Bury Croquet Club - 2010 Season.


  The Tale of the Turf over Winter '09/10. 		 Jump Back to home Page

Coronation Park
New Road
Radcliffe
M26 1LS

Mat Holmes wins the Club's First Honour on only the Second Day of the New Season!

Pendle's John Beech Easter Handicap Tournament began lunch time on Good Friday, April 2nd, and on Easter Saturday, Mat was awarded the CA's Silver Merit Badge, in only his second season.

His 'victim' at the time, Liz Wilson, (Fylde) is no slouch around the court either, because in the very next game she picked up the fastest game trophy for a win in 48mins.
Mat went on to win the overall Tournament without dropping a single game!
To complete his personal tripple, and promising year start, he had a handicap reduction into single figures (9), other members will be struggling to catch up!   		 

Heaton Park 10/11th April, 10th Lancashire International Open Golf Championship

In warm sunshine, last year's winner was beaten into the runner up slot by his fellow club mate, Ian Lines in a Bo3 Final.

Hosted by Bury CC

Mangaged by Bury member Geoff Young.
Bury Club Chairman Barbara Young presented the Trophys
 
In block A Ian lines was the apparent main contender until an unexpected defeat by James Hopgood, who made a clean sweep of the block, and another to Robbie Dodds who narrowly missed being one of the four qualifiers for the knockout phase, the others being Freda Vitty and Paul Rigge.
In block B holder David Walters was narrowly edged into second place by a defeat by Tim King, Alan Mayne and Ray Mounfield also qualifying.
Rigge then produced a turnup by beating King in the quarter-final before narrowly losing to Walters in the semi.
In the other half Lines defeated Mayne and Hopgood to produce a three-game final, winning it in a match tighter than the scores appear.

In the consolation doubles David Barrett and Derek Buxton defeated all five opponents in a convincing series.

Full Results
Round Tom James Anne Robbie Paul Derek Freda Abdul
David Alan Patricia Bob Eileen Jane Tim David
1 Weston Hopgood Connop Dodds Rigge Buxton Vitty Ahmad
Walters Mayne Duke-Cox Connop Buxton Pringle King Barrett

3 7 2 7 7 3 4 7
7 5 7 4 6 7 7 4
2 Vitty D Buxton Ian Lines A Connop Ahmed Dodds Rigge Hopgood
King Pringle E Buxton Duke-Cox M Holmes B Connop Mounfield Mayne

7 6 7 1 6 7 6 7
7 4 2 7 2 7 3 7
3 Rigge Dodds Weston Lines Hopgood A Connop Ahmed D Buxton
Mounfield B Connop Holmes E Buxton Walters Duke-Cox Barrett Pringle

7 6 6 7 7 3 7 2
7 2 7 3 7 4 7 3
4 Ahmad A Connop Vitty Weston D Buxton Lines Hopgood Dodds
Barrett Duke-Cox Walters Holmes King E Buxton Mayne B Connop

7 4 7 4 3 7 7 5
6 7 7 6 7 4 7 6
5 Hopgood Lines Rigge Vitty Dodds Weston D Buxton A Connop
Mayne E Buxton King Walters Mounfield Holmes Pringle Duke-Cox

7 5 4 7 7 5 2 7
7 5 7 2 7 4 7 4
6 D Buxton Weston Ahmad Rigge A Connop Vitty Dodds Lines
Pringle Holmes Mounfield King Barrett Walters B Connop E Buxton

4 7 4 7 3 7 7 5
6 7 7 3 5 7 7 2
7 Dodds Vitty Hopgood Ahmad Lines Rigge A Connop Weston
B Connop Walters Barrett Mounfield Mayne King Holmes Duke-Cox

4 7 7 2 7 2 5 7
2 7 2 7 4 7 7 4
8 A Connop Rigge D Buxton Hopgood Weston Ahmad Lines Vitty
Duke-Cox King Mayne Barrett Pringle Mounfield E Buxton Walters

1 7 3 7 7 4 7 3
3 7 7 2 7 2 5 7
9 Lines Ahmad Dodds D Buxton Vitty Hopgood Weston Rigge
E Buxton Mounfield Pringle Mayne B Connop Barrett Holmes King

