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Match Reports 2005
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Peter Nash in action at Budleigh Salterton (video)
Jelly in Top Form on Way to Salver Victory
Bath Croquet Club star beats 15 of country's best in two-day Rec tournament.
Bath Croquet Club's Richard Jelly was in scintillating form as he claimed the club's final national handicap tournament - the Autumn Salver - at the Rec over the weekend. Jelly, who went into the competition with a handicap of 16, won all six of his matches to lift the silverware and reduce his handicap by four points to 12.
The two-day tournament attracted 16 players from across the country and produced some outstanding matches. Five players, including the winner, represented the host club with other competitors coming from as far afield as Manchester and Poole.
"It (the tournament) works in a similar way to golf - the range of handicap went from a half right the way up to 22," explained Bath Croquet Club's Daniel Mills. "On the first day I had one game that I won by just one point, which was exciting because I was ten behind at one stage to Mike Bowser.
"We had some games where the score was 26-0, so the standard was very high. Everybody had six matches each and on day one we had two Bath players, Ian Lewis (the holder) and Richard Jelly win three out of three and then play each other on Sunday.
"Richard ended up winning the match and then he won his last two games. He played well and as a result his handicap was reduced to 12."
Jelly finished two wins clear of a four-player group which included Eugene Chang of Bath and Jim Field of Wells.
"We have three tournaments during the season, the Millennium Cup in July and we also have a doubles tournament in May," added Mills.
"We had a lot of people watch us due to the rugby on Saturday and mini rugby the following day, which is great. To a lot of people it's something you play in your back garden, but it's more like playing snooker on grass."
(Report courtesy of The Bath Chronicle, www.thisisbath.co.uk)
13th September 2005
Chang Achieves 2nd Triple Peel
Eugene Chang competed in an Advanced play tournament at Oxford University Croquet Club over the weekend of 22nd to 24th July. Chang was the only player in the tournament to complete a triple peel. This was achieved in his victory over Guy Towlson. It was Chang's 2nd ever triple, with the 1st coming at the end of the 2004 season.
26th July 2005
Mills Wins in Edgbaston
Daniel Mills enjoyed a very successful weekend handicap tournament in Edgbaston between 22nd and 24th July. He won all of his 6 matches over the 3 day event and was rewarded with a handicap reduction to 2.
25th July 2005
Lewis takes Millennium Cup by Storm
Croquet players from across the country flocked to the Rec for the first of Bath Croquet Club's national singles tournaments. Fourteen players from as far afield as Cornwall, Cheltenham, Llangollen and High Wycombe competed with host club members for the Millennium Cup, a handicap tournament staged over two days. (2nd and 3rd of July)
"It was our first national tournament of the season and this was the sixth year we have been running the Millennium Cup," explained Bath Croquet Club's Daniel Mills.
"We had players of varying ability but, as we used a handicap system similar to the one they use in golf, it made for some very exciting matches.
"The handicaps ranged from six to 22 with group stages on the first day and then knockout matches.
"One of the players had a ten-hoop break - two short of the highest possible."
On Saturday the players were divided into three sections of equal ability and Bath players David Perkins and Ian Lewis set the early pace by winning all three of their matches, while Jim Field of the Wells club, who only started playing croquet a year ago, also won his three matches.
Another relative newcomer, Jonathan Lacey of Hamptworth near Salisbury, was awarded a Croquet Association bronze award for achieving his first competitive ten-hoop break.
On Sunday, Perkins, Lewis and Field came through their quarter-finals with impressive performances and Betty Cornes-Tomkins of Bristol played superbly to beat Lacey by 22 points in the other quarter-final.
The semis were close affairs with Field edging out Perkins by four points and Lewis surviving a late challenge from Tomkins to win by a point.
The final saw former Lansdown club member Lewis, who currently holds both of the Bath club's singles trophies, put in a superb performance against the less experienced Field to win by 12 points.
(Report courtesy of The Bath Chronicle, www.thisisbath.co.uk)
5th July 2005
Lewis and Mills in Sidmouth Finals
Ian Lewis and Daniel Mills both spent an enjoyable week of croquet in the seaside surroundings of Sidmouth.
Lewis reached the Final of the B Class event by winning 4 out of his 5 games. In the Final he came up against holder Barbara Young of Bury. In a close match lasting nearly 5 hours Young won by just 2 points.
Mills reached the Final of the A Class event by winning a closely match against David Mumford of Woking. In the best of 3 final he came up against tournament favourite and manager Cliff Jones. The 1st game was won +13 by Jones but in the 2nd game Mills was on the brink of victory but unfortunatley his rush to the peg was wired by a hoop! Jones eventually took the game by just 2 points to seal his victory.
12th June 2005
Top Class Croquet Hits The Rec
Organisers of Bath Croquet Club's first ever National Doubles Tournament have declared the event an overwhelming success. The competition was staged on the Recreation Ground throughout the weekend and saw eight pairs do battle for the Walter May Trophy, which was named after the parents of Sue Thrussell, who donated the tournament silverware - a matching Victorian plated coffee and tea pot.
