Croquet tough in wet weather

Concentration was crucial at Wanganui Croquet Club at the weekend as six provincial teams contested the Golf Croquet Lower North Island Championships in trying conditions.

Four player teams from Wanganui, Wellington, Hawkes Bay, North Taranaki and South Taranaki competed in singles and doubles games over the two days. Hawkes Bay, with 21 points, came through with a tight victory over runners-up South Taranaki, who finished on 20.

Wanganui player Ken Owen said the wet weather on Saturday morning impacted on the matchups.

Golf croquet is a shortened version of association croquet: the emphasis is on quicker games where tactics to knock or block opponents' shots are just as important as trying to get the ball through the hoop.

Owen said balls slowed up in the wet, while the mallets also slipped in wet hands.