PHYLLIS COURT CROQUET CLUB
08 September 2024 - Date for the SCF Advantage Final is agreed - PCC 'D' v Ryde - Monday 23 September, at Phyllis Court
The date for the final was finally agreed with Ryde today and a good match is in prospect.
Due to the logistics of travel for our Isle of Wight visitors, the match will start later than usaul at 1100 and be staged with tow games either side of lunch.
Please make a note of this date, to come along an support our team!
08 September 2024 - Shock win as Lilley beats von Schmieder to reach his first PCC Championship Final
Rick Lilley scored a well deserved semi-final victory over nine-time Phyllis Court Champion Charlie von Schmieder to reach his first Open Singles competition final this afternoon.
It was a day full of incident dominated by a bout of torrential rain which halted the 'best of three games' match with only six hoops run, but crucially with Lilley 5-1 ahead.
Standing water soon took hold and a blocked drain in the car park right beside Court 2 corner 4 caused all the water gathered on the hard surface to flow onto the Court and case a large lake that filled the court to include hoop 4.
Play was abandoned in the double-banking 7+ Singles semi-final match between Carol Wadsworth and Helen Essa, whilst Lilley and von Schmieder eventually headed for the bar and then home respectively, with no more than a glimmer of hope that play might be able to resume much later this afternoon.
Tireless work by Von Schmieder with the courts dew brush and Chris Roberts with the fabulous Bowdry water removal machine gave the court a fighting chance and glorious sunshine in the early afternoon helped no end.
Play resumed in the Lilley v von Schmieder match at 1500 and Lilley duly pressed home is interim 5-1 lead to win the first game 7-4.
von Schmieder came back well to win the second game 7-5 and things lok ominous for Lilley when he missed easy hoop scores at 5 & 6 in the deciding game, but he weathered that mid-game blip to match von Schmieder to 4-4, before winning the crucial ninth hoop after a good tussle.
Hoop 10 followed quickly for Lilley, who's confidence was, by now, sky high and he followed that with the shot of the match sending his opponents balls one on to the other for an excellent strong and mid-range clearence.
von Schmieder had too much to do there after and Lilley stayed cool to close the game out 7-4 for the match and a ticket to the final.
Lilley will play the winner of the other semi between Chris Roberts and Robin Coates, which is being played on this coming Friday (13th).
06 September 2024 - Rob Eagle wins 6-9 Evening Series
The final event of the 6-9 Evening Series was played out tonight. To keep alive her hopes of lifting the trophy, Aly Warren needed to win all three games, including against hot favourite, Rob Eagle. While she managed to beat Eagle 7-6, she came unstuck against Dee McKibbin, which handed the title to Eagle, who finished level with John Rumford on 11 wins from 14 games, but was awarded first place by virtue of having won their head-to-head match last month. Warren finished third and Michael Marcel fourth.
More details are at https://www.phylliscourtcroquet.com/10plus-evening-series.
Congratulations, Rob!
Rob Eagle receiving the 6-9 Evening Series trophy from the competition manager, Russell Robinson. Photo by Helen Essa.
04 September 2024 - Smith wins AC Summer junior tournament Zia Sterling Cup
Jeff Smith won the delayed final and deciding game in his match versus Helen Essa to win our AC Summer tournament junior event this evening.
Essa beat Smith 10-7 in their first 14-point game of a 'best of three' match but Smith had bounced back to win the second game 11-7 before a need to apply an emergency chemical treatment to the courts at 4pm, forced a postponement of the third game.
This evening Smith was first to score but Essa was quick to follow and the level pegging score-line was a feature of the firts half of the match.
Essa got the first truly decisive break and only Smith's repeated medium and long range hit-ins allowed him to mount a stern reply, such that the players had almost identical scores with 30 minutes to go.
Smith eventually made the centre hoops separately and, with on clip on the peg ant the other at hoop 6 (rover), the game was his to lose, and all the more so when he made that last hoop and pegged-out one ball.
Bur Essa Was not done just yet, hit in and made three more hoops under tremendous pressure from Smith.
Essa got to needing just two breaks to win before Smith made another long hit-in with his remaining ball, took off to the peg and finished, to win 14-9.
Chairman Patricia Mulcahy presented Jeff Smith with the Zia Sterling Cup.
Croquet Club President Frances Colman presents the Connell Cup to
Bridge captain Dave Young (photo by Patricia Mulcahy)
02 September 2024
Croquet Club rally in afternoon croquet not enough to counter thumping in morning Bridge session
Bridge Club beat Croquet Club in annual match
Once the morning difficulties with the bridge scoring system were by-passed and play got underway, the Croquet Club were really under the cosh in the morning bridge session.
The Croquet Club lost that session by 20% to 80% leaving an all but insurmountable hill to climb in the afternoon croquet session.
And it got worse before it got better when the Bridge Club had actually extended their lead after two of the six rounds had been played.
Croquet struck back well in the third round to close the gap considerably, before halving the fourth round and leaving themselves a good challenge to win their own discipline in the final two rounds.
Five wins from the six gams in the fifth round finally established a good lead which Croquet extended in the final round to win the afternoon 20 - 16 on games and 112 - 103 on hoops, but this victory margin was nothing like the Bridge Club's dominance in the morning bridge session, and they won the combined match as a result.
Croquet Club President Frances Colman presented the Connell Cup to Bridge captain Dave Young.
The Croquet team's 'most valuable pair' were Ian & Delia Norris with 5 croquet wins, just ahead of Croquet's Rob Eagle & Helen Essa and Bridge's David Young & Mike Sayer on 4 wins each.
29 August 2024 - Phyllis Court lose hold of National Secretary's Shield with loss at Peterborough
Peterborough 6 - 1 Phyllis Court
National Holders of Croquet England's Secretary's Shield, Phyllis Court were beaten 1-6 in their semi-final by hosts Peterborough today.
Patricia Mulcahy (AC handicap 11) got the team off to a good start, using her bisques (extra turns) to good effect to win +19 over Home captain Adrian Kirby (handicap 0).
But that was as good as it got and, despite four close contests, the Henley side came up short in all the remaining games.
Reigning Woman's World Champions Debbie Lines (-2) controlled the morning doubles game, marshalling her alternat stroke partnership with novice Justin Beaumont (20) to a +17 victory over Phyllis Court's Chris Roberts (-0.5) and Roger Goldring (14).
In the other morning game Phyllis Court's Raghu Iyer (8) was just overhauled by Stephen Cornelius (6) by -5 in timed-out game.
Iyer was the first to finish of the four afternoon head-to-head games when Kirby found his A-Class game to win +13, leaving Phyllis Court needing to win all three of the remaining games, and they made a good fist of all three before losing on time by small margins.
Roberts, Mulcahy and Goldring lost to Lines, Cornelius and Beaumont by -6, -5 and -3 respectively.
Team: Chris Roberts (AC -0.5), Raghu Iyer (8), Patricia Mulcahy (11) Roger Goldring (14)
A digest of results will appear here Croquet Scores shortly -
29 August 2024 - Broom & Marcel win 3+ Doubles - the first season-long competition final of 2024
Alastair Broom & Michael Marcel beat Jeff Smith & Dee Mckibbin in an early playing of the 3+Doubles Final this morning.
They won 7-4, 7-6 with the highlight stokes apparently coming from Smith on the vanquished side, when he ran hoops from the other end of the court 4 times!
Winners Broom & Marcel win the Smith & McKibbin win the Eades Cups, and runners-up Smith & McKibbin win the Chris Read & Anne Attfield Cups.
Congratulations all!
26 August 2024 - Evening Series updates
Russell Robinson reports:
The 10+ Evening Series has now completed its qualifying phase, with 61 members having played, some more than others, on 19 evenings from mid-May through to the last one yesterday. By winning all three of their games on two or more occasions, eight members have qualified for the semi-finals, which will be played as two blocks of four on August 30th and September 14th, with the winners of each block contesting the Final for the coveted trophy. The semi-finalists are Martin Cranstoun, Sally Batty, Liz Smith, Paul Wooldridge, Bob Clapp, Sue Rumford, Graham Pattie and John Howie, so congratulations to all of them. It’s great to see three of this year’s beginners in this number. More details are at https://www.phylliscourtcroquet.com/10plus-evening-series.
Meanwhile, the 6-9 Evening Series is reaching its climax. This has been contested by 15 members, with the logistically challenging target of all playing all once. Rob Eagle stormed into early domination winning his first nine games, but last time out, he was pegged back by Michael Marcel and Helen Essa, and he still has to play Aly Warren and Steve Morton, both of whom, along with John Rumford, could still pip Rob to the title. More details are at https://www.phylliscourtcroquet.com/6-9-evening-series.
25 August 2024 - Phyllis Court 'Team B' lose narrowly in the Federations Shield (Advantage)
Meldreth 4 - 3 Phyllis Court 'Team B''
Phyllis Court 'Team B' were pipped 3-4 by Cambridgeshire side Meldreth on Sunday at Wrest Park, near Bedford, to deny Phyllis Court the unique achievement of getting two teams into a National team final.
Like 'Team A' three days previously, Team B also got off to a good start when captain Raghu Iyer (handicap 4) and Hugh Crook (7) won the morning doubles runner in straight games against John Bishop (4) and Sue Bishop (5) 7-5, 7-4, but Meldreth won the opening salvos of the two singles rubbers as a foretaste of the close match to unfold.
Phyllis Court’s Rob Eagle (5) and Helen Essa (6) levelled those matches with game two victories against David Edwards (4) and Roger Wallbridge (5), but the Meldreth men came back to win the deciders for 4-7, 7-3, 5-7 and 3-7, 7-3, 7-6 match wins respectively.
At 1-2 down at lunch, all was to play for in the four afternoon singes rubbers and when Iyer beat John Bishop 7-4, 7-5 and Crook beat Wallbridge 7-5, 7-4, thinks really looked up for Phyllis Court team B.
