Enfield Defeat Wrest Park in GC Open League
Friday 4 September
Enfield beat Wrest Park 11–7 at home.
Thomas Halliday Wins Chairman’s Cup
Thursday 3 September
The tournament format was four blocks of four, played using the advantage handicap target scores system, which the EACF will use next
year.
The winners of the four blocks were Ian Moore, Patrick Beecham, Clay Charles and Liz Pallace. Unfortunately, Clay had to withdraw,
with his place in the semi-finals being taken by Thomas, who had lost to Clay by just one hoop in their group.
In the semi-finals, Ian beat Patrick, while Thomas defeated Liz.
The final between Ian and Thomas went down to the final hoop, with Thomas emerging as the winner of the Chairman’s Cup and Ian the
worthy runner-up.
Well done to everyone who took part in the tournament. It was a very enjoyable day for both players and
spectators.
Enfield East Lose to Meldreth in the GC Handicap League
Tuesday 1 September
Enfield East were defeated 7–3 in their away match against Meldreth.
Enfield Draw 10–10 at Newport in GC Open League
Thursday 27 August
Enfield drew 10–10 in their away match against Newport. Enfield scored 117 hoops to Newport's 114.
Enfield West Beat Letchworth in GC Handicap League
Monday 24 August
West beat Letchworth 8–2 at home. Jagruti Gandhi and Graham Curtis won all their singles games. Jagruti now joins Graham on a
handicap of 6.
Finchley Victoria Defeat Enfield East in GC Handicap League
Monday 17 August – Colin Bateman
Enfield East played Finchley Victoria away in the GC Handicap League Central Area. Our team was Andrew Yianni, Colin Bateman, Frank
Palmer and Suzanne Twomey.
We played on two lawns which were fairly green. One was a standard croquet lawn, the other was a bowling green where croquet was
allowed only for league matches. We took extra care with the jump shots on the bowling lawn, so as not to damage the grass. The hoops on the bowling lawn were slightly different, again so as not to
damage the grass.
Both teams had similar total handicaps, 34 and 35, so it came down to winning the hoops.
We started well in the doubles, winning both by 7–5 to take a 2–0 lead.
In the first round of singles, Finchley Victoria won three singles against our one, making the overall score 3–3.
In the second round of singles, Finchley Victoria again won three singles against our one, making the overall score
6–4.
In the third round of singles, Finchley Victoria won three singles against our one, making the overall score 9–5.
In the fourth round of singles, Enfield East needed to win all four singles to get a 9–9 draw.
We only managed to win two singles, so the final score was 11–7 to Finchley Victoria.
Hoop scores: Finchley Victoria 102, Enfield East 84.
Our team spirit was excellent, but unfortunately we fell short in the singles matches.
Afterwards, our excellent hosts provided us with tea, homemade carrot cake and blueberry cake, which were
delicious.
Finchley Victoria have not lost a match in the league this year, winning three matches and drawing two, so they are likely to win the
Central Area League.
Enfield Finish Runners-Up in GC 3+ League
Monday 17 August – Colin Carver
Enfield B-level played their last match of the season at home to Letchworth.
The team of Colin Carver, Nigel Owen, Graham Curtis and Rob Havill did extremely well to secure a 16–2 match win. Ian Perry of
Letchworth came into his own after lunch with wins over both Colin and Nigel. Graham & Rob were both undefeated all day and on +13 hoops for their singles. So another man of the match for Rob as
a higher handicap than Graham.
The team finish runners-up in the league to Watford by a single point (8–7).
Letchworth Defeat Enfield East in GC Handicap League
Tuesday 11 August – Colin Bateman
Our team was Colin Carver, Andrew Yianni, Colin Bateman and Frank Palmer.
Letchworth's two lawns were fairly green, thanks to an underground watering system. This meant we had to adapt to slightly slower
lawns compared with our fast, dry lawns.
Our team had a lower combined handicap than Letchworth, meaning they needed fewer hoops to win.
After the doubles, the overall score was 1–1.
In the first round of singles, Letchworth won three games to our one, making the overall score 4–2.
In the second round of singles, Letchworth again won three games to our one. The overall score was now 7–3.
In the third round of singles, both teams won two games each, making the overall score 9–5.
In the fourth round of singles, Enfield East needed to win all four games to secure a draw. Unfortunately, we only managed to win
two, giving Letchworth an 11–7 victory.
