2024 Croquet Season Winners
A look back on the 2024 season shows us who to watch out for next season. Players from Cheltenham, Surbiton, Bowdon, Reigate, Ramsgate, Nailsea and Budleigh Salterton have been taking the titles this year. Croquet is a sport of strategy and skill, rather than speed and power, so it’s no surprise that the names mentioned in this year’s highlights range from ages 18 through to fifties.
Congratulations to our 2024 season winners who now proudly have their names on the honour boards. The AC Opens was won by James Death (Cheltenham Croquet Club), who also won the AC Open Doubles with partner Samir Patel (Surbiton Croquet Club).
Jamie Burch (Reigate Croquet Club) took the GC Opens Championship title, whilst Stuart Smith (Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club) came runner up, with duo Reg Bamford (Surbiton Croquet Club) and Tobi Savage (Ramsgate Croquet Club) taking the Doubles trophy home.
Samir Patel took home the President’s Cup [Association Croquet Top Eight] showing great form over the four day event, playing against the other seven best available players. Whilst in Golf Croquet, it was Jack Good (Bowdon Croquet Club) who topped the tables to take the Ricki Savage Memorial Trophy.
Jack also played and won the Association Croquet Second Eight, showing excellent performances in both codes of the sport.
The four regional Association Croquet championship winners are more familiar names, Reg Bamford, David Maugham (Bowdon Croquet Club) and Jamie Burch, with Reg taking the West of England, Jamie the South and David sweeping the East and North.
The Golf Croquet Championships saw Jack Good back on top again, winning the English National Singles. The doubles went to Sam Cuthbert (Cheltenham Croquet Club) and James Death. James also took the Association Croquet Men’s Championship title as he once again beat his Open’s partner Samir in the best of five final.
Jenny Clarke who joins us for our summer season, then heads back home to New Zealand for their season’s play, won both the Association Croquet and Golf Croquet Women’s Championships. Jenny is another player who continues to show powerful performances in both codes. She also won the Association Croquet Mixed Doubles with husband Chris Clarke.
Special congratulations to the players who have been selected to receive to receive the Most Improved Players award, for Male and Female Association Croquet, and Male and Female Golf Croquet. The season’s stand out performances from Jack Good awarded him both Most Improved Male awards for both codes, with Erica Malaiperuman (Nailsea Croquet Club) winning the Association Croquet female award and Louise Smith (Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club) winning the Golf Croquet female award.
See the full honours board:
https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=tournament/honours/RollOfHonour
