Wynnum hosts CAQ Centenary Civic Reception, GC Open Singles, and a strong pennants finish

CAQ 100 Year Celebration Civic Reception 2022

To celebrate 100 years of croquet in Queensland, the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, Councillor Adrian Schrinner, held a Civic Reception in the Balmoral Room at Brisbane City Hall on Friday 6th May 2022.

Wynnum Croquet Club Life Members, Phyllis Pledger, Jim Philp, John Carter and Wendy Snowdon, received invitations and it was wonderful that all of them were able to attend.

Invitations were also sent to past members of the Queensland State GC Team, which included Deirdre and Gordon Giles. Liz and Bruce Fleming received invitations in honour of their current and past service to CAQ in many and varied positions, and as past members of the Queensland State AC Team. This was a great opportunity to catch up with many friends from other Queensland clubs.

CAQ GC Open Singles

The CAQ GC Open Singles was held on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th April 2022. The 24 players were allocated into 4 blocks of 6, with blocks A and B played at Wynnum and blocks C and D played at Toombul on the Saturday. On the Sunday, the top 4 in each block competed in the Championship finals played at Wynnum for the Pam Shepherd Trophy, with the remainder competing for the Pam Shepherd Plate at Toombul. And although heavy rain had been forecast for the weekend, play was completed in the dry, much to everyone's relief.

The finals of the Championship X, Y, Z, W were the best of 3 match, 13-point games timed at 1 hour each game. The Championship final between Gordon Giles and Greg Bury was a 'nail-biting' match with some exceptional play by both competitors. The spectators were kept on their toes in the first game as both players put on a marvellous performance of precision blocking, clearing and hoop running, with Gordon taking the game 6-5 as time was called after 1 hour. The second game was a classic seesaw affair with both players being in front at different stages and went to hoop 13. Gordon finally got that hoop to take out the Pam Shepherd Trophy.

Meanwhile at Toombul, 7 players competed in the Plate, with Helen Rillie (Headland Buderim) winning to secure the Pam Shepherd Plate. Unfortunately, Pam was not able to be at Wynnum to present the trophies, so Tournament Manager Bruce Fleming presented the winners of Z, Y, and W knockout with a CAQ Centenary badge before presenting Greg with the runner-up trophy and Centenary badge and winner Gordon with the Pam Shepherd Trophy and Centenary badge.

Bruce Fleming, Gordon Giles, Greg Bury and Liz Fleming at the Pam Shepherd Trophy presentation.

The winners of each of the finals were:

- Championship W (13th to 16th place) - Casey De-Vene (runner-up Francis Spencer) - Championship Y (9th to 16th place) - Dennis Green (runner-up Rosemary Newsham) - Championship Z (5th to 8th place) - Wade Hart (runner-up Geoff Hull) - Championship X and Pam Shepherd Trophy - Gordon Giles (runner-up Greg Bury)

Other events

ACA Bronze Medal (Queensland) on 25th to 27th March 2022 at Caloundra: Wynnum members Gordon Giles and Richard Pickvance were invited to play in this prestigious event, with the 8 players vying for the honour of competing for the Gold and Silver medals in South Australia in September. Each match was a best of 3 games, with each competitor playing all seven of the other competitors over three days. Congratulations to the winner, Greg Bury, and we wish him well in South Australia in September 2022.

CAQ Women's GC Singles on 23 and 24 April at Eildon: Congratulations to Mary McMahon on winning the CAQ Women's GC Singles Championship to take the Fleming Trophy, adding to her win in the same event last year.

The Plate was closely contested and was not decided until the last game. One of Wynnum's newer players, Cecelia Hains, put in a great performance on Sunday to secure 3 wins and 5 net hoops and was just 'pipped at the post' by Ann Rawding, who had 3 wins and 6 net hoops to win the Carmel Donley Plate.

Ann Rawding with the Carmel Donley Plate at the CAQ Women's GC Singles at Eildon.

Pennants 2022

After a rather slow start to the pennants season, our Division 2 players have steadily improved, winning 3 out of the last 4 matches and finishing 4th overall. Most games were very competitive, with many going to hoop 13. The results were:

- Graceville on 3 April, losing 4-6 (hoops 52-55) - Merthyr on 8 April, winning 7-3 (hoops 55-52) - McIlwraith on 11 April, winning 7-3 (hoops 58-48) - Windsor on 1 May, winning 6-4 (hoops 61-56)

Well done to all our players, and huge thanks to those supporters who turned out to watch our teams perform.

Upcoming Gala Day

Wynnum Croquet Club will hold a Golf Croquet Handicap Doubles Gala Day, sponsored by Renaissance Retirement Living, on Thursday 7th July 2022. Registration is at 8.00 am and play starts at 8.30 am. The format is a high and low random draw for partners. The entry fee is $20 per player, which includes morning and afternoon tea. BYO lunch. Entries close on Thursday 30th June 2022. Email entries to wynnum@croquetqld.org, or EFT to Bank of Queensland BSB 124012, account number 10234030, with reference 'Gala' and your name. Please include current handicap and index. Official handicap cards must be produced on registration.

By Mike Fordyce, Wynnum. From the Croquet Newsletter, June 2022, pages 30-33.