The overall hoop scores were Letchworth 99, Enfield East 101.
Colin Carver was our best player, winning three of his four singles.
Rob Havill Claims Sheila Rudling Trophy in Close Contest
Thursday 6 August – Kim Taylor
16 players assembled for an extravaganza of level play croquet. We were blessed with a sunny but breezy day – perfect weather for a
day of croquet. The day suffered from poor (amateurish) scheduling, but picked up momentum. All the matches were surprisingly competitive, and played in good spirit. Pleasingly, many of the new
members acquitted themselves well. Top of the class was Liz Pallace. Mike Bartlett and Carol Wilcox were unlucky to lose two games on golden hoop, Nigel Pallace recovered after a nightmare start, and
Lynda Pearson pushed her opponents hard – all the newbies battled hard and we look forward to them ripping it up in ladder league and joining the teams in years to come.
The big beasts – Jagruti Gandhi, Frank Palmer, Rob Havill and Colin Bateman – were seeded in different groups, but the competition
was fierce and only Colin managed three victories. Rob had an early scare, losing 7–2 to Chris Twomey, after which he bucked up his ideas, and enacted savage vengeance upon the Sues (Bateman and
Gillett). Plucky but lucky Little Colin, drained by his heroics the previous day as Captain for Enfield East, hobbled his way through a couple of golden hoops, and was fortunate to survive Patrick
Beecham missing an angled two-footer, and Carol going the wrong side on approaching the golden hoop. Suzanne Twomey bested Frank on the golden hoop and Mary Grove upset the form book by beating
frontrunner Jagruti 7–5 and progressing at her expense.
Suzanne, Chris, Sue Gillett, Laurence Hughes, Jagruti and Liz all amassed two victories, causing a lot of head scratching and
arithmetic, but superior hoop difference set up two sizzling smack-downs: Frank v Rob, and Mary v Colin. Rob won 7–5, coolly dispatching our venerable chairman. He has lately complemented his
Howitzer clearances with long hoop runs, control and crafty positioning, adding nuance and guile to his arsenal. In the other semi-final Mary couldn’t sustain her giant-killing and succumbed
4–7.
The Winning Shot
So to the tantalising final, a clash of cultures; Little Colin’s neat positioning and immaculate hoop running versus Rob’s thunderous
swings and devastating clearing. It was nip and tuck most of the way, but Colin was flagging after Wednesday’s exertions, and a momentary brain freeze gave Rob the victory
7–5.
Andrew Yianni’s two-year reign of terror was ended, and we entered the Havill era.
The overall standard of croquet was commendably high, and there are a few stars in the making. Hopefully everyone enjoyed
themselves.
Thanks to Brian Dawes, Jean Dawes, Gillian Porter and David Frost for their hard work.
Enfield East Draw with Newport at Home in GC Handicap League
Wednesday 5 August – Colin Bateman
Our team was Andrew Yianni, Frank Palmer, Colin Bateman and Suzanne Twomey.
Both teams were evenly matched on handicap. We began with the doubles.
Andrew and Frank narrowly lost 7–6 on the golden hoop, while Suzanne, playing her first team match, partnered Colin to win their
doubles. The overall score was 1–1.
In the first round of singles, both teams won two games each, so overall the score was 3–3.
In the second round of singles, both teams again won two games each, so overall the score was 5–5.
In the third round of singles, Enfield East won three out of four games, making the overall score 8–6.
It came down to the last round of singles. Frank came back to win his game 7–6 on the golden hoop. Newport, however came good and won
the other 3 singles, making the final match score 9–9 a draw. Hoop scores Enfield East 102 and Newport 93.
Congratulations must go to Suzanne for winning 2 out of 4 singles and her doubles.
Thanks also to Colin Carver and Sue Bateman for helping the team set up before the match. It was a great team effort by
everyone.
Newport Edge Out Enfield West in GC Handicap League
Thursday 30 July
Enfield West suffered a narrow 10–8 defeat away to Newport after a closely contested match in which both opening doubles went to the
golden hoop.
Graham Curtis and Rob Havill raced into a 5–0 lead against Kevin Lacey and Peter Ménage, only for Newport to recover and claim a 7–6
victory. Nigel Owen and Patrick Beecham were also taken to the deciding hoop, where Rod George and Brenda Baker edged another 7–6 win.
The opening round of singles brought just one point for Enfield, courtesy of Rob. However, the visitors responded strongly in the
second round, winning three of the four games to reduce the deficit to 6–4 at lunch.
