament were then
split into an 'A' block of 8 playing 3 rounds of Level Advanced and a
'B' block of 5 playing 3 rounds of Handicap Advanced in a Swiss format,
in line with the players' selected preferences.

The format for the 'B' block was then combined with the 'C' block by
giving one of the 'B' block players in each round a bye with an automatic
'win' in that round while they actually played a Level Advanced game in
the 'C' block, with the additional 'handicap' that they had to complete
three mandatory peels against their high-handicap student opponent.

Then as a further rather abnormal arrangement, both of the two 'C' block
student games in each round were deliberately double-banked with one of
the 'A' block games, with an additional stipulation to the 'A' block
players that when not in play they should use the opportunity to give
tactical advice and coaching to the Cambridge students double-banked on
their court. The fact that 3 of the 'A' block players were also Oxford
University alumni added a little extra spice to the proceedings!

Each game was played in warm and mostly sunny weather, and to a 2hr-45
minute time-limit in order to ensure that the day would be completed at
a reasonable hour in the early evening.

The 'A' block results below are displayed as if the 3 rounds were played
as a Swiss format, which is in fact equivalent to a 3-round knock-out as
far as the winner is concerned, since with a block of 8 either format
guarantees that there is always a single player on 3 wins after 3 rounds;
but the ranking of the 2nd to 7th places can vary according to which
format interpretation is chosen, so the ranking of those places should
be regarded as undefined.

To the relief of the manager these somewhat Byzantine tournament
arrangements all worked out as planned, all games were completed as
scheduled, with the A-block including two triple peels by Mike Porter and
Rich Waterman, and all three blocks finished with an unambigous winner
with just one player in each block on 3 wins out of 3 games.

The 'A' block final was between Rich Waterman and Richard H Smith.
Richard S gained an early lead, and in due course reached peg and rover
while Rich W languished on 4 and 1-back. But then Rich W picked up a break
with his forward ball which he took to peg with an OSL, and Richard S
missed a long lift shot into corner IV which left Rich W the choice of
either a dolly rush and a challenging 3-ball break for a win or a 6-yard
roquet for a laid 4-ball-break and a probable win. Rich W bravely opted
for the latter... and missed!, leaving Richard S an easy finish to win
the game and the tournament, plus a handicap reduction from -½ to -1.

The 'B' block proved to be well-contested, with all six of the 'real'
games (excluding the 'byes') being curtailed by the clock when the scores
were close. Geoff Johnson was awarded a bye and a deemed win in the first
round, during which he played a game with 3 mandatory peels against James
Faulkner in the 'C' block; and then Andre Machell and John Smallbone each
received a bye and a deemed win following their defeat in the preceding 'B'
block round, during which they played with 3 mandatory peels against the 'C'
block players Jack Sydenham and George Garnett respectively. Meanwhile Tony
Elliott and Mark Lansdale, each having won two 'real' games in the first two
'B' block rounds, met each other in what amounted to a block final to decide
the winner. Tony emerged as the +3 winner in another close game which once
again reached the time limit.

In the 'C' block the Cambridge students had to come to terms with tighter
hoops and courts which were much faster than the slow, rough courts on the
playing fields available back in Cambridge, and with the big difference that
this also made to the tactical risks and rewards available. Jack Sydenham
appeared to adapt quite quickly, showing generally good judgement of length
as well as some accurate shooting, while George in particular struggled with
the judgement of length, over-hitting badly on some shots and under-hitting
on others, notably failing to reach the safety of a far boundary when shooting
and missing. Jack was also the only one of the three students to take a game
off a 'B' block visitor playing with 3 mandatory peels, as well as beating
James Faulkner and George Garnett in his other two games, so that Jack emerged
as the clear winner of the 'C' block.

Players & handicaps:

Block A
Alan Clark (3.5)
Gary Bennett (3)
George Collin (1)
Jon Palin (1)
Mike Porter (-0.5)
Nick Archer (1)
Rich Waterman (-1)
Richard H Smith (-0.5)

Block B
Andre Machell (5)
Geoff Johnson (3.5)
John Smallbone (4.5)
Mark Lansdale (9)
Tony Elliott (6)

Results:

Block A: Level Advanced
Rich Waterman beat Alan Clark +25
Richard H Smith beat Gary Bennett +11(T)
Mike Porter beat Nick Archer +26tp
Jon Palin beat George Collin +14
Rich Waterman beat Jon Palin +18tp
Richard H Smith beat Mike Porter +14
George Collin beat Alan Clark +1(T)
Nick Archer beat Gary Bennett +18
Richard H Smith beat Rich Waterman +10
Mike Porter beat Jon Palin +6
Nick Archer beat George Collin +1(T)
Gary Bennett beat Alan Clark +4

Block B: Handicap Advanced
Geoff Johnson beat ? w/o
Tony Elliott beat John Smallbone +2(T)
Mark Lansdale beat Andre Machell +4(T)
Andre Machell beat ? w/o
Tony Elliott beat Geoff Johnson +1(T)
Mark Lansdale beat John Smallbone +5(T)
Geoff Johnson beat Andre Machell +1(T)
John Smallbone beat ? w/o
Tony Elliott beat Mark Lansdale +3(T)

Block C: Level Advanced with mandatory peels
Jack Sydenham beat George Garnett +7(T)
Geoff Johnson beat James Faulkner +25
Jack Sydenham beat Andre Machell +5
James Faulkner beat George Garnett +20
Jack Sydenham beat James Faulkner +13
John Smallbone beat George Garnett +20

Handicap change: Richard H Smith -.5 to -1; Nick Archer 1 to .5

Newport beat Letchworth 4-3

by Alex Lake at Newport [^]
19th June (AC - Mary Rose)

Heather Bennett & Keith Rhodes beat Mat Hardy & Fran Lambert +18
Alex Lake beat Colin Davies +8
Jerome Gasson beat Jeremy Scott +6
Mat Hardy beat Heather Bennett +15
Keith Rhodes beat Fran Lambert +25
Jeremy Scott beat Alex Lake +18
Jerome Gasson beat Colin Davies +25

Men's & Women's Championships

James Death & Jenny Clarke win the Men's & Women's (Photo: Debbie Lines)

The Women's Championship was Won by Jenny Clarke and the Men's by James Death

Fast lawns, tight hoops and new balls created drama at the Men's Women's & Mixed Doubles

Both Jenny and James have played for their country in the AC World Team Championship, New Zealand and England respectively. If their form continues we are likely to see them compete in their teams once again when the prestigious MacRobertson Shield returns to England in 2026.

Read more: https://www.croquetengland.org.uk/news_and_media/the-womens-championship-was-won-by-jenny-clarke-and-the-mens-by-james-death/

Phyllis Court lost to Guildford 3-4

by Andrea Huxley at Phyllis Court [^]
17th June (GC - Murphy Shield)

The Guildford and Godalming team travelled to Phyllis Court on Monday 16 June, to play in the second round of the Inter-Club competition, the Murphy Shield.

