https://www.croquet.org.uk/Latest news from Croquet England.en-gbWed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCopyright: (C) Croquet England, all rights reserved.http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification/100https://www.croquet.org.uk/scripts/images/graphics/CroquetEngland_Logo_Circle.svghttps://www.croquet.org.uk/The latest issue of Talking Croquet, our public online magazine, has been published. Read news from our Croquet Community, including the stories from the Northern Travels of Andy Dalby-Weslsh. Andy writes "Welcome to this edition of Talking Croquet. It is a real pleasure to introduce another issue packed with stories that capture the breadth, energy, and accessibility of our sport. Croquet continues to show, repeatedly, that it is far more than a game played on lawns. It is a community, a source of friendship and wellbeing, a competitive sport capable of producing world-class drama, and a place where people of all ages and backgrounds can belong." Read the latest issue and the full article from Andy's travels: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/515902635/https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9188https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9188Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCqE Official Newshttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9187https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9187Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Longman CupDefying the hot weather, the Hamptworth Croquet Club Wiltshire Open took place over the weekend of 11th and 12th July. The field was strong with former winners and international players on show. At lunch on day 1, Peter Balchin and Tim O'Donnell were setting the early pace, each winning all three of their morning games. Six other players were just behind them with two wins. As the afternoon play unfolded, Tim maintained his 100% win record and in the same block, Steve Leonard came through to take second place with five wins, Colin Britt was third with four wins, just edging out Adrian Coward into fourth place on hoop difference. Block B was a much tighter affair with three players each on five wins. Stephen Custance-Baker claimed the top spot on hoop difference with Mark Hamann second and Chris Roberts in third. Peter Balchin was in fourth place with four wins. All quarter finals were best of 19. Tim O'Donnell continued his impressive form demolishing Peter Balchin 10 - 1. The other games, much closer ...https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9186https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9186Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGC - Tournamentshttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9185https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9185Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGC - Tier 3 BowlThank-you to all players for entering the GC Eights. The GC selectors met on 13 July and selected the following: First Eight Second Eight Third Eight Budleigh Salterton Budleigh Salterton Sidmouth In alphabetical order: In order of promotion: In order of promotion: Dom Aarvold Lionel Tibble Neil Fillery Richard Bilton David Goacher Martin French Euan Burridge Tim Jolliff Stephen Custance-Baker Ian Burridge Andy Dochniak Mark Huttley Chris Roberts Konstantin Yudintsev Rick Lilley Tim Russell Louise Smith Mike Hills StuartM Smith Joshua Wise Paul Gunn Aston Wade Colin Britt James Hopgood Reserves: Reserves: Reserves: Lionel Tibble Neil Fillery Thomas Halliday Tim Jolliff Martin French Bridget Goodman Konstantin Yudintsev Mark Huttley Giles Pepperell Louise Smith Rick Lilley Caroline Denny Joshua Wise Paul Gunn Pat Coulter James Hopgood John Gosden Richard Platt Please can those selected pay your entry fee via TES. Good luck to those selected. Chris Clarke Chair of GC Selectorshttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9184https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9184Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGC - TournamentsThe Team Seeding date for the 2026 MacRobertson Shield has arrived, and I can now announce the results. Seed 1 2565.17 England Seed 2 2484.33 USA Seed 3 2466.50 New Zealand Seed 4 2325.00 Australia This means that the first round of Test Matches will be England v Australia USA v New Zealand The teams have been seeded in descending order of the average dynamic grade of the six players most recently submitted by the countries to the WCF by the final submission date of 12 July UTC. The dynamic grades were downloaded from the Association Croquet Grading System website (butedock.com/cgs/rank.php) at 16:00 UTC on 13th July 2026. Australia - average dynamic grade = 2325.00 2182 Trevor Bassett 2222 Lachlan Berryman 2358 Stephen Forster 2461 Greg Hill 2400 Dwayne McCormick 2327 Stephen Pearce England - average dynamic grade = 2565.17 2531 Mark Avery 2592 Jamie Burch 2619 James Death 2572 Robert Fulford 2488 Jack Good 2589 Samir Patel New Zealand - average dynamic grade = 2466.50 2358 Greg Bryant 2586 Paddy Chapman ...https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9183https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9183Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe