Croquet: Briton beats local for fifth world title

England's Robert Fulford further enhanced his reputation as one of the finest croquet players by winning his fifth world championship with a 3-1 victory over Wellington's Toby Garrison at Paraparaumu yesterday.

The 29-year-old from Colchester was in control for most of the final, racing away to win the first two games 26-0 with triple peels each time.

Fulford dropped the third 26-9 after Garrison collected a triple peel, but wrapped up the title 26-11 with a triple peel in the fourth game.

Fulford, also champion in 1990, 92, 94, 97, and runner-up in 1995 and last year, played precision croquet over the weekend on soft lawns slowed by rain.

To reach the final, Fulford recorded three triple peels to eliminate No 12-ranked Brian Wislang - a Nelson orchardist who was runner-up at this year's New Zealand Open - 26-0, 26-0, 26-16 on Saturday.

Garrison, ranked No 9, who had upset defending champion Reg Bamford of South Africa 2-1 in the second round, had a marathon eight-hour semifinal battle before eliminating unknown Irishman Andrew Johnston 26-1, 26tp-18, 22-26, 26tp-22.

Johnston, 22, ranked 135th in the world, had to play in a qualifying tournament in Nelson to gain entry to the 64-strong field for Wellington.

His scalps to reach the final four included world No 3 David Maugham of England, No 7 Dennis Bulloch of Nelson, and No 11 Ronan McInerney of Ireland.

The Garrison-Johnston semifinal, which ended in near darkness on a heavy lawn on Saturday, was a gripping battle between two talented young players.

Although he dropped two matches in round-robin section play but recorded two sextuple peels in his five other qualifying games, Fulford came into his own during post-section play, consistently picking up triple peels.

Fulford, who has won the New Zealand Open twice, finished the week-long world championships with two sextuple peels and 12 triple peels to his credit.

Garrison, in the finest tournament performance of his international career, had 20 triple peels and enjoyed strong support from the 300 spectators in the final.

Tournament officials, who were forced to transfer play on Saturday because of flooded lawns, had further delays in the semifinals because of rain and yesterday switched to the sandier Paraparaumu lawns further north when more wet weather hit Wellington.

England, the strongest country in international croquet, claimed a second title when John Gibbons, ranked 46, beat Australia's Stephen Meatheringham, ranked 44, 26-6, 26-21 in the championship plate final.

In the semifinals, Meatheringham eliminated World Croquet Federation president Tony Hall 26-9 in an all-Australian affair, and Gibbons edged out another Australian, Trevor Bassett, 26-25.

- NZPA