Men’s & Women’s Championships (Cheltenham Croquet Club 14-18 June 2017)

Gabrielle acquitted herself well at the Men’s & Women’s Championships. In the Women’s she won her block to qualify for the KO stage, where she lost in a deciding game at the semi final stage having been 1-0 up.

In the Mixed Doubles she and partner Keith Aiton finished equal top of their block but lost a play off so failed to progress to the KO stage. Gabs won the 2016 edition of this event partnering David “The Beast” Maugham.

British Open Championships (The Hurlingham Club 1-9 July 2017)

Club members Gabs & Phil Cordingley will be playing in these. The Singles Championship draw has been made. Too complicated to explain in detail how the format works, but roughly you need to win six out of your first eleven singles games to qualify for a Bo3/5 KO stage. More as the tournament progresses.

Gabs and Phil will be partnering each other in the Doubles Championship, hoping to emulate some of their recent success for Middlesex at the Inter County Championship.

We can take up to four guests per day, so if club members would like to do some spectating let me know on what day and I’ll see what can be done.

Gabrielle Higgins & Phil Cordingley helped steer the Middlesex County Association Croquet Team to third place in the top division of the Croquet Association’s Inter-County Championship played at Southwick and Compton (Eastbourne) over the Bank Holiday weekend. The result was particularly creditable considering that due to the absence of key players at the European GC Championship held in Spain the same weekend, the team’s primary goal was simply to maintain First Division status for next season. Indeed having lost all three matches on the first day, even this looked like a big ask. But the team showed its mettle by winning all seven remaining matches, no fewer than five by the maximum margin of 3-0. Indeed had they won rather than lost their final match on the first day against hot favourites and eventual champions Nottinghamshire, Middlesex would have been crowned champions instead!

Gabs and Phil played doubles together in the final three rounds, winning all three. They will team up next in the 2017 British Open Doubles Championship to be played at the Hurlingham Club from 1-9 July. Watch this space!