7 3 7 5 2 7 5 7
3 7 5 7 3 7 3 7
10                
Holmes Barrett B Connop Pringle Duke-Cox Mayne Walters Mounfireld

               
3 7 6 7 2 7 7 3



















King

















Rigge















Rigge 7-5 7-3















Walters
Walters















Walters

6-7,

7-2 7-6














Vitty 7-5 7-1















Lines

Lines














Lines
1-7 7-3 7-3













Mayne 6-7,7-3 7-3















Hopgood
Lines















Hopgood 7-1 7-4





3rd/4th
 Rigge
 bt
 Hopgood
 7-5
 7-2


Mounfield 7-2 7-5














The NW Federation Advanced Tournament

April 24th/25th 2010 Heaton Park Commonwealth Facility

Neil Williams Millennium Cup - Ian Lines.

Woodlands Trophy - Mark LLoyd.

Hosted by Bury CC

Mangaged by Bury's Geoff Young.
  
Two sections played.

For the Neil Willams Trophy (A class), a field of 10 played a Flexible Swiss,
Retained by Ian Lines (Bowdon), who lost only one game.
David Walters (Bowdon) also won 5/7, handicap reduction to -1, and was defeated by Ian in a decider.
.

In the B section a field of seven competed for the Woodlands Trohpy, Mark LLoyd (Chester) had a clean sweep of five out of five in a round robin.
The greens were playing as well as most people remembered, and gave pace that caused one or two 'moments'.
In the A event after a random draw Ian Lines began with a +26TP against Ray Lowe while Bob Burnett and David Walters also achieved triples. Ian then got his second TP against Bob and continued in the same vein. to win with 6/6 while Bob was the runner-up on 5/6.
In the B event the sitouts made life slow for most. Mark Lloyd, who sat out first, proceeded to win all four of his games to take home the metalware. 		 
Full results:
Bob Burnett bt Andrew Winn +6TP
David Barrett bt Dave Nick +9
Alan Mayne bt Alan Pidcock +15
David Walters by Paul Rigge +11
Ian Lines bt Ray Lowe +25TP
Lines bt Burnett +10TP
Winn bt Lowe +5
Walters bt Mayne +3
Pidcock bt Barrett +6
Nick bt Rigge +16TP
Lines bt Nick +18TP
Burnett bt Rigge +12
Winn bt Walters +17TP
Mayne bt Barrett +1
Pidcock bt Lowe +14
Burnett bt Nick +7
Lines bt Rigge +26TP
Lines bt Walters +26STP
Burnett bt Pidcock +5
Winn bt Mayne +9TP
Barrett bt Rigge +1
Nick bt Walters +5TP
Lines bt Winn +3TPO
Mayne bt Lowe +20
Burnett bt Barrett +3
Pidcock bt Rigge +1
Mayne bt Nick +15
Walters bt Lowe +20
Lines 6/6
Burnett 5/6
Mayne 4/6
Pidcock, Winn 3/5
Walters 3/6
Nick 3/7
Barrett 2/5
Lowe, Rigge 0/6
 B SECTION

Roger Schofield bt Barbara Young +21
John Wilkinson bt Liz Wilson +6
Dennis Graham bt Peter Wilson +5
Mark Lloyd bt Young +3
P Wilson bt Schofield +1
Wilkinson bt Graham +17
Lloyd bt L Wilson +4
Schofield bt Graham +4
P Wilson bt Wilkinson +10
L Wilson bt Graham +19
Lloyd bt P Wilson +13
Wilkinson bt Young +10
Lloyd by Wilkinson +20
Young bt Graham +1
L Wislon bt Schofield +8
Lloyd 4/4
Schofield, P Wilson, L Wilson 2/4
Graham, Wilkinson 2/5
Young 1/4

Counties Success for Bury Member Paul Rigge Over May Bank Holiday



Paul, an established Lancashire player, was given the 'new boy' Lee Hartley from Fylde as a partner in this season's campaign. This new pairing, as an unknown relationship, turned into the Lancs success story over the space of the 4 day tounament.
The lads won 9 out of 10 matches and Paul was the only Lancashire player to produce a peeling turn game ending!
Lancashire were the only club to beat the winners, Somerset, and finished in 3rd place, well ahead of our neighbours, Cheshire.