In the two remaining singles matches, Essa was game up versus Sue Bishop and Eagle was down versus Edawards, before both matches were brough level in the second games.
Meldreth, who had shown good ball placement and especially jumping skills, brought those to the fore in the two deciders and Phyllis Court’s Eagle & Essa lost 5-7, 7-6, 3-7 and 7-5, 4-7, 4-7.
Team - Raghu Iyer (4), Rob Eagle (5), Helen Essa (6), Hugh Crook (7)
You can follow the team's progress in (as close to real time as we can manage) on Croquet Scored here -
22 August 2024 - Can our 'Team B' make it an 'All Phyllis Court' National Final by winning against Meldreth on Sunday? Follow on Croquet Scores on Sunday
The second of our double-header of National Federations Shield (Advantage) semi-finals takes place on Sunday.
PCC 'Team B' are away to South Cambridgeshire side Meldreth in a match being played at Wrest Park CC, near Bedford - Good Lock team!
Team - Raghu Iyer (4), Rob Eagle (5), Helen Essa (6), Hugh Crook (7)
You can follow the team's progress in (as close to real time as we can manage) on Croquet Scored here -
PCC's Federations Shield 'Team A' , winners at West Worthing today.
L-R: Kevin Ward, Andy Jones, Patricia Mulcahy, Chris Roberts (and the injured) Paul Franklin.
(photo by Andy Woon)
22 August 2024 -
Phyllis Court 'Team A' reach the Federations Shield (Advantage) NATIONAL FINAL
West Worthing 2 - 5 Phyllis Court 'Team A''
National holders Phyllis Court 'Team A' won this semi-final fairly comfortably on a windswept and rainy day on the Sussex coast today.
Enforced to make one personnel change due to Paul Franklin's frustrating shoulder injury, the Phyllis Court team welcomed in Kevin Ward (handicap 5) to the number four berth for this fixture.
Ward took some time to settle in a new partnership for the opening doubles rubber with Chris Roberts (-2) and the pair both struggled to find their length on West Worthing's relatively slow (but level) courts.
They were beaten all ends up in their first game 1-7, by West Worthing's Andy Woon (4) and Stella Russell (4), but came back well to record 7-4, 7-5 victories in the second and third games to take the doubles rubber 2-1.
Before the end of their second game, Andy Jones (2) had made restively short work of the host's Andrew Stewart (2), 7-4, 7-5, in a level-play contest giving Phyllis Court an early lead in the team match, and the other morning singles match was also a level play encounter between West Worthing's captain Charlie Preston (5) and Phyllis Court's Patricia Mulcahy (5).
This one went to a third game after Preston came back from a first game defeat to win the second, with the match eventually won by Mulcahy, 7-5, 6-7, 7-5, giving Phyllis Court a welcome, but perhaps flattering 3-0 half time lead, given the closeness of the morning's croquet.
West Worthing provided a lovey home made lunch (thank you Mrs Preston) before the players braved the wind and rain of the afternoon, with Phyllis Court needing a win in just one of the remaining four rubbers for victory in the team match, and it came along in just over the hour when Mulcahy (5) beat Russell (4) in quick-time 7-3, 7-0.
Roberts (-2) had really found his shooting accuracy by then and repeatedly hit Stewart (2) from range to overhaul a -2 : 1 starting score, and win 7-3, 7-5, but West Worthing were not to be completely out-done and the impressively accurate Woon (4) beat Phyllis Court's Jones (2) 6-7, 2-7, and Preston (5) beat Ward (5) 6-7, 5-7.
A digest if the results is here on Croquet Scored here -
Team - Chris Roberts (-2), Andy Jones (2), Patricia Mulcahy (5), Kevin Ward (5)
*******
Can our 'Team B' make it an 'All Phyllis Court' National Final by winning against Meldreth on Sunday? - See the next news item above.
*******
21 August 2024 - Mulcahy wins our AC Summer tournament Caversham Plate
Phyllis Court Croquet Club Chairman Patricia Mulcahy won our AC Summer Handicap Tournament today and was presented with the lovely Caversham Plate by our President Frances Colman.
Mulcahy opened her account with an 18-0 defeat of Chris Roberts who was restricted to just four strokes as Mulcahy used her bisques to great effect, and furth wins came at the expense of Colman and Raghu Iyer.
Only holder Roger Goldring could dent Mulcahy's winning streak and when he faces Colman in their last round game, a win for last year's winner would be enough to give him the tournament win over Mulcahy on the 'who beat whom' tie-break.
However, despite a good break of six hoops, Goldring couldn't claw back Colman's lead.
So, Mulcahy finished in front on 3 wins from the rat of the small field on 2 or 1.
In the junior event, for the Zia Sterling Cup, Helen Esaa beat jeff smith 10-7 in their first game in a best of three, but Smith bounced back to win the second game 11-7.
With groundsman Steffan wanting to apply a chemical treatment to the courts at 4pm, theer was no time for their decider games which will be played on a later date.
18 August 2024 - Jones helps Oxfordshire win promotion to the County Championship Division 1
Phyllis Court's Andy Jones helped Oxfordshire in a successful County Championship Division 2 campaign this weekend, that ended with the 'dark blues' winning promotion to the top tier for next season.
Oxfordshire lost only one team match and that was a narrow 3-4 reverse to the new Lincolnshire 'super-team' of four young England International players, who beat everyone except Oxfordshire by the maximum 7-0.
Playing as a mixture of singles and doubles over two days at Cheltenham, the Oxfordshire team also featured former Phyllis Court member Raouf Allim (now at High Wycombe), Scotland International Stephen Wright and former Women's World Champion Jenny Clarke from New Zealand.
Well done Andy Jones and Oxfordshire!
18 August 2024 - Roberts & Colman and Mulcahy & Franklin are 2nd & 3rd in the Doubles at Budleigh's AC tournament
Phyllis Court had a strong presence at Budleigh Salterton's Summer week-long tournament which finished today.
The best success was Chris Roberts and Frances Colman's runner-up position in the Handicap Doubles on the opening day, when the par won four games (including a semi final against clubmates Patricia Mulcahy and Paul Franklin) before losing to world Top 20 player Duncan Reeve and his higher handicapped partner in the final.
Mulcahy & Franklin beat two minus players 26-0 in the 3rd/4th play-off.
In the Handicap Singles, Roberts won all four of his games on the first day of that event, but went from hero to zero on day two when he lost all four.
Mulcahy did best of our quartet with 5 wins from her 8 games (62%), Colman and Roberts were both just one win behind (50%) and poor Paul Franklin had to withdraw with a recurrence of his shoulder injury.
In the Class event that ended the week, Roberts was delighted to win 4 from 9 and take some notable scalps in the A-Class, while Colman's win over Mulcahy with six hoops in her last turn after time to win by 1 hoop, was the pair's closest contect in a tough C Class where they were both out gunned by much lower handicapped players.
16 August 2024 - PCC 'D' thrash Winchester 'B' to win the SCF Central Division title - PCC 'D' 13 - 3 Winchester 'B'
PCC 'D' got off to a flyer in this last scheduled Advantage League Central Division match, with Andy Jones (2), Michael Marcel (6), Rob Eagle (5), Helen Essa (6) winning all four first round games.
Round two was much the same, with only Jones suffering a loss, to put PCC 7-1 up at the half way stage.
There was more misery for Winchester with another clean sweep on round three before the visitors recovered some dignity by halving the the last rounf 2-2, with losses incurred by Jones and Essa.
But with Captain Rob Eagle and debutant Michael Marcel both sporting unblemished 4/4 records, the final team score of 13-3 was not only Phyllis Court's largest ever wining margin in a league match, it also secured PCC 'D' the Central Division title and a play-off place against the other two divisional winners
PCC 'D' - Andy Jones (2), Michael Marcel (6), Rob Eagle (5), Helen Essa (6)
- Congratulations PCC 'D'
15 August 2024 - AC C-League team miss out on title - PCC 1-1 High Wycombe
Paul Franklin reports:
With the three matches played so far this season resulting in wins versus Blewbury and Hamptworth and a draw against East Dorset, this remaining home match was pivotal for the league title.
We needed to win in order to tie with East Dorset on match wins and the tie break would have come down to scaled net hoops.
However, High Wycombe's' Robin Morrison hadn't read our script and his defeat of Raghu Iyer did for our title hopes, althogh Kevin Ward's win for Phyllis Court, did at least preserve our team's unbeaten record with the 1-1 draw.
We may well come second overall in the league depending on the results of the remaining matches
PCC - Raghu Iyer (AC 8), Kevin Ward (AC 11)
11 August 2024 - Iyer's fourth place is best of PCC sextet in our B-Level Series 'Smokey's Cup' tournament
Raghu Iyer finished with a 'podium' fourth place in a very tight Cup block contested at co-hosts' Blewbury today's ground today.
He won 4 of his 7 games to be just one victory behind the winner, Adam Newbould (Bromley) and runner-up Sarah Clements (Chester).
Alastair Broom also won 4 games to finished in fifth place behind Iyer on net hoops.
Patricia Mulcahy scored 3 game wins and was sixth.
The plate event at Phyllis Court was also a close run affair, with Phyllis Court's Kevin Ward falling just short in his last game to tie with outright winner Jane Powel (Ealing).
Helen Essa won three games to easily outplay her seeding and it could have been so different for Rob Eagle had he converted some of his four 6-7 losses.
See all the results as the come in here - https://croquetscores.com/2024/gc/england-b-level-3-series-at-phyllis-court-blewbury/phyllis-court-block
10 August 2024 - Iyer, Broom & Mulcahy all make the 'cut' to play for the Cup in our National B-Level Series tournament
Raghu Iyer, Alastair Broom and Patricia Mulcahy all finished in the top four of their blocks to qualify for the 'Cup' event of out National B-Level (3+) Series tournament co-hosted with Blewbury CC.
Iyer and Broom were winner and runner-up of the Phyllis Court located block and Mulcahy finished third at the Blewbury based block.
