Mark Ormerod continued his strong run this year by winning The Badger with a convincng 5/5 wins, with John Reddish the runner up on 2/4. The Ormerod home must now be short of space for silverware having won both the Elsie King and Ayling cups earlier this year. In practice three of the wins were very close (+3, +1T, +1T) so it was less one-sided than the scoreline would suggest- well done to Mark for holding his nerve with these close games.

Mark Ormerod being presented with The Badger by Michael Goodman

8 players played on both days with 3 others doing one day only. James Benson was playing in his first ever tournament and was unlucky that his first opponent was Simon Whiteley on strong form- who took his first ball to Rover on turn 3 and eventually won +13, conceding 7 bisques. James recovered to win his next game, and was one of Mark’s close matches for the third.

James Benson in play

Full results are:

Mark Ormerod 5/5, John Reddish 2/5, Ray Hall 2/2, Ed Brookfield, Julian Stair 1/2, Simon Gibbs 2/5, James Benson, Rob Burns, Michael Blair 1/3,  Simon Whiteley 1/4,  David Collins 0/1

Eight players with handicaps ranging from -1 to 3 made a strong field for the Ayling Cup advanced association croquet tournament, including Mick Belcham visiting from Tunbridge Wells. Playing in hot sunshine all week-end made for a fine start to High Summer croquet. Peter Nash was the man to beat and started with convincing wins over Farooq and David Collins, +23 and +24, while Simon Whiteley started with a +26 win also over David. By 6pm Mark Ormerod had to leave his game against Peter to go to the theatre but returned at 9am to find himself down to one ball, Peter having pegged out his forward ball in his absence. Unfortunately he had rushed Mark’s ball on to the peg, ending his turn with 2 balls in the middle of the lawn and conceding a contact. Mark still needed some good early morning shooting which he managed with several successive hit-ins to peg out without Peter making any more progress- +8 to Mark.

The lawns by this time were speeding up in the hot sunshine, with Lawn 1 playing as well as ever, and newly re-laid Lawn 2 flat but bobbly with the grass still to fill in properly. Peter picked himself up from his loss to beat Mick Belcham +26 with a convincing triple peel, and looked like repeating that against Simon with 2 peels completed, including a spectacular pass roll penult peel from the north boundary, while rolling to his hoop 5 pioneer slightly misplaced midway between hoops 4 and 5. However he then stuck in 1-back, while Simon was for 2 and 4-back. Simon got going with a well-controlled standard triple peel to snatch victory +8, completing his first ever triple.

David Collins, John Reddish, Mick Belcham and Farooq had a number of close games and were a little unlucky to emerge with only 7 wins between them. Meanwhile Pierre Beaudry and Mark Ormerod had been going steadily and after 5 games these two plus Peter and Simon were in contention for the cup, with one game to play. This could have proved managerially embarrassing, requiring all sorts of complicated comparisons to determine the overall winner. Fortunately (for the manager), Mark Ormerod won his final game against David Collins, while Simon lost to Pierre, leaving Mark as the deserved overall winner on 5 wins out of six, with Peter, Pierre and Simon joint 2nd on 4 wins each. Mark has now won three successive club tournaments this year and is clearly the man to beat!

Ken Cooke & Michael Goodman

Michael Goodman and Ken Cooke!

Very worthy winners indeed, second place went to Pat Goodman and Pierre Beaudry.

-Rob Burns

I’m pleased to report that Rob Burns has been crowned as the Champion of Greece 2009, having beaten no less a competitor (and the Manager of the Greek Open) than Kevin Carter in the final.

The Dulwich Contingent

The other members of the Dulwich Contingent all performed creditably.  Paul Scruby who got to the Quarter Finals and came second in the Golf Doubles.  Pat Goodman who excelled in the Doubles and Golf Doubles.  Finally me who scored 75% in the 14 point consolation Singles, while only playing 2 matches!

Corfu is a delightful island as we discovered when we experienced Paul and Rob’s thrilling scenic tour of the mountainous region (save when we found ourselves passing the same property twice on our right in what for a short time became a circular tour!) The hotel just north of Corfu town at Kontokali Bay was all that could be desired, with Tony Blok’s 3 lawn centre just down the road in the marina complex.  We strongly recommend that you consider entering the Association or Golf tournaments to held here in September 2009 and 2010.  A lovely holiday as well as enjoyable Croquet gathering with representatives from clubs all over England, details from me.

 - Michael Goodman

Dulwich won a close fought SECF A league match away at Tunbridge Wells. In wet and windy conditions that everyone found difficult, Peter Nash and Ed Dymock won their doubles against Alex Jardine and Mick Belcham in the morning by a comfortable +14 but it took 31/2 hours. Simon Whiteley won his singles after a shaky start against John Hobbs +15. David Collins lost a close fought game against Mick Greasby (6) by -4 after 41/2hours. Mick has only taken up Association last summer having previously played Golf croquet but a winter of intensive croquet in the United States has clearly paid dividends.

Dulwich were therefore 2-1 up at lunchtime. Peter then won his singles game against Alex Jardine a relatively comfortable +18, although no sign of peels, and Simon also won his game against Mick Greasby +15, wrapping up the four games necessary to win the match. THis was fortunate as Ed proceeded to lose a close game against Mick Belcham -5 and David an even closer games against John Hobbs -2.

Were due to play the next round of the Mary Rose advanced association competition against Tunbridge Wells, when we will be without Peter Nash- so that promises to be a close match as well. Thanks to Farooq for organising the match.