Federation League Semi-Final - Sun 12th Sep 1999

Nailsea 5  Cheltenham 2

Nailsea, the winners of the Central Section of the Federation League, played Cheltenham, the winners of the Northern Section, at Bath Croquet Club. Some of Nailsea’s regular Federation League players were unavailable and so the club fielded their Advanced League team and one other player. This put the Nailsea team at a 23½ handicap disadvantage and they had to give their opponents extra turns in every game except one.

In the morning Nailsea lost the doubles, but KRISS CHAMBERS won his singles. In the other singles PETER DYKE used his handicap advantage to establish a substantial lead which he just managed to hang on to.

In the afternoon the Nailsea team had to give their opponents extra turns in every game. ALEX LEGGATE had only one opportunity in his game and was beaten convincingly. KRISS’s opponent used her extra turns to gain a 24 point lead, but was unable to peg out. KRISS hit in, did two twelve hoop breaks and pegged out to win by two points. J. DIXON and PETER DYKE both started well, but they both broke down and their opponents used their handicap advantage to establish sizable leads. DIXON finished with a good hit in, a twelve hoop break and pegged out both balls to win by three points. PETER clawed his way back into his game and eventually won by four points.

The Nailsea team now meet Sidmouth, the winners of the Southern Section in the Final at Sidmouth on Saturday, 23 September.

Results:

ALEX LEGGATE & J. DIXON   lost    -26

KRISS CHAMBERS   won   +14 & +2      PETER DYKE   won   +5(T) & +4

ALEX LEGGATE   lost   -25      J. DIXON   won   +3

National Short Croquet Team Event Final - Sat 11th Sep 1999

Bury  10      Nailsea  6      Bristol B  5      Ealing  3

On Saturday Nailsea Croquet Club hosted the final of the National Short Croquet Team Event. The four qualifying teams were Bristol B, Bury, Ealing and Nailsea. After one round Bristol and Nailsea were level with two wins each, but Bury had surged into the lead with four wins. After two rounds Ealing had two wins, Nailsea three, Bristol B four, but Bury had increased their lead with seven wins. After the third and final round, Ealing finished with three wins, Bristol five, Nailsea doubled their number of wins to six, but no team could match Bury, the runaway winners with ten wins.

Of the Nailsea players, PETER DYKE and JOHN WALLACE each gained two wins, while KRISS CHAMBERS and DAVID MURPHY each achieved one win. PETER gained a Short Croquet Handicap reduction from 2½ to 2.