Newport Open Weekend 22-23 May

[<<] [>>] by Andrew Gregory at Newport CC
26 May 2021 (AC)

Mark Avery won the Newport Open Weekend

On the first weekend since the latest relaxation, a disappointing seven souls gathered for the Newport Open Weekend. Apparently some people prefer to meet family rather than play croquet.

The small number did enable us to play an all-play-all block, and without double-banking.

Despite a late start, Mark Avery soon caught up with a 5th turn triple then a 7th turn sextuple.

Newcomer John Wells claimed not to have played 4 games in a day before - here he finished 4 by 3:30pm.

This was thanks to the Chatham Island principle applied to the order of play - ie the Anti-Swiss.

John accepted his fate with good grace, and said he was looking forward to Sunday.

On Sunday he beat your correspondent, then, if there's any justice in the world, would have beaten James Brind too.

By the end of Saturday everyone had played 4 games. Also the Manager had failed to stymie himself, always a danger in a block. When quizzed in the pub as to how he ensured this, he vacillated. Better to have lucky managers than good ones.

The aforementioned Anti-Swiss principle led to a winner-takes-all game between Avery and Phil Cordingley. Avery won this with a 7th turn triple, to retain the Donald Cornelius trophy.

Winner: Mark Avery 6/6

Runner-up: Phil Cordingley 5/6

3rd =: Andrew Hobbs, Clive Goode 3/6