Sat 21st May, Moira
Ashby players won the Coors Cup individual and Bass Shield team competitions in dramatic style, both events being decided by hoop shoot-outs.
The tournament at Moira featured teams of three from four visiting East Midlands clubs plus two home teams. In the first block, Ashby ‘A’ (Christine, Mike and Martin) finished with eight wins and two draws from their 12 games, closely followed by Long Eaton on eight wins and one draw, and Darley Dale finishing third.
Ashby ‘B’ (Lesley, Eileen and Jenny) were the winners of the other block with eight wins, while Southwell and holders Leicester finished on five wins apiece.
After some hard-fought individual games, the Bass Shield final between the two Ashby teams finished in a 3-3 draw, meaning that a ten-yard hoop shoot-out was needed to decide the outcome, which Ashby ‘A’ eventually won 2-0 after many missed shots.
The concurrent Coors Cup individual competition was an equally close contest, with three players having won all six of their games over the course of the day: Mike O’Brian (Ashby A), Lesley Leitch (Ashby B) and Andy Sherwood (Long Eaton). Another shoot-out was therefore needed, which Mike won 2-0-0 to claim the Coors Cup.
This was the first time in three years that the annual event was back in its usual May slot, after a Covid-enforced cancellation in 2020 and a postponement last year to the tail-end of the season. Tournament manager Ray Mounfield commented “We were treated to some fine croquet, and the number of players involved in the shoot-outs was unprecedented!”
