Kiwis keep golf croquet crown
It was anything but a Sunday stroll, but New Zealand’s Black Mallets hit their stride at the right time to claim back-toback tier one Golf Croquet World Team Championships title.
The culmination of seven days’ competition between the world’s top eight nations saw the previously unbeaten Egypt and New Zealand contest the 13 best-of-3 match final, held at the Nelson Hinemoa Croquet Club on Saturday and Sunday.
Trailing 2-3 after day one, the New Zealand team put on a masterful performance on day two, splitting the first two fixtures on Sunday before dominating the singles matches with four straight wins to take the match and the Openshaw Shield 7-4.
As with their narrow 7-6 semifinal victory against the United States, the Kiwi foursome of Duncan Dixon, Felix Webby, Josh Freeth and Edmund Fordyce were given little room for error by the Egyptians.
The doubles pairing of Hamy Erian and Moustafa Nezar seized the early advantage with a win over Dixon and Webby (4-7, 7-6, 7-5), followed by another over Fordyce and Freeth (7-5, 1-7, 7-2).
Dixon and Webby took out the third doubles match with a 7-6, 7-6 win over Mohamed Karem and Amr Alebiary.
Karem and Nezar also contributed singles wins over Dixon (7-2, 6-7, 7-3) and Freeth (7-4, 5-7, 7-4) to keep Egypt within striking distance.
However, the visitors were unable to stay with New Zealand as the home team found another gear in Sunday’s latter stages.
Saturday’s action came to a close early, with the third game of match six between Webby and Alebiary stopped due to bad light with the scores tied 4-4.
The 2020 championship win meant New Zealand was able to defend the title it won in 2016.
The Kiwis dropped only two matches out of 18 in block play to begin the week, beating Australia, England and Ireland to join the Egyptians as top qualifiers.
In the battle for the minor placings, England beat the US 7-2 to claim third, Australia overcame South Africa to finish fifth, and Ireland avoided the wooden spoon with a win over Sweden in the playoff for seventh.