Croquet win at Lakes

The pairings of Drouin Croquet Club’s Kath Willems and Heather Bullen (division two), and Hamish and Edna Menzies (division one) competed in the golf croquet handicap doubles tournament at Sale recently.

Conditions on both days were miserable to say the least, with consistent rain throughout making conditions squelshy underfoot.

In division one, Hamish and Edna Menzies finished the tournament with three winning games. They defeated Rowe and Harrowfield of the Brunswick club 7/5, prevailed 7/3 against the Rosebud Village Glen pairing of Ian Cheeseman and Margaret Fuller and accounted for the Donnelly pairing from Lakes Entrance 7-5.

Other scores were losses to Lebbon and Wilson of Sale 7-3, the Bradbury’s from Maffra 7-4 and Willems of Traralgon and Smith of Lakes Entrance 7-4.

Runners up last year in division two, Willems and Bullen got off to a mixed start on Saturday with wins of 7-6 and 7-4 over Sale pairings of Clerici and Derley and Stevens and Phillips.

They incurred losses of 7-4 and 7-6 against Knight and Howard of Maffra and Henwood and Hankin of Lakes Entrance, giving them a disappointing result at days end with two wins, two losses and hoops squared at zero.

With climatic conditions no better on day two, the Sunday games also got off to a wet start. Being essential to win all three matches to have any show at all, it gave Willems and Bullen the necessary incentive to attack and defend strongly under difficult conditions.

Game one against Clissold and Johnson of Sale was a win 7/4, with another win in game two against Matthews of Drysdale and Barnett of Queenscliff 7-3.

Knowing the last game of the tournament against the Bairnsdale pair of Speksnjder and Phoebe would be a close, tough fought match Willems and Bullen defended well and triumphed with a 7-4 win.

The final tally of five wins, two losses and 10 hoops to the good gave them the edge of one more winning game to become overall winners of division two.