AC Association Croquet

Friendly The annual AC Tour of clubs in the South West region took place as usual in late July, with one-day matches at the same five clubs as last year. This year the weather gods were in a good mood and the tour was dry, sunny and warm for the whole time. At Swindon the tourists managed to register a 4-4 draw, halting the run of defeats there in the previous couple of years, but could not sustain that form on the next day at Bristol where they lost 4-6.

This year there were more tourists participating than ever before, so the third day at Nailsea was the big change-over day with several leaving after a half tour and others arriving to replace them for the second half. Nailsea kindly accommodated this with a plentiful supply of opponents so that a full 13 games were played on fast and quite tricky courts, every one of which went to the full time-limit, the tourists ending with a healthy 9-4 win.

On day four at Dyffryn the hosts managed to accommodate a full 9 games on only 2 courts, using stripy balls and treble-banking on one court in the afternoon, winning on time in the last game to hand the tourists a 4-5 defeat. Then on the final day at Blewbury with the hosts on top form everything came unstuck for the tourists, losing 0-8 for the first ever whitewash on tour. Better luck next year!

Tour organiser: Mark Homan.


See also the GC Tour.

Tour photos by year:
Tour results by year:

Date Opponents Venue Results (Watford names first)
Thu 24 Jul Swindon Away

DREW 4-4

All games: H(Net index points: 0)
John Smallbone (3) &
Wendy Spencer-Smith (18)
lost to Rosemary Wall (20) &
Diana Trott (12)
-17T
Geoff Johnson (4) lost to Neil Morrison (4½) -10
Alan Clark (6) lost to John Small (10) -4
Robin Barry (10) beat Bill Marner (18) +9T
Geoff Johnson (4) &
Alan Clark (6)
beat Roger Bedells (18) &
Mary Bedells (16)
+5T
John Smallbone (3) lost to Neil Morrison (4½) -11T
Wendy Spencer-Smith (18) beat Bill Marner (18) +13T
Robin Barry (10) beat John Small (10) +12
Fri 25 Jul Bristol Away

LOST 4-6

(Net index points: -28)
John Smallbone (3) lost to Bob Scott (4) -1T =
Geoff Johnson (4) beat Lisa Jones (6) +8T =
Alan Clark (6) lost to Gill Pocock (11) -4T H
Robin Barry (10) lost to Jill Hathaway (11) -4T =
Wendy Spencer-Smith (18) lost to Shiela Becroft (18) -1T H
John Smallbone (3) lost to Frances Ransom (4) -2T =
Alan Clark (6) beat Lisa Jones (6) +16 =
Geoff Johnson (4) beat Jill Hathaway (11) +8T H
Robin Barry (10) beat Shiela Becroft (18) +1T H
Wendy Spencer-Smith (18) lost to Gill Pocock (11) -5T H
Sat 26 Jul Nailsea Away

WON 9-4

(Net index points: +38)
John Smallbone (3) beat David Hunt (5) +3T =
John Bee (6) lost to Brian McCausland (6) -5T =
Geoff Johnson (4) lost to Peter Dyke (6) -1T =
Alan Clark (6) beat Erica Malaiperuman (8) +6T H
Robin Barry (10) lost to Kathy Wallace (9) -3T =
Wendy Spencer-Smith (18) beat Linda Shaw (14) +9T H
Geoff Johnson (4) beat David Hunt (5) +3T =
John Smallbone (3) lost to Brian McCausland (8) -3T H
Alan Clark (6) beat Peter Dyke (6) +14T =
John Bee (6) beat Erica Malaiperuman (8) +2T =
Mark Homan (7) beat Kathy Wallace (9) +1T =
Wendy Spencer-Smith (18) beat Mary Barnes (12) +13T H
Robin Barry (10) beat Linda Shaw (14) +5T H
Sun 27 Jul Dyffryn Away

LOST 4-5

(Net index points: +3)
John Bee (6) &
Robin Barry (10)
beat Sarah Melvin (4½) &
Jay Dyer (24)
+1T H
Alan Clark (6) &
Wendy Spencer-Smith (18)
lost to Peter Balchin (4) &
Robert Upton (18)
-15 H
Simon Hathrell (-1) beat John Evans (-1) +11 =
Mark Homan (7) lost to Marian Clancy (14) -7 H
Simon Hathrell (-1) &
Mark Homan (7)
lost to John Evans (-1) &
Marian Clancy (14)
-8T H
John Bee (6) lost to Peter Balchin (4) -18 =
Alan Clark (6) beat Sarah Melvin (4½) +12 H
Robin Barry (10) beat Robert Upton (18) +9 H
Wendy Spencer-Smith (18) lost to Jay Dyer (24) -14 H

Handicap change: Robin Barry 10 to 9
Mon 28 Jul Blewbury Away

LOST 0-8

(Net index points: -60)
John Bee (6) &
Mark Homan (7)
lost to Deirdre Cochrane (6) &
Bruce Gallop (11)
-5T H
Simon Hathrell (-1) lost to Paul Wolff (4) -16 ±
Robin Barry (9) lost to Andy Robertson (8) -13 =
Wendy Spencer-Smith (18) lost to David Seed (16) -7T H
Simon Hathrell (-1) &
Robin Barry (9)
lost to Paul Wolff (4) &
David Seed (16)
-15 H
John Bee (6) lost to Deirdre Cochrane (6) -6 =
Mark Homan (7) lost to Andy Robertson (8) -5 =
Wendy Spencer-Smith (18) lost to Bruce Gallop (11) -3T H

Statistics (Watford players)
 
Name Singles
W-L
Doubles
W-L
Total
W-L
Robin Barry5-31-16-4
Alan Clark4-21-15-3
Geoff Johnson3-21-04-2
John Bee1-31-12-4
Simon Hathrell1-10-21-3
Mark Homan1-20-21-4
Wendy Spencer-Smith3-50-23-7
John Smallbone1-40-11-5
 
Totals19-222-521-27
Key:
H Handicap
= Level Advanced
± Handicap Advanced