The afternoon singles were evenly shared, with each side winning four games across the final two rounds. That left Newport with a
narrow 10–8 victory.
Enfield Lose Out to Visitors Wrest Park in AC Beds & Herts League
Monday 20 July
In the first round of doubles, Wrest Park's George Collin opened with a 10-ball break on his second turn against Enfield's Michael Broadway and Nigel Owen.
Despite some unforced errors – including an air-shot and a hoop run the wrong way – the Enfield pair clawed their way back to level at 14–all, only to fall behind again at 14–15. In the closing
minutes, though, they found a few crucial hoops to close it out and win 17–15.
David Frost and Colin Carver lost their doubles game 12–19.
In the singles, Michael and George were tied when time was called, with Michael edging it 22–21 on the golden
hoop.
Wrest Park won all the other singles games, taking the overall match 4–2.
Enfield Victorious at Letchworth in AC Beds & Herts League
Wednesday 15 July – Thomas Halliday
News from the road, as Enfield's AC team beat Letchworth 4–2 thanks to our higher-handicap players, Nigel Owen and Colin Carver. We
won both doubles with David Frost in great form partnering Colin, and with Nigel and Thomas pulling off seven- and ten-hoop breaks respectively. Letchworth 0–2 Enfield.
David's form petered out towards the end of the doubles and never returned during the singles. My match against John Noble was a very
swingy affair, going this way and that. Had my penultimate shot run about 18 inches further, I might have won, but falling short allowed him to win 26–23. At this point, the score at 2–2, I had to
leave.
I didn't see any of Colin's game, but Nigel was progressing bit by bit keeping an advantage over Stuart Haggett. Later, I was sent a
message to say that Colin and Nigel had both won, getting us over the line with two wins from two.
The Lads Leave It Late at Leighton Linslade in GC 3+ League
Monday 13 July – Colin Carver
The lads (Colin Carver, Nigel Owen, Brian Dawes & Rob Havill) travelled to Leighton Linslade on Monday 13 July for the fourth
round of the GC 3+ Level Play League.
The scorching weather of late was replaced by dark clouds and strong winds. The clouds soon disappeared but the wind stayed keeping
the temperature pleasant.
The first round of doubles was soon over.
2–0 to Leighton.
The first round of singles was more to the lads' liking with only some impressive long hooping by David Ball, leading to a 7–6 win
over Nigel, preventing the clean sweep.
3–all.
Leighton soon bounced back in round three.
6–4 to Leighton at lunch.
The Enfield lads avoided the usual after-lunch collapse by halving the next round.
8–6 to Leighton.
So on to the last round of singles. Brian & Rob soon won their games on Lawn 2. An impressive win for Rob against their number
one Bill Ironside (handicap 3) 7–2. Each lawn had a couple of Leighton members scoring with flip boards, so the scores were easily known to everyone.
Colin's in-off gives him the win
Nigel took the win over Jean Ball to leave the match result depending on Colin v Carol Bailey (handicap 10).
Colin was struggling and wondering if Carol would ever miss a clearance. She had also beaten Brian in round three. Hoops were traded
to 5–all, with Colin unable to gauge the speed between the slow green areas and fast yellow patches.
However, a couple of quick hoops to Colin gave him the win.
10–8 to Enfield – the only time they led but the most important one.
So a great victory which was celebrated with homemade cakes and tea with our excellent hosts for the day.
Man of the match must go to Rob who won 3 of his 4 singles (as did Brian) and demonstrated to the low-handicap members of the team how the games should be
played.
Enfield Push League Leaders Northampton All the Way in GC Open League
Wednesday 8 July – Thomas Halliday
A hard and very hot day away at Northampton today. We came within a hoop of a famous draw with the league leaders who have beaten all
comers so far. Unfortunately my boundary jump at the deciding hoop with the match score at 9-8 was slightly too low. Northampton 10–8 Enfield.
Enfield West Draw With Finchley Victoria in GC Handicap League
Monday 6 July
Enfield West recorded their third draw in four matches, alongside one win, with two rounds of the league season remaining.
Clockmakers Strike Gold in Inter-Livery Golf Croquet Competition
Saturday 27 June
Enfield Croquet Club member Michael Broadway and his fellow member of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, Mark Green, won the
Inter-Livery Golf Croquet Competition, organised annually by the Worshipful Company of Glovers and held at Southwick Croquet Club.
