Cornwall Croquet Club

Tue 6 May 2014 - SWF Golf Croquet League (Played at Exeter CC)

Exeter v Cornwall Rosevear

Cornwall’s Rosevear golf handicap league team travelled to Exeter on May 6th, to play their second fixture of the season. Exeter’s well maintained and fast lawns are about three-quarter size. Conditions were kind, dry and mainly sunny, and the surrounding trees gave protection from the brisk wind.

Teams were: Cornwall: B. Edwards (capt) handicap (8); D. Edwards (2); L. Honey (11); D. Honey (4),
P. Dexter (4); F. Russell (11); and J. Burrows (8). Exeter were represented by R. Thorn (Capt) (4); B. Relf (8); S. Lawson (11); G. Edwards (9); S. Perry (11); and M Craven (11). This meant that the lower handicap players on both sides had frequently to try to cope with several free turns against them.

The first round of four singles tipped slightly Exeter’s way, by 2.5 – 1.5. This round gave us the first experience of Exeter’s secret weapon, Ben Relf, playing on a handicap of 8. He hits hard and very accurately, and proved unbeatable in all his singles, in most cases hardly needing to use his free turns. The second set of singles ended 2-2, Cornwall clawed back the deficit in the first two doubles, with a win and a draw. At lunch, all was to play for with both teams on 5 points.

Lunch bolstered Cornwall, who had a clean sweep in the next round of singles, but Exeter struck back with a 3-1 win in the next group. In the final two doubles, Edwards & Honey won, and the last game went to hoop 13, with time having been called, and the last four shots being played. It looked as if it would end as a draw, as only Burrows had any chance of getting the hoop, but there was general agreement that the angle was too great to do more than get the ball in the jaws. Cornwall & Burrows were surprised and delighted when the ball popped through, to give Cornwall an overall win.

Final Score: Exeter 9 Cornwall 11