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• 2015 >
• Soham winter 2015-16

Soham winter 2015-16

Association Croquet Golf Croquet	Click on images for an enlargement	Soham by season: 2024 - 25 2023 - 24 2022 - 23 2021 - 22 2020 - 21 2019 - 20 2018 - 19 2017 - 18 2016 - 17 2015 - 16 2014 - 15 2013 - 14 2012 - 13 2011 - 12 2010 - 11 2009 - 10 2008 - 9 2007 - 8 2006 - 7 2005 - 6
See also: Indoor Doubles Speed Croquet Laws ( 15 kb) Timer software Summary of indoor events & winners Summary of indoor trophies & winners

 12-13 March 2016 - Speed Doubles

Saturday 12^th - The Millennium Cup

Sunday 13^th - The Soham Trophy

 Sun 14 February 2016 - Speed Doubles

The Cornelius Cup was won by the 'Colstanton' pair comprising Jeff Race and David Haslam.

Unfortunately the manager was taken ill and there is no detailed report of the event.

 Sat 13 February 2016 - Progressive Doubles

The Martin Trophies

Run on the lines of a Pro-AM, two blocks of eight players in which different partners were allocated each round split into low and high handicappers blocks fought it out. Before the winners could be ascertained, play went down to the wire and the outcome was not certain until "The Fat Lady sang".

Winners Georgeen Hemming & Jeff Race

In the Low Handicap block in the final round Jeff Race, on 4 wins and partnering Peter Ross, looked the unassailable winner playing Mike Bowser and David Haslam. However, Mike and David had different ideas, quickly seeing off the favourite in record time +12. This meant that John Reddish on 3 wins partnering David Clancey could sneak the trophy on quality of opponents if he won his final game. In a very tight finish against Terrey Sparks and Peter Brown, John and David went down -1(T). This meant that due to the dogged play of his Hunstanton club mates, Jeff sneaked an unexpected block win.

In the High Handicap block things were just as tight. Georgeen Hemming, having finished her programme, sat confidently on 4 wins. But there was a chance that David Haslam, playing his last game and sitting on 3 wins, could equal Georgeen's total. Having dispatched Jeff Race and Peter Ross, this proved to be the case. As both players had secured all their wins within time it all then depended on Quality of Opposition, which Georgeen sneaked by the narrowest of margins after much debate studying the regulations for such an occasion.

Memorable moment of the day was the fashion statement of Jonathan Toye wearing long trousers. Is this a first?

 Sun 17 January 2016 - Speed Doubles

L-R: Nick Mounfield, Bryan Saddington,
Jeff Race, Mike Bowser, David Haslam

It was eggs all round as the normal offering of speed doubles got underway. Unfortunately due to the inclement weather the Letchworth team were minus a player who was unable to travel. However despite this and the imposition of a 3 peel handicap, Nick Mounfield gave another fine performance, playing singly and winning 5 of his games, losing only his first game to the winning Hunstanton duo of Jeff Race and Bryan Saddington back from an operation on his hand. Jeff informs me that this is his 30th win indoors. Can nobody unsettle Batman and Robin and stop their winning charge?

 Sat 16 January 2016 - EACF GC Inter-Counties

Although the temperature outside was at freezing point things were certainly running a lot hotter in the Soham Sports Centre where the annual outing of the region's Golf Croquet Inter-Counties was taking place. Comprising 16 players representing 7 Counties, things really got off to a surprising start when Hertfordshire, last year's winners and strong favourites, suffered a surprising loss to Suffolk on the last shot in time of the game, a result they never recovered from.

Norfolk winners Jeff Race & Peter Brown

As play settled down it become clear that the overall winner would be from one of 3 teams, either Norfolk, Lincolnshire (guest County) or Northamptonshire, with all 3 teams making strong starts, which turned out to be the case.

However, despite determined and dogged play by Lincolnshire and Northants the Norfolk pairing of Jeff Race ably supported by Peter Brown were in unbeatable form winning 5 of their games and drawing the other to run out the undisputed winners.

This year the standard was a lot higher and of the 21 games played only 8 finished within the set time limit of 45 minutes, 3 of them by Norfolk.