The day started with the two pairs of higher handicapped players playing singles. The two best-of- three matches gave a win each to GGCC and Phyllis Court. John Gosden (GGCC) was beaten by Andy Jones (PC) while Andrea Huxley (GGCC) managed to win against Mike Fensome (PC)

Meanwhile on lawn one the titanic struggle in the doubles gave the initial win to GGCC with Douglas Shand and Julie Tremble. However in game two Roger Goldring and Helena Jansson fought back. It was decided to pause there and only play the third doubles if it were needed to settle the winner. So going into lunch it was all square.

After lunch play resumed. Andrea and John were to play singles against Andy and Mike. The results again gave each side a win. John beat Mike Fensome in two games and Andrea managed to scrape a 7-6 win over Andy Jones before being comprehensively defeated in the next two games.

Two more singles were on lawn one where Julie was unfortunately beaten by Helena but Douglas won his match against Roger. Score 3 wins to each side and the deciding doubles had to be played.

The doubles was a tight game with the score swinging from one side to the other. Inevitably it went to hoop 13! Again it was not straightforward with much positioning and clever clearances. But even games at hoop 13 must end and Douglas managed the winning hoop giving Guildford and Godalming the match, 4-3.

Many thanks to Frances Colman and Chris Roberts for refereeing and to all the players who survived a long match in the June heat. Many thanks also to Phyllis Court for their generous hospitality. Well done GGCC - on to round three.

Colin Dykes won the Ashby AC Handicap Weekend

The Ashby Handicap players

8 players from both local and distant clubs enjoyed mostly fine and sunny weather at Ashby this weekend. The handicap range was from 8 to 20. 15 of the 25 games finished within the 3 hour time limit, with a further 4 reaching 24 or 25 points for the winning side.

There were a number of close games, but Colin Dykes (16) from Crake Valley dominated the event, with mostly accurate and tidy play, securing 5 wins out of 5. Three players ended up on 3 wins, with Tim Ash (10) from Nottingham just edging into the runner-up spot based on the Egyptian scoring.

Colin Groves won the Woking A-Level series

Colin Groves receiving the trophy from Sara Anderson

Well….our Midsummer tournaments are coming to an end…having done a two day Open and one day each for B, C and Advantage …today was the start of the two day GC A level Series and our last tournament of the week.

Having been at the club for around 12 hours each day today I slept through two alarms only to be woken up by Ian (hubby) to ask the time…..nearly died of shock to see it was 8.54 am. I have been at the Club at 8am everyday setting up ready for the start of each tournament….Today that was not the case……I got ready very speedily and arrived to a club house with all croquet players present……amazingly all our games managed to start at 9.30am (all on time)…even got the manager's chatty bit and warm up on lawns. This would not have been possible with out the great team of Andrew Dutton and Ian (hubby) who arrive to set up the hoops each day…..and who also set up printers that printed the prepared draw whilst I did chatty bit…big thanks.

Sunday will have a few more alarms set off….and Andrew jokingly said he will give me wake up call……l.

Day 2 ..Woke up nice and early and all ready for the players when they arrived.

Debbie Hayns who was the lowest ranked played her socks off ….even with Policeman's heel…(can't spell the medical version = plantar fasciitis) and had 5 wins finishing top of her block she won her best of 3 quarter final in 2 games and then was defeated by Martin Read who had first defeated Andy Jones, and who then went on to be the overall Runner up. Debbie came 3rd beating Michael Gentry in the 3rd & 4th playoff…..who incidentally beat Steve Hayns in quarter final.

Colin Groves had a shaky start to his quarter final loosing 0-7 in his first game but came back with a fight to take the next two games 7-4,7-4.

His semi final against Michael Gentry was also a 3 game match 7-5,4-7, 7-2.

And so to the Final against Martin Read…..yet again a mammoth 3 game match 7-6, 4-7, 7-3.

As well as winning the event Colin also qualifies for a Gold Merit Award .

The Plate had a very entertaining ending…. We had an 8 All Play all Block which ended up with Trevor J Smith and Steve Pearson both on exactly the same result….5 wins and 11+ net hoops each.
We had a Hoop Shoot out to decide the result …….for three rounds this remained equal so ended in sudden death…after two rounds of sudden death Steve Pearson emerged the victor.

A great couple of days of competition, weather and fun.

Dee McKibbin won the Woking C-Level

Woking C-Level winner Dee McKibbin

We had a field of 12 players of that number two were competing in their first Level Tournament (having been asked to play at very short notice).

Handicaps ranged from 5 to 11

Dee finished top of her block and then proceeded to the Knockout where she won against Hilary Bird 7-5.
Nick Temple also came first in his block and beat Ian Prince in a very close battle ending 7-6

The final was well fought with Dee winning 7-4 against Nick who was pleasantly very surprised at reaching the final in his first ever level tournament.

Roger Grubb who was also playing in his tournament came very commendable 7th.

Dee has also has been put forward for her Bronze Merit award as it is the first time she has won a C Level Series Tournament.

Winner- Dee McKibbin
Runner-up - Nick Temple
3rd /4th Place Ian Prince or Hilary Bird (not played)

Richard Platt won the Woking GC B-Level Series

Woking B Level

We had a field of 16 players of that number 2 were Ladies U+? ranging from handicaps 3 to 6

Richard Platt didn't drop a game the whole day and won 10-4 against Jane Powell in a 19pt Final.

He also has been put forward for his Silver Merit award as it is the first time he has won a B Level Series Tournament.

Winner- Richard Platt
Runner-up - Jane Powell
3rd Place - Chris Dochniak
4th Place Graham Tucker
Plate Winner - Brian McCausland.

Woking GC Open Level Series

Woking GC Open Series

We had a field of 14 players of that number 4 were Ladies U+?

On Monday Chris Roberts was the only person on 7 wins, his success continued on Tuesday by the time he got to the Final he hadn't dropped a single game even in the best of 3 in the Quarter and Semi Finals.
Jeff Dawson took game 2 of the Final only for Chris to comeback in the third game and win a convincing 7-3.

It was probably the best GC final we have ever had, they were both clearing balls from the boundaries and running hoops from everywhere. We had many spectators with ages between 6 and 90+ years old.

Winner- Chris Roberts
Runner-Up- Jeff Dawson
Plate Winner - Diana Wilson

A noteworthy performances also came from Konstantin Yudintsev who was second in the block on Day 1 having 5 wins, He was subsequently knocked out in the semi final by Jeff.

Roehampton beat East Dorset 4-3

by Tim Russell at Roehampton [^]
16th June (GC - Inter-Club)

Roehampton beat East Dorset 4-3 in the GC Inter Club semi-final

Results (Roehampton names first)

Harry Fisher and Mark van Loon beat Jeff Dawson and Jonathan Powe 7-5, 6-7, 7-3 Tim Russell beat Andy Dochniak 7-2,7-5 Diana Wilson beat Steve Leonard 7-2, 7-6 Mark van Loon beat Jonathan Powe 7-4, 7-3 Harry Fisher lost to Jeff Dawson 3-7, 7-5, 4-7 Diana Wilson lost to Andy Dochniak 7-3, 5-7, 6-7 Tim Russell lost to Steve Leonard 7-2, 5-7, 6-7

Roehampton beat East Dorset in what ended up as a tight contest, after taking a 3-0 lead from the morning session. East Dorset won the last three singles, two at the golden hoop in the deciding game, to leave a respectable score line. Despite heavy overnight rain, the lawns were extremely quick, with a strong wind in the afternoon adding to the difficulty.

