CAMERTON and Peasedown Short Croquet team played their first match at home on June 4.

It was a rather dreary morning when the team from Taunton Deane arrived in Peasedown to play the first short croquet match of 2024.

Taunton Deane brought two strong players notably, Stephen Custance - Baker who is a ‘3 Pealer’. A ‘3 Pealer’ is an extremely good player who is required to peal a partner ball through three of his hoops in order to win the game.

Another of the Taunton players was a H2 handicap and the other two members of the Taunton team were playing off a handicap of 10 which meant that they had 10 bisques (extra shots) each.

The Camerton and Peasedown team, on the other hand, were H 4, 6, 6 and 7. In the first Round CPCC won 3 out of 4 games and in the next two rounds they won 2 out of 4.

The score at that point was 7-5 to CPCC. The last round meant that CPCC had to win 2 games to win and Taunton Deane had to win all 4 games to win and 3 games to draw – anything could have happened.

Taunton Deane won the first game, but the other 3 games were going to time. One incident, in particular, was probably a unique happening. Ann Munton and Simon Munton were playing on separate, adjacent, lawns with the same colour balls – blue and black and were preparing to peg-out at the same angle to their separate posts.

Having placed the two balls together, in sequence, they went to check the accuracy of the placement, then adjusted the balls, then repeated this again two or three times in perfect sequence with one another until playing the shot.

Ann’s balls were much nearer the post than Simon’s, so she pegged out successfully and won the game. Simon was not so lucky; he had more work to do and the game continued. Simon managed to peg out one of his balls before time was up and so he too won his game.

Camerton and Peasedown won the match 9-7. Well done to the CPCC Short Croquet team of David Milford, Ann and Simon Munton and John Rowley.

June 9 saw the first event of the CPCC internal club tournaments with the Golf Croquet Handicap Doubles players in action. Two days are dedicated to this tournament which will be completed later this summer.