Club chalk up their first senior level victory

Croquet

Canterbury Croquet Club are celebrating their first senior level golf croquet league victory. The win was all the sweeter because they had not intended to enter the south-east senior level league. By the time their golf captain, Judy Sturrock, realised the club had entered the competition – rather than the restricted level league she had requested – it was too late to change. It means the club face challenges from top level, rather than medium players. When injury forced Sturrock, handicap three, to withdraw from last week’s home match at Polo Farm against Merton, she feared she might not be able to raise a team but England player Tobi Savage, who turns out for Ramsgate and Canterbury when available, managed to get a day off work. Savage has a handicap of minus four. David Buckman, his partner in the doubles, has a handicap eight points higher but played superbly. Up against Merton’s Carole Doswell and Graham Withrington, both with handicaps of one, the Canterbury duo ran out winners 7- 4, 6-7, 7-5 after three hours. Meanwhile, Canterbury’s Ann Poole (h5), made short work of defeating Hilary Davis (h8) 7- 4, 7-3, while Barry Sales (h4) proved too good for Merton’s Julie Sheahan (h2), winning 7-5, 7-5. This left Canterbury needing to win one game in the afternoon to clinch victory and although Savage did not find his best form, he overcame Doswell 7-2, 7- 6. Sales beat Davis 7- 6, 7-2 and Poole lost 7-1, 7- 4, to Sheahan. Buckman and Withrington were 1-1, with both games going to the golden hoop, when all other games had finished, so they settled on a draw. Canterbury are at home to Sussex County on Monday.

Canterbury Croquet Club’s team who beat Merton, from left, Tobi Savage, Dave Buckman, Ann Poole and Barry Sales