7 June - Alastair Broom wins our 8+ Singles & Black Ball trophy​​

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A scorcher of a day and some very competitive croquet was enjoyed in equal measure today by the best of our 8+ handicapper players on the way to eventual winner Alastair Broom winning another trophy.

The ten players were seeded into two blocks, each playing all the opponents in the other block so as to avoid any sit-outs, and although it was the top two seeds, Dee McKibbin and Broom, who contested the final, no player emerged from the block stage undefeated.

Michael Marcel impressed during the first four block play rounds and despite a slip up to Carol Wadsworth in the fifth, topped the blue block and qualified for the semi-finals. McKibbin qualified alongside him, with a last round 7-5 pivotal victory over Broom, which turned out to have been a dress rehearsal for the final.

In the Red block, Aly Warren lost her first game of the day to Marcel, but was undefeated thereafter to command block top spot on four wins, ahead of a trio on three victories, which had to be ordered on 'net hoops' - Broom's +7 got him the last semi-finals berth ahead of Wadsworth on 0 and David Young on -1.

Fittingly close semi-finals both ended 7-5 in favour of McKibbin and Broom over Marcel and Warren respectively, and in placing games played alongside, Rob Eagle and David Young beat Colin Hall and Carol Wadsworth respectively 7-4, to finish in equal 5th place.

Most of the competitions stayed to watch a high quality final, despite it not starting until 1745, and as manager Chris Roberts had to beat a retreat (off to work), Broom established a strong 4-0 lead.

Mckibbin wasn't done for that easily though and fought back valiantly to 4-3, the last score being a super angled jump shot at hoop 7.

Broom then really turned on the style and his ball placements became faultless as he stretched away for an eventual comfortable 7-3 win and collection of the  Black Ball trophy.

National Grass Roots (8+) competition qualification

This tournament also acted as our club qualifying round for the National Grass Roots (8+) competition and we have four places in the final of that which is at Hunstanton, on the north Norfolk coats on 24 September. Players will be invited to participate in today's finishing order:

1 Alastair Broom, 2 Dee Mckibbin, 3= Michael Marcel & Aly Warren, 5= Rob Eagle & David Young, 7= Colin Hall & Carol Wadsworth,  9= Christine Searle & Jim Walter.