Crake 4 Fylde 1

Crake fielded a strong side that had us outgunned a tad; Ian Hall 2.5, Howard Bowron 3 & Jim Alcock 4.5

Peter & Liz played the standard doubles and lost their lead eventually loosing by two hoops when Howard put together a time turn break around to the box. Peter needed to hit the lift, make rover and peg out only to level the scores, but he missed the lift, so game over. Andrew, being a little off form, suffered at the hands of Ian.

After a chippy chips lunch Peter got off to a flyer against Ian but then over the next hundred minutes only scrabbled a few hoops. Meanwhile Ian relentlessly kept control and after a long battle pegged out.

Andrew played Howard who was now warmed up and hitting everything. Liz stole the show by wizzing around and beating Jim.

It had been raining for ages before we started, the lawns were growing as we played. Conditions were easy but took a lot of effort to get across the lawn.

Posted by Peter, 21st July

Fylde 4 Pendle 1

Andrew's recent hot hot hot streak continued today with two wins comprising large well crafted breaks.

In the doubles we were one hoop down when time was called and the balls scattered far apart. Betty won the doubles hitting a 13 yarder lift shot in corner two. She sent that ball towards 2-back and levelled the score by making 1-back. She went on to make a golden hoop at 2-b with a smooth stroke.

Robert had put in a good break to 4-back and after Peter missed the lift took the back ball all round to the peg. But as the score shows, Peter did recover to get to peg and 4-back and even had a chance to make a winning break with his back ball.

Betty describes her singles game and writes: Initially the match was pretty even, but then Paul made a break away with 5 hoops in front with 40 minutes to go. He had set up some wonderful pioneers but made an error coming from four back and then running 1 back again. I forestalled and was happy of the unusual present of a short roquet- which I took advantage of - making four hoops and sticking in the fifth with the opponents ball within touching distance. Paul did not make much from it and there was a bit of a stale mate and a sense of de ja vu as Paul hit his own ball on the north boundary taking off to hoop 4 where Betty's balls were and tried to scoop to the hoop of 2 back. He failed four times -each time Betty went to partner ball at 4. Paul tried a different tactic of bringing his ball into play between peg and 2 back but again failed the scoop to the hoop- going back to mother but returning my ball back to South balk. I hit in to his two balls on the west boundary and made a few more hoops ensuring that the opponents ball were in the centre away from the lift. Errors were made by both sides as balls on target swerved at the last minute due to the undulating lawn. I made sure that Paul's balls were regularly wide apart. He failed to hit in. The score in the end 21-18 to me.

Posted by Peter, 16th July

Bowdon Angels 5 Fylde 0

Oh dear.

With the Angels having two strong players winning a game was always going to be difficult. The lawns were wonderful to play on and the Sun popped out here and there. At least we all got some breaks now and then, but any mistakes were always proving costly to us, while the home side made very few. Ed is rapidly improving, even at 14 hcp looking like the finished product, confident on the lawn and even turning the ball to the sweet-spot in croquet shots. Betty's usual hit-in accuracy left her for a spell and she fell behind against Ed and the clock but battled to the death. Charles was on 4 back when Peter pegged him out but partner ball was for hoop 1, that was too much to ask. Liz had a new grip fitted by Alan and was concentrating on building her new swing which was becoming more comfortable throughout the day. We almost won the alternate shot doubles, but the Angels skillfully scrambled 5 hoops as time was called.

Posted by Peter, 26th April