Phyllis Court wrap up northern division title

PHYLLIS Court D bounced back for a 12-4 victory at Blewbury last week to win the Southern Croquet Federation (SCF) Advantage League Northern Division.

Ruth Raunkiaer’s team were ruthless as they laid to rest the penultimate round jitters that cost them a league point at Harwell a fortnight ago.

Having now completed their regular season match programme, they have an unassailable lead at the top of the table and can’t be caught by rivals Phyllis Court C and Eynsham, who play next week to decide second place.

Captain Raunkiaer and Julia Green were undefeated in their four games at Blewbury and both Dee McKibbin and the returning Bob Clapp, chipped in with two wins apiece to complete the victory in style.

Absent from this last league match, but having contributed well to the success throughout the campaign, has been Carol Huntington, Philip Rowley and the Ramsay Adams who could not play after the first fixture because of injury.

Northern division winners Phyllis Court D will now face southern winners Ryde from the Isle of Wight, in a home play-off for the SCF Advantage League title next month, with the additional prize of qualification for next year’s National Federations Shield competition.

Meanwhile, a date has been set for this season’s final of the same competition, in which Phyllis Court will travel to Crake Valley, in the south of the Lake District, on September 10.

The Henley club are the reigning champions of the Federations Shield, which they have made their own, winning in three of the four editions since its inception on 2021, but their A side suffered a first round knock-out to Bromley in May, so it is Rob Eagle’s B team that will carry the torch for Phyllis Court in the final.

On the national stage last weekend, Phyllis Court was well represented at the Golf Croquet Inter-Counties Championship, with Division 1 at Southwick, near Brighton, and Division 2 at Cheltenham.

Former Phyllis Court members Raouf Allim and Stephen Wright formed the backbone of Oxfordshire’s team along with current club members Andy Jones, who had helped the county win promotion to the top-flight last season, while Chris Roberts returned after a two-year absence.

Oxfordshire’s survival in Division 1 was not absolutely assured until the last of the
11 rounds of the all-play-all tournament, but they were all but safe, before making sure with victory over Yorkshire in that last round, to end with five team match wins and in a comfortable mid-table position.

Meanwhile, Phyllis Court member Rick Lilley won all four of his singles games representing his native Northamptonshire, who finished as the top county in Division 2.

This good form included a win over highly-ranked Joel Taylor and Lilley’s endeavours over the weekend, elevated him to above long-time Phyllis Court member Ian Norris in the UK/world Rankings.