By Casey O'Connor
The Stanthorpe Mallet players finally made it back onto the court last week. On Tuesday (16 Nov) the Association plays were delighted to finally enjoy some game time.
Grace Howard, Heather Widderick and Effey Russell played a close game against Joy Newman and Sharyn Roser. With Howard’s team off to a slow start, Newman and Roser held a two point lead for most of the game. That was until Howard’s final shot of the day. She managed a run of three hoops in a row to put give her team the lead. Newman had the final shot for her team and score one hoop. The game ending in an 18 all draw, Newman had two runs of two, Widderick had one run of two, and Howard had a total of three runs of two and one run of three.
The next day the Golf Croquet group were on court enjoying the conditions.
Bev Sullivan (7) and Shirley Evans (6) combined well in their game against the pairing of Di Wren (8) and Kim Foster (4). In a close game Sullivan and Evans won in a play-off in a game where Evans scored two hole-in-one and Sullivan added her own hole in one.
Jennifer Gleadhill (6) and Liz Ellway (6) also had a narrow win over Kathy Hopgood (4) and Judy Lock (5). Lock scored a hole in one.
On Thursday, the Ricochet group hit the court and were joined by three ladies who joined the group to try their first game of croquet. Unfortunately play was interrupted by rain before the game could be it could be finalised.
Kay Webb and Annette Batterham who are more at home with a golf club in their hands teamed up to play another more familiar on the golf course, Mei Bell and her partner, the experienced Jenny Tunbridge.
With plenty of coaching from Sharyn Roser Webb and Batterham, quickly mastered the whole concept of balls and hoops. Webb scored two hoops in a row twice. A great result for a newcomer. She also proved an adept student of strategy and she and her partner were not afraid to execute the high-risk attacking play. Bell was ably coached by expert tactician Tunbridge and managed to score hoops and roquet which a player of more experience.
The small Gateball group stepped out on Friday in warm and sunny conditions. Conditions rarely seen in recent weeks.
What the comepitition lacked in numbers it made up for in intensity . Les Williams and Sharyn Roser played white balls and opponents Joy Newman and Grace Howard red balls in the first two games.
Whites get off to a slow start in the opening game and trailed throughout. they began warming to task and although Roser put four red balls out of play they could not make up the required ground. Reds scored an Agari and won 13-9.
The next game was a complete turnaround as Reds struggled to put balls into play through hoop their opponents from scoring hoop two for much of the game. Williams got a gate and touch on hoop two which was an added advantage for Whites. Howard managed to score two balls through hoop two for Reds on the last play of the game, but it was not enough. Whites taking a 12-7 win.
Players then swapped colours for the remaining two games. Newman and Howard playing white, Williams and Roser red.
Newman and Howard playing white got off to a slow start allowing Red to dominate gates two and three for the majority of the game. White scored an Agari and scored a 14 -9 win.
The final game was much closer. Williams and Roser numerous white balls out of play with accurate long shots, and slowly edged ahead ging on to win 11-7.
