Berkshire based players help bring the cup home
Berkshire based players helped England bring home the Association Croquet World Cup after some thrilling displays in the finals in Australia.
The England team, which featured Christian Carter from Ascot and Harry Fisher of Reading, won all three test matches to take home the Mac-Robertson Shield.
The competition came down to the final days play, with England needing just one win from their remaining six matches. This was duly delivered by Mark Avery, however, all members of the squad stood up to be counted when the chips were down.
The two unbeaten teams, England and Australia took to the courts for the decisive test after both had seen off the United
States and New Zealand in their first two tests. After two rounds of the decider the teams were still locked together, however this all changed in the first round of singles matches with England winning 5-1.
The final round of doubles saw England extend their advantage 21, meaning they needed just one win from the final six matches the following day to take the trophy. This they managed with ease to bring 'croquet home' with the final score England 13, Australia 8.
Mark Avery and Jamie Burch comprehensively won their doubles matches by 18-2 to become only the fourth undefeated pair in the history of the cup.
Jamie Burch also distinguished himself in the singles winning all six of his matches whilst Avery and Carter each lost only one game of singles.
The championship winning team featured Samir Patel (captain), Mark Avery, Jamie Burch, Christian Carter, James Death and Harry Fisher.
In the first test, England wrapped up a comprehensive 16-5 victory over the United States, passing the 11-match margin needed with a day to spare.
Fortunes and momentum swung both ways in their second test against New Zealand, however, despite going down 5-1 in the singles, England turned the game around with some impressive doubles play.
Samir Patel, produced a captain's performance when it was needed most, claiming his side's all-important 11th victory, having been locked at 10-10 in his final match and one game all.