Newton, McMillan win first up

FIRST-UP WINNERS: Opening tournament doubles winners Muriel McMillan (left) and Chris Newton. Picture supplied

CROQUET

Barry Memorial Croquet Club members held a doubles competition as their summer season opening tournament.

Early on, it appeared that Dave Newton and Mary Dixon, who had a 9-6 victory in the first round, would be a force to be reckoned with.

In the second round they had another comfortable win, 10-7, but their games faltered in the remaining rounds.

Eventual winners Chris Newton and Muriel McMillan started slowly with a draw against Ross Thomson and Ina Elzen. They improved steadily, dropping only their final game, 8-6, to Christine McCullough and Jenny Barns-Graham.

McCullough and Barns-Graham had the same three-win, one-draw, one-loss record as Newton and McMillan, but didn’t have as good a points differential, so finished runners-up.

In third place were the pairing of Maurice Allan and Per Elzen, who had three wins.

It was a great start to what looks like being a busy season.