They will all be at Blewbury tomorrow trying to win 'Smokey's Cup' and to qualify for the National B-Level Final next month.
Congratulations to them all and good luck for tomorrow
Helen Essa was only one win away from joining the 'Cup' qualifiers, having put in a truly spirited performance to record three wins from bottom seed.
She will play at Phyllis Court tomorrow in the consolation Plate event, along with Kevin Ward and Rob Eagle.
On Sunday from 0930:
At Phyllis Court (contesting the Plate) - Helen Essa, Kevin Ward & Rob Eagle
At Blewbury (contesting the Cup) - Raghu Iyer, Alastair Broom & Patricia Mulcahy
See all the results as the come in here - https://croquetscores.com/2024/gc/england-b-level-3-series-at-phyllis-court-blewbury/phyllis-court-block
09 August 2024 - Please come to support 6 PCC players in tournament action this weekend
This weekend we have SIX PCC players contesting our National B-Level (3+) Series tournament co-hosted with Blewbury CC.
'Smokey's Cup' remembers our former President R.S. 'Smokey' Eades, who died in 2021 at the age of 102.
Please come along and support your clubmates this weekend -
On Saturday from 0930:
At Phyllis Court - Raghu Iyer, Alastair Broom & Rob Eagle
At Blewbury - Kevin Ward, Patricia Mulcahy & Helen Essa
On Sunday from 0930:
At Phyllis Court - The bottom 4 from each venue will contest the Plate
At Blewbury - The top 4 from each venue will contest the Cup
See all the results as the come in here - https://croquetscores.com/2024/gc/england-b-level-3-series-at-phyllis-court-blewbury/phyllis-court-block
7 Augusty 2024 - The Fensomes win our Open Doubes Tournament
Ithas been a week for ‘come backs’ and at the Phyllis Court Open tournament, fortunes did not look good for Helena and Mike Fensome when they lost their opening game 3-7 to top seeds Chris Roberts and Frances Colman.
The Fensomes then chalked up four wins in row to get right back into contention in the 'all play all' block of eight pairs.
Challenging the Fensomes going into the penultimate round were Roger Goldring and Rick Lilley who had also only lost once, to the Fensomes themselves, so both pairs were tasked to win their last two games and hope that they had the better net hoops tie-break score.
The Roberts/Colman duo and the Ian and Delia Norris partnership were one win behind should either faulter, but the sixth round proved to be a disaster for three of the leaders who all lost unexpectedly with the Norris’ defeat of Goldring and Lilley the most damaging.
This tied the Fensomes and Norrises and, when they both won, manager Roberts had some hurried net hoop calculations to make, and these gave the tournament victory to the Fensomes by +12 to +10.
The Fensomes were presented with the Iain Lindasy cups at a later date by croquet club President Frances Colman
Finishing order:
(1) Henena & Mike Fensome, (2) Ian & Delia Norris, (3) Chris Roberts & Frances Colman,
(4) Roger Goldring & Rick Lilley, (5) Robin Coates & Dianne Browne, (6) Patricia Mulcahy & Paul Franklin,
(7) Terje Johansen & Raghu Iyer, (8) Alastair Broom & Rob Eagle.
29 July 2024 - Ward joins Mulcahy in qualifying for the All England Handicap National Final
Kevin Ward qualified fairly comfortably from the Area Final South-East. Managed by Chris Roberts, at Surbiton today.
He lost his first game on Surbiton's 'lighting fast' courts about was undefeated thereafter.
Hugh Crook also played in this Area Final but losing his opening two games was too big a hill to climb despite playing well and looking good.
03 August 2024 - Women's European Championship (Day 4) - Patricia Mulcahy finishes on a high, in 15th from starting seed 30.
- Frances Colman referee's the Final and presents the prizes on behalf of the World Croquet Federation -
Patricia Mulcahy was joined by Phyllis Court Referees Frances Colman and Chris Roberts for the Championships final day at Compton CC (Eastbourne).
Colman had been appointed to referee the main event final in the afternoon and to present the prizes on behalf of the World Croquet Federation.
Mulcahy had one last match today against the top tournament experienced Glynis Davies of Northampton to be decided over a single 19-point game and Mulcahy dominated the encounter from the start.
She won the first two hoops and extended that Advantage to lead 6-2 and then commandingly 8-4 before closing out the game decisively 10-4.
This game Mulcahy a hugely creditable finishing position of 15th from a starting seed 30 - congratulations Patricia!
Colman took charge of the afternoon Championship Final between Louise Smith of Budleigh Salterton and Maria Taylor of Spain who had not lost a single game all tournament.
Smith was in the first game and came from behind for a chance of the lead at hoop 11, but when that fell by the wayside so did her spirits and Taylor, who's excellent hoop running and strong clearances in particular just got better and better, bringing her victory 7-5, 5-4.
On behalf of the World Croquet Federation, Colman presented the main prize to the delighted Taylor and medals to the placed players.
See a digest of all the results on Croquet Scores here: https://croquetscores.com/2024/gc/erc-european-womens-tournament/block-c
03 August 2024 - Women's European Championship (Day 3) - Mulcahy loses narrowly to 2nd seed Smith
Patricia Mulcahy was "thrilled to bits" to have pushed second seed Louise Smith in two very close games in this mornings first round of the main knock-out.
Despite well out-performing her own seeding to have made the qualification cut yesterday, Mulcahy was very competitive this morning and was only a failed jump at hoop 13 away in her first game from beating the experience Smith.
And she kept the pressure on Smith in their second game too, before going down 6-7, 5-7.
She dropped into the Bowl event (for positions 9-16) and llost a close match with Scotland full International Rosemary Sunders-Robertson 6-7, 7-4, 4-7.
Mulcahy was then disappointed to have to play another match late in the evening and lost a single 19-point game 4-10 to Bridget Goodman of Ealing in what she described as her worst performance of the tournament.
One last match remains for Mulcahy tomorrow.
Follow Patricia's endeavours on Croquet Scores here: https://croquetscores.com/2024/gc/erc-european-womens-tournament/block-c
02 August 2024 - PCC 'A' hold star-studied League Champions East Dorset to a creditable draw
PCC 'A' 4 - 4 East Dorset 'A'
On blisteringly hot day today, PCC 'A' matched an East Dorset team boasting three England internationals and sitting as League Champions 'elect'.
In the morning only Chris Roberts, himself a Wales international, could manage a match win and he needed a jump shot at hoop 13 of his deciding game of three against Southern Federation Champion Steve Leonard to do it, winning 7-5, 2-7, 7-6
Phyllis Court's Ian Norris lost 2-7, 5-7 to East Dorset's top player Jeff Dawson, Roger Goldring went down in three games to Mark Hamann 6-7, 7-6, 5-7, and Andy Jones did really well when out-classed massively on paper to tie with England international Jonathan Powe 3-7, 7-5.
The deciding game of that rubber was postponed going to the afternoon session of 'head to head' matches with East Dorset leading the team match 1-2 in completed rubbers.
In another against the form book match-up, Norris narrowly got the better of Leonard 7-6, 7-5 to level the team match as all the other rubbers went to deciding third games.
Goldring eventually fell to Powe 6-7, 7-4, 5-7, Jones did very well to come from behind to beat Hamann 5-7, 7-6, 7-5, and in the match of the number ones, Roberts came back from near dead at 2-5 and 3-6 down in his second game with Dawson to win 7-6 having lost his first game 6-7.
Roberts and Dawson abandoned their deciding game and likewise the morning's postponed Jones/Powe decider was not returned to, because of the late hour and distance home for the visitors, and by that stage they had mathematically secured the league title, and agreeing to half the unfinished rubbers for a match draw would not effect that.
But this was a very good team performance by PCC' 'A' against the stiffest opposition ever fielded in the League.
PCC 'A' have one league match remaining versus Winchester on a date to be decided later this moth or early next.
PCC 'A' - Chris Roberts (-2), Ian Norris (-1), Roger Goldring (1), Andy Jones (2)
02 August 2024 - Women's European Championship (Day 2) - Mulcahy qualifies for main knock-out!
Patricia Mulcahy was both stunned and delighted to qualify for the main knock-out of the Championship today at Compton CC (Eastbourne).
She did not add to her overnight tally of 3 wins, as the remaining block games were completed on Day 2.
Mulcahy ended tied on 3 game wins with Kathy Brown (Scotland) and Simone Huber (Switzerland) and went into a play-off between them for the lats qualification place.
Mulcahy had beaten both players in the block already and did so again with 7-5 results against the pair.
Qualification in fourth place in her block will very likely mean a tough first round draw verses a block winner.
There is no live-streaming of this one, but you can follow Patricia's endeavours on Croquet Scores here:
https://croquetscores.com/2024/gc/erc-european-womens-tournament/block-c
01 August 2024 - Women's European Championship (Day 1) - Mulcahy wins 3 out of 4 after surprise last minute call-up
HOT NEWS - PCC Croquet Chairman Patricia Mulcahy received a phone call very early yesterday morning offering a last minute place in the Championships, and was down in Eastbourne by mid-afternoon to line-up the other Irish players in the Opening Ceremony!
The tournament starts today and runs for the next 4 days (1-4 August) concluding on Sunday and is being hosted by Compton CC (Eastbourne).
There is no live-streaming of this one, but you can follow Patricia's endeavours on Croquet Scores here:
https://croquetscores.com/2024/gc/erc-european-womens-tournament/block-c
On Sunday, PCC Croquet President Frances Colman be the Referee for the Championship Final and has also been asked to Award the Prizes.
Good luck Patricia and Frances!
Day 1 - Mulcahy had a dream start winning her opening three games, 10-8 v Simone Herber (Switzerland), 7-5 v Michelle Leonard (England) and 7-6 Cath Browne (Scotland) .
Such were these sucesses, it was a surprise when she lost 5-7 to Alison Murray (England) in the late afternoon
31 July 2024 - Adams wins his first tournament, the 10+ Singles (for the Green Ball Trophy)
Ramsay Adams looks like a name to to keep an eye on after an an impressive debut 10+ tournament win today.
