On days like these, croquet players wander parched lawns in search of games, knowing it can only lead to frustration, for croquet is an intimate contact sport between the grass and ball.
Camerton & Peasedown Croquet Club’s GC Level Play team took on Weston-super-Mare in the searing heat. The speed of the grass left balls racing for shade. Up 2 games by lunch, CPCC, taking advantage of their knowledge of its lawns, completed a 12:8 win; Colin Britt (pictured here) winning all 3 of his games. Sadly, this was CPCC’s only chance with this advantage.
The SWF AC Federation (Central) match at Bath was lost; two games to the closest scoreline 24:25. Both were against Folke Pope. In the first Colin Britt led throughout only to lose control at the end. In the second it was Tony Brooks who trailed but just failed to equalise. Two more fortunate shots and CPCC would have won.
At Bristol, the lawns were, as always, true, but lacking water, brown and perversely like ice. Both teams complained that balls just rolled on and on, limiting the length of breaks. No game ended within the allotted time. The home team won this frustrating AC Federation match 3:2.
Nailsea’s recently re-laid lawns also inhibited the making of long breaks. Last autumn’s bad growing season and recent dry weather left the surface unpredictable. Two hoops ahead when time was called, Colin Britt missed a roquet giving his opponent an easy start to score her required 3 hoops. Ros Key-Pugh won both her games in the 2:3 defeat where once again no game was completed.
CPCC also hosted two Croquet Association Tournaments. The first, a C-Level Tournament initiated this year to encourage high handicap players to venture from their local club, was won by Michelle Leonard of Kingston Maurward. The second, an All England preliminary round AC Tournament, was won by Colin Britt of CPCC who goes onto the National Final where hopefully lawns will be more predictable.
