FESTIVAL OF CROQUET CONTINUED
In the Level-play Golf croquet Bowdon and Llanfairfechan soon established a lead at the top of the table with Llanfairfechan taking a 6 hoop advantage overnight but because of scheduling having played – and lost – an additional game. This meant that the Sunday clash between the two side would likely determine the outcome of the event. However it didn’t turn out that way with Llanfairfechan drawing with Pendle and then losing to Bowdon while the Bowdon team, unaltered across the weekend, continued unbeaten to deservedly take the title. The Short Lawn Association croquet event attracted 6 Clubs, and also saw the greatest number the player substitutions by the teams which added spice and jeopardy to the competition where each fixture was made up of a singles and a doubles game. Indeed at the halfway mark on the Saturday evening all 6 teams were blanketed by 2 points with Fylde and Bowdon at the top with the former holding a 13 hoop advantage. Now it is not clear to the manager whether the Bowdon team had somewhat over-indulged celebrating England’s World Cup victory in their final Group stage match but for whatever the reason, their challenge faded across Sunday as they failed to record a victory against either Fylde or Llanfairfechan, although the latter only by the narrowest of margins. Not so Fylde who pressed on imperiously to take the title by 3 clear points from Llanfairfechan who held off the challenge from both Southport and Chester. The Handicap Association croquet event followed the same format as the Short Lawn competition but attracted only 5 teams which gave all Clubs a bye across the weekend. While the manager was disappointed not to offer continuous croquet to the players, they probably appreciated the escape from the suntrap of Courts 4 and 5 at Southport. And, confidentially, the manager has admitted that an additional team in this event would have made the overall court scheduling far more complicated so he was in fact not that disappointed. At the halfway stage Bury led the charge by 3 points but because of byes had played an additional game to second placed Bowdon. And on Sunday Bowdon pressed home their advantage but critically drew at game 12-12 against Llanfairfechan, and with Bury recording a magnificent peg out 26-8 win over Fylde in the very final game they hung on to win the title on hoops run. And so to the Advanced Association croquet competition where again only 5 teams had entered but an invitation team of ever changing membership allowed an all-play-all, triple- banked doubles competition to bring colour and enlightenment to court 1. The colour provided by both the croquet skills and the outrageous costumes – AKA “sports wear” – on display; and the enlightenment from a cunning cannon leave of all four balls nestled together near the peg, plus the bonus sight of the {collective noun} of AC referees
huddled over a poor player trying to execute a sweep shot after hoop 1. And the competition happened with Fylde initially leading the way but ceding ground to Bowdon who ran out clear winners. As is the way with this Festival, an overall winner is (deservedly) required to collect the magnificent trophy whereas in truth it is all the players representing the Clubs of the North West Federation who make the event such an occasion. But there can be no escaping the
need for a winner and in 2026 Bowdon led from the start and never relinquished their grip to take the victory by a clear 15 points, and by running 328 hoops over the weekend the award for the most hoops run. Within 30 minutes of the presentations, players have departed, gazebos, tents and courts have been taken down leaving a calm tranquillity where there had been croquet and the noisy colour of the Festival. And so to next year with the hope of more of the same but perhaps, the Southport members exclaim, without the mid-thirties temperature please. The manager will of course do his best to oblige.
www.croquetengland.org.uk | 29
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator