Although the season is winding down, and we are preparing to encase our precious mallets in their winter covers, one or two matches are still being played, writes Richard Thurlow.

The contrast in results is certainly interesting and lessons should be learnt, although I’m not sure what they are!

We begin with the golf croquet news and the club’s level play team have won all their matches this season, and had their penultimate match against old foes Budleigh Salterton last Sunday.

The six Sidmouth players got off to a splendid start, and, by lunchtime, held a 10-4 lead.

However, the first three matches of the six to be played post lunch, went the way of Budleigh. The losing run for Sidmouth was stopped by Phil Harris and Steve Pearson who won the next two games to seal Sidmouth an overall 12-8 success.

Sidmouth are now currently top of their league with one remaining game to complete.

That last match is away at Taunton Dean who have, in their ranks, one of the top ranking players who sports a minus two handicap!

A win or a draw would ensure remaining top of their league and win a place in the play-off stage, leading, hopefully, to the final. Watch this space!

As for association croquet, the club’s intermediate team were in Monday action in Cornwall at St Austell. This was the match that had been abandoned earlier in the campaign owing to heavy rain that washed out the contest.

The team travelled south west for two hours, mainly in the rain and then the following six hours saw all six games lost – played, for the most part, in the rain, before another two hour journey home – and yes, that too, took place in the rain!

I forbear to mention our players names, including mine. There must be more to life than croquet.