SOUTH WEST FEDERATION CROQUET LEAGUE

HIGHER HANDICAP DIVISION

Bude 11 Plymouth 9

Bude welcomed Plymouth’s higher handicap team to Crooklets on a fine, sunny day, perfect for croquet on Thursday, June 6.

Bude quickly took the lead with first round wins for Vic Frampton and emphatic 7-1 and 7-2 victories for Helen North and Pauline Sear.

Another three wins came in the next round with Hilary Dorren turning in her best ever performance, and Zoe Cox and Phil Dorren both winning 7-3.

In the third round, Vic Frampton gained his sixth successive league victory with a 7-1 score, but Plymouth, fielding a strong and experienced side, fought back to win the other three games, restricting Bude to a 7-5 overall lead.

The final round of singles games saw Lee Minns, Plymouth’s star player, record his third win of the match with his trademark blend of subtlety and brute force, but Dave Lansdown and Hilary Dorren battled for hard-earned narrow wins to maintain Bude’s two-game lead. Going into the final round of four doubles games, Plymouth needed to win all four for overall victory. 

In the game of the match, Helen North and Vic Frampton held Lee Minns and Gary Deacon to 6-6, but the Plymouth duo won the deciding play-off hoop in a real battle of wits and tenacity.

However, although Phil and Hil Dorren also lost their game, the other two were emphatically won 7-1 and 7-3 to give Bude an 11-9 overall win in a very competitive but sporting match.

The final result was very close but Bude scored 110 hoops to Plymouth’s 93, a 17-hoop difference, ample evidence of the all round strength of the home team’s performance. 

As results stand currently, Bude’s two teams are top of their respective leagues.