The Clockmakers were making their debut in the competition and competed in the premier event, the Glover's Cup. Michael and Mark
enjoyed an excellent day, winning five of their six games before defeating the Fruiterers' pair of Henry Bryant and Chris Newenham in the final to claim the title.
David Frost Successfully Defends 2-Shot GC Title
Thursday 2 July – Thomas Halliday
Congratulations to David, who yesterday won (for the second time) the 2-Shot GC competition, beating me 5–3 in the final and being
unbeaten all day.
Divided into four blocks of four, there were some upsets in the early rounds, with both Twomeys playing very well to knock out
higher-seeded players. Chris won his block, defeating Colin Carver, Brian Dawes, and Sue Gillett, while Suzanne defeated Michael Broadway and Frank Palmer to progress as a runner-up behind David. In
the quarterfinals, three of the block winners – Kim Taylor, David, and I – won to progress to the semis. At 4–4 in the fourth quarterfinal between Chris and Graham Curtis, Chris had only just failed
to run the winning hoop, with his ball about 75% of the way through. Graham managed to clear him out of the hoop with his first shot and some distance away with the second, taking control of the hoop
to win 5–4.
In the semifinals, Kim and David tightly contested every hoop in one of the closest games of the day, but David's controlled approach
to the deciding hoop was the difference. Graham took a 4–3 lead against me with some excellent long clearances, but I managed to eventually pull through 5–4 in a game that could have gone either
way.
The final was a little more one-sided. Apart from a sequence of shots to win the second and third hoops that I was very pleased with,
David was fully in control, and deserved to defend his 2-Shot crown.
Enfield East Defeat Spirited Barnet in GC Handicap League
Friday 19 June – Kim Taylor
On Tuesday, it looked as though Colin C would be taking on Barnet single-handedly. A motley crew was therefore hastily press-ganged into action: a conclave of Colins
(Carver and Bateman), King Frank Palmer, and Kim. Their opponents included Dangerous Dave Hill, formerly of this parish, and Nicky Mack, recent winner of the 7+ tournament at Wrest Park.
Little Colin and Kim struggled to stay in front of the hoops on the quick lawns, and Dave Hill sniped them away at will. Colin wasn’t hooping, Kim wasn’t clearing or
jumping, and they lost rather tamely, 5–7. Conversely, the dream team of Big Colin and Frank were smoother than a lubricated eel on a waterslide and cruised to a 7–2 thrashing.
In the singles, Kim swiftly bageled Dave but couldn’t catch Nicky, who missed her clearance yet squeaked through the hoop from the boundary in somewhat fortuitous
fashion. After a shaky rollover in his first match, Frank flexed and Nicky crumbled. Spring chicken Frank (86) then defeated sprightly Kico Cosa (90) 7–4.
Big Colin was grovelling through hoops, shorn of his usual fluency and panache – even elite players have wobbles. Instead he relied on canny tactics to beat Dave and
Roger Turner. Again, Nicky proved too much. Man of the Match Colin B won all his singles, including another bageling, and kept his nerve in a tense golden-hoop battle with Dave. Unencumbered by a
rubbish doubles partner, Little Colin once again demonstrated his peerless ability at Advantage and conquered all before him. Chapeau!
With ECC leading 10–4, the captains decided not to play the final round and instead concentrate on carrot cake. Bosh! Job done. Eastside forever!
Thanks to Barnet, our spirited opponents, and special thanks to Colin B for rearranging his schedule, and to Frank for soldiering on through discomfort and
heat.
A plea to any ECC members who aren’t yet playing in the teams: if you get a call-up, give it a go – you’ll enjoy it.
Murphy Shield Exit After Tough Away Match at Leighton‑Linslade
Monday 15 June – Thomas
Halliday
A tough away match at Leighton-Linslade today in the Murphy Shield. The lawns were very slow – the council mows their lawn and last did it a week ago. To give you an
idea of how slow, I was simply unable to clear an opponent more than about 20 yards.
The morning went fully against us. David Frost and I lost the doubles 7–6 7–6 against Bill Ironside and Judith Pengelly, Andrew Yianni lost to David Ball, and although
Nigel Owen went 6–0 up in the first game, and eventually won that game, he lost in three to Rose Gillett.
We needed a clean sweep of the afternoon matches, and although Nigel beat David Ball and I beat Bill Ironside, both in straight games, David and Andrew lost their
singles matches.