MacRobertson Shieldhttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9181https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9181Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGC - Tier 3 BowlHarry Fisher & Mark van Loon (R) beat Dom Nunns & Gabrielle Higgins (S) +10t Christian Carter (R) beat Tudor Jenkins (S) +26tp Joel Taylor (R) beat Mark Fawcett (S) +4t Fisher beat Nunns +25 van Loon beat Higgins +14 Fawcett beat Carter +14 Taylor beat Jenkins +16https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9180https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9180Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Inter-ClubRoehampton won 4-1 (teams of 3 were involved). Nick Yates and David Mooney beat Andy Meikle and Chris Rice 17-14 (+3T) Diana Wilson beat Steve Leonard 26-1 (+25) Nick Yates beat Andy Meikle 26-4 (+22) Diana Wilson beat Chris Rice 26-23 (+3T) David Mooney lost to Steve Leonard 17-26 (+9)https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9179https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9179Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Mary RoseThe MacRobertson Shield is the pinnacle of Association Croquet - a four-nation Test Match between England, New Zealand, Australia and the USA. It takes place every four years in each of the countries and is in England this summer. Each Test is the first nation to win 11 matches, comprising both doubles and singles. Every round promises world-class croquet, but the standout fixture could well be the final Test, most likely between England and New Zealand. All venues provide lunches. Roehampton and Hurlingham are large members' clubs with several restaurants and bars, while Surbiton is a traditional croquet club that serves what many consider to be the finest lunches on the croquet circuit - not to be missed! They also have famously challenging lawns, assuming the weather behaves. Details: croquetworldteamchampionships.co.uk Round 1: 24-28 July - Roehampton & Hurlingham Round 2: 30 July-3 August at the Sussex County CC (Brighton) Round 3: 5-9 August at Surbiton (London)https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9178https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9178Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe MacRobertson Shieldcroquetscores.com/2026/gc/murphy-shield-southport-v-leicester/competition/southport-vs-leicesterhttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9177https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9177Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGC - Murphy ShieldIt is with much sadness we report the death of Roger Staples. Roger passed away on 30th June 2026 at his home in Long Newton, Stockton on Tees. Our thoughts are with his wife Hilary and his family at this sad time. Roger was a major contributor to Croquet at Federation and National level. He served in several roles in Croquet North from the late 1990's. At National Level, he chaired several Croquet Association Committees including the inaugural year of the Executive Committee during the Covid pandemic. Roger received the Bernard Neal Award for his longstanding and loyal services to Croquet at a special presentation organised in his home on 21st May 2026.https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9176https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9176Thu, 9 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCqE Official NewsThe WCF has announced that the 2027 WCF AC World Championship will take place in New Zealand from Saturday 30 January to Sunday 7 February. The event will cater for 80 players and will take place at the following five venues: Kelburn Municipal Croquet Club (Wellington): 5 courts Wellington Municipal Croquet Club (Wellington): 3 courts Waimarie Hutt Valley Croquet Club (Hutt City): Headquarters 5 courts Paraparaumu Croquet Club (Paraparaumu): 4 courts Waikanae Croquet Club (Waikanae): 5 courts The Qualifying Tournament, catering for up to 24 players, will be held from Sunday 24 January to Wednesday 27 January 2027 at Rose Gardens Croquet Club (Palmerston North), which has 6 courts, approximately two hours drive north of Wellington City. Further information about the event, including local accommodation and transport, the event timetable and any other relevant information, will be published on the WCF website at https://worldcroquet.org/ as the information becomes available. Players eligible for England ...https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9175https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9175Thu, 9 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTWorld Championshiphttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9174https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9174Sun, 5 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGC - Inter-ClubStarting today the Association Croquet Open Croquet Championships, featuring several overseas players who are here for the World Team Championships in the following weeks. With so many International Test players in the field, there will be some very high-quality spectating to be done. The Championships begin with