ARCHIVES

ARCHIVES

AC Association Croquet

Hunstanton - Sunday 1st October

Manager: Terrey Sparks

  Area League 2017 winners 2017 Play-off winners
The Chairman's Cup
Click to enlarge
League tables: Watford
Ipswich
Norwich		 Watford
 

AC League play-off results by year:

See also:

Previous AC league winners - all years

After a tense finish Watford were declared the winners of the 2017 EACF AC Handicap League and will go forward in 2018 to represent the region in the national event "The Secretary's Shield".

Played at the Hunstanton Club, this year's regional finalists Watford, Norwich and Ipswich met to decide who would be the overall winner of the league. The match started under rainy and downcast conditions but at least the lawns ran well and the rain clouds gradually dispersed leaving a basically dry day although a little windy at times.


Watford winners L-R:
Adam Huby, John Smallbone,
Nick Archer, Jonathan Lambton

The morning session which consisted of three doubles proved interesting in that the Norwich team fielded a -2.5 and a -1 player, whilst Ipswich fielded two younger members playing off 18 and 16 and both still at school. As expected both Norwich pairings teamed up with higher handicap players and both recorded wins, whilst in the remaining game Watford ran home comfortable winners against Ipswich. So at lunch Norwich led the field with 2 wins to Watford's 1, with Ipswich yet to score.

The afternoon's play consisted of singles games, and the two young players Albie Willett and Eden Rogers came into their own playing with panache and without any fear, usefully using their bisques, both recording wins to bring Ipswich back into contention, whilst play appeared even in the remaining games. So at the end of the day honours were shared with each team finishing even on three wins, leaving the Manager to scour the Regulations to break the deadlock.

The Norwich team were quickly eliminated being the only side to have a game go to time, which meant that Watford and Ipswich proceeded to a shootout using the "Hemming Tie Brake", which determined Watford the winner scoring 5 points to Ipswich's 4.

Teams:
Watford Nick Archer (2½), John Smallbone (4), Adam Huby (7), Jonathan Lambton (7)
Ipswich Martin Hart (8), David Wicks (14), Albie Willett (16), Eden Rogers (18)
Norwich Jonathan Kirby (-2½), Nick Harris (-1), Neil Chalmers (8), Sarah Barley (11)

At the end of the day's play Nick Harris and the Manager Terrey Sparks, both appointed C.A. Handicappers, decided after conferring to reduce the handicaps of the young Ipswich players by two each, as they had clearly demonstrated by their play that a reduction was due. Thus: Albie Willett 16 to 14, Eden Rogers 18 to 16. Meanwhile (in spite of their team victory!) John Smallbone also increased from 4 to 4½ and Adam Huby from 7 to 8.

Report & photo by Terrey Sparks

Area League Play-Off for the Chairman's Cup

Regulations

  1. The winning team from each Area will meet to determine the overall EACF league championship.

  2. The format will be normal handicap games of 26pts, doubles in the morning and single games in the afternoon. Singles games will be double-banked and the duration of each game will be 3¼ hours.

    am: A1,A3 v B2,B4 B1,B3 v C2,C4 C1,C3 v A2,A4
    pm: A1 v C2
    A3 v C4    		 B1 v A2
    B3 v A4    		 C1 v B2
    C3 v B4


    A draw will take place in the morning to determine which teams will be designated A, B or C.

  3. All teams will comprise four players (no handicap restriction).
  4. The Team Captain is to list his team in handicap order before the start of play and hand it to the manager. (If two or more players have the same handicap they can be listed per that teams preference.)
  5. The overall winner will be the team that has won the most games. However,
    1. If no winner can be determined then the who beat whom rule will apply. However,
    2. If still no winner can be determined then the team with the fewest wins on time will be the winner.
    3. If the contest is still undecided, then a peg shoot-out will be arranged by the Manager to determine the winner.
  6. The overall winner of the play-off will be presented with The Chairman's Cup to be held for one year and will go forward to represent the Eastern Region in the Secretary's Shield for the next year.

Terrey Sparks
Manager