He as pipped 6-7 in his first game of the day by the experience of relative tournament veteran Carol Wadsworth but turned the tables, and score line, on her when the pair met again in the final.
In the morning session, Wadsworth , Ian Forster and Cliff Hampton won the three blocks and only the latter (who was beaten by Adams) failed to win their afternoon quarter-fails.
Hilary Cowley scored a convincing 7-2 quarter-final win over newcomer Philip Rowley who had looked like a contender until that point.
Wadsworth beat Cowley 7-5 in one semi and Adams beat Forster 7-6 in the other, to set-up an interesting final that changed dramatically when Adams scored hoop 12 from beside hoop 11!
Wadsworth held the advantage with first stroke to the 13th hoop but was short with that ball and disappointingly likewise with the second, while Adams got in front but was fairly deep with both balls.
Wadsworth cleared Adams first ball but he scored impressively from four yards with the second, and was presented with the Green Ball Trophy by President Frances Colman.
Finishing order:
(1) Ramsay Adams, (2) Carol Wadsworth, (3) Ian Forster, (4) Hilary Cowley, (5) Cliff Hampton, (6) Daphne Spiers,
(7) Philip Rowley, (8) Maureen Ward, (9) Dilys Gordon, (10) Pippa Wynne-Ellis, (11) Barbara Gibbs, (12) Penny Morgan.
29 July 2024 - Ward joins Mulcahy in qualifying for the All England Handicap National Final
Kevin Ward qualified fairly comfortably from the Area Final South-East. Managed by Chris Roberts, at Surbiton today.
He lost his first game on Surbiton's 'lighting fast' courts about was undefeated thereafter.
Hugh Crook also played in the Area Final (South-East) but losing his opening two games ws too bigh a hil to climb despite playing well and looking good.
28 July 2024 - Goldring and partner Jenny Clark are equal third at the GC National Doubles
Roger Goldring and partner Jenny Clarke got a very creditable ‘podium place’ in joint third at the National Doubles Championship this weekend.
Clarke, who is a former Women’s World Champion at Association Croquet, had asked Goldring to partner her following the pair’s successful performances for Oxfordshire at last season’s County Championship.
Flattered Goldring more that played his part in the pairs’ good run in Devon, when they won five of their seven block matches on Saturday to finish comfortably in second place to qualify for Sunday’s knock-out stage.
Almost joining them were Phyllis Court’s Chris Roberts and Frances Colman who won three games but missed out on qualification by two hoops in a tie-break calculation.
They went on to win the Saucer event to finish level with their 17th seeding place.
Goldring and Clarke however, did well to win a close quarter final 7-5, 3-7, 7-6 against Taunton pair Stephen Custance-Baker and Neil Fillery, but then came up against favourites James Death and Sam Cuthbert in the semis.
England international Death and 18-year-old Cuthberts, who played in the Under 21 Would Championship two years ago controlled the first game well but were given a real scare by Goldring and Clarke in the second, before wining 3-7, 6-7 and going on the win the final fairly easily.
Goldring and Clarke played two games of a third/fourth placed match, with 6-7 and 7-4 results before agreeing to half the match with Colin Britt and Andy Loakes.
26 July 2024 - Mulcahy holds her nerve, as PCC win again, to qualify TWO teams for the Federations Shield Final
Budleigh Salterton 3 - 4 PCC 'Fed Shield Team A'
Phyllis Court's Federations Shield Team A, who are the holders of the national title, were pleased to have got over the tricky hurdle of South-West Champions, Budleigh Salterton, in Devon today.
The fixture set a new record as the furthest away match every played by the Henley club, and they needed all their cup-tie experience to get the win in a team contest that was close throughout.
In the morning session, Phyllis Courts Chris Roberts (-2) and Paul Franklin (7) were comfortable winners 7-5, 7-5 against Budleigh's Pat Coulter (3) and John Duplock (5).
But Phyllis Court narrowly lost the two singles rubbers which both went to deciding games.
Patricia Mulcahy (5) lost 3-7, 7-5, 4-7 Paul New (5), and Andy Jones (2) lost 7-5, 2-7, 3-7 to Ervine Kewley (6) so trailed 1-2 in the team match at lunch.
In the afternoon session, Phyllis Court number one Roberts (-2) was again fairly confirmable but had to survive a late survive from Coulter (3) before wining 5-7, 6-7 to level the team score at 2-2, and not long afterwards, Franklin (7) gave Phyllis Court the match lead with the defeat of Kewley (5) 7-6, 7-5.
The match was thrown back to level when Jones (2) lots to new (5) 3-7, 6-7 and all eyes then fell on the Mulcahy v Duplock match that would decided the fixture.
Mulcahy is no stranger to pressure situations and this one echoed the national final last season when the title rested on her match that was again the alst to finish.
Muchaly had won the first game but lost the second and, by the time the other players gathered she had a healthy 5-2 lead in the deciding game.
Duplock won two hops in a row to cut the deficit from three to two, but Mulcahy had the game in enough control to take on in score a risky jump shot at hoop 10, which then gave Duplock too much to overhaul and Mulcahy brought home the crucial four match win 7-5, 5-7, 7-5.
- This win gives Phyllis Court two teams in the semi-finals of this National competition, which it's self is a national first.
Phyllis Court Team A will next face West Worthing (East Sussex), and Team B will play Meldreth (South Cambridgeshire), with both dates and veuse yet to be agreed.
PCC ''Fed Shield' Team A: Chris Roberts (-2), Andy Jones (2), Patricia Mulcahy (6), Paul Franklin (7)
26 July 2024 - PCC 'B' held to a draw on an overly-long match at Eynsham
Eynsham 4 - 4 PCC 'B'
Report to come . . .
PCC 'A': Dianne Browne (4), Alastair Broom (5), Dee Mckibbin (5) Jeff Smith (5)
24 July 2024 - Mulcahy qualifies for the All England Handicap (Advantage) National Final
Patricia Mulcahy was the top finisher of our four players competing in the All England Handicap Area Final South, hosted at Phyllis Court today.
Carol Wadsworth, John Howie and Liz Smith were also in the field of eight, that was completed by two players from each of Blewbury and Woking.
Mulcahy won her frst four games, including beating Howie and Smith, to lead the filed, until she was pegged back Blewbury's Carol Jamieson.
Also keeping pace were Wadsworth and Woking's Sandra Guildford and, going into the lats tow rounds, the two qualifying places looked set to be decided between the three of them.
Mulcahy dented Wadsworth's chances 7-3 in the penultimate round but still needed to beat Guildford in the last round but lost, so had to wait anxiously for Wadsworth's last result.
When Wandsworth was pipped 6-7 by Jamieson, it settled matters in Mulcahy and Guildford's favour and both qualified for the National Final in September, whilst Wadsworth will be high on the national reserves list.
23 July 2024 - PCC 'B' held to a draw on an overly-long match at Eynsham
East Dorset 1 - 1 PCC 'AC 7+'
Phyllis Court’s 7+ team recorded a creditable 1-1 draw in their B-League match their longest away trip of the year, to the East Dorset Club at Poole, near Bournemouth.
Robin Coates lost his match to East Dorset’s Chris Rice but the improving Kevin Ward beat and his host John Speigle, to continue his good form that subsequently earned him a handicap reduction.
PCC 'A': Robin Coates (AC 12), Kevin Ward (AC 12)
22 July 2024 - PCC 'A' disappointed with dara on the Isle of Wight
Ryde 4 - 4 PCC 'A'
Phyllis Court 'A' team travelled to the "South Island", as the locals like to refer to their home at Ryde on the Isle of Wight, for a Southern Federation Open League match.
Chris Roberts and Rick Lilley won both their ‘best of three games’ matches and the fixture result eventually hung on Roger Goldring's third and deciding game with Ryde's Jonathan Smith which had been suspended from the morning session.
Golding saw a two-hoop lead calmly clawed back by Smith in that final game and a 5-7 reverse, gained Ryde the result they needed to hold Phyllis Court to a 4-4 draw in the team match.
Earlier, 'A' team debutant Jeff Smith had lost to Ryde's Pam Sim in straight games but had done well to get the experienced Stuart Peters to 5-7, before losing that match too, but it was an encouraging performance from Smith who was stepping-up in standard significantly for this Open League match.
Phyllis Court's Roberts beat Roy Tillcock and later Smith, both in straight games, and clubmate Lilley had beaten Peters in two games and Sim in three.
Goldring tied with Smith at one game each in the morning but then went on to lose to Tillcock heavily in the afternoon, leaving the fixture dependent upon returning to the deciding game of the morning's rubber.
Phyllis Court looked to be in a good position at one rubber ahead and with Goldring at 5-3 up in that final game, and more so when he hit a terrific clearance at some distance when he could only see half a ball.
The worm certainly turned after that though, when Smith won a very long hoop 9 battle and then sent his ball into the jaws of hoop 10 from over ten yards.
That pulled the score back to 5-5 and at hoop 11 it all started to fall apart for Goldring, when he missed the hoop entirely with an uncharacteristically poor scoring attempt.
Smith won that hoop for three in a row and despite a valiant effort from Goldring who hit Smith from the boundary three times in a row, he went down 5-7, and Ryde competed their escape with a 4-4 team match score.
PCC 'A': Chris Roberts (-1), Roger Goldring (1), Rick Lilley (1), Jeff Smith (5)
21July 2024 - von Schmieder (Ireland) & Roberts (Wales) play in the GC Home Internationals
Charlie von Schmieder and Chris Roberts captained and played for Ireland and Wales respectively, in the Home internationals at Nailsea CC (North Somerset) this weekend.
A young England side with players aged 22, 20, 19 and (only just) 18, were too strong for the other nations, and they won all three of their Test matches to win back the title after losing it to von Schmieder's Ireland last year in Dublin.
