For the first ever national Croquet Advantage final in the UK, fourteen finalists from the north (Ashby), south (Ryde), east (Maldon) and west (Glamorgan) and all points in between, assembled promptly at Ryde LTCC on a sunny September morning.

Players’ handicaps ranged from 4 to 10, causing starting scores to extend from the familiar 0 : 0 to -1 : 2. The tournament lasted 2 days with all playing all – a total of 91 matches.

By the end of day one Walter Hall (Maldon) was the only undefeated player with 7 wins, followed by four players on 5, Nigel Balchin (Glamorgan), Paul Green (Sussex), Jonathan Haslam (Dulwich) and Dee McKibbin (Phyllis Court).

Walter’s winning streak continued uninterrupted on Sunday, and at lunchtime he was 3 wins clear of his nearest rivals Dee and Anne Dennis (Watford), making a close finish seem unlikely. However, the players had other ideas; after suffering two consecutive 6 – 7 defeats, and with one round left to play, Walter found himself just one win ahead of Dee and two ahead of Nigel and Anne.

The manager’s serendipity decreed that Walter and Dee would play each other to reveal the final denouement. Walter’s magic touch returned with a 7 – 5 victory and Nigel, unbeaten in his final three games, swept into second place on points over Dee, with Anne finishing fourth.

Walter Hall being presented with the trophy by Richard Carline

Photos: Roy Tillcock and Andrew Larpent