The Game of the Championship should be the one between Lancs Vs Cheshire,(Bob Burnett/Ailsa Lines Vs David Maugham/Andrew Winn)
Time had been called durings Bob's turn as he took his ball round to peg, AND pegged out.
Andrews(yellow) and Ailsa's (black) balls were both for 4 back.
Davids ball(red) was for Hoop 1, giving Lancs a 13 point lead at full time.
Yellow left in Corner 2, Black on East boundary just south of peg. red - just NE of 6 by 3'. What would/could you do???

DM shot & Hit into C2. Thin take off to black. Little tap roquet. Huge split croquet to hoop 1 ending 9' infront and black between h1 & h2 peg high. Ran H1 hard to North boundary, caught little wire so ended up on B baulk. Shot & hit again into C2. Split roll to load h3 and get rush onto black to h2! The four best shots I've ever seen! the rest was just a boring 3ball break to peg to level the game and move onto 'golden hoop' - DM left Andrew's ball infront of 4back of course (Ailsa's in C1 - she shot but just missed). so match to Cheshire 2-1 to reverse last years result and give them the 'bragging' rights in 2010. 		Division 1 Final places
PlayedWinsGamesPoints
Somerset10923
Nottinghamshire10820
Lancashire10616
Glamorgan 10 6 16
Suffolk 10 5 16
Cheshire 10 5 16
Surrey 10 4 16
Middlesex 10 4 13
Gloucestershire 10 4 11
Essex 10 2 12
Bedfordshire 10 2 6

19th June, Longman Cup 1st round - the defence of 'our' Trophy begins....

Bury played host to Shewsbury - back on our own 'surface' at Coronation Park at last
Dispite fresh mowing, the surface was heavy and bouncy, so no surprise that both teams made heavy work of the morning session.
Bury 3-0 up at lunch

Final score; Home win 6 - 1.

Full results, Bury names first
Graham Saunders(11)/Mac Hardman(16) beat Brian Christmas(4.5)/Jim Penny(12) 26 - 4.
Tony Phillips(4.5) beat Graham Colclough(9) 26 -20
Matt Holmes(8) beat Happy Christmas(18) 26 - 18

Tony lost Brian 12 - 26
Matt beat Graham 26 - 11
Graham beat Jim 26 -16
Mac beat Happy 26 - 8
Next round Bury play Southport away. 

The CA Advanced Tournament

July 3/4th 2010 Heaton Park Commonwealth Facility

Winner - Alan Mayne (Bowdon) receiving the trophy from Geoff Young.


Hosted by Bury CC

Mangaged by Bury's Geoff Young.
Fourteen entrants (handicap from -1.5 to 8) competed to Egyptian format beginning with a random draw.
The first day ended with David Walters and Alan Mayne having each won for out of four and on the same rating.
The Sunday play begin by Walters beating Mayne while on the second pairing Andrew Winn beat Dave Nick. Walters then lost to Nick while Mayne beat Winn. The losers in these interchanges could not quiet assemble enough points, though Nick tried hard by beating Paul Rigge, leaving Mayne the winner.
New boy Matt Holmes began nervously but found his feet on the second day winning three games to reap a net 46 Index points.
 
Full results:

Dave Nick beat Matt Holmes +22
Paul Rigge bt Peter Wilson +1T
Ray Lowe bt Ken Jones +21
Tom Griffith bt Liz Wilson +15
David Walters bt David Barrett +17
Alan Mayne bt Robbie Dodds +17
Andrew Winn bt Lee Hartley +22
Mayne bt Nick +17
L Wilson bt Holmes +12
Griffith bt Dodds +20
Walters bt Winn +13
Hartley bt Lowe +4
Jones bt Barrett +1T
Nick bt P Wilson +19
Winn bt Rigge +5
Walters bt Griffith +5
Hartley bt Nick +17
Winn bt L Wilson +22
Dodds bt P Wilson +1T
Holmes bt Lowe +22
Nick bt Barrett +4
Mayne bt Hartley +4
Rigge bt Jones +23
Walters bt Rigge +3TP
L Wilson bt Jones +18
Winn bt Griffith +11TP
P Wilson bt Lowe +8
Dodds bt Hartley +16
Nick bt Griffith +26
Rigge bt Lowe +10
Walters bt Mayne +6
Winn bt Nick +5TP
Rigge bt Dodds +25
L Wilson bt Hartley +17
Griffith bt Holmes +26
P Wilson bt Jones +10
Lowe bt Barrett +18
Dodds bt L Wilson +12
Rigge bt Hartley +11 TP
Griffith bt Lowe +24
 Holmes bt Barrett +3
Mayne bt Winn +25
Nick bt Walters +3
Dodds bt Jones +11
Lowe bt L Wilson +22
Rigge bt Griffith +13
Winn bt P Wilson +18
Holmes bt Jones +4
Walters bt L Wilson +18
Nick bt Rigge +22
Rigge bt P Wilson +4

