Category: Old Championship Posts

2018 ACWC – Membership, Ranking and Wild Card Places

2018 Association Croquet World Championship

 

Following the passing of the Closing Date on 24 September 2017, a total of 76 places have now been awarded.  These consist of 20 Membership Places, 54 Ranking Places (including seven Replacement Ranking Places) and two Wild Card Places.  The remaining four places will be awarded to the four highest finishers in the Qualifying Tournament.

Entry fees for any future replacments are due within one month of taking up the place.  Bank transfer information and a PayPal button may be found at 2018 ACWC entry fees.

The lists will be updated when a vacancy caused by a withdrawal is filled.  The lists were last updated on 29 November 2017.

 

MEMBERSHIP PLACES (sorted by country and alphabetically)
1   HAWKER Janine Australia
2   WALSH Alan Australia
3   PERCIVAL-SMITH Chris Canada
4   WESTAWAY Peter Canada
5   MCDIARMID Annabel England
6   MOBERLY John-Paul England
7   SAVINOVS Andrejs Latvia
8   BULLEN Brian New Zealand
9   CHRISTIE John New Zealand
10   COUTTS Jarrod New Zealand
11   FREETH Josh New Zealand
12   GARRISON Toby New Zealand
13   JONES Steve New Zealand
14   TAHURANGI Harps New Zealand
15   WRIGHT Michael New Zealand
16   HOUSTON David Scotland
17   OJEDA Juan Spain
18   NORBACK Joakim Sweden
19   BAST Jim United States
20   JENKINS Simon United States
         
ALL RANKING PLACES  (sorted by country and alphabetically)
1   BASSETT Trevor Australia
2   BEARD Kevin Australia
3   CHAPMAN Nick Australia
4   FLETCHER Greg Australia
5   FLETCHER Malcolm Australia
6   FLETCHER Robert Australia
7   FORSTER Stephen Australia
8   HOCKEY Simon Australia
9   HONEY Alan Australia
10   HYLAND Callum Australia
11   MCCORMICK Dwayne Australia
12   MURPHY Tim Australia
13   NEWCOMBE Jeff Australia
14   NICHOLLS Jim Australia
15   RICHARDS Stephen Australia
16   SHARPE Alison Australia
17   WILSON Edward Australia
18   WISE David Australia
19   CUMMING Brian Canada
20   CARTER Christian England
21   CORDINGLEY Phil England
22   DEATH James England
23   GIRAUD Alain England
24   HIGGINS Gabrielle England
25   LINES Ian England
26   MAUGHAM David England
27   MULLINER Stephen England
28   MYERS Andy England
29   PATEL Samir England
30   POWE Jonathan England
31   SMITH Richard M England
32   TOWN Mike England
33   TRIMMER Pete England
34   WILKINSON Robert England
35   BRYANT Greg New Zealand
36   BULLOCH Dennis New Zealand
37   CHAPMAN Paddy New Zealand
38   CLARKE Jenny New Zealand
39   CRASHLEY Mike New Zealand
40   FILBEE Peter New Zealand
41   HAKES Aiken New Zealand
42   HOGAN Joe New Zealand
43   MORROW Nelson New Zealand
44   SHILLING Chris New Zealand
45   MURRAY Sam Scotland
46   BAMFORD Reg South Africa
47   RIVA Jose Spain
48   ABDELWAHAB Sherif United States
49   BENNETT Paul United States
50   LAWRENCE Stuart United States
51   MALOOF David United States
52   MORGAN Stephen United States
53   SOO Jeff United States
54   BURRIDGE Ian Wales
         
RANKING PLACES  (ordered by 12 month MaxGrade*)
* as at 13 August 2017    
         
1   FLETCHER Robert Australia
2   BAMFORD Reg South Africa
3   CHAPMAN Paddy New Zealand
4   MAUGHAM David England
5   BRYANT Greg New Zealand
6   MULLINER Stephen England
7   HAKES Aiken New Zealand
8   PATEL Samir England
9   MALOOF David United States
10   FLETCHER Malcolm Australia
11   RIVA Jose Spain
12   DEATH James England
13   SKINLEY Paul New Zealand
14   FLETCHER Greg Australia
15   HOCKEY Simon Australia
16   FORSTER Stephen Australia
17   TRIMMER Pete England
18   CARTER Christian England
19   GIRAUD Alain England
20   SHILLING Chris New Zealand
21   SOO Jeff United States
22   NEWCOMBE Jeff Australia
23   CLARKE Jenny New Zealand
24   MCCORMICK Dwayne Australia
25   NICHOLLS Jim Australia
26   LINES Ian England
27   BEARD Kevin Australia
28   HOGAN Joe New Zealand
29   WALTERS David Wales
30   CUMMING Brian Canada
31   MORGAN Stephen United States
32   HYLAND Callum Australia
33   FISHER Harry England
34   BURRIDGE Ian Wales
35   BASSETT Trevor Australia
36   LAWRENCE Stuart United States
37   POWE Jonathan England
38   MYERS Andy England
39   SHARPE Alison Australia
40   SMITH Richard M England
41   BASSETT Claire Australia
42   MURRAY Sam Scotland
43   WILSON Edward Australia
         
REPLACEMENT RANKING PLACES  (ordered by 12 month MaxGrade*)
* as at 29 November 2017  
         
1   WILKINSON Robert England
2   BENNETT Paul United States
3   BULLOCH Dennis New Zealand
4   CHAPMAN Nick Australia
5   HIGGINS Gabrielle England
6   RICHARDS Stephen Australia
7   ABDELWAHAB Sherif United States
8   CORDINGLEY Phil England
9   TOWN Mike England
10   FILBEE Peter New Zealand
11   PAILAS Daniel United States
12   CRASHLEY Mike New Zealand
13   MORROW Nelson New Zealand
14   HONEY Alan Australia
15   WISE David Australia
16   MURPHY Tim Australia
         