 Sun 13 December 2015 - Speed Doubles

Hunstanton winners
Charles Ostler & Jeff Race

The Belgian Cup

Due to the sub-tropical heat in the Soham hall in which the central heating was at full blast causing the carpet to run at an extremely fast pace, Sunday play was back to the normal format of speed doubles in which six team of very equal capability battled to the end to decide the final outcome. In fact it went down to the wire, which saw the Bygrave pairing of Duncan Hector and Peter Whiting playing what was the deciding game against the Hunstanton pair of Jeff Race and Charles Ostler. However, with Jeff keeping Steady Eddy Charles on a tight rein, the Hunstanton grip on the game never looked to be under challenge and they ran out the winners by +8 to take the Belgian Cup back to Norfolk for the first time.

 Sat 12 December 2015 - Alternate Shot Doubles

The Michael Percival Trophy

Alternate Shooters L-R: Heather Bennett,
Nick Mounfield, Jim Potter, Chris van Essen,
Sheila Haggett, Jeff Race, Peter Brown, Duncan Hector

The Hunstanton pair of Jeff Race & Peter Brown in outstanding form retained the Michael Percival Trophy for the second year, winning all their games despite coming under pressure from the Bygrave pair, closely winning +1(T). The outstanding moment of the day came from a shot by Nick Mounfield who with a superb drive from baulk at hoop 1 not only ran it cleanly and with a strong shot but, also ran hoop 2 as well - the first time it is believed this has happened.

 14-15 November 2015 - Speed Doubles

Pinchbeck winners
Terrey Sparks & Mike Bowser

Saturday 14^th - the Rose Bowl

The Pinchbeck pairing of Terrey Sparks & Mike Bowser reigned supreme on the November Saturday speed doubles with a hundred percent record, winning all their games. However, their final place could not be guaranteed until the final round was over, as if they lost their last game to the Hunstanton pair of Jeff Race & Charles Ostler there was the possibility of a three-way split. Not to be denied and despite a determined effort by the Hunstanton pair, Pinchbeck managed to (pinch) it!!! +1.

Sunday 15^th - the Soham Trophy

St. Albans winners
Heather Bennett & Terry Mahoney

The Sunday event, which again drew a full entry, was just as competitive as the very evenly balanced teams fought it out with many of the games exceeding their time periods. At the end of the day play saw 3 pairings, Hunstanton 1 (Terrey Sparks & David Haslam), St. Albans (Terry Mahoney & Heather Bennett) and Suffcambs (Phil Eardley & Roly Iddison) all finishing on 4 wins each. To take account of this situation the Manager looked for the team having the most wins in time and this turned out be St. Albans with all 4 wins in time, closely followed by Suffcambs with 3 and Hunstanton with 2.

 Sun 25 October 2015 - Speed Doubles

Bygrave winners
Terry Mahoney & Duncan Hector
(background: Jeff Race & Bryan Saddington)

The MCP Mallets Shield

Bygrave comprising Duncan Hector and Terry Mahoney were the winners of the MCP Mallets Shield on 4.5 points, closely followed by Jeff Race and Bryan Saddington of Hunstanton on 4 points. Being the first club indoors outing of the winter many of the players had difficulty settling down to the fast speed of the carpet. However, Duncan and Terry had no such difficulty, quickly mastering the indoor conditions.

Due to a no-show the Manager was left without a partner; however, this was quickly remedied by utilising one of the members of the other teams not playing at the time. But this did not prevent one of the most unusual starts when he made hoops 1 & 2 with only one ball on the lawn.

Thanks must also go to the EACF webmaster Simon Hathrell who provided the programme and updates that enabled the smooth running of the timing of the games.

 Sat 24 October 2015 - EACF AC Inter-Counties

Norfolk winners
Jeff Race & Peter Brown

The winter indoors programme got under way with an Inter-Counties speed doubles that was evenly contested and comprised 4 entries, the format being all play all twice round.

The Cambridgeshire team, last year's holders comprising Adrian Kirby and Roly Iddison, put up a strong defence winning the first 3 of their 6 games, closely followed by the Norfolk pairing of Jeff Race and Peter Brown having previously lost to Cambridgeshire. The afternoon followed much the same pattern with both leading teams winning the first 2 games. However, Cambridgeshire succumbed to Norfolk in their second meeting, both ending the day on 5 wins apiece.

As each team had beaten each other and all games finished in time it was left to net hoops to determine the winner. This meant that Norfolk became the winners with +32 hoops over Cambridgeshire's +23.

Click on images for an enlargement