We are therefore eliminated from the Murphy Shield, losing 5 matches to 2.
Enfield West Defeat Meldreth in GC Handicap League
Friday 12 June
The home side – represented by Nicola Hyde, Nigel Owen, Rob Havill, and Patrick Beecham – could not have asked for a stronger start.
Enfield dominated the opening exchanges, sweeping both of the initial doubles matches before marching through the first round of four singles to establish a commanding 6–0 lead.
Faced with a steep hill to climb, Meldreth found their form in the afternoon and fought back valiantly, winning the majority of the
remaining singles games. However, Enfield’s early lead proved too much to overturn. A standout performance came from Rob Havill, who was the only player on the day to win all of his games. Thanks to
his unbeaten run and great composure from the hosts, the home team held their nerve to protect their advantage, closing out an 11–7 win.
Enfield Secures First GC Open League Victory Over
Watford
Wednesday 10 June – Thomas Halliday
Well. When Watford come to play in the GC Open League, we consider it to be a visit from our big local rivals. Whether they view it that way or not is not clear, as
until today, we've never beaten them in this competition. We got close four years ago, when a downpour flooded our club and ended a match prematurely at 9–9, but in a game with our best against their best, we've
generally come up second.
We shared the doubles, with Kim Taylor and Colin Carver taking things carefully and tactically to beat England international Nick Archer (-2) and veteran Arthur Reed
(2), who told me today that he once played against someone who dined with Disraeli. (When he was about 18, he played a woman in her 90s – born about 1865 – whose parents were friends with Disraeli.)
David Frost and I were summarily taken apart by Hong Kong's finest, Eddie Chung (0) and Simon 'Big Dog' Hathrell (1), who couldn't miss.
Simon then thrashed me in the singles, for a 2–1 lead for Watford.
But that proved to be the low point of the day. Although Nick bettered Kim with a late surge, David saw off Eddie and Colin beat Arthur to leave us at
3–3, just as the rain began to
fall.
There then followed something of a miracle spell of play – 10 games in a row with Enfield winning, running hoops and clearing from everywhere, while Watford struggled
with even getting in position. The only further loss of the day came from Colin against Nick, who is shortly to go to the Home Internationals with England – hardly a shameful defeat! Captain David
was unbeaten in singles.
A 14–4
victory against the defending league champions, our first-ever victory over Watford in this event, and such an emphatic one, is exciting for our prospects. Next up, Wrest Park come visiting later
this month, before we go to perennial contenders Northampton for a crucial away tie.
David Frost Wins Close Run One Ball Tournament
Thursday 4 June
After the recent heatwave, the weather returned to its more familiar English character – a high of 19°C and scattered showers. Interruptions to play were brief, and
the day was pleasant enough overall.
Thanks are due to Thomas Halliday, who set up the scoresheet and rota and got us all started before having to leave for work commitments.
After seven rounds of handicap one-ball, debutant Colin Bateman and veteran David Frost were level on six wins apiece. The tie was broken on who beat whom: Colin's
sole defeat had come against David, and so David Frost was declared the winner.
Enfield Recover from Slow Start to Win at Northampton in GC 3+
League
Wednesday 27 May
The Enfield team of Colin Carver, Nigel Owen, Andrew Yianni and Graham Curtis travelled to Northampton for this GC 3+ League fixture.
With an aggregate handicap of 19 compared with Northampton’s 25, Enfield started as slight favourites on paper.
However, the match began poorly for the visitors, with Enfield losing both opening doubles. From that point on, though, the team responded strongly, producing a series
of solid performances to turn the contest around and establish a 6–4 lead by lunchtime.
Enfield maintained that momentum throughout the afternoon session, continuing to edge the singles contests and ultimately securing an 11–7 victory.
Colin Carver Wins High-Bisquers AC Tournament at
Blewbury
Saturday 23, Sunday 24 May – David Long
Colin (R) Receives Trophy From David Long
A gloriously sunny Bank Holiday weekend saw just 6 competitors battling it out for this year’s Hi-Bisquers trophy: Carol Jamieson & David Long represented Blewbury
against Charles Briggs & Neil George (both Caversham), Colin Carver (Enfield), and Graham Brookshank (Cheltenham). Apart from Colin (on a 16 handicap) and Carol (on 20), everyone else was on the
competition’s minimum handicap of 14.
