Back to Journal Index

Sat 4 & Sun 5 Aug 2001

Budleigh Salterton Tournament & SWF Advanced Play League

Budleigh Salterton Tournament

Two members of Nailsea Croquet Club have just returned from a week’s tournament at Budleigh Salterton in South Devon. Both players found the lawns "challenging" and the hoops tight. Nevertheless they were both successful. 16 year-old MARCUS EVANS won awards for (i) the fastest person to finish a game (49 minutes), (ii) the person with the highest handicap to complete a triple-peel – it was actually a quadruple – with or without bisques (he used two bisques) and (iii) the most improved player over the whole week (his handicap index increased by115 points). He also reached the final of the Handicap Singles and the ‘B’ Class Level-Play events, but unfortunately lost both finals. His handicap came down from 4½ to 3½ on the card, but as he had played so well his handicap was reduced to 2 (a total of five steps) by the Club Handicapper. PETER DYKE won the Womble (Handicap One-ball) and a Pirates block and was runner-up in his block in the Handicap Singles – losing to the block winner by two points and just missing out on a place in the quarterfinals. The pair partnered each other in the Handicap Doubles, winning two games out of four. One day they forgot to set their alarm, overslept, were held up in traffic on the way and arrived late. Nevertheless they were the first to finish their game and claimed the prize for the fastest to finish a doubles game in that session (1½ hours).

Advanced Play League

Sidmouth 1 Nailsea 4

MARCUS and PETER stayed on an extra day and were joined by KRISS CHAMBERS for an Advanced League match at Sidmouth on Sunday. In the morning MARCUS won his advanced level singles game against a player with a handicap of minus ½ , but KRISS CHAMBERS and PETER DYKE narrowly lost the doubles. In the afternoon all three players won their singles with KRISS and MARCUS both completing triple-peels. This is MARCUS’s first triple without bisques in a singles game – something he had been trying to achieve all week at Budleigh – but unfortunately he does not gain his Croquet Association Gold Award, as this is not a C.A. event.

Results:

KRISS CHAMBERS & PETER DYKE lost –2(T) MARCUS EVANS won +6 & +26TP

KRISS CHAMBERS won +20TP PETER DYKE won +3(T)

Back to Journal Index