Bury beat Nottingham 5-2

by Ken Jones at Bury [^]
14 Jun (AC - Mary Rose)

Mary Rose round 2 result.
Bury v Nottingham.
Played on Saturday 14/6/25 at Bury (Whitehead Park lawns).
Bury won 5-2.

Individual game scores (Bury names first):

Paul Kenworthy (1) & Ken Jones (3.5) lost to Dave Gunn (0) & Michael Finnigan (3) -3(t)
Tony Phillips (4.5) lost to Rick Davis (4.5) -7
Anne Alvey (10) beat Bob Thompson (3) +16

Paul Kenworthy beat Dave Gunn +3(t)
Ken Jones beat Michael Finnigan +8
Tony Phillips beat Bob Thompson +4
Anne Alvey beat Rick Davis +7(t)

Match Report. The first ever Mary Rose match between Bury and Nottingham took place at Bury's Whitehead Park lawns on Saturday 14 June. The threatened thundery downpours failed to materialise and we even had sunshine for part of the day.
In the morning Dave and Michael made a fast start against Paul and Ken in the doubles, building a big lead against the Bury pair. This was gradually reeled back in but, despite running a 4 yard hoop at 2-back in the final turn, Ken couldn't manage the 4 hoop break to draw level. Tony made an even quicker start against Rick, who steadily caught up until both players were at hoop 6 and the peg; Rick then pegged Tony out and duly won. Anne and Bob had a slower start, but it was Anne who gained in confidence and steadily pulled away to win by 16.
In the afternoon Tony and Bob both made good breaks and either could have won, before a mistake by Bob let Tony in to record a win by 4 and level the match score at 2 all. Ken and Michael had a close game for the first 2 hours, before some consistent hitting-in by Ken and a crucial short miss by Michael allowed Ken to win by 8. Paul and Dave each had good breaks in the top match, which could have gone either way, but Paul eventually pulled ahead to win by 2 as time was called - match win to Bury! In the final game Rick had an early lead in a tactical tussle before Anne steadily pulled away to win by 7 on time.

Ken Jones, Bury Captain

Enfield beat Leighton Linslade 4-3

by Thomas Halliday at Enfield [^]
13 Jun (GC - Murphy Shield)

Thomas HALLIDAY and David FROST lost to John WATSON and Judith PENGELLY 6-7, 7-2, 3-7
Graham CURTIS lost to David BALL 5-7, 2-7
Colin CARVER beat Jean BALL 7-4, 7-4

Thomas HALLIDAY beat John WATSON 7-6, 7-6
David FROST beat Judith PENGELLY 7-2, 5-7, 7-5
Colin CARVER beat David BALL 7-3, 7-5
Graham CURTIS lost to Jean BALL 2-7, 7-5, 5-7

Dulwich beat Hurlingham 4-3

by Tim Lomas at Unknown - not stated [^]
12 Jun (GC - Murphy Shield)

Colchester beat Woodhall Spa 5-2

by Marilyn Wood at Colchester [^]
13 Jun (GC - Federations Shield)

Debbie Lines & Samir Patel take home the Croquet Mixed Doubles Challenge Cups

Debbie Lines & Samir Patel take home the Croquet Mixed Doubles Challenge Cups

When the Women's World Champion Teams Up with the England Team Captain, Winning Will Always be on the Cards

Eight pairs started the best of three knockout on Wednesday 11 June at Nottingham Croquet Club, to compete for the prestigious Mixed Doubles Challenge Cups. This is part of the Men's, Women's and Mixed Doubles Championship which is contested annually.

Early success was taken by the Clarkes [Jenny Clarke & Chris Clarke], Chris reporting the second gave win with a straight triple peel. But their success would end in the semi finals following a loss to Beatrice McGlen & James Death in the Semi Finals.

McGlen & Death would then face Lines & Patel in the final. Death & Patel are regular partners in the Open Championship, so armed with the inside knowledge they have of each others game play, the match would likely bring spectacular play for the spectators to watch.

Death & McGlen chose to play Alternate Stroke throughout the event, which is becoming a far more popular variant. Lines & Patel won the match 2-0 and will now prepare for the Men's & Women's singles to begin Friday 13 June.

High Wycombe beat Wrest Park 5-2

by David Cotton at High Wycombe [^]
12 Jun (AC - Mary Rose)

Richard Peperell & David Cotton beat George Collin & Eric Audsley +7
Keith Harker beat Tim Brewer 17-14
Richard Coward lost to Peter Rothwell -11

Richard Peperell beat George Collin +5
David Cotton beat Eric Audsley +24
Keith Harker lost to Peter Rothwell 7-21
Richard Coward beat Tim Brewer 20-17

Phyllis Court beat Nottingham 4-3

by Christopher Roberts at Phyllis Court [^]
5 Jun (GC - Inter-Club)

Phyllis Court 4 -3 Nottingham

Phyllis Court beat Nottingham in the National Inter-Club Championship (Tier 1) for the first time in five attempts today.
On a wet, cold and lousy day weatherwise, the Phyllis Court team shone brightly!

Rick Lilley was the star performer for the home team, winning both his singles matches 2-0 and with Ian Norris and Andy Jones winning once each, Phyllis Court secured an historic victory.

Nottingham had come to Phyllis Court three times before, including for two national finals, and ever present Ian and Euan Burridge have previously been joined by other international players, ensuring little joy for for the host club.

This time the visitors promoted Paul Pinnock from their tier 2 Inter-Club Shield team and also looked to the reliable former Ireland player Ian Vincent, whilst Phyllis Court had to do without Ireland international Charlie von Schmieder who ad work commitments, but were otherwise at full strength.

Nottingham's Vincent did well to contain the improving Andy Jones to win their morning match 2-0, and the host's Lilley dispatched Pinnock in straight games too, for one singles match to each side.

Although the Burridge's were made to work for their win in the doubles match by Chris Roberts and Ian Norris, that too was over in two games and Nottingham took a familiar 2-1 team match lead into lunch.

Euan Burridge smashed Roberts to all points of the compass once 4-3 ahead in their first afternoon game and Roberts scored only one hoop point there after, going down 3-7, 1-7, to leave his team needing to win all of the reamaining three afternoon matches.

Phyllis Court's Lilley romped to easy and the a very close win over Vincent 7-1, 7-6, before team mate Norris scored the 'result of the day', in scalping Ian Burridge 7-4, 4-7, 7-6 and all eyes fell on the slow encounter between the home side's Jones and visitor Pinnock, which still had some way to go in their second game.

Jones had won the first 7-5 and interest focussed on that second game at 4-4 with the team match in the balance.

Eventually Jones scored the next three hoops and the unlikely comeback victory was secured for Phyllis Court who won the team match 4-3 to progress to the national semi-final for the first time in years.

Phyllis Court now await the winners of the Bowdon v Hurlingham quarter-final.

Phyllis Court - Chris Roberts (-2), Ian Norris (0), Rick Lilley (0), Andy Jones (2).
Nottingham - Euan Burridge (-3), Ian Burridge (-2), Ian Vincent (0), Paul Pinnock (3)

Review a digest of the results on Croquet Scores with this link - croquetscores.com/2025/gc/england-inter-club-championship-tier-1-phyllis-court-v-nottingham

Phyllis Court beat Swindon B 4-1

by Christopher Roberts at Phyllis Court [^]
21 Apr (GC - Tier 3 Bowl)

Phyllis Court 4-1 Swindon B

Phyllis Court '4+' successfully negotiated the unknown hurdle posed by Swindon B today on that club's first visit to Henley-on-Thames.
The hosts' Patricia Mulcahy and Kevin Ward were pushed in the morning doubles match by Tony Mayer and Martin Briggs before wining 7-5, 7-6, and won both morning singles matches with rather more comfort.
Michael Marcel beat Terry Clements, 7-3, 7-5 and Pete Falle beat Bev Briggs 7-3, 7-2.
Marcel settled the match soon after lunch with the the deciding fourth match win in a quickfire defeat of Bev Briggs 7-1, 7-1, before Clements pulled one score back for the visitors beating Falle 7-0, 5-7, 6-7.
The numbers one and two head to heads were halved at one game each for Mulcahy v Mayer (7-4, 6-7) and Ward v martin Briggs (7-5, 5-7).
PCC '4+' - Patricia Mulcahy (4), Kevin Ward (5), Michael Marcel (5), Pete Falle (6)

Review a digest of all the results on Croquet Scores with this link - croquetscores.com/2025/gc/england-inter-club-bowl-tier-3-phyllis-court-v-swindon-b

Heart of Yorkshire AC Handicap Tournament

Heart of Yorkshire won by Eileen Magee

Summer came early to York this year. Towards the end of May the lawns were scorched and dry. A gentle backwards take-off to get position at hoop 1 would leave the striker's ball nearer the boundary than the hoop. Maybe A-class players could cope, but the Heart of Yorkshire is for mid-range handicaps. I'd never admit that York's lawns were unplayable, but they weren't easy.

I shouldn't have worried. If June had arrived in April, then, of course, April would come in June. The grass turned lush and green, sterling efforts by the grounds team had the courts cut to perfection, but was the rain going to stop in time for the tournament? Not according to the forecast.

Twelve players from the North of England assembled on the Saturday morning under leaden skies. A new format this year meant that two 26 point, 3 hour games, would be played each day, with players playing to a base of 10. Enough time to play to a finish, and enough bisques to get going, resulted in over half the games completing a peg-out.

By the end of play on Saturday, Malcolm Tingle and Philip Snowden had pegged-out on both their games, with Eileen Magee and James Moir also having won both of theirs. On Sunday morning, Eileen played a closely contested game against James, and was ultimately victorious at 19 - 18. Malcolm su?ered a temporary drop in his stunning roqueting and hoop running form of the previous day, and lost 17 - 26 to Philip. The last round thus included a true final, with Philip playing Eileen, the only two participants to have won all three of their previous matches. Would Philip continue his clean sweep of peg-outs? If so, could I claim that his home club, Fylde, was somehow, temporarily, part of the Heart of Yorkshire?

It was an enthralling game. Eileen played with the thought, care and skill that had characterised her tournament, making good use of her bisques, and keeping control of the game. For a long time, the game could have gone either way, but in the end, Eileen emerged as the worthy winner by 19 points to 9, earning the Heart of Yorkshire trophy and all our congratulations.

A special mention also goes to Debbie James, James Moir and Malcolm Tingle who all earned their Bronze Merit awards, and Philip Snowden who in addition to being runner-up gained his Silver. Well done!

Many thanks to David Magee for acting as Referee, and to all those who helped set up the lawns and refreshments, and tidied away at the end, and to York CC for their hospitality. And the rain did stay off…. mostly.

Open GC Handicap Doubles Tournament

Watford Open Doubles Winners: Patel & Patel (Photo: Eddie Chung)

15 Pairs entered the Open Handicap Doubles Tournament played at Watford on Sunday 8 June. The format saw the winners and runners up of four blocks placed in the Knock-out stage.

Although many of the games were closely fought, it was clear from the beginning that the youngest competitor and his partner were on great form. Edward Patel and his father Samir Patel were the winners of the tournament, having to face their block runner-up team, Nicola Mack and Diana Joannides, once again.

In yet another close game, the Patel family duo took the title 7-6.

Edward Patel looks to be set to be a future start of the sport, will Edward follow in his father's footsteps and be a future England Team Captain?

Full results - https://www.watfordcroquet.org.uk/2025/gc_open_doubles.php

Diana Joannides, Samir Patel, Edward Patel, Nicky Mack

Photo by Eddie Chung

East Dorset beat Bristol 4-3

by Chris Williams at East Dorset [^]
10 Jun (AC - Mary Rose)

Dom Aarvold & Martin Leach beat Steve Leonard & David Williams +21
Christine Rice beat Wayne Wiseman +21
Andy Meikle beat Richard Williamson +22
Dom Aarvold beat Steve Leonard +11
David Williams beat Martin Leach +17
Andy Meikle beat Wayne Wiseman +15
Richard Williamson beat Christine Rice +2

Woking Mid-Summer AC Open (doubles and singles)

Andy Myers with his trophies

Despite the weather forecast being thunderstorms we are pleased to report the players only got drenched once on Saturday afternoon....unluckily for them and for Mike Town managing play was able to continue.

The singles was won by Andy Myers

Runner Up Jeff Dawson ...a reverse of last year's result.

The B Class winner was Andrew Dutton from Woking.

Andy Myers also won the Double with Woking's own Ian Anderson. The doubles this year had a different format of 14pt Advanced double all play all ....all played on the Friday.

The singles were played Saturday & Sunday.

We had a BBQ together on the Saturday evening fortunately the guests were eating inside whilst the chefs Nick Harvey and Ian Anderson were getting wet outside.

Compton beat Guildford 5-2

by Alan Dodds at Compton [^]
10th June (GC - Tier 3 Bowl)

Lawn Maintenance Seminar [Nottingham Croquet Club]

Lawn Maintenance Seminar 24th June 2025

A free one-day Lawn Maintenance Seminar has been planned for Tuesday 24th June 2025 at Nottingham Croquet Club. This is free to attend for a representatives of clubs registered with Croquet England.

The seminar is for attendees to:

• Receive expert practical advice
• Share good practice
• Have an opportunity to ask questions relating to your lawns
• Free with complimentary light lunch and refreshments

The planned schedule is as follows:

9.00am Registration & Refreshments
9.30am Introduction & Welcome
9.45am Croquet Lawn/Court Maintenance & Surface Preparation
11.00am Refreshments
11.15am On the Lawn Demonstration
12.30pm Complimentary Lunch
1.00pm How to get the best performance from your mower
1.30pm End of Season Renovation of a Croquet Lawn/Court
2.30pm 'Turf Clinic' - Questions & Answers

If you would like to attend or nominate representative from your club, please complete the details at the bottom of the programme or email alison.pickering#howardsongroup.com.

Click to download the programme and entry form:

One Day Lawn Maintenance Programme York (PDF)

One Day Lawn Maintenance Programme York (Word)

England wins the 2025 Association Croquet Home International Championship

Jack Good Scores the winning point for England

England Wins the 2025 Association Croquet Home International Championship

In the closest fought Home International Championship in the tournament's history, Jack Good scores the winning point for England

David Maugham captained the England Team of five at Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club, in what he calls the "Closely contested Home Internationals ever."

