Fruits of experience passed on during croquet tournament in Gisborne

Experienced croquet players were paired with more recent recruits during a mid-year HiLo tournament run by Barry Memorial Croquet Club. From left are tournament winners Mark Bousfield and Murray Woods with runners-up Reef Parsons and Rob Hayes.

Experienced players had the chance to pass what they had learnt in a golf croquet doubles tournament run by the Barry Memorial club.

The Jenny Virtue Mid-year HiLo Tournament had six pairs competing in a round robin, the higher-handicap players partnering the lower-handicap players.

This allowed higher-handicapped players to receive coaching in a tournament environment.

The pairing of Mark Bousfield and Murray Woods were unbeaten in five games, but didn’t have it all their own way.

In the second round they scraped through 5-4 against Rob Hayes and Reef Parsons and, in the third round, got home 6-5 over Per Elzen and Doreen Dellaway.

The Hayes-Parsons and Christine McCullough-Kevin Smith pairs each had three wins, but Hayes and Parsons placed second on countback - a differential of one hoop.

Members paid their respects to club stalwart David McEwen, who died recently. He was a valued member of the club and its committee.

Club captain Ross Thomson noted that only a few days after the tournament, 24 members attended a club day – a great turnout for this time of year.

Many New Zealand croquet clubs closed in winter due to damp weather and soft grounds, but the Barry club had the benefit of year-round play.

Thomson said anyone wanting to try their hand was welcome to attend one of the club days on Fridays and Sundays at 12.45pm at the Barry Memorial club greens in Aberdeen Rd, near the Stanley Rd corner. Mallets would be available and coaching given.