CROQUET NEWS:  Hills Takes on One Ball Experts

15 June 2007
Sidmouth, Devon, England , UK
in Sidmouth Herald, Sidmouth, Devon, England , UK

Peter Hills striding out purposefully for a round of croquet. He represented Sidmouth in the One Ball charity competition.

Peter Hills, as the Sidmouth heat winner of the Charity (Cancer Research UK) One Ball Championships, went to Winchester on Saturday to compete with all other croquet club heat winners in the finals, writes Amanda Haste.

The event was organised on Swiss lines, with random pairings in the first round and being paired with someone with the same points score in subsequent rounds.

The competition was, as always, a very friendly affair — helped perhaps by the fact that the event does not feature on handicap cards — and was played in glorious weather.

As always with croquet players Peter bemoaned the occasional missed easy roquet or hoop run; he also learnt from some of his opponents the tremendous tactical possibilities and strategic problems in the One Ball game, which seems at first sight to be so simple and straightforward.

Much as he would have loved to bring back glory and a trophy to Sidmouth, Peter had to settle for three wins and four losses in his seven games, but was proud to represent Sidmouth and looks forward to exercising his new-found skills throughout the rest of the season.