Read more: https://www.croquetengland.org.uk/news_and_media/england-wins-the-2025-association-croquet-home-international-championship/

Cumbria Cup success for Neil Adams

Neil Adams in play at Crake

Neil continues his hot run of success surely national representative honours should come soon.

Reduced for 2025 to a One Day knockout for 8 players, the always well supported Cumbria Cup field was very strong and all games keenly contested. Round 1 saw Andrew Winn (Bowdon) beat Steve Skelton (Keswick), Lee Hartley (Fylde) beat Mike Sandler (Bowdon), David MaGee (Ben Rhydding) beat Dennis Scarr (Middlesbrough) and Neil Adams (Crake Valley) punish John Henderson (Penrith) 26tp-0.

Semi final results Andrew beat Lee 26-1 and Neil demolished David Magee 26-0.

The final, as ever, could go either way but Neil was too strong and won 26-5.

After the final, the Crake Chair, Graham Jowett presented Neil with the small but valuable Cumbria Cup. An additional presentation, for being the highest placed NW player in the recent Bowdon Advanced weekend, meant he also receives the much larger Neil Williams NWFed Millennium Trophy.

The photo shows Neil in play at the lovely Crake setting.

Ashby beat Wrest Park 4-3

by Richard Sanville at Ashby [^]
9th June (AC - Longman Cup)

In a close contest between two evenly-matched teams, Ashby and Wrest Park each won one of the morning singles games. In the doubles the visitors were trailing as time was called, but David Woolley pulled off an impressive break under pressure to peg out and give Wrest Park a 2-1 advantage at lunchtime.

Ashby then came back to win 3 of the 4 afternoon singles and clinch victory 4-3.

Scores (Ashby players first):

Richard Sanville (12) and Mick Haytack (14) lost to David Woolley (11) and Ross Bagni (12) -4

Andy Sherwood (9) beat David Barnett (14) +13

Mike O'Brian (14) lost to Tim Nurse (6) -16

Andy Sherwood beat Tim Nurse +11

Richard Sanville beat David Woolley +23

Mick Haytack lost to Ross Bagni -12

Mike O'Brian beat David Barnett +10T (21-11)

Result: Ashby 4-3 Wrest Park

Penrith lost to Bury 3-4

by Chris Alvey at Penrith [^]
9th June (AC - Longman Cup)

Bury travelled to Penrith to play their first match of the 2025 Longman cup competition.

The team of Anee, Chris, Margaret and Tony took on Geoff, Ian Louise and Phillip from Penrith. The morning games had Margaret out- bisqued 12-5 but she took a commanding lead and manged to hold it until the last 15 minutes of the game with some fantastic hit -ins, Phillip however had held on to some bisques and played quickly to take the match 26-23. The doubles also saw the Penrith team with a raft of bisques with7.5 to Tony and Anne's 1 1/2 . Tony managed to put a good break together but good alternate stroke play from Iain and Louise won the match 20-18. Chris got to watch both of these matches conclude, having played the best he has so far this season and beating Geoff 26-6 in under one and a half hours.

The afternoon saw everyone except Chris giving bisques to their opponents. Chris and his opponent Ian both having 1 each, and again an early finish for Chris as he took the match 26-20. Tony was gicing 1 ½ to Geoff but played some excellent attacking croquet to take the match 26-10.

Margaret had 5 to Louises 16. Which despite some great play from Margaret saw Louise take the win 22-12 on time. Leaving the match all square with only Anne and Phillip to finish.

Anne had stared the match with 4 bisques to Phillips 12 and with 15 minutes to go Phillip had 5 left but was training Anne who had found her rhythm. With time running out Phillip managed to pull one ahead as the timer went but unfortunately approached the wrong hoop and broke down. Anne had joined up with her partner ball and managed the get to a hoop approaching position north of penult but the approach dropped short leaving a hoop short in excess of 3 yards. Never a quitter Anne lined up and shot straight through levelling the score. Using Phillip's ball she cleared it and approached the hoop with the croquet stroke but fell short leaving another long hoop. No guts no glory, everyone from both teams collectively held their breath as Anne once again ran the hoop to win her game and the match for Bury.

Pendle beat Branston 5-2

by Paul Dowdall at Pendle [^]
9th June (GC - Murphy Shield)

Hurlingham beat Maldon 4-2

by Bertie Maxwell at Hurlingham [^]
9th June (GC - Tier 3 Bowl)

Result - Hurlingham 4 Maldon 2 (with one rubber unfinished at 1-1)

Hurlingham much enjoyed hosting Maldon. It was a very enjoyable and friendly day with none of the forecast rain and even some sunshine after lunch. The result was closer than the score card might indicate with a third of the games going to the golden hoop. The matches were played in a friendly spirit and a good time was had by all.

Roehampton beat Purley Bury 7-0

by Mark Green at Roehampton [^]
9th June (GC - Tier 3 Bowl)

Ashby beat Leicester 5-1

by Judith Rowe at Ashby [^]
9th June (GC - Tier 3 Bowl)

Ashby took on Leicester at home for their second round match in the GC bowl.

Despite an ominous weather forecast it stayed mostly dry with sunny intervals and a good day was had by all.

Maurice Upton (Ashby) took on Mark Baverstock (Leicester), who seemed to read the lawn from the word go. Maurice battled on bravely but in the end he lost on the golden hoop in both games.

Pete Bensley (Ashby) played a long game against Susan Lansdale (Leicester) , narrowly missing out 6-7 in the first game, but coming through on the next two to win the rubber.

Julie Boulton and Steph White (Ashby) were still asleep during the first doubles game, losing 1-7 against Phil Selvidge and Rob Wakefield (Leicester). However, that seemed to act as a wakeup call and they won the next two games.

Three of the afternoon singles were completed, some with good long clearances and long hoop running. They all went Ashby's way.

The remaining singles was proving to be very tight, standing at one game each. It was agreed not to contest the next one since the final result of the match would not be affected. Accordingly, Ashby won 5-1 and now look forward to meeting Nottingham in the quarter final.

Full results on croquet scores https://croquetscores.com/2025/gc/bowl-ashby-v-leicester-4

Huddersfield lost to Nottingham B 5-6

by Beatrice McGlen at Huddersfield [^]
9th June (AC - Short Croquet Inter-Club)

The second first-round match of the short-croquet inter-club championship was held in the very impressive Greenhead Park in Huddersfield, where local people can enjoy a children's play park, tennis, petanque, skateboarding, park run, cycling, field sports, bowls and croquet. The visitors, Nottingham B, arrived in sunny weather and there was steady interest from passers-by who stopped to watch and enquire about the game. The rain clouds soon gathered, although the torrential rain was mainly confined to a slightly extended lunch break. Playing on a crown green added an extra layer of unfamiliarity for the visitors but, despite that, Nottingham B came out as the overall winners.

