Golf Croquet Inter-Counties 2005 - Leicestershire results

Details

Sussex County Croquet Club, Southwick

13 & 14 August 2005

Team

Derek Buxton (handicap 0), Ashby Croquet Club

Mike O'Brian (-2), Ashby Croquet Club

Ray Mounfield (-1), Ashby Croquet Club

Tim King (-3), Ashby Croquet Club

Summary

At about 16:30 on Sunday 14th August, Captain Tim King closed out a deciding game against Roy Edwards of Dorset to give Leicestershire third place on their first entry into the Golf Croquet Inter-Counties. Leicestershire had lost their first three matches of the weekend but dug deep to come back to qualify for the semi-final, winning the crucial last match of the block stage against Oxfordshire who were in second place. This win meant that Leicestershire and Oxfordshire played again in this semi-final. Unfortunately, Oxfordshire carried through an advantage from having been second in the block, so that when the game score of the semi-final ended 3-3, Oxfordshire qualified for the final.

Over the course of the weekend, there were several close games (but only one draw on timed finishes). Any one of a few critical 13th hoop points would have perhaps changed the course of events. In the end, three other teams had five match wins but fewer games wins than Leicestershire and had to contest a hoop shoot-out, which was bonus excitement for the spectators; the success for Leicestershire was to win at least one game in every match. Each player made vital contributions to the team effort, had their own set of interesting experiences and will undoubtedly be stronger as a result and keen to return to compete in the 2006 tournament.

Thank you to Ray Mounfield for showing the leadership to arrange for Leicestershire to participate in this event.

Highlights

Leicestershire had a winning 2-1 games record versus winners (Sussex).

Leicestershire had a winning 5-4 games record versus runners-up (Oxfordshire).

Leicestershire won 21 games and lost 18 games.

Leicestershire scored 219 points (5.5 per game) and conceded 229 (5.7).

Leicestershire won five games 7-6 and lost four games 6-7.

Derek & Tim won 5 out of 6 doubles games (6.7 for, 5.3 against).

Mike beat Bill Arliss (7-6).

Mike & Ray had excellent wins over strong pairings of Abdul Ahmed & Alan Cottle (7-6) and Tom Weston & Roy Edwards (7-5).

Tim won 6 out of 7 singles games (6.6 for, 5.1 against).

Full results

	Match won	Match lost	Player	Game won	Draw	Game lost	Opponent
All-play-all qualification block (won 5 lost 4; block position = 3rd on games won)
Dorset		1-2	Derek & Tim			6-7	Tom Weston & Kath
			Mike			4-7	Chris Daniels
			Ray	7-2			Julie Hudson
Surrey		1-2	Mike & Ray			0-7	Paul Castell & David
			Derek	7-5			Mary Knapp
			Tim			4-7	Dick Knapp
Kent		1-2	Derek & Tim	7-4			David Dray & Jeremy Hackett
			Mike			6-7	Roy Ware
			Ray			2-7	Andrew Hobbs
Northumberland	2-0		Mike & Ray		5-5 T		Derek Old & Par Badham
			Derek	7-5			Jacqui Old
			Tim	7-5			John Moore
Durham	2-1		Derek & Tim	7-6			Freda Vitty & Jane Pringle
			Mike	6-5 T			Eugene Brady
			Ray			5-7	Pat Rogers
Suffolk		1-2	Mike & Ray			5-7	Dick Strover & Mike Percival
			Derek			6-7	Jock Strover
			Tim	7-6			Paul Strover
Sussex	2-1		Derek & Tim	7-4			David Hopkins & Mark Hamilton
			Mike	7-6			Bill Arliss
			Ray			5-7	Daphne Gaitley
CA Select	2-1		Mike & Ray	7-6			Abdul Ahmed & Alan Cottle
			Derek			6-7	Max Stokes
			Tim	7-5			Gerald Gooders
Oxfordshire	2-1		Derek & Tim	6-5			Norma Rayne & John Spiers
			Mike			4-5 T	Nick Butler
			Ray	5-4 T			Kit Jackson
Semi-final (lost because Oxfordshire came higher in block)
Oxfordshire	3-3		Mike & Ray			0-7	Norma Rayne & John Spiers
			Derek			1-7	Nick Butler
			Tim	7-5			Kit Jackson
			Derek & Tim	7-6			Nick Butler & Kit Jackson
			Mike			4-7	John Spiers
			Ray	7-5			Norma Rayne
3rd / 4th play-off (won; final position = 3rd)
Dorset	4-3		Mike & Ray	7-5			Tom Weston & Roy Edwards
			Derek			5-7	Chris Daniels
			Tim	7-3			Julie Hudson
			Derek			?-7	Tom Weston
			Mike	7-3			Julie Hudson
			Ray			?-7	Chris Daniels
			Tim	7-5			Roy Edwards