With time for an all-play-all league, draws were allowed to keep the competition running smoothly. After 3 matches on the first day, Carol had a clear lead with 2 wins
and a draw. Three players were behind her on 1 win and a draw (yes, two of the 9 games played had been draws, and others very tight – vindicating the match format of 18-point games played to a base
of 4).
Going into the last match, only two players could win the tournament, fittingly the two highest bisquers: Carol was still the player to beat, with one victory more
than Colin. But Carol’s previous form deserted her as she lost 11–14 to Charles, while Colin slowly overhauled David to a 13–8 victory. 3.5 wins each, and let’s see, what were the stated tie-break criteria?
First was who-beat-whom… but the first-round match between Colin and Carol had been one of the draws (15–15). The competition result would hinge on total hoops scored: prior to that last match, the pair
had been equal on that too, with 62 hoops apiece. So Colin’s last two hoops against David proved decisive, and won him the trophy.
Enfield West Draw Against Barnet in GC Handicap
League
Monday 21 May
Enfield West travelled to Barnet, coming away with another draw.
Representing Enfield were Nicola Hyde, Graham Curtis and Rob Havill, who faced former Enfield member Dave Hill, alongside Nicola Mack and Adam
Pyrke. The match proved evenly contested throughout, with the final score five games each. Enfield West did, however, have a slightly
better scoring fraction percentage.
Watford Win Out in Closely Fought GC 3+ Clash
Monday 18 May – Colin Carver
Colin Carver, Nigel Owen, Brian Dawes and Rob Havill played the home match against our arch rivals Watford.
On paper Watford held a very slight advantage with a handicap total of 19 against Enfield's 20 and unfortunately that proved to be the case. The opening doubles were
halved before Enfield took 3 of the first round of singles. The second singles round was halved to give Enfield a 6–4 advantage at lunch.
Whether it was the famous Enfield après lunch collapse or a brief period of rain, but Watford took all 4 games of the
next round which proved decisive. With the final singles round and reverse doubles being halved, Watford closed out a narrow
victory 11–9 (111 v 107 hoops).
David Barnicoat and Andrew Yianni Win GC Handicap
Doubles
Thursday 7 May
A very enjoyable day for the second internal tournament of the season – great fun – lovely weather – and the result was a win for David Barnicoat and Andrew Yianni
with Colin Carver and Gillian Porter finishing runners-up.
The day also produced a strong contender for the club’s longest-ever game. Kim Taylor and Rob Havill faced Sue Bateman and Angela Clay in a marathon contest lasting 2
hours and 20 minutes.
With a starting score of -4:0, no time limit in place and some uncharacteristically wayward play from the lower-handicapped side, the match developed into an epic encounter. In the end, Kim
and Rob prevailed 7–5.
Enfield Beat Watford in Season Opener of AC Beds & Herts League
Friday 1 May – Thomas Halliday
It was so, so hot today – perhaps the humidity. We needed Air Conditioning not Association Croquet.
Watford came to visit in the opener of the Beds and Herts League – always a good rivalry – and we were all struggling with conditions. Almost all of us, anyway. Nigel
Owen played a blinder in both doubles and singles, helping me to a +21 doubles win before going on to win +25 in the singles over Adam Huby. David Frost and Colin Carver also won their doubles in
style, +19.
I was playing Andre Machell in the singles. We traded small breaks and, for a while, it looked like Andre was going to edge home, but I had a good long hit in to seize
the innings, and from there pulled off a seven hoop break to win +3.
David's match against Geoff Johnson and Colin's against Eddie Chung went to time, with lawn 3 being particularly difficult today. Colin finished with an 11-hoop break
to win 20–8, while Geoff and David
finished 15–15 on time. No draws allowed,
so on to a deciding hoop – first to score wins, as long as it takes.
David hit in from a tricky position, then came down to his hoop, roqueting yellow on the non-playing side. His backward take-off was slightly to the side, but only a
yard out, and he ran the hoop to seal a 16–15 win in the game, and a 6–0 win in the match!
Enfield KO'd by Surbiton in GC Inter-Club Championship Tier 1
Monday 27 April
Enfield travelled to Surbiton for Round 1 of this knockout competition, comprising seven rubbers of best-of-three level-play games.
Kim Taylor took England international Stephen Mulliner to 6-all in the deciding game. With Mulliner's ball sitting two yards in front of hoop 13, Kim had a golden
opportunity to win the golden hoop. He took his shot. The ball flew through the hoop. It was, heartbreakingly, his opponent's ball.