Final Order

A Mayne 65 (6 games)
D Nick 64 (9)
D Walters 64 (7)
A Winn 60 (7)
P Rigge 61 (10)

Pendle Midweek Tournament 6th-9th July

Paul Rigge wins the Irish Cup

Overall the tournament was run as a Flexible Egyptian without time limits but there were also underlying trophies for the A & B class Advanced and Handicap. Mixed in with these were the Handicap Doubles which produced a most interesting ending in the Semi-Final where Harper and Theakstone both from Fylde played the final hoops in a two ball ending with just about everyone watching as they got to peg & peg. Theakstone and Rigge then met the defending champions in the final. Theakstone produced a silver award break (he does not get it as it is doubles) which all but sealed the match. Rigge waited for the right time and having hit a ten yarder into corner three played one of the shots of the week with a big split getting behind a ball several feet off the end of the North baulk line.

It was particularly exciting for the tournament to have Tibble and Rigge enter and on the final day they contested the A class final, best of three which was won by Rigge who was in full TP flow. Tibble was perhaps a tad jaded having won the most games played trophy with fifteen and also the fastest game in round one with a delayed TP.

All the games played counted towards the Egyptian tournament and it was probably no surprise when Deus ex Machina produced Rigge as the winner.

Reopening of Coronation Park

July 17th 2010 Bury Croquet Club

Opened by Vicky Binns of Granada's Coronation Street.

David Barrett (President) welcomed everyone especially representatives from the CA, other organisations which awarded funding, Bury Metro, the contractors and visitors from other clubs. He explained the project to level the crown green and all the problems the weather over the winter had caused.

Margaret Anderton mentioned that the idea of trying to do something about the lawns had really taken root after Barry Keen had come to play a match two years ago and had moaned all day about the slopes! She thanked the funding providers - the CA, Awards for All, the Community Foundation for Greater Manchester, Radcliffe Local Area Partnership and the Bury Club. She also thanked the Club members and Bury Metro for all their help and support.

Vicky said hello to everyone and said that they would notice that her bump had gone and that the baby was with the father but she didn’t know who he was! She then praised the club for the achievement of succeeding with the project in spite of the worst winter in living memory. She led the visitors in applause for the club and encouraged them to have a game and think about joining. Then the opening followed as she said three, two, one and eight members on hit balls across the lawn.

Harry Anderton (the youngest club member) presented Vicky with a bouquet and thanked her for coming.

Then everyone went down to the club for croquet games, tombola and refreshments. The special visitors had champagne and lovely food provided by Pat Carter.

We were disappointed that not many of the general public came but there were very heavy showers all morning which probably put them off. Luckily it then stayed fine for the ceremony and most of the afternoon.

  

21st July, Longman Cup 2nd round - Still on track in the defence of 'our' Trophy....

Bury travelled to Southport and played amid the heavy showers.

Southport 2-1 up at lunch

Final score; Victory with a win 4 - 3.

Full results, Bury names first
Graham Saunders(11)/Mac Hardman(16) Lost against Brian Lewis(6)/Eileen Gallager(12) 21 - 23.
Tony Phillips(4.5) Lost against Margaret Dailey(12) 25 - 26
Matt Holmes(6) beat Tony Thomas(5) 26 - 3

Tony lost against Tony 1 - 26
Matt beat Brian 26 - 8
Graham beat Eileen 26 - 3
Mac beat Margaret 26 - 8
Next round Bury play either Pendle or Nottingham. 