Doubles from Saturday 4 July to Monday 6 July, followed by the Singles Championship from Tuesday 7 July to Sunday 12 July. The first three days of the Singles (Tues-Thur) consist of block play, with plenty of croquet taking place as players battle to reach six wins and qualify for the knockout stage. The knockout begins on Friday, culminating in the final on Sunday. The quarter- and semi- finales will be very high-quality best-of-three (or five) matches, and the final will probably be the best AC you will ever see. Cheltenham provides lunches, but it's worth booking in advance. If they're only catering for players, the neighbouring tennis club serves good bar meals and is happy to welcome ...https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9173https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9173Sat, 4 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Championshipshttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9171https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9171Thu, 2 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGC - Tier 3 Bowlhttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9170https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9170Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Short Croquet Inter-Clubhttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9169https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9169Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Inter-ClubThe draw for the Doubles Championship is available on Croquet Scores. The draw for the Swiss stage of the Singles Championship is below. Rounds will not necessarily be played in the order drawn. Player # Grade Round A Round B Round C Round D AOG EWAP Sherif Abdelwahab 2176 Sam Cuthbert Stuart M Smith Logan McCorkindale David Fuller 2180.00 2.065 Neil Adams 2129 Pete Trimmer Sophie McGlen Andy Myers Samir Patel 2183.75 1.951 Stephen Allen 1931 Stephen Mulliner Greg Bryant Robbie Dodds Joe King 2183.25 2.009 Mark Avery 2571 Rick Harding Stephen Mulliner Omied Hallam Robert Wilkinson 2186.50 1.990 Robin Brown 2215 James Carlisle Andy Myers Steve Scalpone Aaron Westerby 2189.25 1.962 Greg Bryant 2324 David Fuller Stephen Allen David Goacher Omied Hallam 2175.75 2.026 James Carlisle 2271 Robin Brown Jack Good Stuart M Smith Doug Grimsley 2193.50 1.998 Jenny Clarke 2446 Robbie Dodds Joe King James Death Pete Trimmer 2184.50 2.054 Brian Cumming 2271 Stuart M Smith Richard Huxley Pete Trimmer James Death 2195.75 ...https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9168https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9168Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Championshipshttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9167https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9167Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Longman CupMorning singles Results ( Shrewsbury names first) Shelley Hennell (9) beat Richard Whiting (9) +1 Max Sanders (18) beat Owen Pugh (6) +2 Doubles Result Tim Bunn(11) and Alberto Porras (14) beat Mark Lansdale (6) and Ian Buckley (14) +2 Afternoon singles Shelley Hennell (9) lost to Owen Pugh (6) -10 Tim Bunn (11) beat Mark Lansdale (6) +6 Alberto Porras (14) beat Richard Whiting (9) +9 Max Sanders (18) beat Ian Buckley (14) +18https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9166https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9166Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Longman CupWe have received our delivery of Sunshiny balls this month so they are in stock and available for sale. They were reaccredited as tournament balls at the start of the year and are authorised for use in tournaments due to their consistency in size, weight and behaviour. For those who are looking to purchase Sunshiny balls they are available in the Croquet England Shop.https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9165https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9165Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTOther NewsTo some extent the weather had cooled from the 35C+ early in the week, but the conditions were still tough and not everyone was able to complete the whole day. We had five members playing and five 'grockles' (technical term for 'incomer', if you are not aware). The court conditions were excellent and of a good pace with hoops set to a sixteenth. Thanks Keith Southern for acting as Handicapper and Referee. It was soon clear that our visitors were collectively playing the best croquet, with Linda leading the charge for EDCC. A Cross-Block had been set-up but management adjustments were required after a withdrawal due to the heat after two rounds. Nevertheless, the top four on the day (in my view) made it to the semi-finals. Clubmates Cybs McGovern (5/5) and Ruth Scott-Farnell (3/5) saw Ruth step up her game significantly to win the first semi-final 7-1. Alex Aiton (2/4), who was considered an excellent each-way bet by many (he comes from good stock you see!), met 'our' Linda Hogan (3/4) in the second, Alex ...https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9164https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9164Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGC - TournamentsAndy Dalby-Welsh Shares his Experiences of his Northern Croquet Club Tour Let Them Eat Cake! Day 1 of our northern tour was brilliant and day 2 was just as good. One of our strategic priorities this year is to support the development of the well-being special project at Pendle and Craven Croquet Club with the aim of replicating it nationally from next year. The project has been developed by Ian Longstaff, having connected with the local social prescribing team. It was a pleasure to meet James Smith, the social prescriber who took a leap of faith into the world of croquet. James couldn't speak highly enough of the positive impact the well-being project is having. A new community has been formed in Pendle and the surrounding area. The community had been created for people facing challenges including Parkinson's, cancer and Alzheimer's. It was an emotional experience to witness couples loving a game of croquet together, socialising with others and revelling in the cake that had been baked for eating at the ...https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9163https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9163Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTCqE Official NewsJohn Bevington (1) and Eric Audsley (1.5) beat Brian Havill (2) and Stephen Mills (2.5) 26-22 Tim Nurse (5) v Arthur Reed (3) pegged down & unfinished George Collin (1.5) beat Gary Bennett (3.5) 26-16 John Bevington v Brian Havill unfinished (18pt game) Eric Audsley beat Stephen Mills 14-6 (14pt game) George Collin beat Arthur Reed 26-5 Tim Nurse v Gary Bennett unfinished Condition Red was still in force, and for Eric, George, Tim and Stephen it was a return after surviving similar conditions at Wrest Park's tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday. Everyone was grateful for what was left of the bags of ice and bottles of squash. The lawns were fast and tricky: gentle shots were likely to curve one way or the other and the hoops lost their firmness as the day wore on. Breaks were hard to establish and harder to keep going. We agreed to follow the standard procedure for the Mary Rose and dispense with time limits, with the inevitable consequences. In the doubles it was two hours before a lift was conceded and ...https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9162https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9162Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Mary RoseBOA Martin Alabaster (2) Bob Race (2.5) Carol Gorvett (9) Chen Woodward (10) Caversham Charles Briggs (4) Heather Hanshaw (6) Dave Murray (9) Jill Murray (9) BOA names first Martin Alabaster & Carol Gorvett beat Charles Briggs & Jill Murray 14-7 Bob Race beat Dave Murray 11-6 Chen Woodward beat Heather Hanshaw 10-9 Martin Alabaster beat Heather Hanshaw 14-3 Bob Race Beat Charles Briggs 14-11 Carol Gorvett beat Gill Murray 10-7 Chen Woodward beat Dave Murray 14-6 Martin Alabaster beat Charles Briggs 14-4 Bob Race beat Heather Hanshaw 14-5 Carol Gorvett lost to Dave Murray 10-4 Chen Woodward beat Jill Murray 14-0https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9161https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9161Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Short Croquet Inter-ClubSix souls gathered for an all-play-all block at Newport. The first round saw a shock as the lowest handicapped player (and defending champion) Mike Bithell lost to Jonathan Lambton in the latter's first game at Newport. This despite Jonathan pegging one ball out prematurely in a big roll across the lawn. Mike recovered to 3/4 and in the last round faced another Newport debutant in Martin Lester. Martin was undefeated so Mike needed a win to force a play-off. Mike had first break. After some interaction he took the chance to make a couple more hoops with the forward ball. Martin then picked up a break and after 2-back made a speculative attempt at the rover peel. Had it failed he could still have had a reasonable lift leave, but when it succeeded he went all the way round and pegged out Mike's ball. Off the contact Mike rolled from 1st corner to hoop 2 and made it, but progressed no further. Later Martin stuck in the middle of hoop 6. Mike had a shot from near 4th corner, which hit the hoop but not the ...https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9160https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9160Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAChttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9158https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9158Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Longman CupIn some locations around England, the Met Office has issued Extreme Heat weather warnings. Croquet England is developing a policy in relation to this, and we would like to highlight some practical help, which we hope will enable everyone to continue enjoying their sport as safely as possible. The government has issued their Beat the Heat: staying safe in hot weather guidance on 20th May 2026, with which we recommend all players and officials familiarise themselves: gov.uk/.../beat-the-heat-staying-safe-in-hot-weather We recommend that in extreme heat conditions, tournament