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. Our first round match is against Surbiton
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.
The draw for this year is here. We were 2nd in 2023, and won in 2018 and 2019.
Our next match is against Enfield.
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