MacRobertson Shield 2010 at Heaton Park

5th - 10th August First Test Match at the Commonwealth Facility

Australia vs New Zealand (NZ won 13 - 8)

The MacRobertson Shield is the top tier of the World Team Championship for Association Croquet, competed for every 3-4 years by teams of six. The Croquet Association, in collaboration with Bury CC and Manchester Council hosted the first test in Manchester for 85 years. Machester's reputation as a wet and windy city, lived up to it's billing with rain on each day of the test, however play continued uninterupted on superbly prepared courts. NZ lead straight from the off, winning the first day 2-1, then
again 2 - 1 (4-2 aggregate), third day 4 - 2 (8-4)
Fourth 1 - 2 (9-6) and finally 4 - 2 on last test day! .

Pictured; Australia and New Zealand's all blacks with the Lord Mayor of Manchester and Test Manager Barry Keen.

 

8th Sept, Longman Cup Qtr final

Bury travelled to Pendle and Craven to contest the penult stage to try to book our place in Final's weekend again....

Always doing it the hard way - Pendle 2-1 up at lunch

Final score; Victory with a win 4 - 3. - off we go to Surbiton again!

Full results, Bury names first
Graham Saunders(10)/Mac Hardman(16) Lost against Robin Delves(10)/Peter Dewhurst(12) -1T (Golden Hoop).
Tony Phillips(4.5) Lost against Andrew Webb(4) - 12
Matt Holmes(3.5) beat David Pollitt(7) +7

Tony beat David +14
Matt beat Andrew +14
Graham lost to Robin - 5
Mac beat Peter +3T
And so into the 'finals' weekend at Surbiton 2/3rd Oct to meet Wrest Park in Semi's 

The Heaton Park CA Hcp Tournament
September 11/12th 2010 Coronation Park

Winner - Bob Thompson(Notts) receiving the trophy from Barbara Young.

Hosted by Bury CC

Mangaged by Bury's Geoff Young.
Bury club promoted their first-ever Coronation Park tournament, owing to a mixup about dates forcing a move from Heaton Park. As CP has only two lawns this restricted the entry to eight and the format chosen was all-play-all, seven two-hour 18-pointers, base 8.
In spite of intermittent rain some very good croquet was played with a gripping conclusion.
In the final round one contestant had already five wins and three others four. At the end there was a three-way tie which had to be broken by hoop count. Malcolm Daines (Huddersfield, 5) had zero net, Betty Bates (Fylde, 16) +39 and Bob Thompson (Nottingham, 9) had +53 and was thus declared the winner.
 

2nd October, Longman Cup Semi Final - Surbiton....

Bury played their best against Wrest Park's Picket Fence but dispite some very good play in the fine dry conditions, could not prevail.
Dispite recent heavy rain, the surface was a delight to play upon, running at about 10 plummers and the Beer was consumed with abandon - after the result was out of reach.
Bury 1-2 down at lunch

Final score; lost by 5 - 2.

Full results, Bury names first
Mat Holmes (3.5)/Graham Saunders(11) lost to Tim Brewer(4.5) and Cliff Hayes(20) -4t.
Tony Phillips(4.5) lost to David Marsh(20) 6 - 26
Mac Hardman(16) beat Geoff Strutt(8)26 - 9

Mat lost to Tim 26 - 19
Tony lost to Geoff 3 - 26
Graham lost to David 19 - 26
Mac beat Cliff +1t
Tomorrow Bury play for third spot against Parsons Green  

3rd October, Longman Cup 3rd/4th Playoff - Surbiton....

Bury, having lost their grip on retaining the trophy, got played into fouth spot against Parsons Green.
Dispite changing the running order, the result remained the same as Yesterday's Semi-Final, with a 2 - 5 defeat.

Bury again 1-2 down at lunch

Final score; lost by 5 - 2.

Full results, Bury names first
Mat Holmes (3.5)/Tony Phillips(4.5) lost to Rob Minshall and John Urling Clark -1t.
Graham Saunders(11) beat Gary Duke +14
Mac Hardman(16) lost to Michael Edwardes -19

Mat lost to Rob - 22
Tony lost to Gary - 18
Graham lost to Michael - 9t
Mac beat John +4t
Roll on next season! 

Annual Pre-Season Dinner and 2010 Trophy Presentation 

CA Townsend Trophy-Most Improved Club 2010 

 

© 2010 Bury Croquet Club