With three players in the running for the Matrix going into the last month of the season, the prestigious competition could hardly have reached a more dramatic conclusion as autumn conditions descended on the croquet lawns of Shrewsbury.
Phil Extance, one of the candidates and seeking his first ever Matrix title, kicked off the drama by playing his matches early in the month. After a thumping win over Alan Ridley, he was the first with a chance to reach the magical 32 point mark. However his final opponent, the evergreen Julian, was in sensational form and snatched victory from the recently announced most improved player.
The result left Mike Long and David Hart with a chance to claim the prize, but like a good ‘Roy of the Rovers’ story, they had to play each other. After both winning their first matches, it came down to a final showdown. Previous head to head results dictated that Phil could no longer be the outright winner.
On a damp morning, on a worm cast infested lawn, during the last week of the season, the showdown took place. It felt like there was tension in the air, but actually it was the smoke billowing from Julians pipe on the adjacent lawn. Mike raced into a lead, protecting his three bisques and at one point was 16-4 ahead. It looked all over, but David gradually whittled away and drew level with eight minutes left on the clock. A final effort from David, combined with an agonising near miss from Mike, saw him scrape home plus 2 and thus retain the trophy.
It was a fitting end to a excellent season and congratulations to the lucky thirteen participants who took part over the summer.
FINAL LEAGUE TABLE AND POINTS – LEADING POSITIONS
1st – David 32
2nd- Mike 30
3rd- Phil -30
4th- Alberto- 25
5th – Julian, Tim and Robert -24
8th – Margaret E – 23
Other positions available on request!
Best wishes,
David