managers and directors use their common sense and a spirit of fair play to decide on the appropriate course of action should croquet tournaments be affected. This relates to both the monitoring of the weather situation and the decisions required to complete match and tournament results. If you have concerns about playing in the heat, you will be able to withdraw from the tournament using the tournament entry system in the usual way. ...https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9157https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9157Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTCqE Official News22nd June 2026 Hurlingham beat Surbiton 6-1 Scores (Hurlingham names first): Morning: Andrew Wise & Ludolph van Hasselt beat Andy Dibben & Matt Cook +20 Guy Hewitt beat Julian Sheraton-Davis +22 Martin Read beat Mary Knapp +20 Afternoon: Andrew Wise beat Matt Cook +8 Ludolph van Hasselt lost to Andy Dibben -6 Guy Hewitt beat Mary Knapp +22 Martin Read beat Julian Sheraton-Davis +7https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9156https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9156Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Mary RoseThe annual AC Advanced Tournament was held on the weekend of 20th & 21st June, for the most part in glorious sunshine. For the Manager the weather was not the problem ! ( Note to self - avoid Fathers Day weekend if possible. ) The problem was we had 10 players for the Saturday and eight for the Sunday. What would be the appropriate format ? On a whim I asked Google Gemini what would work best - a few details was all he, she, it needed and the suggestion I got was - a random Flexible Swiss on the Saturday and a seeded Knockout on the Sunday - and that's what we did ! 10 people - 3 games each on the Saturday resulting in 2 players with 3 wins from 3 - Paul Harbord from York was declared winner on net hoops. Sunday - 8 people seeded Knockout, maximum 3 rounds, with Dennis Scarr beating last years winner Anthony Miller in the final 26-6. We used 2 hour 45 minutes time limit with only 4 games going to time. THE RESULTS Mark Simmerson beat Stephen Skelton 26 - 21 Anthony Miller beat Peter Wilson 26 - 13 Dennis ...https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9155https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9155Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAChttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9154https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9154Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGC - Murphy Shieldhttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9153https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9153Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGC - Inter-ClubRoehampton beat Phyllis Court 4-2 in the quarter final of the GC InterClub Club Championship Scores - Roehampton first Mark van Loon and Nick Yates lost to Chris Roberts and Charlie von Schmeider 2-7, 5-7 Tim Russell beat Roger Goldring 7-1, 7-5 Diana Wilson beat Ian Norris 5-7, 7-1, 7-4 Mark van Loon beat Chris Roberts 7-5,7-4 Nick Yates lost to Charlie Von Schmeider 2-7, 7-2, 3-7 Diana Wilson beat Roger Goldring 7-5,7-4 Tim Russell v Ian Norris unfinished at 6-7, 7-2 At Roehampton. Sunday 21 Junehttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9152https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9152Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGC - Inter-ClubBeatrice McGlen & Matt Tapp beat Paul Kenworthy & Ken Jones +8 Michael Finnigan beat Tony Phillips +13 Roger Watson beat Richard Leach +13 Beatrice McGlen beat Paul Kenworthy +5 Matt Tapp beat Ken Jones +26 Roger Watson beat Tony Phillips +26 Michael Finnigan beat Richard Leach +14https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9151https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9151Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Mary RoseBlewbury: Joe King (5 peels) Brian Jamieson (4) Steve Fisher (4) Carol Jamieson (8) High Wycombe: Mike Porter (2 peels) David Cotton (0.5) Richard Coward (1.5) Mike West (5) Jamieson and Jamieson beat Porter and Coward +8 King lost to Cotton -14 Fisher beat West +3 King beat Porter +9 B Jamieson lost to Cotton -5 Fisher beat Coward +14 C Jamieson lost to West -2 King lost to West -12 B Jamieson beat Coward +13 Fisher lost to Cotton -6 C Jamieson lost to Porter -9https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9150https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9150Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Short Croquet Inter-Clubhttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9149https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9149Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGC - Federations' ShieldBude Croquet Club - 10 years old just a week before - held its first CqE calendar fixture on 13th June 2026. The GC C-Level event was run as an American Block and was won by Sue Custance-Baker from Taunton Deane CC, with Julia Green of Phyllis Court second. Third place was shared by Sue Speller of Taunton Deane and Steve Thie of Bude.https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9148https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9148Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGC - TournamentsPhyllis Court scored a hard-earned 4-3 win over Ealing today in the national Inter-Club Shield (Tier 2) competition. Fielding their strongest possible selection with their handicap total at the minimum eight, Ian Norris came into the team as the single permitted 1 handicap member and played the opening doubles with Andy Jones (2) against Ron Carter (1) and Stephen Harbron (3). By their own admissions, Norris and Jones were not at their best and went down 3-7, 5-7. On the adjoining court, Phyllis Court captain Alastair Broom (2) got the better of John Hutchinson (4) 7-3, 7-5, whilst Michael Marcel became involved in a long tussle against Margaret Page (3). Marcel won the first game 7-6 but gradually Page found the fast pace of court to her liking and her positional play and clearing were of a high standard and won her the match 5-7, 5-7, to give Ealing a 2-1 lead going into lunch. In the afternoon's four head-to-head matches, Jones got into his stride in the number two match with Harbron and won in ...https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9147https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9147Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGC - Murphy ShieldChris Williams won the Birdseye Salver for the fifth time in six years at the Budleigh Salterton June midweek 2-day AC tournament. Chris had two very close wins beating Tim Jolliff by 3tp and Stuart M Smith +1tp. Stuart missed the peg out when Chris was 1 and 4 back leaving Chris a 10 yarder to get going. Chris thought he would be clever and peg out one of Stuart's balls to have the classic +1tp. It was nearly a disaster when he over hit the pegging out of Stuart's ball and his own ball missed the peg to the side by about half an inch. Chris's only loss was to an improving Stephen Allen. Andrew Meikle and Christine Rice (both East Dorset) tied the B block with four wins out of five. Andrew was awarded first place on the who beat whom principle. Rick Lilley (Phyllis Court) was a convincing winner of the C block with five wins out of five.https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9146https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9146Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAChttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9145https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9145Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Longman CupThe Nailsea Class Tournaments are always popular and fun to play in, with very few big mis-matches of ability. There is a loyal band of regulars but usually a few brave souls venturing to the West Country for the first time, often because they have friends or relatives living nearby. Usually they enjoy themselves and return the following year. The Margaret Fleming class attracts several scratch or similar players and competition is fierce between them. The hoops are always well-set and firm. Home player, Roger Baddeley, 4.5, was surprised on the Saturday morning to learn that he was in this section, in one of the two blocks of 4. He had won the higher handicap class in the May Tournament (his first ever tournament)and was expecting to be playing some of the same people again. Instead, he found himself facing Neil Kingston, 1, from neighbouring club Bristol, with a dg about 200 points higher than himself. With nothing to lose, Roger played steadily and won +5T. His next opponent was Guy Hewitt, 1.5 ...https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9144https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9144Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAChttps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9143https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9143Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGC - Murphy ShieldReg Bamford retained the Roehampton GC Championship having been pushed hard in both his quarter final against Levi Franks and in the final by Roehampton member Nick Yates who progressed to the final without losing a game and gained nearly 140 D grade points for his efforts. The standout performance of the tournament. Nick had beaten Levi in his opening match 2-0 (with Levi struggling to cope with a mallet handle that looked considerably too long for him) to ensure Reg had to face the number 2 seed in his quarter final. It was a very tight match with Levi losing the first game 7-6 after having first shots at the golden hoop. He won the second 7-5 with a fine display of clearing and hoop running but Reg persevered 7-6 in the final game utilising all his experience. In the other quarter finals, Nick beat Guy Scurfield 2-0. Previous winner Tobi Savage overcame Albie Willett 2-1 and Chris Roberts ran out a comfortable 2-0 winner over Lionel Tibble. The semi-finals saw both Reg and Nick win in straight games ...https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9142https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9142Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGC - ChampionshipsWoking AC Open Doubles & Singles Tournament 5-7 June 2026 The Tournament was played over 3 days. Friday was dedicated to 14pt