The grades were held over two venues on Monday 8th February- Cashmere and St Martins Croquet Clubs.
A total of 30 players representing 8 Canterbury and 2 South Canterbury Croquet Clubs, an increase of 10 players on last year.
The tournament was played in very warm weather and on fast lawns – appreciated by some whilst others would have preferred lower temperatures and lawns that required a little more than a tap for the ball to reach one side to the other.
Thanks to both Clubs and all the helpers on the day
The Singles were played at the United Croquet Club in Hagley Park from the 26th to the 31st January 2021. Entries were fewer than normal, and the sixteen entrants started as two blocks of eight playing three games on Tuesday and Wednesday and one game on Thursday. The top four players from each block qualified for the knockout with the remaining eight players having a round robin giving them a further seven games.
The event started on the Tuesday that Christchurch experienced its record temperature of 36.1oC. This combined with bright sun, gusty winds, tight hoops and fast lawns once the lawns dried made conditions challenging. Wednesday was slightly cooler at 34 whilst the overcast skies and lighter wind made conditions ideal. Heavy rain on Thursday caused ponding on all lawns with the day’s play abandoned in the early afternoon after pegging down the games. Further rain overnight delayed the start for some players whilst water was removed from some lawns and all eight sets of games were double banked instead of just the Plate. The best of 3 quarter finals of the knockout and the first three rounds of the Plate block were completed on Friday. Saturday saw the completion of the best of 3 semi-finals, the Bowl and another three rounds of the Plate in somewhat windy conditions.
Felix Webby dominated Block A winning all seven of his games including a triple peel. Duncan Dixon was Runner-up with six wins and Harps Tahurangi third with five wins including a quadruple. Mike McClure played John Yarrall in the final round of the block requiring a win by two hoops to draw level. Mike’s win 22-21 was just not enough. In Block B, Logan McCorkindale also won all seven games with Josh Winter and Chris Shilling on five wins and Cole Wenmoth on four joining him and the qualifiers from Block A in the Quarter-Finals.
Felix Webby and Duncan Dixon won their quarter finals in straight games while Chris Shilling and Logan McCorkindale both lost their second game before winning the third. In the semis Felix and Duncan won a game each at 26 – 24 before Felix won their third 26 – 17. Logan ensured his place in the final winning in straight games. The final started with Logan winning the first game before Felix equalised in the second and went on to win his first national AC Open title in the third game
The Bowl was played as a single round robin with seventeen-year-old, Josh Winter, winning all three games and Harps Tahurangi runner-up.
The Plate was decided in the last round when sixteen-year-old, Levi Franks, beat his only potential rival for the trophy, Mike McClure. This meant that Nairn Smith, the only player to win against Levi in the Plate, pipped Mike for Runner-Up.
Winner of the NZ Open with tournament manager, Tony O’DonnellNZ Open runner up, Logan McCorkindaleHeenan Plate winner Levi FranksNZ Open Bowl winner Joshua Winter
The 2021 NZ Open Championship Doubles were held at the United Croquet Club in Hagley Park, Christchurch from the 23rd to the 25th January. Rain leading up to the tournament meant the lawns were slowish to begin but with the hot, dry weather the speed increased, and the lawns presented their world-renowned conditions of fast lawns and immobile hoops set to 0.4 to 0.8mm setting wider than the largest ball.
So not all games went to the peg as the manager imposed time limits when necessary to keep the event on schedule. By the second day the players had adjusted and the breaks became longer but still the nearest thing to a triple peel was when Harps Tahurangi missed his pegout.
Unfortunately, there were only eight entries, so the Championship started with two blocks of four. The top two pairs from each block qualified for the knockout with both the semi-finals and finals being best-of-3. Aaron Westerby + Logan McCorkindale and Duncan Dixon + Cole Wenmoth won their respective blocks winning all three games. Felix Webby + Chris Shilling took Aaron and Logan to three games in the semifinal but Toby Garrison + Jarrod Coutts upset Duncan and Cole by a single point when time ran out in each of their two games. Aaron and Logan then took the title by beating Toby and Jarrod 26-6, 26-15.
Open Doubles winners Aaron Westerby and Logan McCorkingdale with the tournament manager, Tony O’DonnellOpen Doubles runners-up Jarrod Coutts and Toby Garrison with tournament manager, Tony O’DonnellPlate winners Harps Tahurangi and Mike McClure with tournament manager, Tony O’Donnell
The Canterbury Croquet Association’s Grades Championship in Association Croquet was held on the weekend of 16th and 17th of January 2021 at the Barrington Park Croquet Club. Unfortunately, there were only eight entries including three from South Canterbury and the only other blemish on the tournament was the drenching rain that fell for about forty minutes on Sunday morning.
