SCA Handicap Doubles 2016
Richard Sparrow and John Surgenor won the 2016 SCA Handicap Doubles final +1T on a golden hoop after 4h 40m of play. Playing at the Meadows on 29th September, Robert Inder and Vivien Wightman dominated the majority of the game, but with 40 minutes remaining John managed to get the innings, taking his ball round to the peg and pegging out Vivien's, leaving Robert on penult and Richard on Hoop 5. Richard managed to get his own ball round to penult when, with less than two minutes remaining, Robert hit in from 30 yards. He approached penult, but was facing a tricky hoop when time was called, and so as Robert and Vivien were one hoop ahead he retreated into Corner I, leaving Richard's ball north of the peg and John on the north boundary. John shot at Richard's ball and hit, put Richard's ball about five feet in front of penult and pegged himself out to level the scores. Robert shot and missed; Richard played gently into the jaws; Robert played gently towards black in case he peeled it, but he missed, leaving Richard to score the golden hoop.
Two days of uninterrupted sun, excellent lawns that got increasingly fast over the event and two teams playing a mix of AC handicap doubles, handicap singles and Golf Croquet. Only two teams I hear you cry! The East were a 'no-show' over both days for reasons unknown. This was a real pity given the efforts of the North team to field a team in Glasgow over both days.