Hoops, whoops and international duties for Phyllis Court

The period preceding Henley Regatta was busy for Phyllis Court Croquet Club with international duties, a tournament and team matches packed into a tight schedule.

Club president Frances Colman was appointed as the match referee for the England versus Spain test match at the Roehampton Club in south-west London, for the second time, and drew praise from both sides for her fair judgement of strokes and rules applications.

The three-day match was live-streamed on Croquet England’s YouTube channel to audiences from around the globe who contributed with questions that Colman and fellow Phyllis Court championship referee Chris Roberts were able to explain, with the latter taking the lion’s share of commentary box duties in the first and third days.

Back at Phyllis Court, the Club’s internal Women’s Advantage Singles was won in fine style by Liz Simith, who let out a whoop of delight when scoring the final hoop of a long day. Smith was the only player to win three block games in the morning and got past Sally Batty, Pippa Wynne-Ellis and Dilys Gordon with some ease, and was likewise untroubled in her quarter-final against Heather Jones.

Cathie McEntee, who is in her first season, also qualified for the semi-finals, showing the same excellent competitive spirt that had won her the Managers’ Prize at the club’s 80+ tournament a few days before.

Hilary Cowley looked like the strongest player in the other side of the draw and it was a surprise when she fell to Gordon in their semi 7-3. Smith ended McEntee’s run by the same score in their semi and the final hinged on whether Smith could overhaul Gordon’s -2 starting score advantage in this handicap tournament final. Smith got ahead of schedule early in the match but let back in with two successive scores and hoops nine and 10, before sealing the game 7-4 to put a new name on the Pink Ball Trophy.

Three Phyllis Court teams were also in action last week. Paul Franklin’s Association Croquet Handicap league team survived the challenge of Caversham’s selection of high handicappers to secure a 2-2 draw with most of the games being close and all four going to the time limit.

Wins were recorded by Robin Coates and Paul Franklin to keep the team’s hopes alive of defending their SCF AC Handicap League title, which now looks to rest on their remaining divisional fixture away to High Wycombe on July 11. Also staying in the hunt for a divisional title are Phyllis Court C who remain one win behind the club’s D team in the Golf Croquet Advantage league due to the latter’s win in the season’s opening fixture back in April.

Last week, Patricia Mulcahy’s C team did well to come from behind to win 9-7 away at Winchester. The captain herself led the way, with Steve Morton, and both won three out of their four games with David Young and Carol Wadsworth contributing two and one victories respectively.

Despite a much-changed team selection, Phyllis Court B were again on the receiving end of a drubbing, this time a 1-7 home loss to Blewbury with captain Kevin Ward managing to record his side’s only win.