On Saturday, Ireland opened with a comprehensive 0-6 defeat by England, then beat Scotland 5-0, with von Schmieder winning both his Doubles maatch and his singles match 2-0.
Meanwhile, Wales beat Scotland 2-0 and then went down 2-4 to England, with Roberts getting a game off Aston Wade and together with partner Ian BUrridge, the pair halved their doubles rubber with Wade and Jack Good, to maintain their excellent record of never having lost a 'bets of three' match.
On Sunday, Phyllis Court's Championship Referee Frances Colman arrived to officiate, boosting the Club's participation to three and Chairman Patricia Mulcahy called by to spectate on er way home from Budleigh and she stayed all day!
England trounced Scotland for their clean sweep and Ireland lined up with Wales for a Test to decided the runner-up spot.
In the Phyllis Court players' clash, Wales' Roberts and partner Burridge beat Ireland's von Schmieder and Simon Williams 7-4, 7-3 and then von Schmieder got the first singes game off Burridge before losing 7-6, 5-7, 5-7.
Roberts renewed his rivalry with Ireland's Mark Stephens, with two 2-1 victories over the Irishman already in the bag from earlier in the season at the European Championships, and he competed a hat-trick of match wins over Stephens with another victory 7-6, 2-7, 7-3, helping Wales to a 4-2 Test match win and second place over-all.
Results digest on Croquet Scores here - https://croquetscores.com/2024/gc/home-internationals
20 July 2024 - Franklin a& Roberts win their Classed events at the National Seniors Championship
Paul Franklin (left) and Chris Roberts (below left) are celebrating their individual successes at the National Seniors Association Croquet Championships last week, as Phyllis Court featured highly in all the events they entered.
The pair won their respective Classed Singles events at the end of the week, following on from creditable finishing positions in earlier handicap events, in the week-long tournament at Budleigh Salterton in Devon.
First up was the Handicap Doubles in which Roberts played with regular partner Frances Colman and Franklin teamed up with Phyllis Court Chairman Patricia Mulcahy.
The latter dropped one early block game, whilst the former were undefeated until the two pairs met, in what turned out to be, an effective semi-final with only pair to qualify for the final from their block.
Franklin and Mulcahy used their bisques (extra turns) sparingly and well, and gave little away, in a controlled and mature performance to close-out the game against their own club coaches.
Roberts and Colman had to win their remaining game and hope that Franklin and Mulcahy tripped-up in their last block encounter, but when both Phyllis Court pairs won, the latter’s victory in the head-to-head game gave them precedence.
The final called for different tactics from Franklin and Mulcahy when they faced A-Class player Joe King of Blewbury and Budleigh’s Duncan Reeve who is in the top 20 players in the World.
Knowing that letting either opponent on the court would likely result in a large break, the Phyllis Court pair used their bisques to keep in the innings as much as possible but were eventually overhauled by the star partnership when the bisques ran-out.
The Handicap Singles event followed in the mid-week and was again a closely fought affair with both Mulcahy and Roberts involved in another tied block, this time with England player David Maugham.
Roberts had beaten Maugham which was a good scalp, Maugham had got past Mulcahy by a single point on time and Mulcahy had beaten Roberts easily, but with net points being unusable as a tie-break in handicap play, a coin-toss decided and fell in Mulcahy’s favour.
She beat another minus handicap player David Marsh in the semi-finals and then met the fast-improving Neil Adams of Crake Vally, Cumbria, in the final.
Mulcahy made a perhaps rash move to use several bisques right at the start of the game with only three balls on the court and the ploy didn’t really work, and Adams always looked comfortable, and especially so, when he made an all-round break and pegged one of Mulcahy’s balls out of the game.
A three-ball ending was unfamiliar territory for the Mulcahy and Adams duly extracted the last of her bisques and left Mulcahy as a runner-up for the second time in the week.
In the Class events, a stronger than usual entry list relegated Chris Robets to top seed in the B-Class and he swept all before him to win the Colin Hemming Cup for the first time, winning all seven of his games with a net hoop score of plus 120.
The D-Class was almost a Phyllis Court only event with Geraldine O’Rourke from Carrickmines, Dublin joining the Henley Club’s Frances Colman, Paul Franklin and Patricia Mulcahy.
Colman set the pace in the double round-robin schedule of games and won her first four games all by good margins, and her clubmates both also put O’Rourke (who had the best handicap of the quartet) to the sword.
In round five O’Rourke finally won a game and sneaked past Colman just before time was called and Franklin beat Mulcahy to set-up an effective final in the last round with Colman.
At the end of a low scoring match, Colman was unfortunate to stick in, what would have been, a winning hoop, and this allowed Franklin, who’s shooting and hitting in was by then really on-song, to seize the opportunity and make the iconic ‘golden hoop’ for victory 10-9.
For Franklin, this was a first solo tournament class win and to have done it at a major national championship, and against a former winner is very much to his credit.
Results digest on Croquet Scores here - https://croquetscores.com/2024/gc/home-internationals
16 July 2024 - PCC 'C' lose to Caversham
PCC 'C' 6 - 10 Caversham
Report to come . . .
PCC 'C': Pete Falle (6), Carl, Billson (7), Steve Morton (8), Carol Wadsworth (10)
18 July 2024 -GC Mix-in cut short today for essential maintenance of our courts
the GC Mix-in ran for just 2 hours (rather than the usual 3 hours) today, because grounds men Mark and Stefan needed to amply a maintenance treatment.
As picture here, the regulars adjourned to the Club terrace in good spirits.
17 July 2024 - PCC 'Federations Shield Team B' score great win over northern visitors Southport
PCC (FS) B 4- 3 Southport & Birkdale
The first of our TWO teams in the National GC Federations Shield, successfully got past the challenge of Southport & Birkdale today, and so qualified for for the semi-finals.
Southport & Birkdale were debutant visitors to Phyllis Court and enjoyed their stay in our beautiful setting and took rooms in the PCC Hotel.
The Phyllis court 'most valuable player' in this Advantage rules fixture was Steve Morton, who won both his morning and afternoon 'best of three games' matches.
Captain Raghu Iyer and Hugh Crook won their morning Doubles and Rob Eagle won hsi afternoon Singles, so all four of our team members contributed to the winning 4-3 score line.
Very well done team!
PCC (FS) B: Raghu Iyer (5), Rob Eagle (5), Hugh Crook (6), Steve Morton (8)
17 July 2024 - PCC 'A' suffer surprise loss to Blewbury 'A'
PCC 'A' 3 - 5 Blewbury 'A'
A below strength PCC 'A' team were unlucky to lose this fixture which Blewbury have not won for many a year.
PCC 'A' were on yeh wrong end of five deciding games 6-7, and actually won 14 more hoops in tyhe day, but crucially matches were lost.
Rick Lilley won both of his morning and afternoon 'best of three games' matches and Roger Goldring won one and lost one.
Unfortunately, that was as good as it got and i the bottom half of the fixture, both Andy Jones and Helena Fensome lost both their matches as Blewbury won the team match 3-5.
PCC 'A': Roger Goldring (1), Rick Lilley (1), Andy Jones (2), Helena Fensome (2)
16 July 2024 - PCC 'B' lose a close one
PCC 'B' 3 - 5 High Wycombe 'B'
Pcc 'B' lost 3-5 at High Wycombe today, in a very tight league fixture today, in which all but one match went to a third game and a few contests were were lost on the thirteenth hoop!
I the morning set of four 'best of three' matches, only captain Raghu Iyer could record a win, making light of his 5 handicap to beat Mark Higgings (5) 7-2, 4-7, 7-1.
In the afternoon quartet if matches, Dianne Browne and Jeff Smith each added to Phyllis Court's tally, but both Iyer and Alastair Broom lost 6-7 in the deciding game of thei contests, swinging the team match in the favour of hosts Wycombe, by the slimmest of margins.
PCC 'B': Dianne Browne (4), Raghu Iyer (5), Alastair Broom (5), Jeff Smith (5)
13 July 2024 - Roberts retains the Blue Ball Trophy at our Open Singles tournament
Chris Roberts won our Open Singles tournament and retained the coveted Blue Ball Trophy at Phyllis Court today.
He won six of his seven games, including a last round de facto 'final' against Charlie von Schmieder.
The pair reached the last round of an 'all play all' block, which brought together the Club's best eight available players for a day of exciting croquet in which all eight had their moments.
The first round went with the seeding, but Rick Lilley caused the first upset when he beat third seed Ian Norris in round two.
The big upsets came in the fourth round just before lunch, when Roger Goldring beat von Schmieder 7-4 and Roberts let a 3-0 lead over Helena Fensome slip to a 3-5 reverse, which included a charitable accidental peel of Fensome's ball through hoop 7, and Fensome's resolute defence was reward with a worthy 7-6 victory.
Goldring's challenge evaporated when he fell 6-7 to Andy Jones's first win, from which the latter went on to win twice more.
Roberts had to come from 3-5 down to beat Rick Lilley 7-5 and von Schmieder beat him by the same score in the penultimate round as Roberts made short work of Norris 7-3.
With the rest of the field on two or more losses, no-one could catch the top two seeds Roberts and von Schmieder going into their last round head to head game.
Roberts got an early lead thanks to a very long scoring shot to score hoop 2, and he maintained that two hoop advantage under good pressure from von Schmieder's attempt to score the two hops in a row that he needed.
4-2 became 5-3 and, when along tussle at hoop 9 was resolved in Roberts favour, 6-3 looked too much for von Schmieder to come back from.
And so it turned out when Roberts benefitted from an uncharacteristic von Schmieder missed clearance to score the 7-3 winning hoop.
- This was a sixth time Blue Ball trophy win for Roberts, and fully ten years since his first.
Finishing order - Chris Roberts (6 wins), Charlie von Schmieder (5 wins), Roger Goldring (4 wins), Helena Fensome (4 wins), Rick Lilley (3 wins), Ian Norris (3 wins), Andy Jones (3 wins), Kevin Ward (0 wins).
