GC – HOOP CIRCUITS AND DECIDING HOOPS CONTINUED
middle hoops had been run, then one of the hoops at the opposite end of the lawn (perhaps the one not run most recently?) could be used as the Deciding Hoop, replicating LP/HP play. But if a tied score was arrived at after one of the corner hoops had been run, then a suitable challenge should be formulated to decide the game. Here is my proposal: • If this corner hoop had been run outside–in (like Hoop 1), then the hoop in the opposite corner (also to be run outside–in) would make a suitable final‐hoop challenge. • If this corner hoop had been run inside–out (like Hoop 2), then the hoop in the middle on the opposite side of the peg (to be run towards the peg) would provide a similarly suitable final‐hoop challenge.
However, Advantage Play introduces different considerations. In this approach to the game, the shortest contest that could result would use only two hoops (in which the higher‐handicapped player ran both and won the game) while the longest would need 31, i.e. requiring a fifth hoop‐circuit and finishing at the score of 10:9! Though there are Starting Scores available (recently revised) for any of the 7‐, 13‐ or 19‐hoop games, for which the winner is still the player first to achieve 4/7/10 points respectively (though not necessarily needing that number of hoop‐runs), the hoop after which a Deciding Hoop will be needed is no longer the last one of any six‐hoop circuit: the score of 6:6 (or 3:3 or 9:9) can now be reached at any of the lawn’s hoops, and then the challenging transition to the Deciding Hoop as applied in LP or HP is no longer straightforward. How could that challenging transition be replicated in an AP game of GC? If a tied score was arrived‐at after either of the
STEVE LEONARD WINS EAST DORSET A LEVEL 0+ By Steve Leonard
Player, Manager, Hoop Setter, Groundsman, Sweeper and Tea Maker [Added by me, the editor, as credit should be given where credit is due. Thank you to Steve and all those who often go above and beyond to support the development of competitive croquet.] With lovely weather and good early‐season lawns a maximum field of 16 players travelled to East Dorset, including Peter Payne who flew in from Switzerland to play. The usual format of two all‐play‐all blocks of eight was concluded on Saturday with East Dorset leading the way. Steve Leonard topped block A with 6 wins, with Peter missing out on top spot on net hoops, his only loss being at the hands of Steve. Last‐minute replacement Greg Vaughn belied his 2 handicap and topped block B, again with 6 wins. Sunday saw Steve overcome Glynis Davies 2‐0 and Peter beat Rick Lilley 2‐0, with Mark Hamann also winning 2‐0 against Andy Jones. Greg had a long battle with Andy Sherwood but eventually beat the Ashby man 2‐1. With three East Dorset players in the semi‐finals the host club were guaranteed to have a representative in the final. This honour fell to Steve who beat Mark 7‐5, 7‐2. In the other semi‐final Peter raced into an early lead winning the first game 7‐2 but the newbie Greg then took the next two to beat the experienced Peter 2‐1, setting up an all East Dorset final. A big crowd sat watching the final in the afternoon sunshine. After Greg edged the first game 7‐5, Steve then worked out how to overcome Greg’s unorthodox style and took control, winning the next two games comfortably 7‐1, 7‐3.
Greg’s total of 11 wins from 16 games over the weekend resulted in him reducing his handicap to 1. With home player Nick O’Connor winning the plate it made for a good day for East Dorset. Steve will now go on to the series final at Ryde in September.
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