Results (Huddersfield first)

Anna Giraud (3.5) & Rena Souten (6) beat Beatrice McGlen (2P) & Julieann Trembling (6) 9-5

Philip Jay (3P) lost to Sarah Butler (5) 6-10

Patrick Bailey (4) beat Roger Steeper (7) 10-8

Philip Jay lost to Beatrice McGlen 7-8

Anna Giraud beat Sarah Butler 14-4

Patrick Bailey lost to Julieann Trembling 4-8

Rena Souten lost to Roger Steeper 8-9

Philip Jay beat Roger Steeper 9-7

Anna Giraud beat Julieann Trembling 5-4

Patrick Bailey lost to Sarah Butler 5-11

Rena Souten lost to Beatrice McGlen 6-11

Following the comments from Bowdon on the other first-round match, it is interesting to note that there was also only one game in this match that pegged out. The effect of double-banking on a short lawn is much greater than on a full sized lawn so a greater percentage of time is spent waiting or marking balls. A consultation on the possibility of increasing the time limit to 90 minutes would seem sensible.

Implications of the UK Supreme Court judgment

by Samir Patel [^]
8th June (CqE Official News)

Croquet England's Trustees have noted the recent UK Supreme Court judgement in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers. We know that many clubs and players have questions about the judgment and what it means for them.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) have issued an interim update which concurs that the "judgement has implications for ... sporting bodies". It goes on to state that "There are rules about when competitive sports can be single-sex, which we intend to address separately in due course."

Whilst most Croquet England events are open to all, the Trustees recognise that there are a number of events which may be impacted, and clubs may also be looking for further guidance. We look forward to the conclusions of the EHRC review. If changes are required to our policies, procedures or guidance, we aim to have these in place prior to the start of the 2026 season.

The EHRC are currently updating their Code of Practice, to ensure that it is both an accurate interpretation of the law and clear to those who use it. They have launched a consultation on these updates, and we encourage subscribers with a strong view to find time to contribute.

Newport beat Pinchbeck 4-3

by Francis Lambert at Newport [^]
6th June (AC - Longman Cup)

Despite last minute illness and the inadvertent fielding of an ineligible player, Newport managed to win this encounter, played at Newport on 5 June, by 4 games to 3.

Scores were as follows, Newport players first

Andrew Gregory (2) and Chris van Essen (9) lost to Ken Knock (6) and David Boxell (18) 2 - 26 (match forfeit to Pinchbeck in any case)

Alex Lake (8) beat Charles Ostler (4.5) 26 - 4

Jerome Gasson (9) beat Jonathan Toye (7) 26 - 0

Andrew Gregory beat Charles Ostler 27-17 (but match forfeit to Pinchbeck)

Alex Lake beat Ken Knock 26 - 0

Chris van Essen Lost to Jonathan Toye (14 - 18 T)

Jerome Gasson beat David Boxell (25 - 17 T)

Roehampton beat Dulwich 5-1

by Tim Russell at Roehampton [^]
6th June (GC - Inter-Club)

Results (Roehampton names first)

Reg Bamford beat Simon Carter 7-6, 7-2

Harry Fisher beat Pierre Beaudry 4-7, 7-6, 7-3

Nick Yates lost to Guy Scurfield 2-7, 4-7
Tim Russell beat Duncan Catterall 7-6 , 7-3
Nick Yates beat Duncan Catterall 7-3, 7-5
Reg Bamford and Harry Fisher beat Simon Carter and Pierre Beaudry
7-2, 7-4

Tim Russell v Guy Scurfield unfinished - 3-7

Roehampton beat Dulwich 5-1 on a rather cold and rainy summer evening at Roehampton, reversing last years result. Roehampton won the doubles fairly comfortably but both top singles games were close, with Reg very lucky to win his first game against Simon Carter having been down 6- 4. Reg drew level at 6-6 and then proceeded to leave both his balls short of the golden hoop, with his second ball nuzzling up behind his first ('saying hello' he called the shot!). Simon missed an angled jump soon after and Reg took his opportunity and won the second game comfortably.

Harry Fisher lost his first game to Pierre and the second looked like it was going the same way but he managed to turn things around to win at the golden hoop. The third game was somewhat more convincing with Harry in a hurry to catch a train.

Guy Scurfield was in good form beating Nick Yates in straight games with an impressive array of clearances and long hoop running, which continued in his unfinished match against Tim Russell. His game is well suited to Roehampton's lawns which were quick and true, despite significant rain through the day.

Reg Bamford's New Swing Trainer

by Dave Kibble [^]
4th June (Other News)

Reg Bamford, multiple-time World Champion in both AC and GC, has developed a Swing Trainer. It's the first of three croquet products (the others being a high-spec mallet and an aiming target device) that he hopes to make available in due course.

The purpose of the Swing Trainer is to groove one's swing through repeated use. Having used one (albeit irregularly) for the better part of 45 years, Reg attests to its effectiveness. The brief to his design/manufacturing team was to create a Swing Trainer that

1. weighed no more than 5-7kg
2. could be assembled in under 5 minutes
3. could be transported easily (including on an international flight)
4. is so beautiful you wanted to lick it (seriously, that was one of his requirements!)

He feels close to achieving all four!

Here are some videos:

• An explanation and description
• Hitting 8 balls in the Swing Trainer
• Hitting 16 balls after using the Swing Trainer

The Swing Trainer will be available for sale to individuals and clubs by the end of 2025. A website and more details will follow.

Colin Britt won the Cheltenham Challenge

by Ivor Brand at Cheltenham [^]
4th June (GC - Tournaments)

It became clear early on that this year's event was not going to be as supported as well as last year's 32 for some reason? The very 'select' group of 10 enjoyed, I believe a competitive competition on good lawns over two sunny days with extra entertainment thrown in for free!

The tournament itself was reduced to one large block of 10 all play all 13pt games, although with Ron Carter not showing up till 11am it was briefly truncated to a block of 9 with byes! At the end of day one after 6 rounds an undefeated Richard Brand was leading the way from the chasing pack. The following day saw Ivor Brand top the leader board over Colin Britt on net points and Richard Brand claiming the third place. The remaining knock out place also went down to net points being decided in the last round in favour of Ron Carter who stayed overnight rather than risk the M5 being shut again! The unfortunate Andy (Aussi) Barbero who missed out on qualifying proved his standing by winning the Consolation knock out over Caroline Denny 10-8.

In the semi-finals Ron made easy work of an under par Ivor 10-4, while Colin had a battle to come through on the golden after Richard missed his jump shot. The final was a close affair with Colin keeping his nose in front until at 8-6 they both approached the 'rover' hoop instead of going to hoop 1 (15). The confused 'crowd' eventually pointed out the error and normality continued with Colin keeping his 2 hoop advantage to win this year's Cheltenham challenge. (All results are on CS)

Finally, as always my gratitude goes to all the hard workers behind the scenes, ground staff and volunteers who come in early to set up the lawns, and provide the lovely afternoon teas.

Gill Brent won the Chester GC B-Level

by Tom Grievson at Chester [^]
4th June (GC - Tournaments)

Sixteen players converged on Chester's Westminster Park at 9am on a cloudy Saturday morning at the end of May 2025 to compete the 'Chester B'. They traveled from North Yorkshire and the Lakes, Western Wales, Gainsborough, Oxford and Ashby in the East and South and two from Chester. Handicaps of 4,5 and 6 predominated but there was a 3 sticking out at the top and an 8 and 9 gamely competing at the bottom.

