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13 August 2000

SWF ‘B’ League Match - Nailsea v Plymouth at Nailsea

Nailsea 2 Plymouth 5

On Thursday, 10 August, Nailsea Croquet Club’s ‘B’ league played their final ‘B’ league match of the season against Plymouth Croquet Club. Prior to the match Nailsea were top of the South West league table and Plymouth, last years league winners, were in second place. Both teams had played three matches and won them all, but Nailsea were ahead on percentage of games won. This was going to be a needle match and a month ago the Plymouth Club had requested that Nailsea reduce all their handicaps by four on the grounds that Nailsea start their handicaps at 28 whereas Plymouth start theirs at 24. The Nailsea Committee decided against such a reduction, but asked the Club Handicap Committee to review handicaps of the ‘B’ league team. The Nailsea captain was particularly incensed at the suggestion that their handicaps were too high in view of the fact that Plymouth had beaten them 6-1 last season. The chairman of the Handicap Committee decided to reduce rapidly improving player 15 year-old ANDREW LOWDON’s handicap by four and let the automatic handicapping system look after the rest of the team’s handicaps.

In the morning ANDREW won his singles by a maximum 14 points, but Nailsea lost the doubles and the other singles. In the afternoon ANDREW again won his singles, but Nailsea lost the other three singles, fully vindicating the Nailsea Club’s decision not to reduce all of their team’s handicaps by four. Indeed in view of the results over the past two seasons it would appear that Plymouth’s handicaps are out of line, rather than Nailsea’s. Plymouth replaces Nailsea at the top of the league table and goes forward to the playoffs against the other regions.

Results:

MARY BARNES & MIKE PETERS lost –5

ANDREW LOWDON won +14 & +10 RICHARD DELMAS lost –10 &-5

MARY BARNES lost –10 MIKE PETERS lost -8

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