Ealing Croquet Club

By Ron Carter

Scores are available on www.CroquetScores NOW!

Sean steals the “C” Level with a fabulous finish in the Final of the “C” Level against Jon Carrington. After falling 4-0 behind, with a couple of sensational long-range clearances, Sean clawed back into contention against the highest ranked player to level the match 5-5 at hoop 10. Jon was poised to run 11 from short range when Sean threaded a clean angled 12-yard winner from the boundary line to get ahead for the first time in the game. Jon took 12, leaving Sean first shot to 13, and favourite to win. With no regard at all for the spectators’ nerves, Sean played his approach disastrously short still behind the hoop: advantage Jon, who proceeded to place both his balls in position to run the hoop. A couple of clearances later, and Jon still had a ball poised to run 13 from 3 yards. So Sean just runs the hoop from the boundary! An angled 8-yard hoop under pressure in a Final on 13, with no thought of going for the easier clearance, and HE MADE IT! Pure larceny.
2 “C” Level winners for Ealing in a week!

NOW could Tony Elliott win the “B” level for the third time in a row, against 15 other tough “B” level competitors, including surging Simon Turner in only his second “B” level event. Sadly not: Tony, David Graham and Simon all wilted in the heat, with tournament favourites Kim Taylor and Ian Rees progressing through to the knock-out from Block “A”. Andrew Fall, with 4 wins from 5, easily headed Block “B”, having turned over the only fast lady in the field, Ealing’s Bridget Goodman, in Round 1. Bridget needed and got her third win to push Raghu Iver out of the knock-out stages, and scrap her way into the Semi-final against Kim Taylor. Whilst Andrew rapidly dispatched Ian Rees in the other semi, Bridget battled her way past Kim on the 13th to make the final.
Parity at hoop 10 gave Bridget the chance to run 11 first, where she jawsed her ball, only to be jumped by Andrew 6-5, who then took advantage of the hampered jawsed ball to finish the final 7-5. Only later did Bridget realise that she’d conceded 11 to Andrew’s jump shot without noticing that her jawsed ball had been, just, promoted through by the jumping ball. Congratulations to Andrew, a regular at this event for many years, with only one loss all day, and the first non-Ealing winner since 2018. The plate was won by Steve Fisher, who found his form after 3 straight losses to take 4 wins.

Many thanks to all the helpers, notably Carole and Simon on Wednesday, and Charlie and Wendy on Thursday. Bean ‘n’ Scone catered expertly, and supplied well-timed ice creams.

The lawns not only played well, and significantly faster both days in the sunshine, that all the home players took more time to adjust than the visitors.