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Chris Roberts in play at the Surbiton Easter Handicap (Photo: Samir Patel)

Don Beck Quits GC after Winning the Surbiton Easter Handicap

With temperatures soaring into the low thirties, but with a refreshing breeze to keep the players a bit cooler, the manager controversially revoked the white clothing regulation and Chris Roberts (the new CA Gazette editor and pictured) took full advantage. An international correspondent commented that this was "an outrageous breach of a tradition which ought not to be discarded on a whim".

Linda Shaw, Janet Overell and Bob Prichard made the early running, making effective use of their bisques to maintain an unbeaten record at the end of day one. They couldn't maintain this into day two and Brian McCausland pulled off an unexpected win against Bob, who was the last remaining unbeaten player. This seemed to leave Linda in the driving seat, until Gary Bennett ground out a win. This left young Don Beck to take an unexpected tournament win, which we are sure will the first of many.

Don said "I'm really stunned to win this event, and it has made me realise that I should focus on learning about the tactical richness of Association Croquet, rather than the GC wrong-ball law."

Mr Ben Dock, editor of the Don Beck Fanzine, wrote "I am in mourning that our great game has lost one of its leading less able players. Will the GC circuit continue if we only have younger players bashing balls around in random directions?"

Final Standings

4/5 Donald Beck
4/5 Bob Prichard
3/4 Janet Overell
4/6 Brian McCausland
4/6 Collin Southern
4/6 Linda Shaw
4/6 Samir Patel
3/5 Martin Pulsford
3/5 Sam Murray
3/6 Duncan Reeve
3/6 Gary Bennett
2/4 Gina Lewis
2/4 Graham Brightwell
3/6 Ian Plummer
2/4 Jonathan Wolfe
2/4 Paul Wolff
3/7 Nigel Polhill
2/5 Clare Benson
2/6 Peter Spiller
1/4 Carole McLoughlin
1/4 Trudi Pulsford
1/5 Chris Roberts
1/5 Stephen Harbron
0/4 Rodney Parkins

Full Results

1. Jonathan Wolfe lost to Bob Prichard -3(t)
2. Paul Wolff beat Collin Southern +2(t)
3. Samir Patel beat Martin Pulsford +9
4. Duncan Reeve beat Stephen Harbron +13
5. Nigel Polhill beat Carole McLoughlin +6
6. Gina Lewis lost to Brian McCausland -2
7. Donald Beck beat Chris Roberts +10
8. Rodney Parkins lost to Janet Overell -18
9. Gary Bennett beat Graham Brightwell +6
10. Trudi Pulsford lost to Ian Plummer -5
11. Peter Spiller beat Clare Benson +4
12. Linda Shaw beat Sam Murray +26
13. Martin Pulsford beat Stephen Harbron +7
14. Duncan Reeve beat Donald Beck +6
15. Samir Patel lost to Linda Shaw -26
16. Chris Roberts lost to Sam Murray -16
17. Gary Bennett lost to Ian Plummer -24
18. Bob Prichard beat Paul Wolff +5(t)
19. Nigel Polhill lost to Brian McCausland -26
20. Carole McLoughlin lost to Collin Southern -12
21. Jonathan Wolfe beat Gina Lewis +14
22. Janet Overell beat Peter Spiller +16
23. Rodney Parkins lost to Graham Brightwell -14
24. Clare Benson beat Trudi Pulsford +7
25. Linda Shaw beat Ian Plummer +26
26. Gary Bennett beat Martin Pulsford +13
27. Chris Roberts beat Stephen Harbron +15
28. Sam Murray lost to Donald Beck -6
29. Duncan Reeve beat Brian McCausland +14
30. Samir Patel lost to Nigel Polhill -17
31. Linda Shaw lost to Janet Overell -8
32. Collin Southern beat Peter Spiller +21
33. Duncan Reeve lost to Bob Prichard -14
34. Paul Wolff beat Ian Plummer +15
35. Stephen Harbron lost to Trudi Pulsford -10
36. Gina Lewis beat Carole McLoughlin +11(t)
37. Rodney Parkins lost to Martin Pulsford -5
38. Samir Patel beat Peter Spiller +3
39. Donald Beck beat Gary Bennett +21
40. Sam Murray beat Clare Benson +11
41. Brian McCausland beat Collin Southern +16
42. Nigel Polhill beat Jonathan Wolfe +22
43. Chris Roberts lost to Graham Brightwell -9
44. Bob Prichard beat Janet Overell +7
45. Duncan Reeve lost to Linda Shaw -26
46. Brian McCausland lost to Donald Beck -12
47. Peter Spiller lost to Jonathan Wolfe -8(t)
48. Nigel Polhill lost to Collin Southern -26
49. Gary Bennett lost to Samir Patel -12
50. Ian Plummer lost to Clare Benson -23
51. Paul Wolff lost to Sam Murray -3
52. Stephen Harbron beat Rodney Parkins +12
53. Carole McLoughlin beat Chris Roberts +21
54. Gina Lewis beat Trudi Pulsford +10
55. Linda Shaw lost to Gary Bennett -3(t)
56. Graham Brightwell lost to Samir Patel -3
57. Duncan Reeve lost to Martin Pulsford -25
58. Ian Plummer beat Nigel Polhill +24
59. Collin Southern beat Clare Benson +14
60. Bob Prichard lost to Brian McCausland -5(t)
61. Nigel Polhill lost to Peter Spiller -20

Editor's Note

The article above was originally published on 1st April 2013.