WILD CARD PLACES    
1   FORDYCE Edmund New Zealand
2   WEBBY Felix New Zealand

 

2017 AC World Team Championship Tier 3 – Southwick, England – Champion: Germany

The 3rd WCF Association Croquet Team Championship – Tier 3

Venue: Sussex County Croquet Club, Southwick, England

Dates: 17–22 July 2017

Champion:  Germany (Bruno Hess, John Swabey, Wolfgang Usbeck, Carlos Vieira)

Second: Czech Republic (Jan Cihak, Vaclav Doskocil, Miroslav Havlik, Jan Kral, Anna Kralova)

Full results are available at  https://croquetscores.com/2017/ac/wtc-tier-2

2017 AC World Team Championship Tier 2.2 – Southwick, England – Champions: Canada & Sweden

The 3rd WCF Association Croquet Team Championship – Tier 2.2

Venue: Sussex County Croquet Club, Southwick, England

Dates: 17–22 July 2017

Co-Champions

Canada (Brian Cumming, Nick Mitchell, Bill Rowat, Jim Wright)

Sweden (Simon Carlsson, Joi Elebo, Joakim Norback, Lewis Palmer)

3rd: South Africa (Peter Dreyer, Silvia Dreyer, Christine Wakeham, Christopher Wakeham)

Full results are available at  https://croquetscores.com/2017/ac/wtc-tier-2

Record entry for AC World Championship

On the Response Date for the 2018 ACWC, 30 July 2017, 13 countries had requested a total of 27 Membership Places and 111 players had applied for Ranking Places.

If two Wild Card Places and four Qualifier Places are taken into account, there will be 47 Ranking Places to be announced no later than Sunday 27 August 2017 to fill the Event Capacity of 80 places.  The names of the recipients of Wild Card Places will be announced at the same time.

These will be awarded to the players with the highest 12 month Maximum Grades according to the Ranking List published at midnight on Sunday 13 August 2017.  A player’s 12 month Maximum Grade is the highest grade they have achieved in the 12 months from 14 August 2016 to 13 August 2017 inclusive.

Countries which have requested Membership Places are required to provide the names of the players who will take up those places by the Closing Date which is midnight on Sunday, 24 September 2017.

Canada and Sweden share AC World Team Tier 2.2 title

Tiers 2.2 and 3 of the 2017 Association Croquet World Team Championship were played in two stages over six days from Monday, 17 to Saturday, 22 July at Sussex County Croquet Club.  Tier 2.2 consisted of Canada, South Africa and Sweden and Tier 3 of the Czech Republic and Germany.

Stage 1 was played over four days and involved all five teams playing each other in a "Jamboree" format.  At the end of this stage, Canada and Sweden took first and second places and qualified to contest the Tier 2.2 final in a two-day Test Match on Friday and Saturday.

The Friday doubles were shared but none of the four second day singles had been completed before the weather took a hand with a torrrential downpour in the middle of Saturday that rendered the courts unplayable.  The Playing Regulations stipulate that, in such circumstances, the Test Match is a draw unless at least four of the six matches have been completed.

The Tier 2.2 salver was therefore presented jointly to both teams and all eight players will receive winner's medals.

 

MacRobertson Shield – Australia wins for first time since 1935

In the opening Tests of the 2017 MacRobertson Shield contest at Mission Hills Country Club, California, Australia beat England 12-9 and New Zealand inched past USA by 11-10.

Australia led England by 2-1, 5-4 and 7-5 after each of the first three days but, by mid-afternoon on Friday, the scoreline was 8-7 to them but England led in two of the remaining three singles and were 1-1 in the third.  However, the Australians came through all three as winners and recorded their first full victory over England in 82 years – since 1935!

USA made an excellent start against New Zealand but were gradually pegged back so that, on Friday evening, New Zealand led 8-7.  However, with four of the last six singles played, USA had won three and taken a 10-9 lead in temperatures of 100 degrees F.  Fortunes swayed one way and then the other in both of the remaining matches but, eventually, New Zealand clinched both to record a very tense victory.

The second Tests pitched Australia against New Zealand and England against USA.  Australia and England both recorded 14-7 wins.  USA led England 7-6 early on day 9 but then conceded five singles and three doubles matches.

The final Tests saw Australia facing USA and England against the current holders, New Zealand.  England enjoyed a decisive 15-4 victory with two matches on day 15 abandoned because of the heat which had reached over 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) on occasion during the final week.  This gave England a mathematical hope of victory based on the possibility of USA overturning the form book and defeating Australia.  In fact, Australia led 2-1, 6-3 and 8-4 after day 13 and the honour fell to 24-year old Malcolm Fletcher, the youngest member of the Australian team, to score the decisive eleventh point on day 14 and hence ensure that the MacRobertson Shield trophy would return after a gap of 82 years to the homeland of its original donor.

 

 

Reg Bamford wins his second Golf Croquet World Championship

Reg Bamford (ZAF) defeated Ahmed Nasr, Egypt’s strongest player and a former GC World Champion in 2004 and 2008, in the 2017 Golf Croquet World Championship final at the Victorian Croquet Centre, Melbourne on 5 March.  Bamford won 7-6, 5-7, 7-4, 3-7, 7-4 in a gripping final to regain the title he won in Cairo in 2013, also against Nasr who had beaten him in the 2008 final in Cape Town.

In the semi-finals, Bamford defeated Hamy Erian (EGY), the 2015 runner-up, by 7-4, 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 and Nasr defeated Felix Webby, NZL, the recently-crowned Under 21 GC World Champion, by 5-7, 7-2, 7-4, 6-7, 7-4.