David Frost also reached the deciding hoop of the deciding game against an England international – Alison Maugham, only to fall 6–7 at the final hurdle.
Colin Carver and Thomas Halliday completed the side, with Thomas claiming Enfield's only rubber win.
The final score of 6–1 looks one-sided, but the match was much closer than those numbers suggest. Our handicaps summed to +6 against Surbiton's -4.
Two More Draws for Enfield in GC Handicap League
Friday 24 April
Enfield West, fielding David Frost, Nigel Owen, Graham Curtis and Patrick Beecham, were evenly matched throughout by Enfield East comprising Thomas Halliday, Colin
Carver, Andrew Yianni and Frank Palmer, resulting in a 9–9 draw.
Both teams will be pleased to be off the mark, and with neither side yet beaten, an unbeaten run remains a possibility for both.
Enfield Draw Against Wrest Park in GC 3+ League
Tuesday 21 April
Enfield's team of Nigel Owen, Nicola Hyde and Graham Curtis hosted Wrest Park in what proved to be a closely contested match.
Wrest Park made a strong start, taking both the doubles and singles in the opening round. In the second round Enfield won the doubles and Wrest Park the singles,
however in the third round Enfield won both the doubles and the singles to level the match three games all.
The intensity of these hard-fought exchanges had, however, left the match running behind schedule. After a quick lunch, both sides agreed to impose a time limit on the
remaining games (which were all completed within time).
Rounds four and five maintained the tight pattern, each yielding one win per side, meaning everything came down to the sixth and final round. Nigel and Nicola rose to
the occasion, winning their doubles 7–5
to set the stage for a dramatic conclusion.
Graham contests hoop 12 to level the match
It fell to Graham to take on Wrest Park's top seed George Collin, with the overall result hanging on
the outcome. Finding himself 5–6 down, Graham dug deep to win hoop 12 and force a golden hoop decider. In a tense clearing battle, George edged it for Wrest Park – leaving the match honours shared at six games each.
David Frost Wins Wrest Park GC A-Level Series
Tournament
Saturday 18, Sunday 19 April
David and Colin Carver represented Enfield at the Wrest Park GC A-Level Series Tournament, which attracted a strong field of 16 players, split into two blocks of
eight.
Both players were drawn in the same block. David produced a consistent performance in the qualifying stage to finish second and progress to the main knockout, while
Colin placed sixth, moving into the plate competition.
All matches throughout the event were played as best-of-three games. David continued his fine form in the knockout rounds, advancing to the final where he faced Les
Heard. In a closely fought and high-quality match, David edged the match 7–6, 3–7, 7–6 to secure the title and qualify for the national final.
Enfield’s GC Open Campaign Begins with Convincing Win
Wednesday 15 April
Enfield launched their competitive season in style with a home victory over Leighton-Linslade, recording an impressive 14–4
win.
It was a strong all-round team performance, with David Frost leading the way by finishing the day unbeaten. Colin Carver, Kim Taylor and Thomas Halliday all performed
well but were unable to overcome Leighton’s top player, John Watson, who was in excellent form. Leighton’s other success came from their number two, Judith Hand, who secured a 7–2 win.
Thomas Halliday Wins Season Opening Tournament
Thursday 2 April
Lunchtime at the 10-10
The club’s opening 10-10 Golf Croquet Doubles Tournament proved to be a resounding success, with a record turnout of 22 players and a small
group of spectators who came along to enjoy the occasion. It was fantastic to see all lawns in full use throughout the day, setting a lively and encouraging tone for the season ahead.
The weather played its part too. Although the morning began a little overcast, the sun made a welcome appearance by lunchtime and stayed with us for most of the
afternoon, adding to the enjoyment of the event.
The competition itself was both friendly and keenly contested. Congratulations go to Thomas, who not only organised the tournament superbly but also emerged as the
winner – purely coincidental of course! Colin Carver secured second place, with Chris Twomey finishing third. Well done to all three for their excellent performances.
A special thank you goes to Gillian Porter for ensuring everyone was so well catered for during the day. The excellent refreshments were very much appreciated by
all.
Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable event and a perfect way to open the new season. Thank you to everyone who took part and contributed to such a successful
day.
Enfield Croquet Club
The Winning Shot
Colin's in-off gives him the win
Colin (R) Receives Trophy From David Long
Graham contests hoop 12 to level the match
Lunchtime at the 10-10
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