Croquet Tournament Results

SUMMARY 2018

DETAILED RESULTS 2018

AC Bronze Singles, 5th - 8th February 2018

The NSW Bronze Singles didn't go ahead in February, as there were only three entries. This was very disappointing, particularly as this event has attracted quite strong fields in the past. By 21 January there was only one entry, so a reminder email was sent to 29 players. This resulted in two more players entering -- insufficient for the event to go ahead.

There was some feeling expressed that February is too hot for playing croquet, and the Tournament Committee will look at rescheduling this event for later in the year. Maybe the fact that it was to be played at Tempe, rather than at Strathfield where it has been played for the last few years might have had an effect on the number of entries.

David Stanton
CNSW Tournament Committee

AC 3 & Under Singles, 24th - 25th February 2018

WHAT A TRANSFORMATION !!

The 3 & Under AC singles was run at Tempe on the 24th and 25th of February. For most of us it was a revelation.

• The lawns were first rate, as good as any in Sydney. The days of bumpy roquet attempts and large roll-offs in front of hoops have gone (not before time)
• The facilities have had a transformation. The players area has freshly painted walls, modern furniture, storage units .. a huge improvement (not before time)
• Many fewer children and soccer balls on the lawns. The signage explaining the game (and the importance of the event) seems to be impacting on the German Club patrons

So if you haven’t been to Tempe for an event recently, give it a go - you will be pleasantly surprised.

The event ran well. We had the somewhat optimistic plan of 4 games on Saturday and 3 on Sunday, but in practice we were finished by 5:30 on Saturday, so it was not a problem. The weather did not accommodate us however - very hot and humid on Saturday, wet on Sunday, although only the last round was really affected by the rain. The standard of play was a bit like the curate’s egg: some really good breaks followed by egregious errors. The hot weather on Saturday may have contributed, but the usual excuse - the lawns got me - was no longer available. Rob Elliott won the event, going through undefeated until the last round when David Hanbidge ("he never misses" his opponents kept claiming) won his second consecutive 3-ball ending. There were many close matches, and several 3-ball endings which always make for good watching. Alison Sharpe managed the only triple, but there were several others that got close. Rob had 6 wins out of 7 games, I was second with 5 and then there were 4 on 4 wins, so there were few easy games.

So in summary, a most enjoyable event despite the weather. Come and play at Tempe and see the difference!

Mike Hughes
Tournament Manager

GC Division 3 Singles and Doubles, 5th - 9th March 2018

The Tournament was hosted by Canberra Croquet Club and played over 5 days from March 5 to March 9.

Nine pairs registered for the Doubles with three from Mosman, one from EDSAAC and five Canberra pairs. It was refreshing to see more than half the field playing in their first tournament.

Winners: Julie Toms and Jill Jones (Canberra)
Runners Up: Mark and Helen Scruton (Canberra)

All games were played in very pleasant Canberra Autumn weather.

The field for Singles was reduced to six after the withdrawal of a previous Doubles player due to medical problems. This meant the players had more byes and fewer games needed to be double- banked.

After three days of Singles the Winner was Mark Scruton (Canberra) whose handicap went from a 10 through 9 to 8. Mark and Helen have been with Canberra Croquet Club (CCC) for two weeks and hail from East Brisbane. The Runner Up was Craig Oxley (Canberra).

It was an exciting finish with the final round determining positions.

Special thanks to Peter Freer, tournament referee and Adrienne Fazekas, referee who managed play every day and ensured the tournament went smoothly.

Thanks also to all CCC members who volunteered their time and cooking skills to contribute to a successful five days of competition.

Photos...

AC 5 & Under Doubles, 10th - 11th March 2018

GC Division 2 Singles and Doubles, 18th - 22nd March 2018

The Doubles event, with 6 pairs entered, was set down as a two-day double round robin event over the Sunday and Monday. With the temperature at 35 degrees and still rising by 11.30am, the Tournament Referee (John Eddes) and I made the decision to halt all play for the day. The temperature reached 42 degrees in the afternoon.

As it was obviously impossible to complete the first half as well as the full second half of the double round robin on the Monday, we also changed the event format to a single round robin with the top 4 pairs to take part in a single game semi-final and final series.

The Singles event, with 13 entrants, was played without any change to the original format, i.e. a single round robin.

John Bennett
Club Captain
Sutherland Croquet Club

GC NSW Men's Singles Championship, 6th - 8th April 2018

GC NSW Open Women's Singles Championship, 13th - 15th April 2018

The participants were: Pauline Markwell, Liz Montague, Dianne Bonnitcha, Georgina Carnegie, Kate McLoughlin, Brenda Wild, Pam Gentle, Lorraine Hatfield, Ros Johnstone, Nerida Taylor and Margaret Sawers.

The players provided a most enjoyable competition, exhibiting a high standard of play and sustained intensity throughout, and were unperturbed by hot sticky conditions at the start and increasingly gusty winds later on.

Kate McLoughlin dominated the block, looking unshakeable with 9 wins, and was followed by Brenda Wild with 7. Then came four players all on 6 wins, two of whom slipped through to the semi-finals on net hoops. All the other players had games they could be proud of.

In the semi-finals, Pauline Markwell showed steely determination and accuracy to overcome Kate, while Liz Montague fought off some strong roqueting and accurate placement by Brenda. Not surprisingly, the ensuing final was long and intense, with Liz ultimately holding on for the third game.

The tournament was greatly helped by having a strong body of referees - Peter Freer, Lynda Toms, David Gibson, Michael Morton-Evans, Ron Johnstone, Bill Munns and Stephen Howes - we are very grateful to them all for their time and expertise.

It was also a great pleasure that so many of the players and some others came back on the Sunday to support the finals series. They were attentive and even demonstrative, which gave spice to the occasion.

John Eddes and Peter Montague
Tournament Managers

AC Platinum Singles, 21st - 22nd April 2018

The Platinum Singles were played in ideal Autumn weather conditions on Saturday and Sunday April 21 and 22. The lawns were in top condition and the payers were impressed by the improvement in facilities at Tempe. There were four competitors who played six games in a double round robin.

The tournament winner was Steve Miles who was undefeated and the runner up was Stephen Howes. As usual there were some terrific breaks but also puzzling tactics. Long roquets seem to be made quite frequently but short roquets were also missed far too often.

There is no better way to improve your croquet than the intensive games you get in Croquet NSW competitions. And after all the excitement you can finish by having a beer at the Concordia club at the end of the day. Tempe is well worth a visit.

Steve Miles
Tournament Manager