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Ashby Croquet Club

EAST MIDLANDS ASSOCIATION CROQUET LEAGUE (26 point)
also known as East Midlands Federation Salver

 

This is an annual inter-club Association Croquet (26 point) handicap tournament, organised by the Federation of East Midlands Croquet Clubs, and open to affiliated clubs. It is run in a form of a league over one or two days depending on the number of clubs taking part. The event was held at Moira for the first time in 2010.

We play a match against each of the other clubs. The format has been modified slightly from 2007 onwards: Each match now consists of three games of singles; there are no longer any doubles games. The players in the team can be varied from one match to the next. All games have a three-hour time limit.

Previous winners:

 

 

 

1997 Northampton

2001 Leicester

2005 Ashby

2009 Ashby

1998 Leicester

2002 Woodhall Spa

2006 Nottingham

2010 Ashby

1999 Leicester

2003 Nottingham

2007 Nottingham

2011 Ashby

2000 Nottingham

2004 Woodhall Spa

2008 Ashby

 

 

 

 

 

 

2011 DETAILS  Played at Moira on Saturday 6th August

 

As in previous years this was a close competition, once again hinging on the result of the final match of the day which this time was between Ashby and Leicester. This match didn't get off to a good start for Ashby, with Mick struggling for form and quickly losing to Richard White. At this stage all three clubs were still in with a chance of winning, depending on the results of the final two games. But wins for Derek and Richard in these games sealed overall victory for Ashby for the fourth successive year.

 

 

Ashby 2–1 Nottingham

Mick Haytack (7) 26-21 Sanaa Hallam (2.5)

Richard Sanville (9) 26-20 Don Martin (4.5)

Derek Buxton (9) 15-26 Dave Gunn (11)

 

Leicester 1–2 Nottingham

Richard White (-1) 0-26 Sanaa Hallam (2.5)

Lawrence Whittaker (3.5) 26-14 Don Martin (4.5)

Richard Whiting (9) 8-26 Dave Gunn (11)

 

Ashby 2–1 Leicester

Mick Haytack (7) 9-26 Richard White (-1)

Richard Sanville (9) 21-16 Lawrence Whittaker (3.5)

Derek Buxton (9) 26-8 Richard Whiting (9)

 

Final placings:

1st  Ashby (2 wins)

2nd  Nottingham (1 win)

3rd   Leicester (0 wins)

 

 

 

2010 RESULTS  Played at Moira on Saturday 7th August

 

Ashby hosted the event at Moira for the first time. Three clubs took part this year –  Nottingham, Leicester and Ashby – so only two lawns were required. Conditions were difficult after the hoops were set by Richard White – very hard in the ground and some of them pretty tight, often taking several attempts before successfully running them.

 

The competition was very close as usual. The first two matches of the day saw Ashby and Nottingham both winning against Leicester, which nicely set up the last match Ashby v Nottingham as the decider. In this deciding match, Arthur won his game with plenty of time to spare, at which stage Mick and Richard were both roughly level in their respective games. Mick eventually lost by one point on time, but Richard had a good spell late in his game against an in-form Peter Moore, and pulled ahead to win 22-13, ensuring victory overall for Ashby.

 

This is our third consecutive win in the 26-point League, and ensures qualification for the 2011 Secretary's Shield.  If we win the 2010 Secretary's Shield final against Hamptworth, Nottingham would then also qualify for next year's Shield.

Ashby 2–1 Leicester

Arthur Rowe (4.5) 16-26 Richard White (-1)

Mick Haytack (9) 26-1 Lawrence Whittaker (2.5)

Richard Sanville (10) 26-8 Richard Whiting (9)

 

Leicester 0–3 Nottingham

Richard White (-1) 11-26 Gordon Hopewell (3)

Lawrence Whittaker (2.5) 17-19 Bob Thompson (9)

Richard Whiting (9) 1-26 Peter Moore (9)

 

Ashby 2–1 Nottingham

Arthur Rowe (4.5) 26-4 Gordon Hopewell (3)

Mick Haytack (9) 19-20 Bob Thompson (9)

Richard Sanville (10) 22-13 Peter Moore (9)

 

Final placings:

1st  Ashby (2 wins)

2nd  Nottingham (1 win)

3rd   Leicester (0 wins)

 

 

 

2009 RESULTS  Played at Nottingham on Saturday 8th August

 

Ashby have won the East Midlands 26-Point Association Croquet League for the second year running.  It was good to see the event contested by four clubs once again, making it more of a tournament than last year.  As so often happens in this competition, it went right down to the wire, with the overall outcome being decided by the result of the last game in the last match.

 

The Ashby team started well, winning the matches against Leicester and Woodhall Spa.  But in the final match against Nottingham, Derek and Richard failed to keep the momentum going and lost their games.  This meant that Nottingham had an unassailable lead in the match, and Nottingham and Ashby would end on two match-wins apiece, meaning that it would go down to the total number of games won.  With the final game between Geoff Ellott and Peter Moore still in progress well into the evening, the games-won score was currently 4-4, and a huge crowd (about a dozen people anyway) gathered to watch the thrilling climax, the players unaware that the game was so crucial.  Geoff managed to hold on to his lead when time was called, ensuring overall victory for Ashby.

 

Ashby win the league for the third time, and once again qualify for next season's Secretary's Shield.