Advanced Doubles with each pair playing 4 matches. Jeff Dawson and Sara Anderson repeated their win of 11 years ago by winning 3 matches. Next came the singles event played on Saturday & Sunday. Saturday had variable weather with waterproofs going on and off. After 2 days of good fun and very competitive play the final was set up to be a good contest between Mike Town (Woking) and Andy Myers (Aldermaston & Woking). However it was not plain sailing for either player. Andy had a chance to peg Mike's white ball off but failed (see the pic! a perplexed Andy How did that miss?). Mike got in and peeled partner through 4b and split up Andy's balls. However Andy hit in across the lawn and that proved to be the winning break. The best B Class player award went to Ian Anderson who had last won it 9 years ago. Full Results are on Croquet Scores.https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9141https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9141Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTACEight competitors. Two fast lawns in great condition. Playing "off-base" so enough bisques to get going. Three, two-hour 18-point games each day. Usable weather. All the ingredients for an enjoyable and competitive weekend's play. And so it proved. Play was generally brisk, with competitors considerate of the requirements of double-banking. At the end of the first day, five players had each won two or three of their games. A night's sleep failed to separate the pack, and by the end of the penultimate round three players shared the honours with four wins out of five. As luck would have it, of those three, the two players with the highest positive points difference (Helen Griffiths and Alison Larard) faced each other in the final round - a true final. A compelling match ensued. But while that was taking place on Lawn 2, on Lawn 1 Denise Foster was calmy and confidently using bisques to complete her break of 12 hoops, and earning her Bronze Merit Award. Many congratulations to her. Back on Lawn 2, Alison ...https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9140https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9140Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - HandicapDebbie Lines won all her games to become the first ever champion of this new tournament at Peterborough. With only eight players, we enjoyed the rare luxury of single-banked games, ensuring everyone could play comfortably without having to look out for other balls or players. The title ultimately hinged on her clash with Owen Pugh, who had also won all his games, and it turned into a gripping tactical battle. Debbie secured the win by pegging Owen out and then repeatedly managing to either wire him or leave him only long shots, all while completing the required four peels. It was close, with her stealing the win with only a few minutes left on the clock. The all-play-all block wrapped up by lunchtime on Sunday, leaving the afternoon free for some Hi-Lo Alternate Stroke Doubles. This was followed by a quick, chaotic game of Pirates before everyone headed home. Most of the group went out for a meal on Saturday night at The Bull in Peterborough, and hopefully they also enjoyed the lunches and teas provided ...https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9139https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9139Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC8 players contested this event in fine and mostly sunny weather over the weekend of 13/14th June. The Egyptian scoring meant that there were three games which could yield a winner going into the last round, but in the end Roger Watson emerged undefeated over the weekend to claim the trophy and a well deserved handicap reduction to 1.5.https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9138https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9138Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - HandicapThe match took place at Nottingham on Friday 12 June Teams Nottingham A Charlotte Morgan (2P) Tom Dewar (2) Mick Owens (2.5) Debbie Watson (2.5) Bowdon B Nigel Matthews (4P) Brian Storey (3P) Brian Medley (2P) Alison Acton (7) Scores - Bowdon names first Round 1 Brian M and Alison beat Charlotte and Tom 14-0 Nigel lost to Mick 6-14 Brian S beat Debbie 11-10 Round 2 Nigel beat Charlotte 11-10 Brian S lost to Tom 9-14 Brian M beat Mick 14-1 Alison beat Debbie 14-1 Round 3 Nigel beat Debbie 14-4 Brian S lost to Mick 8-14 Brian M beat Tom 13-9 Alison beat Charlotte 11-9https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9137https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9137Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Short Croquet Inter-ClubAt Blewbury 11/06/26 Blewbury 3 Kington Langley 4 Avril Rangoni-Machiavelli(3.5)/Nigel Cox(9) lost to John Grimshaw(4)/Margaret Murray(9) 15-17 Andy Evason(4.5) lost to Robert Corbin(10) 0-26 Andrew Petit(7) beat Ian Wills(8) 26-8 Avril lost to John 17-18 Andy beat Ian 26-2 Andrew lost to Robert 20-22 Nigel beat Margaret 20-19https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9136https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=9136Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAC - Longman Cup