Four bocks of four players, all-play-all, started promptly at 9.30am and, although we did not know it at the time, the very first rounds set the pattern for the tournament. The number nine seed recovered from four to one down to beat the favourite. The third seed was upended by the eleventh. The tenth seed beat the second and the fourth was defeated by twelfth. The tournament manager scrutinised the Dynamic Grades and handicap cards with worried frown lest he had made a hash of his rankings.

By lunchtime, three of those early giant-killers, Christine Thomas of Chester,Gill Brent of Bishop Monkton and Frank Sharps of Crake Valley), had stormed into the Cup knockout (to be played in the afternoon session) by each winning all three of their games. Paul Rockall of Gainsborough who had shone brightly in his first game faded somewhat but Clare Rockall (9 h/cap) maintained family honour by squeezing into the Cup knockout.

After lunch the eight Cup knockout group started quarters, semis, final and places games. The lower eight split into two groups of four, 1st Quartet and 2nd Quartet, to play semis, finals and places. This arrangement was to guard against possible medical issues with two competitors.

In the Cup group, the three front runners continued to demonstrate their good form and were joined by Alan Dix of Bowden who had settled into his game. And that is how it continued with the three early winners taking all the prime slots. Gill Brent beat the soon-to-be nonagenarian (4th July) Frank Sharps by 7 to 5 in a thrilling final.Gill got the Cup and Frank an engraved Plate. Christine Thomas came third by beating Alan Dix into fourth place by 7 to 5 in another very close and exciting game.

Robert Strover won the First Quartet by beating Sandy Grievson (8 handicap and very late entrant- thanks Sandy) and Stephanie White from Long Eaton Park took first place in the Second Quartet by beating Bernard Lord from Bury 7 to 4.

The tournament finished at almost exactly 5.00pm just as the clouds were drifting away and the Sun started to shine. It was a good croquet day.

Surbiton beat Roehampton 5-2

by Andrew Dibben at Surbiton [^]
4th June (AC - Mary Rose)

Andy Dibben (0) & Barry Holland (0.5) bt Nick Yates (1) & Peter Siddall (2.5) +4T
Mary Knapp (2) bt Andrew Wilson (9) +1T
Julian Sheraton-Davis lost to Diana Wilson -22
Andy Dibben lost to Nick Yates -17
Barry Holland beat Peter Siddall +6
Mary Knapp beat Diana Wilson +12
Julian Sheraton-Davis bt Andrew Wilson +15

Neil Adams won the Bowdon Advanced Weekend

by Ian Lines at Bowdon [^]
3rd June (AC)

Neil Adams won the Peterson Cup at the Bowdon Advanced Weekend on 31 May-1 June 2025. A full field of 16 enjoyed the excellent Bowdon hospitality and great catering ably provided by Lorna Frost and helpers. The recent rain meant that the lawns were only running at about 9.5 plummers, and with the slightly soft ground the hoops were relatively easy. The results in the first round went with seeding, and notably Euan Burridge gained his Gold Merit Award for his first ranking tp, beating Chris Williamson +20tp. The 2^nd round also went with seeding, with the slight exception of 5th seed Neil Adams beating Andrew Winn. In the semi-finals Ian Lines beat local Angharrad Walters +26tp, +3tpo, and Neil had a long match against Debbie Lines, but he eventually prevailed -4, +3, +24 by 3pm on Sunday. This only left time for a single game final, which Neil deservedly won +4 in a closely fought battle with only one real error from Ian, and some flawless play and excellent shooting from Neil. The Plate was run as flexible Swiss/Egyptian, and was won by Angharrad.

All results are in Croquet Scores at https://croquetscores.com/2025/ac/bowdon-advanced-weekend

More details and photos can be found at https://bowdoncroquet.co.uk/blog/2025/06/02/june-advanced-tournament-results-31st-may-1st-june/

Lionel Tibble wins Wrest Park GC Open

by Richard Keighley at Wrest Park [^]
3rd June (GC - Tournaments)

Warm sunshine greeted a full field of 16 competitors for this 2-day tournament in the National Series.

Block A featured top seed, Lionel Tibble (Northampton) who duly qualified with 5 wins but lost to Helen Reeves (Ramsgate) and Lynn Pearcy (Roehampton). He was bettered by Andy Loakes (Camerton & Peasedown) who had 6 wins. They were joined in the main knockout by Helen and Mike Bilton (Gainsborough) with 4 wins each.

Block B was won by Guy Scurfield with 6 wins, closely followed by Peter Tofield (Northampton) with 5 wins. Richard Brooks (Sussex County) duly qualified with 4 wins but the real drama was to work out who was to progress out of the 4 players with 3 wins each. Hoop count put paid to the hopes of Glynis Davies (Northampton) and David Thirtle-Watts (Hunstanton) but Kim Taylor (Enfield) had to rely on having beaten Edwin Bone (Eynsham) as both had identical net hoops.

Sunday 1^st June dawned fair again and there was a little breeze which provided more comfortable playing conditions. In the Quarter-Finals, Kim made the most of his fortunate qualification by beating Andy Loakes (7-5, 7-5) and Mike pipped Guy in a deciding game (7-6, 4-7, 7-5). Meanwhile, Helen and Lionel won in two games against Peter and Richard respectively.

Helen won her Semi-Final against Kim, both games by a margin of 7-6. Her reward was to meet Lionel, who had beaten Mike in 3 games, in the Final to see if she could repeat her win of the previous day. It was not to be as Lionel recovered from being 4 hoops down in their second game to win by 7-6, 7-6 in front of an appreciative crowd of spectators.

Richard Brooks won the Shield and David Thirtle-Watts returned to Hunstanton with the Plate. Prizes were presented by the Manager and Lionel kindly thanked him for his efforts and also George Collin, the groundsman. Richard Brooks kindly acted as RoT supported by an unusual number of 6 other referees.

Finishing Order:

1. Lionel Tibble 2. Helen Reeves 3. Kim Taylor 4. Mike Bilton

Woking lost to East Dorset 0-5

by Jeff Dawson at Woking [^]
3rd June (GC - Inter-Club)

East Dorset played Woking in the GC interclub today at Woking. East Dorset won 5-0 with two matches abandoned at 1-1 in the rain when it was clear that the results didn't matter.

Detailed results are on Croquetscores.

Ealing beat Surbiton 6-0

by Tony Elliott at Ealing [^]
2nd June (GC - Tier 3 Bowl)

Played 1^st June 2025 at Ealing

Result - Ealing 6 Surbiton 0 (with one rubber left unfinished at 1-1)

Short report - Ealing were pleased to host a Surbiton team for a Second Round match in this new competition. Although the overall result looks rather one-sided, with Ealing not conceding even a single game in the six completed rubbers, the individual games were mostly much closer, with only one of the fourteen games being decided before hoop 10. The match was played in a friendly and sporting spirit throughout, and Ealing's burgeoning reputation for lunch-time hospitality was given a further boost by Jane's superb pavlova dessert !

