Nailsea and District Croquet Club defeat Taunton Deane

The thrilling face-off involved 16 singles matches played by teams of four.

Andrew Wimshurst, Paul Arbos, Brian McCausland, and captain Kathy Wallace represented NDCC in their season opener.

By lunchtime, both teams were tied with eight wins each.

A minor distraction occurred during the break when Paul realised beetroot and whites were not a good combination, with a bib coming to the rescue.

However, a greater distraction came when the third round saw a heavy downpour, causing a half-hour pause in the game.

Once the water was drained and play resumed, NDCC secured three wins, putting them one point ahead.

In the final round, Paul and Kathy secured their third individual wins of the day, ensuring a 9-7 victory for Nailsea.

This win puts them at the top of the league, with both teams enjoying tea and cake after the match, as is tradition.

Anyone interested in joining the club can find more information at nailsea-croquet.org.uk.

NDCC also recently hosted the annual OBE competition.

Players from Swindon, Kington Langley, and Bradford on Avon joined NDCC players to compete for the fun trophy.

Coffee and biscuits were served on arrival, followed by a briefing on the 10-shot game.

It is a slight twist on association croquet rules, allowing faster play between opponents and cunningly played hoops to be scored more readily.

In keeping with the fun tournament spirit, the dress code was 1930s/40s, with an array of Panamas, headscarves, bow ties, braces, and blazers adding to the fun.

Libby was well supported as usual by Doreen as her number one, and Sandra made sure no one went thirsty.

After two short games before lunch and two afterwards, players settled down to tea and cake along with the presentation by NDCC president Kathy Wallace.

The Terry Young Trophy was won this year by his wife, Libby.