Hide stars as Sidmouth SE defeat Budleigh in final league game

Sidmouth SE croquet team has played its final match of the South West Federation Golf Croquet League season, writes David Butler.

In a rearranged match Sidmouth had only six players (including two who normally play Association Croquet, but had agreed to play) and the visitors, Budleigh Salterton SE had only five due to sickness!

This required a change in the order of play so the match could be played in five rounds, but the usual four doubles’ games and 16 singles matches were contested.

Sidmouth got off to a good start by winning five of the first eight and, by lunchtime, after four more had been and the overall score was six-and-a-half to five-and-a-half in favour of Sidmouth.

Of the eight games played after lunch, Sidmouth won six and Budleigh claimed the honours in the other two.

In spite of most Sidmouth players having to give ‘extra turns’ to the opposition (in one game there were six, as a Sidmouth player with a four handicap was competing against a ten handicap Budleigh opponent, they still managed a convincing win.

Most Sidmouth players won at least two games, but the best Sidmouth player on the day was Michael Hide who won all his four games including a brace of doubles that he played with Steve Pearson.

The final result was a win for Sidmouth by twelve-and-a-half to seven-and-a-half.