Camerton & Peasedown lost to Caversham 3-4

by Patrick Knight at Camerton & Peasedown [^]
31 May (GC - Tier 3 Bowl)

Guildford beat Woking 4-3

by John Gosden at Unknown - not stated [^]
29 May (AC - Longman Cup)

Nottingham beat Ripon Spa w/o

by Cathy Turski [^]
31st May (GC - Tier 3 Bowl)

Ray Hodgson wins Wrest Park GC C-Level

Ross Bagni presents Ray Hodgson with his prizes (Photo: Bernie Hodgson)

12 clubs were represented in this tournament, but nobody had travelled further than Ray Hodgson (Crake Valley) who made a winning debut in tournament play.

Manager, Ross Bagni advised all payers at the outset that he would in his discretion invoke the time limit provisions if games continued beyond 50 minutes for those using primary balls and 60 minutes for secondary ball games. In the event, he used this ability sparingly as players responded to his request to play speedily.

Four blocks of four were established on an all-play-all basis. In Block A, Marian Hardy (Barnet) and Elizabeth Wallace (Leighton-Linslade) progressed with 2 wins each. Ray Hodgson put his marker down by winning all 3 games in Block B and he was joined by Pamela Dawson (Gainsborough) with 2 wins. Liza Furnival (Eynsham) had 3 wins to head Block C and she progressed with Dena Howlett ((Cheam) who had 2 wins. Carol Huntington (Phyllis Court) and Chris Harrison (Wingrave) both scored 2 wins in Block D.

In the Quarter Finals, Pamela beat Marian (7-4) and Carol beat Dena (7-5). Chris inflicted a first defeat on Liza (7-5) and Ray continued his serene progress by beating Elizabeth (7-3).

The semi=Finals produced two excellent games which both went to the golden hoop. Pamela beat Carol and Ray pipped Chris. The Final was rather an anti-climax which Ray won by steady hoop-running and immaculate approach work. Pamela had played very well to this point but had no answer to Ray's patient play.

The Shield was won by Liza and the Plate Knockout produced a Final between two Watford Clubmates, Kevin Currie and Mike Grossmith which Kevin won (7-4).

Ross presented the prizes, thanked Ian Burridge for acting as RoT and his fellow club members for their help before and during the tournament

Finishing Order:

1. Ray Hodgson 2. Pamela Dawson 3. Chris Harrison 4. Carol Huntington

Peter Adams wins Wrest Park GC B-Level

by Richard Keighley at Wrest Park [^]
30th May (GC - Tournaments)

A full field of 16 players assembled for this one-day tournament in the National Series, which was won by Peter Adams (Guildford).

Four blocks were established in the usual format. Peter Adams gave an early indication of his good form by winning all 3 of his games and he was joined in the Knockout by Nick Boxall (Wrest Park). Tim Barzycki (Pinchbeck) and Stephanie White (Long Eaton Park) also progressed with 2 wins apiece as did Tony Elliott (Ealing) and Colin Carver (Enfield) in their block. In the final block, 3 players achieved 2 wins each. David Ball (Leighton-Linslade) and Nigel Owen (Enfield) progressed at the expense of Judith Rowe (Ashby) who missed out on countback by a single hoop.

In the Quarter Finals, Peter beat Stephanie (7-3) and Nick beat Tim by the same score. Nigel pipped Tony (7-5) and David beat Colin (7-4). The Semi-Finals were both closely fought with Peter beating Nigel (7-5) and David winning the golden hoop against Nick. Peter maintained his unbeaten run in the Final by beating David (7-5).

The Plate was also contested on a Knockout basis. It produced an exciting Final between Judith Pengelly (Leighton-Linslade) and Steve Baldwin (Compton (Eastbourne)). Judith suffered the same fate as her Clubmate David Ball in the main knockout by losing at the golden hoop.

Manager, Les Heard presented the prizes and thanked all his club colleagues who had assisted in the preparation and management of the tournament.

Finishing Order:

1.Peter Adams 2. David Ball 3. Nigel Owen 4. Nick Boxall

Pinchbeck beat Nottingham 4-1

by Ken Knock at Northampton [^]
30th May (AC - Longman Cup)

Pinchbeck beat Nottingham 4-1 at Northampton in the Longman Trophies

Date 30 May 25

Ken Knock & David Boxell beat Ben Shelton & Tom Dewar +8
Jonathan Toye beat Mark Innes +5

David Boxell beat Mark Innes +24
Jonathan Toye beat Tom Dewar +12
Ben Shelton beat Ken Knock +8

Newport beat Letchworth 5-2

by Francis Lambert at Newport [^]
30th May (AC - Longman Cup)

England Team to play GC Test v USA announced

by Chris Clarke at Budleigh Salterton [^]
29th May (CqE Official News)

Many congratulations to the players selected to represent England in the GC Test v USA to be held at Budleigh Salterton on 5-6 August. The England team will be

• Nick Archer
• Euan Burridge
• Jack Good
• Aston Wade (Captain)

Reserve: Tim Russell

The USA team will comprise

• Tom Balding
• Matthew Essick
• Kyle Maloof
• Stephen Morgan

Croquet England hopes to livestream some of the event, and spectators will be welcome. It should be a high-quality Test match against the World Champions.

Chris Clarke
Chair of GCSC

Bowdon lost to Pendle 0-7

by Lorna Frost at Bowdon [^]
29th May (AC - Longman Cup)

National Inter-Club Championship The Longman Cup

Pendle and Craven CC v Bowdon CC at Bowdon

The day started out unpromising with drizzle but was forecast to improve as it did with the weather turning hot and dry by the afternoon making the lawns speed up noticeably.

The Pendle and Craven team consisted of Paul Dowdall(7), Catherine Parnell(8), Andrew Gould(10) and Mark Kerr(12) with Mark, Andrew and Paul travelling to Bowdon together whilst Catherine travelled on her own from Bury

The Bowdon team were Andrew Thomson(4), Lorna Frost(11), John Bagnall(16) and Mike Blackburn(18).

The morning matches went well with Paul & Mark playing against Andrew & Lorna winning +1 on time. The others also won, Andrew beating Mike +9 and Catherine beating John +5 on time. This left the team three nil up at lunch with only one win needed to secure the win.

The afternoon matches were all singles and all went our way:

Paul beat Andrew +12
Catherine beat Lorna +12T
Andrew beat John +3T
Mark beat Mike +1T

This gave us a seemingly convincing 7-0 win but most of the games were very close and could easily have gone the other way.

Thanks to all the team, as well as to Libby Dixon, our non-playing captain.

Longman Cup match results Bowdon v Pendle 29th May

Bowdon:
Andrew Thomson 4
Lorna Frost (Captain) 11
John Bagnall 16
Mike Blackburn 18

Pendle:
Paul Dowdall (Captain) 7
Catherine Parnell 8
Andrew Gould 10
Mark Kerr 12

Morning games:
Andrew and Lorna lost -1T to Paul and Mark
John lost to Catherine -5T
Mike lost to Andrew -9

Afternoon games:
Andrew lost to Paul -12
Lorna lost to Catherine -12T
John lost to Andrew-3T
Mike lost to Mark -1T

Match Result: Bowdon 0 Pendle 7

East Dorset beat Bristol 6-1

by Mike Rice at East Dorset [^]
29th May (AC - Longman Cup)

Broadwas lost to Bath 2-5

by Neil Pinker at Cheltenham [^]
28 May (AC - Secretary's Shield)

Watford beat Leicester 4-3

by Geoff Johnson at Watford [^]
29th May (GC - Murphy Shield)