The 4 last news
GC doubles competition 13 June
After a week’s bad weather the sun finally shone on Saturday for the one day GC Doubles Competition, although there was still a chilly wind.
22 pairs took part (including five married couples and one father and son team). Because of the numbers involved there were four divisions but two of the divisions only had five pairs each. This meant that divisions C & D were put into a crossover division in effect playing the opposing division so they could still have five games each during the day without byes etc.
Division A had six pairs and the winners were Steve Chapman and Paul Green with four wins. There were three pairs with three wins but Konstantin Yudintsev and Brain Aikens took second place with +8 net hoops. All players were from Sussex County.
Division B again had six pairs. Stephen and Debra Hayns from Ryde and Philip & Julie Tremble from Guildford tied with 4 wins each. However Stephen & Debra took first place with +10 net hoops.
In the C & D Crossover Division Tony Marjoram and Laki Marangos took top spot with five straight wins and therefore won Division C. Kathy McColgan and Davide Cogrossi were in second place with 3 wins and as they were from Division D they took the prize for that division.
Andrew Stewart
Thanks to Andrew for managing the event
Sussex win 4-3 at Ramsgate
Our U League team , comprising Jonathan Isaacs, David Dickens, Rob Harper and Nigel Billingham recorded a hard earned away win ( 4-3) at Ramsgate today. This means we are 2-0 so far this year.
The home team won the morning games 2-1, with our doubles pair of Jonathan and Rob recording the only win.
Sussex won the afternoon singles (3-1) with excellent wins by David , Rob and Nigel. This was despite an hour of really poor weather comprising thunder, lightning , hail storm, high winds and biblical rain!
Ramsgate were excellent hosts and despite the poor weather a good time was had by all.
Next up Guildford away.
Thanks to Nigel for report and photos
There was an early 8am start on Sunday, 7th June for Francis, Morgan, John and Jo. A smooth journey to the ULEZ zone and Roehampton club (thank goodness for an EV), to find that the weather was kinder in London than it was on the coast.
Overcast skies, no rain, the occasional glimpse of the sun and a gusting wind that took the ball off its perfect line. Perhaps. All this accompanied by very large jets going overhead at incredibly short intervals. The perfect way to clear your head before the next shot – was that Emirates? Qatar? BA?
The morning consisted of three close morning matches (all going to three), of which the doubles was won by John and Morgan, with Morgan running a tricky hoop in added time and Jo winning her singles. 2-1 up at lunch.
A delicious sandwich (with chips!) and brownies were very welcome by 1:15pm.
The afternoon session consisted of four more tight singles matches – all bar one going to three games. Sussex County had three more wins (Morgan, Francis and Jo).
During the day, six games went to golden hoops, four of which were won by Sussex County, and crucially two by Francis in one three game match. Gritty stuff.
So Sussex County won the match 5-2 and are into the quarter finals, where Guildford await.
The journey home to the south coast was remarkable in that Jo was so busy chatting that despite familiar roads, she missed two turnings and ended up doing some sight-seeing in Surrey. She will never live it down!
Thank you to Roehampton for the hospitality and a match played in good spirit.
A big thank you to Jo for captaining on the day, driving the tem both ways and writing a report as well - with a picture too.
Croquet South East GC Level Play League 2026
Sussex County started their campaign in the Croquet South East GC Level Play League 2026 with a hard fought home match against Hove Beach CC.
The team of David Dickins, Douglas Shand, Brian Aikens and Simon Ancell found themselves 1-2 down at lunchtime after some excellent play by the members of the Hove Beach team. This meant that, of the four Singles matches to be played in the afternoon, Sussex County needed to win three of them to clinch victory.
Whatever was in the home team’s lunch seemed to do the trick, as Sussex County managed to secure the three required wins to turn the tables and run out winners of this very close match, 4-3.
Brian Aikens
