Club members were delighted to watch Gabrielle Higgins, President of Hampstead Heath Croquet Club, progress through the rounds and reach the World Final at the start of the year.

In a back-and-forth finals match held on January 13, 2023, in Christchurch, New Zealand, Debbie Lines defeated Gabrielle Higgins, by a score of 26-3, 19-22, 22-11, to claim the 2023 WCF Women’s AC World Championship. 

The all-England final provided an entertaining and interactive match, with both players showing great skill and determination. Lines took the first game by a convincing score of 26-3, but Higgins fought back in the second, narrowly winning 22-19 as the game timed out. Lines took the decider 22-11 in another timed-out game to claim the world title.

Lines is only the third winner of the event, following Miranda Chapman (ENG) in 2015 and Jenny Clarke (NZL) in 2012.

More information about the 2023 Women’s AC World Championship can be found on the WCF web pages. And there is a YouTube video of the final should you want to watch some or all of the 11-plus hours of play.