Ealing hosted a friendly croquet match with West London Bowls Club on Sunday 6 September, which went extremely well. The players were mostly beginners from both clubs, and the event was a great opportunity for our newer members to get used to match conditions.
They soon got the hang of the Target Advantage system, and the lawn-side number displays worked particularly well. The games were very close, with two game being decided on time: 87.5% to 85.7%, with each side winning one*.
Three rounds, totalling 12 doubles games, were played. The heat made the third round particularly challenging, but everyone battled through and completed all their games. They were then rewarded with well-earned tea and cakes!
The final score was a win for WLBC, 6 games to 5, with one draw.
The Ealing Team comprised:
1) Colin Hinsley & Jane Pepe. 2) Paul Egan & Shumin Sillet. 3) Hitesh Patel & Mieko Egan. 4) Simon Cockshutt & David Graham / Christine Mason (one game).
Many thanks to everyone who played, and also to those who helped rig and de-rig the lawns. Their help really kept everything running to schedule. A special thanks to David, who was our official photographer and also kindly stepped in to play for the team. Thanks also to Lindy for providing the rules briefings, refereeing, and helping to ensure the games ran to time.
WLBC enjoyed the event so much that they have invited us to play in West London on Sunday 27th September.
Report: Tom Hartwell
* The percentage rule is used to decide the outcome of games that go to time. In the example, the score was 7-6 on time in a game where one team needed eight hoops and the other needing seven, so each team needing to score one more hoop to win when time ran out. That resulted in 7/8 and 6/7, hence the percentage – simple really!
Photographs: David Graham