12 July 2024 - PCC 'AC Handicap' lose in title decider
PCC 'AC Handicap' 1 - 3 High Wycombe
PCC 'AC Handicap' lost their crucial SCF Northern Division match this morning to High Wycombe, almost certainly handing the divisional title to their rivals.
With Eynsham yet to play or organise any of their matches and likely to be scratched from the league, the match today was effectively the title decider.
Phyllis Court's Russell Robinson recorded a convincing 26-0 win over visitor David Cotton, but 13-26 and 6-16 losses for Rick Lilley and Patricia Mulcahy against Mike Porter and Kenny Weir, and a close 11-13 reverse for captain Paul Franklin against Matt Griffith sealed the hosts' fate.
PCC 'AC Handicaps': Rick Lilley (11), Russell Robinson (12), Patricia Mulcahy (14), Paul Franklin (16)
10 & 11 July 2024 - Last round agony for Iyer & Ward at PCC/High Wycombe AC 7+ Advanced Tournament
Day 1 (at Phyllis Court) - A cold, sometimes rainy, and in the afternoon, noisy day's croquet was endured, if not enjoyed, by the field of three PCC players and five visitors today.
The blaring din from the Henley Music Festival sound-checks, which is so often a delight, spoilt the afternoon for some of the players but all three PCC representatives, Frances Colman, Raghu Iyer and Kevin Ward, ended the day with at least one win.
Ward led the way with a double triumph over pre-tournament favourite Robin Morrison (High Wycombe) and then Colman.
Iyer had two close games, pegging-out to win against Adam Newbould (Bromley) and loing by a last turn point to Richard Coward (high Wycombe), and Colman beat Tony Mayer (Swindon) in her opener, before going down to Ward.
Day 2 (at High Wycombe) - a much nicer, and even warm, day was enjoyed by the players today, with the over-night pegged-down games starting proceedings.
In the all Phyllis Court clash, Iyer saw is lead closed considerably by Colman before he pegged-out for a second time.
At the top of the field, Ward stayed very focussed to win a low-scoring game versus Coward, and he maintained his unbeaten record going into round 4.
Iyer had come back well from his first round reverse and was rewarded with pairing against against leader Ward.
A terrific start set the pace for the rest of the game, and Ward never really recovered from Iyers opening onslaught.
Colman scored a good second win over Steve Fisher (Blewbury) and manager Chris Roberts set about finding a last round line-up that would work for everyone with out repeat games.
Iyer had played very well for a day and a half, to be on 3/4 and if he would win the tournament with victory in the last round versus Morrison.
Ward was also on 3/4, would win the tournament if he won
If both Iyer and Ward both lost, the Robin Morrison would win the tournament.
And in the end that, the last one of those was he scenario! - Congratulations to Robin Morrison ( High Wycombe).
Finishing order - 1. (4 wins) Robin Morrison (HW), 2= (3 wins) Raghu Iyer (PC), Kevin Ward (PC), Richard Coward (HW), 5= (2 wins) Frances Colman (PC), Tony Mayer (Swindon), Adam Newbould (Bromley), 8 (1 win) Steve Fisher (HW)
29 & 30 June 2024 - Chairman Mulcahy wins 11 out of 12 games for IRELAND WOMEN v Scotland Women in Edinburgh
Croquet Chairman Patricia Mulcahy contributed more than any other Ireland Women's team mate in their victory over their Scotland hosts in Edinburgh this weekend.
On Saturday, Mulcahy won both her singles matches and backed this up with 50% doubles record with partner Yvonne Marrinan.
On Sunday, Mulcahy went one better and won all her games!
Mulcahy's second appearance for Ireland Women's team could hardly have gone better and congratulations to her!
Singles:
beat Janet Brunton 7-2, 7-2
beat Jean Wood 7-4, 7-5
beat Mary Bowden 7-6, 7-1
beat Kim Darland 7-3, 7-6
Doubles (with Yvonne Marrinan):
beat Fraser and Emma Jamie 7-3
Lost to Rosemary Saunders Robertson & Kathy Brown 6-7
beat Kim Darland & Mary Bowden 7-6
beat Jean Wood & Janet Brunton 7-4
See all the results on Croquet Scores here: https://croquetscores.com/2024/gc/sca-v-cai-womens-match/sca-vs-cai
29 & 30 June 2024 - Play-off agony for Roberts at the BRITISH OPEN SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS (Days 3 & 4 report)
Chris Roberts lost his last block match narrowly 6-7, 6-7 against England player Euan Burridge yesterday (29th) morning, so needed to beat former AC World Champions Stephen Mulliner again in a single game play-off to reach his goal of qualifying for the main knock-out.
The pair played for over 70 minutes, partly due to Roberts declining to run hoop 9 at 3-5 down as he looked for a double-hoop score to get back level.
Roberts eventually fell 3-7 and went into the Plate event.
He won his first round match against the tricky Giles Pepperell (no relation) 10-8 but then let former Phyllis Court player (and 'Swing Doctor') Raouf Allim get away to an early lead which he never caught and lost 7-10.
Today (30th), Roberts and Frances Colman had a lot of pre-play preparations as appointed Referee's of the event, including hoop settings and much measuring of misplaced half-way markers, before the main event semis and finals could take place (Jamie Burch beat Stuart M Smith in that final).
In the meantime, Roberts played a 'best of three' match against Bristolian David Goacher, for 20th place and won 7-4, 6-7, 7-4.
Croquet Scores has all the results here: https://croquetscores.com/2024/gc/british-open-championship/block-c
28 June 2024 -
Raunkiaer wins the Phyllis Court dominated C-Level (7+) Series tournament at Swindon
- and qualifies for the National Final -
Andy Jones reports:
Ruth Raunkiaer beat Carol Wadsworth 7-2 in and 'all Phyllis Court' final at the Swindon C-Level Series (7+) tournament today.
Both players won 5 of their 6 games in the day and Pete Falle also came along and finished 7th of the 12 entrants.
- Raunkiaer's win qualifies her for the National Final in September, alongside fellow Phyllis Court players, Rob Eagle, Pete Falle Michael Marcel.
28 June 2024 - PCC 'B' crash again
PCC 'B' 1 - 7 Blewbury 'B'
Despite a much-changed team selection, Phyllis Court B were again on the receiving end of another drubbing today.
This time a 1-7 home loss to Blewbury with captain Kevin Ward managing to record his side’s only win.
PCC 'B': Dianne Browne (4), Raghu Iyer (5), Kevin Ward (5), Rob Eagle (5)
27 & 28 June 2024 - Roberts beats higher seeds at the BRITISH OPEN SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS (Days 1 & 2 report)
Chris Roberts is assured a play-off (at least) in his bid to qualify for the knock-out stage of the British Open Singles Championships at Southwick, near Brighton.
He opened with a match win against Paul Gunn (Wingrave) and followed that with his best result yet, at 10 years of attending he Championship, a win over 3rd seed and former AC World Champions Stephen Mulliner (his first ever match win against the international star).
A loss to young England Player Jack Good completed Roberts' Day 1, and then today (Friday) he scored two more victories over higher seed Tim Jolliffee (Taunton) and Guy Scurfield (Dulwhich) for four wins that secured his play-off opportunity, before a disappointing performance against England international Callum Johnson.
Tomorrow, Roberts plays his last block game against a third England player Euan Burridge with the winner qulaifiying out-right and the loser facing a play-off, probably against the vastly experienced Mulliner.
Follow the the results come in on the fabulous Croquet Scores service via this link: https://croquetscores.com/2024/gc/british-open-championship/block-c
26 June 2024 - Follow Roberts, Colman & Lilley in the BRITISH OPEN DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS (the Singles event starts tomorrow)
The British Open Championships Singles start today (through to Sunday) and you can follow the fortunes of the country's best (and Chris Roberts) as the results come in on the fabulous Croquet Scores service via this link: https://croquetscores.com/2024/gc/british-open-championship/block-c
The format is four - 8-player blocks from which the top four form each will qualify for the main event knock-out.
Roberts is seed 21 of 32 so will do very ell to achieve his aim of making the cut.
The Doubles event took place on Tuesday and Wednesday and Phyllis Court's Roberts was joined by partner and clubmate Frances Colman for the event, whilst Rick Lilley played with Giles Pepperell (no relation, from North Wales club Llanfairfechan). Roberts & Colman improved only slightly on their low 16th seeding position to finish in 15th, whilst Lilley unordinary had to withdraw unwell on the morning of day 2.
Above: most of the “morning” team, flanked by our groundsman, Mark, and his assistant, Stefan.
25 June 2024 - Court levelling gets underway!
Today saw the start in earnest of our multi-year plan to level out the hills and furrows on our courts. Surveys of Courts 1 and 2 carried out earlier in the year by Kevin Ward and Russell Robinson allowed us to identify several “high” and “low” areas (these are illustrated by coloured maps in the pavilion). Our grounds staff then deposited 1½ tonnes of sand on the low areas which our team of hard-working volunteers industriously raked in to the grass during the morning. In the afternoon, we ran a lawn corer over the high areas to remove plugs of soil which should allow these areas to settle to a lower level. It was a very warm and sunny day, ideal conditions for dressing the lawn, but rather hot for our volunteer workers, all of whom are gratefully thanked for their efforts.
21-23 June 2024
England v Spain
- Test match at Roehampton Club -
- Phyllis Court's Frances Colman is the Test Match Referee -
(assisted by Chris Roberts)
* * * Watch the 'Live-Steaming' * * *
Tune in for the Opening Ceremony at 1000 (Friday) through to Sunday
and enjoy the expected spectacular action LIVE (or recoded if you prefer)
Click on this link:
https://www.youtube.com/@CroquetEngland/streams
(and press the 'Live' tab)
26 June 2024 - PCC 'C' win well, away at Winchester
Winchester 'B' 7 - 9 PCC 'C'
Patricia’ Mulcahy’s PCC 'C' team did well to win 9-7 away at Winchester today, and had to come from behind to do so.
