Club News 2015

General News

End of season club curry - 23rd November

The club's end of season dinner was held at Butler's Balti House in town and was well attended by around 20 members, as well as a number of the University of Sheffield Croquet Society. We were treated to an excellent set menu, and entertainment was provided through Club Secretary Evelyn, who conjured up a quiz that kept most of us guessing, including the curryhouse staff!

Thanks to all for turning up and looking forward to making this an annual event!

Success in external league matches recognised at YCF AGM - 15th November

We had an unprecedentedly successful 2015 season competing in the Yorkshire Croquet Federation, especially remarkable given this is only our 3rd full year of existence. This was recognised at the YCF AGM in November, with Maggie being presented with the Short Lawn League Trophy by YCF Chairman Anna Giraud, and Dennis lifting the YCF League 2 trophy.

Our Golf Croquet team of Alan (captain), Dennis, John, Pauline and Andy were unbeaten in all 5 matches, whilst our AC Short Lawn team of Adrian (captain), Mark, Andrew, Trevor, Alan and Maggie won 3 of our 4 matches and drew the other to take the trophy. Mark should get a special mention as he won all his games.

University of Sheffield Croquet Society established

SCC member and University of Sheffield student Jonny Simpson joined our club midway through the season and decided after a summer of play, to get an application in to university Students' Union to establish a student croquet club. This was approved in time for the start of the 2015/6 academic year and we have started to host their society sessions once a week at the weekends.

Since the beginning of the university year, there has been an excellent turnout of around a dozen students each session and Jonny has been showing them a mixture of GC and AC skills. We look forward to further interactions next season!

2015 Season start date

Our new season will start on Monday 30 March at 1:30pm. More information to follow soon.

External Competitions

YCF AC Short Lawn croquet league 2015 round up

We had a very enjoyable season and, whilst the sun didn't shine as often as it might have done (not to mention the occasional torrential downpour), it turned out to be a very successful one as well.

As always, the games were played in a very relaxed and friendly manner, but the Sheffield team still had the determination to win. Our opponents didn't quite get the hang of ‘crown green’ croquet at Bolehills as well as the Sheffield teams, and we managed to come out on top without losing any of our matches. To mitigate their disappointment, we made sure that we always put on a good spread for our opponents at lunchtime.

The bare facts show that we won four and tied one of the five matches, winning 40 of the 54 games played, ending the season as league champions. Our opponents were Huddersfield, Ryedale, Beverley, and two teams from York (Jorvik and Eboracum!). We appeared to play better in the doubles games, losing only 2 of the 14 games played, but still managed to win 70% of the singles games.

As last season, Maggie was our only ever-present player, amassing a total of 9 points for the team. I think she holds the record for the fastest victory - 30 minutes (although Mark came a close second). Trevor got our MVP award, being our highest scorer overall (with 10.5 points), finishing the season with a S/L handicap of +1, and still looking almost invincible. Despite all the wind and rain that seemed to follow him, Mark coolly won all his games, including two 14-0 victories - so it looks like a handicap reduction coming for him!

Adrian didn't do too badly either, losing only one of his games - in which he only managed to play a single shot with his red ball ! Andrew only played in a couple of matches (he always seemed to be on holiday). His low handicap meant he got no shots and had to peel a partner ball to win a game - which he managed successfully in half the games he played. Easy when you know how. Joe played in our first game before taking setting off for pastures new somewhere in the south of England (below Watford, anyway) where he has honed his skills and become a very accomplished player (with a F/L handicap of 9!).

We hope to recruit more AC players for 2016, and this would perhaps enable us to enter the Full- lawn league as well - if it's possible with only a single lawn. We might even let Eugene play for us then! Adrian

GC Yorkshire League Division 2 vs Brodsworth Hall (away) - 12th June

Once again the SCC team of Alan Jeavons (Captain), John Crossland, Andy Wright and Dennis Crossland set out on the 2015 campaign. The fields of Brodsworth were a little uneven and so the contest was conducted at close quarters. Sheffield took an early league winning both doubles but Brodsworth possibly taking advantage of recent coaching, came back in the first round of singles winning three to level the match.The visitors however managed to get to grips with the courts and style of play and proceeded to win most of the following singles to dominate the match. Brodsworth to their credit never gave up and took both doubles at the end of the match. Final score was Brodsworth 7 Sheffield 13.

GC Yorkshire League Division 2 vs Ben Rhydding B (away) - 5th June

Our first playing game in this season’s Yorkshire Golf League having already notched up a ‘win’ due to a walkover through Huddersfield’s inability to field a full team in an earlier match. It proved to be a good start and a convincing 15-5 victory for our team of Alan Jeavons (Captain), John Crossland, Andy Wright and Dennis Crossland. The team were less convinced through the day though having to give 75 extra turns away in the match to fairly experienced players and many games were won with tight margins. The match was played however in a good spirit and with the weather set fair and the setting just outside Ilkey it proved an enjoyable day.

Next game is away to Brodsworth on the 12th June.

Short lawn AC match vs Beverly (home)

Our team of Maggie, Trevor and Joe played against Beverly on Sunday 10 May, drawing the match overall.

2015 AC/GC One Ball Hybrid Competition Report - 5th September

Eugene ran a one day AC/GC One Ball Hybrid event aimed at all club members and newcomers to the game, with the idea of introducing some of the club's GC only playing members to some rules of Association Croquet. The rules of the one ball hybrid game consists of a one-ball match with roquet, croquet and continuation rules plus wiring lifts known in AC, but using a GC scoring system so that each hoop is always being contested at any point (the traditional AC game can become very non-interactive). The format of the day was a modified Egyptian Ladder accounting for the half lawns that were in use.

The day was well attended by around 12-14 players including a number of first timers, and the weather smiled on us all day! Alan and Eugene spent much of the day in the lead but were eventually pipped to the post by Andy, who belied his high handicap to win the event and the bottle of wine (that's two wins from two internal tournaments).

See below for a selection of photographs from the day.

Internal Competitions

SCC Member Watch

May roundup

Club member Eugene took part in the International Player Development Squad (IPDS) Mentored Match Weekend over 16/17 May, playing against other members of the IPDS, members of the Great Britain squad and a team of the best UK-based female AC players (who were looking to warm up ahead of the Women's AC World Championship in July). There was a strong field of players present, ranging from the UK no.17 (world no. 34) downwards, with 14 of the 16 players being minus handicap players.

Eugene was also in action at the AC Inter-Counties Croquet Championship over the late May bank holiday weekend, representing Middlesex in Division 1.

Surbiton Easter Handicap success

Club members Eugene and Joe recently competed in the Surbiton Easter AC Handicap tournament. Joe was playing in his first CA tournament and won 4 games out of 5, earning a handicap reduction to 14 and narrowly missing out on a maiden tournament win. Joe finished 3rd on net hoops.