Teams from Cheltenham, Chippenham, Stroud and the hosts produced some exciting play with Michael and Ann Poole from the Bear of Rodborough team, near Frome, just edging out Bath duo Daniel Mills and Eugene Chang in the final.
The standard of croquet was so high on both Saturday and Sunday that all of the competitors finished the tournament with three wins apart from the Pooles, who finished the competition with four successes.
"The standard of croquet was very, very good and we had two quite remarkable matches," said Bath Croquet Club's Bob Whitaker.
"Jane Hull and Brian Shorney of Kington Langley had a terrific match with Roger Hayes and Nigel Amos of Bath, with Brian Shorney just keeping his nerve right the way round to win.
"Eugene Chang and Daniel Mills also played extremely well in the final against Michael and Ann Poole.
"Daniel was catching up fast, but Ann held her nerve."
The tournament is the Bath club's first of the year and is set to be opened up next year with the aim of attracting even more entries.
"We had 16 players this year, but it went so well that we hope to double the entry next year," said Whitaker.
"We hold three tournaments a year and this is our first ever doubles. We hold the Millennium Cup, which is a singles competition, and the Autumn Salver in September and we normally have people from all parts of the country taking part, so we want to try and do the same with the doubles as it was such a success."
(Report courtesy of The Bath Chronicle, www.thisisbath.co.uk)
24th May 2005
Full Doubles Tournament Report
Despite variable weather conditions Bath Croquet Clubs’ 1st National Doubles tournament held over the weekend of 21st and 22nd May 2005 was a great success. 8 pairs from Bath, Stroud, Devon, Chippenham and Cheltenham competed for the inaugural title and a beautiful pair of silver tea and coffee pots, which were donated to the club by competitor Sue Thrussell.
Each team had 3 matches on Saturday, and then played a further 2 games on Sunday. The tournament was expertly managed by Cliff Jones who travelled to Bath from Honiton in Devon for the weekend.
Bath pair Eugene Chang and Daniel Mills set the early pace with a comfortable +15 victory over Jane Hull and Brian Shorney of Kington Langley (near Chippenham). However they struggled in their 2nd game to overcome the combination of Cheltenham’s John Morgan and Jean Powell. The Bath pair left it late with Chang winning the match by just 2 points in the very last turn.
Meanwhile the other Bath pair in the tournament, Roger Hayes and Nigel Amos had a poor start, losing their 1st match. They stormed back in the 2nd with victory over Cliff Jones and Julie Horsley from Devon. In the 3rd round of matches Hayes and Amos defeated Mills and Chang by 11 points to set up an exciting final day.
At the start of the 5th and final round of matches on Sunday, 3 teams were still in contention. Both Bath pairs were on 3 wins out of 4 and also husband and wife team Michael and Anne Poole from the Bear of Rodborough Club near Stroud. In an exciting finish Hayes and Amos were narrowly beaten by the Kington Langley pair of Hull and Shorney. Meanwhile on court number 2, in front of an expectant crowd, the Poole’s managed to hold off a late challenge from Mills and Chang to win the title by just 4 points.
24th May 2005
Early Season Success for Doughty
Tony Doughty won the Cheltenham Adavanced tournament in the middle of May with 7 wins out 8 and now has a handicap of 2.
May 2005
Daniel Mills Wins in Budleigh Salterton
12 players with handicaps ranging from 2.5 to 6 gathered for this annual early season tournament. The tournament was smoothly run as an Egyptian by Julie Horsley. The Budleigh lawns were playing well and had been cut nice and short.
Paul Rigge (3.5) from Bury set the early pace with his first ever tournament triple peel (winning a CA Gold Award) against David Clarke (6) of Sidmouth. Peter Jones (4.5) of Budleigh also made an excellent start with a comfortable 1st round victory, and then a close fought win over Rigge, who was still coming down from the excitement of winning his Gold Award.
Budleigh player Roger Bowen (5) had an amazing victory over Peter Dyke (5) of Nailsea by just one point. Dyke had been well over 10 points ahead and seemingly destined for victory at tea time, but after mistakenly pegging out one of his balls he just couldn’t seem to hit the peg with the 2nd. This match really did draw the crowds, even people playing on other lawns managed to lose interest in their own games to watch!
At the end of the 2nd days play Daniel Mills (3.5) of Bath and Bristol was sitting at the top of the pile with 6 wins out of 6. Paul Rigge was in 2nd place with 5 wins from 6. The 2 players met on the morning of the 3rd day with Daniel coming out on top by +24 after making an excellent all round break with his second ball and not making any errors.
The tournament was won by Daniel Mills with 8 wins out of 8, and a handicap cut to 2.5. Paul Rigge finished with 6 out of 8, Peter Jones came in with 4 out of 6, and Peter Dyke won 5 out of 8.
As ever the Budleigh locals made all the visitors very welcome with some fine lunches and teas. Dennis Moorcraft (3) from Cheltenham was able to provide some interesting recollections of Jane Babbage’s (5, Budleigh) step father Major Freddie Stone, during one tea break.
3rd May 2005
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