The captain herself lead the scoring with Steve Morton, who both won three out of their four games with David Young and Carol Wadsworth contributing two and one victory respectively.
PCC 'C': Patricia Mulcahy (6), Steve Morton (8), David Young (8), Carol Wadsworth (9)
20 June 2024 - Phyllis Court 'AC Handicap' maintain unbeaten record in draw with Caversham
SCF AC Handicap League - Phyllis Court 2 - 2 Caversham
Paul Franklin's AC Handicap team survived the challenge of Caversham's team of high handicappers to secure a 2-2 draw at home this morning.
Most of the games were close and all four 'went to time'.
Wins were recorded by Robin Coates and Paul Franklin to keep the team's hopes alive of defending their SCF AC Handicap League title.
The team's remaining divisional fixtures are against High Wycombe (away) on 11 July and Eynsham (to be arranged).
PCC 'AC Handicap': Robin Coates (AC 12), Kevin Ward (AC 12), Patricia Mulcahy (AC 14), Paul Franklin (AC 16)
19 June 2024 - Phyllis Court's nail-biting win sees us into the National Secretary's Shield semis-finals
- Kevin Ward earns a Croquet England Silver Award! -
Croquet England AC Handicap Secretary's Shield competition - Phyllis Court 4 - 3 East Dorset
This match was about as exciting as an Inter-Club match gets with the result hanging on the last game of the day to finish.
Chris Roberts and Patricia Mulcahy had got Phyllis Court off to a good start in the morning doubles rubber versus Chris Weedon and Alan Jones, and never looked like losing as their high/low pairing worked a treat against East Dorset's mid-range duo.
Having established an early lead, the home pair gave nothing away to the visitors and made good and frequent use of the court furniture to wire their opponents from their own balls, making any roquet attempts risky affairs.
The speed of Phyllis Court's fast courts also caused the East Dorset pair difficulties and the home side pegged-out to win comfortably 26-10.
Phyllis Court's Raghu Iyer (handicap 9) looked to have too many bisques against East Dorset's David Fuller (-1.5), but the latter was not awarded the 2023 National Most Improved Male AC Player Award for nothing, and when Iyer burned too many of his 10.5 bisques mid-way through his journey with is second ball, it was somewhat inevitable the Fuller would come steaming through to win their match.
A missed peg-out, that allowed Iyer to make some more hoops, aside, Fuller looked very on-song and won 20-26.
The remining morning match went to 'time' but was a comfortable enough 21-13 win for Phyllis Court's Kevin Ward over East Dorset's Steve Hogan.
The feature of the game and whole fixture was Ward's all round 12-hoop break without bisques, that earned him a Croquet England Silver Award - congratulations Kevin!
Half-time: Phyllis Court 4 - 3 East Dorset
The afternoon's four head-to-head rubbers would decide the match and with handicap play, looked rightly too close to call.
In the number 4 players' game, Hogan took a big early lead, using only one of his 4 bisques entitlement against Mulcahy and, despite a late rally by the Phyllis Court Chairman the East Dorset player held on to win 15-22.
On the other court, Phyllis Court's number 3 Kevin Ward was in the lead for most of his game versus Jones, whilst number 2 Raghu Iyer was trailing but pacing Weedon's lead.
In the last half an hour, fortunes change dramatically when Ward made three uncharacteristic errors to be overhauled 16-21 by East Dorset's Jones, and Iyer made a decisive break to go from 5 behind to 5 in front against Weedon.
Iyer withstood the pressure of Weedon closing in as time approached and won by 2 hoops, 22-20.
The team match then hung on the number 1's rubber where Phyllis Court's Roberts early break to 4-back have been match mid-game by East Dorset's Fuller, before Roberts took his second ball to peg having been held at 3-back for half an hour or more.
Roberts (handicap 0) was only too well aware of Fuller (-1.5) prowess and any slip-up was likely to be fatal, and when forced to chose a sub-optimal corner for his last safety stroke after 'time' was called.
Roberts then had to endure the anxiety for seeing Fuller hit in with is last turn and be thankful that he didn't get the best of rushes to his hoop.
With all the players looking on anxiously, Fuller only got to a so-so hoop running position with his croquet stroke and hit to outside if the hoop leg, giving Roberts a 21-16 win and Phyllis Court a 4-3 team match win,
PCC 'AC Handicap': Chris Roberts (AC 0), Raghu Iyer (AC 9), Kevin Ward (AC 12), Patricia Mulcahy (AC 14)
This result put Phyllis Court into the National Semi-finals to face the winner of the Peterborough v Hampstead Heath match.
Liz Smith is a new name on the Pink Ball Trophy
(photo by Chris Roberts)
17 June 2024 - Liz Smith wins our Women's Advantage tournament (and Pink Ball trophy)
Liz Smith put a new name on the pink Ball trophy today when she sailed through the Phyllis Court Women's Advantage tournament undefeated.
Thanks to the event being run to Advantage rules, a one-off capacity field of 15 players eventually lined-up for this tournament which was played on a gloriously hot day the seems to indicate that summer has thankfully arrived at last.
Some very slow play was a feature of the morning, so much so that only two of the scheduled three pre-lunch rounds were played and the first stage blocks were completed only just before three o'clock.
Smith and high handicapper Penny Morgan were the only undefeated players going into the knock-out and were joined there by Hilary Cowley, Dilys Gordon, Heather Jones, Cathie McEntee, Daphne Spiers and Sally Tooher.
Julia Green also qualified but was an injury withdrawal at this stage.
Smith and Morgan got past Jones and McEntee 7-1 and 7-3 respectively, but the other two quart-finals were close affairs with Cowley and Gordon's 7-6 and 7-5 results seeing them through against Tooher and Spiers.
At the semi-final stage Smith confidence was there to see in her 7-3 win over Morgan who was all smiles regardless, and this joy was match by Gordon who unexpectedly got the better of Cowley by the same score.
At past six o'clock, the final was well contested at the end of a very long day and, although not having it all her own way, smith always held the upper hand over Gordon and, rewarding her many sessions of booked solo practice, Smith won her first trophy 7-4.
Congratulation's Liz!
Dianne Browne won the Plate Event for those missing the 'cut' to the main knock-out.
Finishing order: (1) Liz Smith, (2) Dilys Gordon, (3=) Hilary Cowley & Cathie Mcentee, (5) Daphne Spiers, (6) Penny Morgan, (7) Heather Jones, (8) Sally Tooher, (9) Dianne Browne, (10) Pippa Wynne-Ellis, (11=) Penny Godfrey & Carol Wadsworth,
(13=) Sally Batty & Veronica Lawson-Smith. *Julia Green qualified for the top 8, but withdrew with an injury at the half-way stage.
Chairman Patricia Mulcahy presented the Yellow Ball Trophy to
winner Roger Goldring and the Manger's Prize to Cathie McEntee
(by Chris Roberts)
15 June 2024 - Roger Goldring wins our 80+ tournament (and Yellow Ball trophy)
- and Cathy McEntee gets the Manager's Prize
Roger Goldring is an old hand at trophy winning, and he was at it again today when he retained his Phyllis Court 80+ Singles tournament title ahead of a record field of 13 octogenarians.
He was given a stern test in his opening game by Tony Peperell, who took the former English over 50’s champion to the last hoop before going down 7-6, and then in a topsy-turvy block, Goldring wiped-out Mike Sayer 7-0, who then beat Peperell 7-1.
The other favourites Mike Fensome, Pete Falle and the newly qualified Robin Coates all qualified for the knock-out stage along with Sayer, John Howie, Hugh Crook (who had an against-seeding win over Fensome) and Cathie McEntee.
Three-time winner Fensome had close and good 7-5 win over the in-form Falle as the other quarter-finals also went with seeding and in the semis Goldring beat Fensome 7-4 and Crook scored the result of the day to beat second favourited Coates 7-6.
Disappointingly for the final, it was one-way traffic for Goldring who beat Crook 7-1 to retain the Yellow Ball trophy.
Cathie McEntee was awarded the new Manager’s Prize trophy, not only for being the only Woman entrant 'brave' enough to enter this year, but for staying the course with a competitive edge to her game throughout.Chris Roberts - Manager
Rob Eagle with his haul of Trophies from:
The Ealing C-Level Series and
PCC's D-Level & 7+ Black Ball (by Chris Roberts)
12 June 2024 - Rob Eagle wins at Ealing to qualify for C-Level Series National Final
- His third trophy of the season (so far!)
Congratulations to Rob Eagle who is having quite a season!
Eagle won his third tournament of the season last week and has reduced his handicap by five steps in fewer months.
Eagle had previously won the Club’s inaugural D-Level (10+) tournament, which was trial event for the launch of a national series at that level next year, and then a fortnight ago he won the C-Level (7+) Series tournament at Ealing CC, to qualify for the end of season National Final.
His latest achievement was to win the Phyllis Court’s internal 7+ Singles tournament and to add his name to the Black Ball Trophy which he flew through undefeated.
Eagle beat Tony Peperell, David Young and Daphne Spiers, 7-4, 7-3 and 7-2 respectively in the morning block games and was similarly untroubled by Helen Essa, who he beat 7-2 in the quarter-finals.
Carol Wadsworth did well to get past the improving John Howie 7-6 in her quarter-final but was no match for Eagle in their semi which the latter won 7-4 to set-up a re-match in the final with Young who’s only loss had been to Eagle.
Fittingly for the final, Young provided Eagle with his closest match of the day but he couldn’t keep the high-flyer down and Eagle won 7-5.
8 June 2024 - PCC 'B' bomb at East Dorset
East Dorset 'B' 7.5 - 0.5 PCC 'B'
Phyllis Court B suffered a drubbing away at East Dorset and managed only one halved match by captain Kevin Ward, in a sea of losses as they went down 0.5-7.5 to the hosts.
The B look to rescue their Southern Federation (SCF) B-League season with a home match against Blewbury B next Friday.