The hospitality of Barrington Park Croquet Club members was much appreciated and the weather generally pleasant. With so few entries, and a CCA requirement that an event has at least four entries, two grades were formed. In the top grade covering players with handicaps of 4 to 5, Leo van Oosten (Holmes Park) won all three games in the round robin. He ended as runner-up being defeated in the final by Geraldine Murphy (United). This win moved her handicap to 3.5.
The other grade for players with handicaps of 6 to 12, was won by Steve Costigan (United) with Gail Benseman (Waireka) runner-up. It was good to hear so many players discussing other opportunities for AC play and saying they will be back next year.
Canterbury triumph (and just quietly Cashmere Club)
Josh Winter and Levi Franks have WON the NZ GC doubles title today. They only lost 2 games from the 20 played. The final was played as best of 5 and won 3 – 0
Myles and James Duggan finished 5th winning the Bowl.
A great result and we now wait with interest for the singles, starting tomorrow.
The CCA GC Handicap Doubles tournament was held on Sunday 22 November 2020 at Fendalton Park Croquet Club.
20 players making up 10 pairs took part in the GC Doubles Handicap tournament on a day that had a variety of weather conditions – rain, wind, sun, more rain and wind etc. All credit to the players who braved the elements in their wet gear and continued playing in some dreadful conditions. The sportsmanlike attitude was great and the afternoon ended with some sunshine.
Play was two blocks of 5 pairs with a playoff game at the end from players in each block.
Neville Turner and Ivan Hayward (Rangiora) won 4 games in their block as did Alister and Hilda Newey (Rangiora) in their block. The deciding game was won by Alister and Hilda with Neville and Ivan then being the runners up. Third place was fiercely contested by Gae Keng and Joan Bradford (Fendalton) against Owen Evans and Mel Stevenson (Cashmere) with Gae and Joan taking third place.
Thanks to all the players who took part – without them there would have been no competition.
Some idea of the wet weather gear that was worn at the tournamentClearing skies, cold wind and a jump shot in actionManager Vilna Gough-Jones presenting the trophies to winners Hilda and Alister Newey from Rangiora
The CCA Handicap Singles Tournament was held at Holmes Park on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November. Weather was ideal and lawns in very good condition for the 8 entries, 4 old campaigners, 2 with a bit of experience and 2 newbies. Not surprising that the young ones cleaned up in their first AC singles event.
Levi Franks won the title and Myles Duggan was runner up, and also earned a CNZ Bronze Merit Award. Well done guys; we are in awe on how you run hoops.
Levi Franks (winner), Owen Evan (tournament manager) and Miles Duggan (runner-up)
Dennis Bulloch from Rose Gardens Croquet Club in Palmerston North came down to Christchurch and ran four days of coaching at the beginning of October.
Monday and Thursday were AC/GC coaching and Tuesday and Wednesday were Gateball coaching.
The AC/GC Sessions were well attended, and everyone learnt something new about how balls move and how to use this to their advantage. The buzzword was CALIBRATION so if you hear someone muttering it to themselves you know why.
The Gateball sessions were a lot of fun and included skills sessions, Japanese terminology and protocol and strategy followed by 5-a-side and doubles games. Players were keen to do more and we are now running a weekly session at Barrington with the goal of sending at least two teams to the Nationals in February.
Thank you to Barrington, Cashmere and Elmwood who let us use their facilities.
Gateball sessions will run for the rest of 2020 at Barrington Park Croquet Club on Tuesday evenings. See the new gateball web page for details.
Gateball coaching at Cashmere Croquet ClubGateball coaching at Cashmere Croquet ClubGateball coaching at Cashmere Croquet ClubGateball coaching at Cashmere Croquet Club
The 2020 Carol Hayward was played at United on six Tuesday mornings between the 28th February and the 17th March. Generally the weather was fine making this a relaxed competition with a two-and-a-half hour, 18-point, handicap Association Croquet game interrupted by morning tea particularly enjoyable.
The flexible Swiss format allowed the fifteen players to miss one of the six games but still be a prize winner.
Covid-19 prevented Lynne Bretherton of our generous sponsor the Margaret Stoddart Retirement Village from presenting the prizes.
Before the final round Steve Costigan was unbeaten but Ian Hamill won his game to clinch third placing with four wins in five games. Steve and Bruce McLay with five wins in six games were equal first.
Joint winners Steve Costigan and Bruce McLay with the manager, Tony O’Donnell
Croquet Canterbury 