By John Thomson
There were two postponed games to play, due to inclement weather, to finish off the Handicap Shield season. Lilydale Croquet were sitting in third position on the ladder. The top three teams were sitting on the same number of tests won, it was only games and hoops that separated them.
The first of these postponed games was on Wednesday 2 November, Lilydale was playing Sandringham Blue. Lilydale was going into this game as favourites as Sandringham Blue were a couple of positions below Lilydale and were not going to make the finals, only the top two teams will progress to the finals.
The first game was a singles game and this saw Lilydale’s captain, Glenn Crook, start the day.
Because of the handicap system Glenn was giving away four extra turns. Sandringham used their extra turns extremely well and came away with a 7 hoops to Lilydale’s 3 hoops win.
The second game was the doubles and Lilydale’s pairing of Alan Jones and Craig McCracken steadied the ship and put Lilydale on the winners board with a 7 hoops to Sandringham’s 5 hoops.
The next singles game was extremely tight with neither player able to get a break. After twelve hoops the game was tied at six hoops a piece, so it was off to the thirteenth hoop to see who could break the deadlock. Lilydale’s Alan Jones hit off first and placed his ball beautifully in front of the hoop, it was just a matter then of where the other balls placed and whether he could run the hoop, this he did and won the game 7 hoops to Sandringham’s 6 hoops.
Lilydale won the next doubles reasonably comfortably, 7 hoops to 4 hoops.
At the lunch break it was Lilydale 3 games 24 hoops to Sandringham Blue 1 game 22 hoops.
After lunch the next game was the last singles game for the day. Lilydale’s Craig McCracken, who just keeps improving week after week, had a very comfortable 7 hoops to 1 hoop win.
The last game was the doubles, although Sandringham could not win the day they were certainly determined to finish on a high and came away with a 7 hoops to Lilydale’s 1 hoop win.
The final score for the day was Lilydale 4 games 32 hoops to Sandringham Blue 2 games 30 hoops.
This win lifted Lilydale to second on the ladder with one round to play.
The second postponed match was played the next day.
This game saw the two top teams play off, Sandringham White, who were in first position and Lilydale in second position. This game would also see who ended up as minor premiers for the season.
The first game as always is a singles game and this saw Lilydale’s Glenn Crook take an early break and was able to hold it throughout the game despite his opposition having two extra turns. Lilydale won 7 hoops to Sandringham 5 hoops.
Lilydale’s Craig McCracken and Alan Jones were next in the doubles, and although they were playing well they just missed a couple of vital shots which in the end made all the difference, with Sandringham winning 7 hoops to Lilydale’s 5 hoops.
The next singles game saw Sandringham play extremely well and come away with a 7 hoops to 3 hoops win.
In the next doubles Lilydale’s Glenn Crook and Mick Crawley teamed up. This game ebbed and flowed with neither side able to get clear early, in the end it just came down to a couple of bad decisions by the Sandringham team that gave Lilydale the break and were able to win 7 hoops to 5 hoops.
At the break it was two games apiece and Sandringham White up by 2 hoops 24 to 22 hoops.
It was anybody’s day with one singles, and one doubles game to play, this was going down to the wire.
In the singles Lilydale’s Alan Jones had a superb game and came away with a 7 hoops to Sandringham’s 3 hoops win. This win gave Lilydale a mini break.
The last game was a doubles game. This game was an epic struggle, this would not only see who won the day but who was going to finish on top of the ladder after the home and away season.
After 12 hoops the game was all tied up at 6 hoops apiece, so it was off to the 13th hoop to decide the winner of the game. This hoop as you would expect was a struggle, but, in the end Sandringham ran the last hoop and won 7 hoops to 6 hoops.
After this game both captains had their calculators out adding up the scores to see who was the eventual winner.
The final score was Lilydale 3 games 35 hoops to Sandringham White 3 games 34 hoops, so it was Lilydale by 1 hoop. You can’t get any closer than that, it was an epic struggle befitting the two top teams.
The semi finals will be played on Thursday at the Ringwood Croquet Club.
There was no Level Play Shield this week due to the Melbourne Cup Long weekend.
There are two weeks to play and Lilydale sits on top of the ladder with an unassailable lead.
