St Albans Croquet Club
This page gives the details of this years regional and national competitions that we are entering. For 2024 this is expected to be:
We're not eligible for the Secretary's Shield this year.
We may also play interclub friendly GC matches.
Longman Cup
This is a nationwide handicap inter-club tournament for teams of four with handicaps between 3.5 and 20. This is normally played with teams of four when one doubles and two singles are played in the morning and four singles in the afternoon.
St Albans won the 2020 Longman Cup. We were knocked out in the quarter-final in 2023.
The draw/table for 2024 is here.
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Second round - Roehampton - unfortunately we were unable to field a team for a valid date so have withdrawn.
Herts-Beds League
This is a team tournament for the croquet clubs within the Herts-Beds area, in 2024 there are six teams playing. Matches are played on handicap, a combination of singles and doubles, between teams of three or four players depending on whether the match is being played at a club with one or more lawns.
We finished 2nd overall, the table is here. We were 2nd in 2023, and won in 2018 and 2019.
24th April 2024 v Watford Won 5-1
The team of Heather, Stephen, Brian and Mike travelled to Watford for the first match of the season. The doubles were played under the new Croquet England rules where each side in a game can either play ordinary doubles (each player plays one ball) or Alternate Shot Doubles (ASD). Both St Albans doubles pairs played ASD but Heather & Mike’s opponents played Ordinary doubles. In that match although Nick got round to rover, Heather and Mike were able to peg out to win the game by using their last bisque. In Stephen and Brian’s game after a couple of squandered bisques and failed angled hoop attempts the Watford pair were able to pull out a significant lead, St Albans gradually pulled back into it, but a final break just before time was called left Watford with a +5 win in time.
In the afternoon singles, Heather executed two good breaks when Nick missed a hoop and one or two of his usually extremely accurate long shots to have an unexpected win. Brian also beat his opponent after using his bisques to put together some impressive breaks. Stephen and Mike’s games were much closer both going to time. Mike pulled out an advantage and held on to win +3 and secure the match. In Stephen’s game he pulled out a significant lead but Geoff pulled it back leading up to time. Stephen managed to peel his ball that was blobbed in hoop 10 from across the lawn and this proved to be vital, as it left Geoff needing two hoops to draw and three hoops to win in the turn after time. Geoff made the first hoop, set up a good pioneer at the third hoop, rushed to his second hoop but blobbed a slightly angled hoop shot to leave Stephen with a +1 on time win.
A clean sweep for St Albans in the singles, giving a 5-1 win.
Heather Bennett (3) & Mike Hann (16) beat Nick Archer (1½) & Robert Bateson (8) +11
Stephen Mills (3) & Brian Johns (16) lost to Geoff Johnson (2½) & Alan Clark (3½) -5T
Heather Bennett (3) beat Nick Archer (1½) +25
Stephen Mills (3) beat Geoff Johnson (2½) +1T
Brian Johns (16) beat Alan Clark (3½) +23
Mike Hann (16) beat Robert Bateson (8) +3T
23rd May 2024 v Enfield Drew 2-2
We held our first home match for over two years against Enfield in the Beds & Herts league. After the previous few days heavy rain we were lucky to have a day that overcast but dry (with occasional glimpse of the sun). As we only have one lawn the match was played as a singles and doubles game in the morning and the same format in the afternoon. We were in the unusual position of giving bisques away in every match. In the morning singles Heather’s opponent quickly got started and took both his balls round in four ball breaks (using bisques) and with a help of his last full bisque executed a rover peel and peg out. In the doubles the 2024 tournament rules allows each side to play ‘Alternate Shot Doubles’ or ‘Ordinary Handicap Doubles’ (each player plays one ball). St Albans played ASD in both games whereas Enfield played ‘Ordinary’. In the morning doubles, neither side really got into their rhythm but as time was called the St Albans team of Stephen & Brian had scored 18 hoops to Enfield’s 11 mean the match was all square at lunch.
In the afternoon’s singles Stephen put together some 4 ball breaks whilst his opponent struggled to read the slope on the lawn and won +18. In the afternoon doubles, the Enfield team were able to use their bisques to make a few breaks which proved decisive and as time was called Enfield had won by 10 hoops.
Overall the match was a 2-2 draw which leaves us well positioned in the league after two matches
Scores (St Albans first)
Morning
Heather Bennett (2½) lost to Thomas Halliday (8) -24
Stephen Mills (3) & Brian Johns (16) beat David Frost (4½) & Nigel Owen (18) +7(T) (18-11)
Afternoon
Stephen Mills (3) beat David Frost (4½) +18
Heather Bennett (2½) & Brian Johns (16) lost to Thomas Halliday (8) & Nigel Owen (18) +10(T) (11-21)
29th June 2024 v Letchworth Won 4-2
The team of Heather, Stephen, Mike and Derek travelled to Letchworth for our third match in the Herts & Beds League. We had a clean sweep in the morning doubles with Heather making a 9 hoop break to put out a lead which she and Mike held until time was called. In the other match whilst Letchworth got one ball round to rover, Stephen & Derek made steady progress through a number of small breaks to win +5.
In the afternoon singles:
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Stephen again made a number of small breaks whilst his opponent couldn’t really get going to score the first afternoon point.
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Mike made it round to peg but missed the peg-out which allowed his opponent in to win by the narrowest margin.
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Heather made a good break to get ahead, and managed to keep the lead to win.
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In Derek’s match both players struggled to make any significant breaks and game timed out with Martin ahead.
Scores (St Albans names first)
Heather Bennett (2) & Mike Hann (16) beat John Noble (2½) & Martin King (14) +5(T) (18-13)
Stephen Mills (3) & Derek Lambert (18) beat Keith Rhodes (3½) & Mark Homan (5) +5
Heather Bennett (2) beat John Noble (2½) +13
Stephen Mills (3) beat Keith Rhodes (3½) +15
Mike Hann (16) lost to Mark Homan (5) -1
Derek Lambert (18) lost to Martin King (14) -11(T) (10-21)
21st August 2024 v Northampton Won 3-1
Our second home game of the season was sunny at times, but then cold, particularly in shorts!
Scores (St Albans names first)
Doubles:
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Roger Bowman & Brian Johns lost to James Skelton & Mike Hills -1T (20-21)
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Heather Bennett & Mike Hann beat Lionel Tibble & Mike Hills +20 (26-6)
Singles:
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Heather Bennett (1) beat Lionel Tibble (-1) +20 (26 - 6)
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Roger Bowman (9) beat James Skelton (2) +6T (21 - 15)
22nd August 2024 v Wrest Park Drew 3-3
Some hard fought games in the afternoon. Cold and windy for most of the day, even in long trousers, winter woollies and waterproofs, with occasional light showers!
Scores (St Albans names first)
Doubles:
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Heather Bennett & Mike Hann beat Brian Harral & Peter Aspinall +17 (26 - 9)
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Roger Bowman & Brian Johns beat Peter Rothwell & David Woolley +6T (17 - 11)
Singles:
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Heather Bennett (1) lost to Brian Harral (-1) -20 (6 - 26)
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Roger Bowman (9) lost to Peter Rothwell (4) -24 (2 -26)
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Brian Johns (16) lost to David Woolley (10) -1T (13 - 14)
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Mike Hann (16) beat Peter Aspinall (11) +7 (26 -19)
