Tuesday 1st January – report by Martin
There were six teams for the first croquet of 2019, the weather was just on the verge of removing a jacket layer, and the ground was relatively dry.
With the usual manipulation of the order of play, the post-lunch final was between Tim & Jenny and Mike & Derek. The eventual winners were Tim and Jenny in a close match, congratulations to them!
Two of the spectators were roped in to a needle match against our winning pair. Will Gee used a club mallet and Rachel Gee borrowed Christine’s “Merlin”. After a few wild opening shots from Will, the game settled into a nice cadence, alternate hoops being won and no clear domination. Hoop 12 was fiercely competitive, Tim and Jenny had effectively got the hoop blocked and won when Will shot from 5 yards, split open the block and ran the hoop to win 7-5.
Best wishes to the Gees as they start their new adventure in Australia, and thanks for competing in a special match.
Lunch was a nice mix of soups and sandwiches, thoroughly enjoyed by all.