Scottish Croquet Association

Chairman's Rosebowl and Malmet Trophy 2022

17-19 September, Meadows

When the hawthorn berries have turned red, the brambles have been picked and jammed, and the skies are starting to speckle again with the return of wintering geese, it’s time for the SCA Chairman's and Malmet competitions, the invitation events for the top six available SCA players, and the next top six.

The Meadows again hosted these competitions, this time with flags at half mast, marking the passing of the Queen. Despite a couple of late withdrawals, there were strong fields in both. Handicaps ranged from -1½ to ½ in the Chairman's, and from 2½ to 6 in the Malmet. Time-limits were set at 2 hours 30 minutes.

At the start of the first day, the air was sharp but still. The sun was lifting spirits but not lifting the temperature enough to make shorts anything but a heroic choice of attire for the first round of matches. By the end of the day, the competition had hotted up with both tournaments being wide open and the favourites in each, James Hopgood and David Houston, having lost as many games as they had won. The day ended after dusk with many fourth-round games pegged down in the growing gloom.

Day 2 was decisive in the Chairman's. Chris won his pegged-down game against George on a golden hoop before facing James in what proved to be another golden hoop battle.  When James came to the lawn with about 5 minutes left, he was well behind. However, a good long roquet allowed a break to be established that took his back ball from hoop 4 to peg. Having set a leave, James pegged off his ball, leaving him two ahead: 4b and box against 4b and rover. Chris elected to play his rover ball in corner II, hit James’ ball peg-high on the west boundary, take-off across to his partner ball near the east boundary, cut rush to near the middle of the south boundary, take-off to rover, and run it through to the boundary near partner ball. This allowed him to peg out to tie the scores with both remaining balls for 4b. After a merry dance of shots of hedged equivocation, Chris shot at James’ ball, hit, and made the hoop to win by one. By the end of the day, he had amassed an unassailable lead.

In the Malmet, the competition was still wide open at the end of Day 2 with four players – Alan, Rosemary, Brian, and Stefan – all separated by only one win. Play in the morning of the final day was organised to allow a pause for the Queen’s funeral, with a few pegged-down matches being completed early, but the majority of competitors starting after noon. One of these pegged-down matches was between Rosemary and Alan that resulted in another 4b golden hoop finish. With time called, Alan pegged off his ball in hand, leaving partner ball in corner II, Rosemary’s ball for 3b in corner IV, and her ball for 4b near peg. Rosemary lifted her 3b ball, hit the ball in corner II, managed to make 3b and continue a three-ball break with a series of rushes, rolls and angled hoops to peg off her ball and tie the game. The resulting tussle for 4b provided good value for the watching crowd: another shuffle of shots around 4b punctuated by several successful and unsuccessful roquet attempts and a couple of unsuccessful hoop attempts before Alan finally managed to come out on top.

With Alan and Stefan winning their penultimate ties, each came into the final round with seven wins, meaning that if they matched each other’s result, there would be an 8 point play-off. That was not to be, with Stefan managing to prevail against a purposeful Rosemary while Alan failed to overcome a pertinacious performance by David Houston.

Congratulations were given to Chris on retaining the Chairman's and to debutant Stefan on winning the Malmet at his first attempt. Stefan’s handicap continued its meteoric fall from 5, through 4½, to 4, while John Owen’s impressive four wins saw him make significant progress on his way to scratch.

Trophies were presented, thanks were given, flags lowered and, as is traditional, celebrations and post-mortems were continued in Bennets.

Chris Martin

Results

The results are also on Croquet Scores: see Chairman's Rosebowl and Malmet Trophy.