 

FINAL PLACINGS

Matches won

Games won

1st

Ashby

2

5

2nd

Nottingham

2

4

3rd

Woodhall Spa

1

5

4th

Leicester

1

4

Ashby 2–1 Leicester

Mick Haytack (10) 26-5 Richard White (–1)

Derek Buxton (10) 19-26 Lawrence Whittaker (2.5)

Geoff Ellott (14) 26-5 Richard Whiting (9)

 

Ashby 2–1 Woodhall Spa

Mick Haytack (10) 17-26 Roy Ware (3.5)

Richard Sanville (10) 26-9 Patricia Duke-Cox (8)

Geoff Ellott (14) 26-15 John Norman (16)

 

Ashby 1–2 Nottingham

Derek Buxton (10) 23-26 Martin Beacon (3.5)

Richard Sanville (10) 7-26 Don Martin (7)

Geoff Ellott (14) 25-20 Peter Moore (16)

 

 

Other matches:

Nottingham 0–3 Woodhall Spa

Leicester 1–2 Nottingham

Woodhall Spa 1–2 Leicester

 

 

 

 

2008 RESULTS

Played at Nottingham on
Saturday 23rd August:  NOTTINGHAM 2 – 3 ASHBY.  Disappointingly, there were only two clubs taking part this year: Nottingham and Ashby, fielding a team of three players each.  Due to clashes with other events at Ripon and Pendle and a golf croquet league match at Moira, the Ashby team more or less decided itself this time – Jeremy, Geoff and Richard being the only three players available.  The Ashby team just managed to squeeze through by 3 games to 2, with two of our wins decided by just a +1 margin on time, so hardly a convincing victory!  The team now wins the mythical East Midlands 26-point Salver.  (Does this trophy really exist? Yes it does! The editor did catch a brief glimpse of the salver at the club AGM.  It will be formally presented at the Federation AGM.)

TEAMS
Nottingham: Roger Berkeley (4.5), Don Martin (8), David Woodhouse (12).
Ashby: Jeremy Staley (10), Richard Sanville (10), Geoff Ellott (16)

RESULTS
Roger & David 15-16 Richard & Geoff
Don 9-23 Jeremy
Roger 26-11 Jeremy
Don 26-8 Richard
David 19-20 Geoff
Match result: Nottingham 2 - 3 Ashby

 

2007 RESULTS

Played at Nottingham on
Saturday 25th August.  A slight change to the format this year, each match comprising three singles games (no doubles games this year).  Four clubs competed: Ashby, Leicester, Nottingham and Woodhall Spa.  Nottingham won all of their matches and therefore retained the trophy.

 

 

2006 RESULTS


Played at Nottingham on Saturday 22nd July:
  NOTTINGHAM 5 – 1 ASHBY. There were only two clubs taking part in the "league" this year – Nottingham and Ashby – so this year's event was played as a Longman Cup format, i.e. a team of four, each player getting two games, time limit 3 hrs 15 mins each.  The Ashby team of Tim King, Derek Buxton, Geoff Ellott and Marilyn Murray were beaten quite convincingly by a strong Nottingham side.  Unfortunately the stormy weather intervened before all the scheduled games were completed.  Congratulations to Nottingham who will represent the East Midlands Federation in the Secretary's Shield next year.

 

 

2005 RESULTS

Played on Saturday 16th July at Nottingham

After several years in which we finished a very close second or third, Ashby finally gets its name on the 26-point regional trophy with a clean sweep of victories in our matches against Nottingham, Woodhall Spa and Leicester. We had a squad of six players, allowing each person to play a singles game and a doubles game, and then sit out the third game - a tactic which seemed to work!

Our first match, against Nottingham, was a lot closer than the 3-0 scoreline suggests - two of the three games being decided by just one point after time was called - and in the end the results of these games proved to be pivotal to the outcome of the whole competition.

The trophy will be presented at the East Midlands Federation AGM in November.

The tournament success means that Ashby will now compete in next year's Secretary's Shield - a national tournament for the winning clubs of the regional tournaments.

RESULTS

Ashby v Nottingham
Derek Buxton (11) & Richard Sanville (12) 19-18 Roger Berkeley (6) & Michael Finnigan (11)
Tim King (7) 19-14 John Hansen (9)
Jeremy Staley (10) 21-20 William Gee (14)
Match result: Ashby 3 - 0 Nottingham

Ashby v Woodhall Spa
Tim King (7) & Jeremy Staley (10) 20-14 John Norman (20) & Bob Thompson (18)
Geoff Ellott (18) 26-3 Patricia Duke-Cox (10)
Marilyn Murray (20) 10-17 David Eckford (18)
Match result: Ashby 2 - 1 Woodhall Spa

Ashby v Leicester
Geoff Ellott (18) & Marilyn Murray (20) 18-13 David White (0.5) & Brian Kerr (3.5)
Derek Buxton (11) 26-0 Lawrence Whittaker (0)
Richard Sanville (12) 12-26 Richard Whiting (10)
Match result: Ashby 2 - 1 Leicester

Other matches:
Woodhall Spa 2 - 1 Leicester
Nottingham 2 - 1 Leicester
Nottingham 2 - 1 Woodhall Spa

Overall result:

1st

Ashby 

3 matches won 

2nd

Nottingham 

3rd

Woodhall Spa 

4th

Leicester 


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Page last updated 20/11/11