News Item 28; 10th July 2009
NEWS INDEX 2009 PAGE
Report by John Filsak and Photograph by Barbara Dutton.
Just another ordinary tournament at an ordinary tournament venue. Fourteen players came together to contest three class events, an Egyptian competition and handicap doubles. Unfortunately one had to leave after one day because of a family medical emergency, forcing the early closure of the A and B classes, with both being cobbled together into a Swiss.
Not everything was ordinary. Torrential rain on the first day put the lawns under so much water that we feared the local waterfowl would come and move the balls about; or worse, that Liz and Betty would arrive and perform their now-famous synchronised croquet-swimming routine. However three of the four lawns we were using dried out sufficiently for play to restart an hour or so after the rain ended.
Joe Lennon went on against John Filsak in an end-of-day 18-pointer. "Let's set the clock for two hours, so it doesn't drag on", said Joe. Twenty-three minutes later Joe pegged out. This tournament has a prize for the fastest game, but for full games only.
In a two-ball ending against Colin Hemming, David Turner had just run rover, with the oppo in front of penult. What does he do? Colin looks on with glee as David lines up a shot through the hoop at the peg. Surely it will take some wire and end up near penult. But the Force is with him. David hits it hard and it gets the peg full on, to cheers from the gallery.
Just an ordinary tournament, then. People played classy croquet, and total rubbish, sometimes in the same turn. They chatted and ate (and drank) together. They had fun. Long live the ordinary.
Results:A class - American block
John Filsak
B class - American block
David Turner
C class - draw and process
Draw: Robin Delves
Process: Janet Davies
Final: Janet Davies
Egyptian
1 Dennis Graham
2 Colin Hemming
3 Robin Delves
Swiss
Colin Hemming
Doubles - knockoutJohn Filsak and Howard Bowron beat Robin Delves and Peter Dewhurst +1
Fastest game
Janet Davies - 75 mins
Addict (most games): Chris Donovan and Jim Penny - 11
Full advanced play results
1 John Filsak beat Chris Donovan +9
2 Dennis Graham beat Colin Hemming +7
3 John Filsak beat Dennis Graham +25
4 David Turner beat Mike Bowser +7
5 Roger Staples beat Mike Bowser +5
6 Dennis Graham beat David Turner +17
7 Chris Donovan beat John Filsak +1
8 Colin Hemming beat Roger Staples +20
9 Chris Donovan beat Colin Hemming +18
10 Colin Hemming beat John Filsak +3
11 Dennis Graham beat Chris Donovan +3
12 David Turner beat Roger Staples +8
13 Colin Hemming beat Dennis Graham +24
14 John Filsak beat David Turner +2
15 Chris Donovan beat Roger Staples +5
16 Roger Staples beat David Turner +8
17 Colin Hemming beat Chris Donovan +2
18 Dennis Graham beat Roger Staples +18
19 Dennis Graham beat Chris Donovan +21