PCC 'B': Alastair Broom (5), Kevin Ward (5), Patricia Mulcahy (6), Pete Falle (6)
8 June 2024 - AC Handicap team draw with Oxford University
Phyllis Court 'AC Handicap' 2-2 Oxford University
Phyllis Court maintained their unbeaten record with a 2-2 draw at home to Oxford University today, and nextweek entertain Caversham in their quest to retain their SCF Handicap League title.
PCC AC Handicap: Kevin Ward (AC 12), Roger Goldring (AC 12), Russell Robinson (AC 12), Paul Franklin (AC 16)
Rick Lilley in action at Hurlingham
(photo by Chris Roberts)
6 June 2024 - Phyllis Court exit National Inter-Club (Murphy) Shield away at Hurlingham
Hurlingham 4-3 Phyllis Court '1+'
For the second tier National Inter-Club Shield, Phyllis Court ‘+1’ travelled to the Hurlingham Club at Putney on today, with the stronger of the two sides on paper.
The Henley club again played the stronger of their pair of handicap 2 players in the number three team slot, in order to load the bottom half of the fixture, which had been a successful ploy in the previous round at Ealing.
Andy Jones, had been in that role previously but hadn’t been eligible for this match, so the experienced Helena Fensome cam in to an otherwise unchanged team.
Nothing went right for Phyllis Court ‘B’ In the morning, from when Helena Fensome lost unexpectedly quickly to Hurlingham’s handicap 5 captain Henry Bagwell and was soon followed by an out of sorts Alastair Broom who lost to Noel Flit.
The doubles match was a slow affair and again ended in disappointment for Phyllis Court when Rick Lilley and Mike Fensome were beaten by the host’s Stephen Allen and Luolph van Hasslet.
At 0-3 down at lunch, the pressure was on all four of the Phyllis Cout ‘B’ players, with just one more match win being sufficient for a Hurlingham team win.
Helena Fensome showed good character to beat Flint 7-3, 5-7 to keep her side in the contest but husband Mike couldn’t live with the accuracy of his opponent van Hasslet, and his 4-7, 5-7 match result got Hurlingham over the winning line.
The dead rubbers were played out in the late afternoon and both Lilley and Broom came back very well from first game defeats, to win their matches 2-1, and gave the team match score-line a respectable 3-4 look.
However, the two team match losses in five days for Phyllis Court, sees the Henley Club wondering what might have been, whilst now looking toward their remaining presence in two National Handicap team competitions which first matches next month.
PCC '1+' Rick Lilley (1), Mike Fensome (2), Helena Fensome (2), Alastair Broom (5)
4 June 2024 - Phyllis Court entertain visitors from Denver CC (USA)
Away from competitive play, Phyllis Court was delighted to welcome five players from Denver Croquet Club to Henley on today and to give some of our committee and other long-established members the opportunity to represent the Club alongside American visitors
PCC representatives: Patricia Mulcahy (captain, 6), Julia Green (10), Jeff Cornacchia (12), Hilary Cowley (12), Maureen Ward (10)
2 June 2024 - Phyllis Court exit National Inter-Club Championship to Nottingham's "4 Internationals" team
Phyllis Court 1-6 Nottingham
Phyllis Court ‘A’ welcomed a Nottingham team of four international players, for a top flight Inter-Club Championship quarter-final match, and over 70 club members attended to spectate the fabulously accurate hard-hit clearance and hoop stokes of England pair James Death and Will Gee.
No ball was safe from anything closer than 15 yards and Gee in particular, was in sparkling form, hitting centre-ball three times from near corner to corner, a distance of close to 35 yards! Phyllis Court’s own internationals Charlie von Schmieder (Ireland) and Chris Roberts (Wales) held their own in the morning doubles match but went down eventually in straight games.
In the bottom half of the fixture, Phyllis Court’s Roger Goldring played two very long games with honours even against Scotland international Lorna Dewar, in a match which was the suspended, whilst the host’s Andy Jones scored the ‘result of the day’ in getting a game off Wales captain Ian Burridge, who who is ranked much higher that the Phyllis Court man.
Into the second session, Nottingham held a 2-0 lead and soon increased that when Death beat von Schmider7-5, 7-3, as Robets squandered a simple two feet hoop score to let a precious win over Gee pass him by.
Nottingham scored the fixture winning fourth win when Gee punished Robets’ error to the full in that and their second game 7-6, 7-5, and then the visitors cemented their victory when Burridge dispatched Goldring 7-1, 7-5.
Jones maintained his morning form to win his first game against Dewar 7-5 but the Scot pulled the second game back by the same score, before they agreed to half, what had become, a dead rubber; a fate which also befell Goldring’s suspended morning match with Dewar.
PCC 'A': Charlie von Schmieder (-1), Chris Roberts (-1), Roger Goldring (1), Andy Jones (2)
Also in the past week:
Helena Fensome finished 2nd at Sidmouth A-Level (0+) tournament
I June 2024 - 'Podium places' for Roberts & Lilley (PCC) as Leonard (East Dorset) wins the SCF Championship again
Today at Phyllis Court, the Southern Croquet Federation Golf Championship drew in most of the top ranked players in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The top seed was UK top 20 player Tim O’Donnell from Hamptworth, who started as slight favourite ahead of holder, Steve Leonard (East Dorset and England) and Phyllis Court’s Chris Roberts.
O’Donnell lost an early game of the seven-round ‘all play all’ tournament and when Roberts was beaten by old adversary, and former Phyllis Court player, Raouf Allim in round two, the event was blown wide open.
Roberts had beaten clubmate and bottom seed Rick Lilley easily 7-1 in the first round and it looked like being a long day for the latter, but he then went on an unbeaten run of four impressive victories, including taking the scalps of O’Donnell and Leonard.
With two rounds to play, Leonard was in the ‘box seat’ with only one loss with O’Donnell, Roberts and Lilley hoping to pull the leader back into the chasing pack.
Roberts ended O’Donnell’s hopes in the penultimate round but Leonard held on to put his name on the newly inaugurated trophy for a second time.
The event had attracted a good-sized spectator gallery from the Phyllis Court faithful who lined the sides of the court which had been fenced off as a safety measure, with an even bigger viewing spectacle advertised for the following day.
- A good sized spectator gallery enjoyed the days play from the director's chairs positioned alongside the court's Eastern boundary.
Finishing order:
Steve Leonard (East Dorset) 6 wins
Chris Roberts (Phyllis Court) 5 wins
Rick Lilley (Phyllis Court) 5 wins
Tim O'Donnell (Hamptworth) 4 wins
Duncan Catterall (High Wycombe) 3 wins
Raouf Allim (High Wycombe) 2 wins
Jonathan Smith (Ryde) 2 wins
Paul Gunn (Wingrave) 1 win
28-29 May 2024 - Kevin Ward debuts well at first his Tournament and Raghu Iyer recovers well
Kevin Ward and Raghu Iyer were our representatives this week at the AC nationally advertised C-Level (7+) Advanced tournament that we host jointly with Blewbury CC.
Players were attracted from five clubs as far away as Bromley and Tunbridge Wells.
The surprise package was Ward who won his first two games 17-10 against Andy Robertson (Blewbury) and 12-10 against Tony Mayer (Swindon), despite being called-up from the reserves list with only three days’ notice for his first ever Advanced rules contests.
He went on to win his third round game which was played half at Phyllis Court, before being suspended overnight and concluded at Blewbury the following morning.
Ward played with a maturity beyond his experience at this level in seeing out the single point 16-15 victory over Brian Jamieson (Blewbury) to hold a one-win lead over the field going into the fourth round.
That latest score line was the cruelly reversed and re-visited on Ward in the next round when the stylish Phil Taylor (Tunbridge Wells) held out for a 15-16 win to end the Henley player’s winning run.
Phyllis Court’s other representative, Raghu Iyer had had a torrid start, losing his first two games on Day 1, but he came back well to level his winning tally by mid-afternoon on Day 2. And Iyer was the kingmaker of the tournament, when he was matched against Taylor in the last round, knowing that one more victory for the visitor would win him the tournament, but a loss to Iyer would bring about a number of scenarios including an-unlikely five-way tie!
Ward fell away in the fifth round with a 14-18 reverse to Adam Newbould (Bromley) and Iyer couldn’t live with Taylor’s confident and commanding play and lost 2-26.
Taylor took the trophy back to Kent and over half the filed look forward to re-engaging together at the Phyllis Court / High Wycombe mirror tournament in July.
26 May 2024 - Rick Lilley qualifies as a GC Referee - Richard Peperell qualifies as an AC Referee
Rick Lilley & Richard Peperell qualified as GC and AC Referees respectively fairly recently.
Hearty congratulations to Rick studied hard before attending a preparation course and examination last weekend at the Chiltern Academy, High Wycombe, and this is an opportunity to recognise Richard’s AC qualification form a couple of months ago (and he already held a GC referees badge).
Rick is very welcome addition to our band of Qualified Referees (see below) along with Richard, who has now added this AC qualification to his existing GC refereeing badge.
It is worth noting few other clubs have anything like this number of qualified referees in their memberships, and as members of Phyllis Court Croquet Club we are especially fortunate to have this expertise in such abundance (we now have 10 qualified referees, holding 15 refereeing badges between them).
Championship Referee (GC) - Frances Colman, Chris Roberts
Referee (GC) - Frances Colman, Julia Green, Raghu Iyer, Helena Jansson, Richard Peperell, Andy Jones, Rick Lilley, Ruth Raunkiaer, Chris Roberts, Russell Robinson
Referee (AC) - Richard Peperell, Chris Roberts
Assistant Referee (AC) - Frances Colman
Also in the past week:
Rick Lilley finished 2nd at the Roehampton AC Handicap tournament
Alastair Broom finished 4th at the East Dorset B-Level (3+) tournament
Michael Marcel finished 2nd at the Wrest Park C-Level (7+) tournament
Ruth Raunkiaer & Jane Probitts finished 3rd at the Guildford Handicap (Advantage) Doubles tournament
- Well done all!