Six of Bowdon's members played in the 11th WCF World Association Croquet Championship, held in Christchrch, New Zealand, from 2nd-10th February: David Maugham, Ian Lines, Colin Irwin & Ailsa Lines representing England, Keith Aiton (Scotland) and Richard Griffiths (Jersey). Profiles of the contestants can be found on the World Croquet Championships web-site by clicking here.

After 3 days of play in the Blocks, the top 4 places of each qualified for the Knockout stage (Click here for full Knockout Draw). If there were not 4 clear qualifiers from a Block, then further play-off games are to be played to determine the 4 qualifiers. Tuesday, 5th February, was reserved for those play-offs. The Plate event was open to the players who did not qualify for the Knockout (6 from each Block), and also to players who were knocked out up to the quarter-final stage. Participation in the Plate was optional.

 Those Bowdon members to get through to the Knockout were: David who ended up in joint 1st place in Block D with 8 wins out of 9, Keith in joint 1st place with 7 wins in Block F and Ian, after a great last day when he beat the World No.1 Reg Bamford, with joint 2nd place in Block A. Colin and Ailsa also had a great last day's play by winning all their games but it was not enough to qualify: Colin ended up in 5th place and Ailsa was joint 6th, both in Block F.  Richard was joint 9th in Block G after an excellent first win against a player nearly 200 places above him in the world rankings; all three go into the Plate. Newly weds, Jenny & Chris, also qualified for the K.O. stage.

The Championship started with Block play, in 8 Blocks each of 10 players. The Blocks were Section Play, i.e. positions in the Block were determined by wins only, and points are not used in determining the Block placings. Block play occupied the first 3 days (2-4 February), and each player had 3 games each day. Four players from each Block qualified for the Knockout section.

The Knockout was single-life, starting with best-of-3 matches, and progressing to best-of-5 in later rounds. The stage when best-of-5 starts, and whether any time limits are used, was decided depending on the playing conditions. If time limits were used, they were 4-7-9 hours for best of 3, and 4-6-8-9-10 hours for best of 5. All of the Knockout were at United. The draw for positions in the Knockout was held at the evening function on Tuesday 5 February, following the WCF’s defined procedures. Play in the Knockout started on Wednesday 6 February, and proceeded at one round per day.

The Plate event was open to the players who do not qualify for the Knockout and also to players who were knocked out of the Knockout up to the quarter-final stage. The Plate event consisted of 3 days of Flexible Progressive Swiss, followed by a single-life knockout among the 4 players with the highest win percentage from the Swiss and the 4 losing quarter-finalists from the main Knockout. Play in the Swiss part of the Plate started on Wednesday 6 February, and all games were double-banked and had a 3 hour time limit. The knockout part of the Swiss was on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 February.  A player’s record in the Swiss  consisted of their winning percentage from the number of games played and the number of wins from the Block play, the Swiss games, and the Knockout games (where applicable).

Former club member Chris Clarke came from 2 games down to beat Robert Fulford in the Semi-final while Stephen Mulliner despatched Australian Aaron Westerby in straight games to set up an all-England Final.
The last 2 Bowdon members went out in the Quarter-final: Keith lost in 3 straight games to Robert Fulford while David went down to Aaron Westerby in 4 games (see the end of this match by clicking here).

Ian Lines (World No.18) played in Block A:	David Maugham (World No.5) played in Block D:	Keith Aiton (World No.6) played in Block F:	Colin Irwin (World No.54) played in Block F:	Ailsa Lines (World No.98) played in Block F:	Richard Griffiths (World No.252) played in Block G:
Feb 2 at St Martins: - beat Doug Grimsley,   USA (58) +22 - beat Brian Wislang, NZ   (57) +26 - lost to Jeff Newcombe,   Aus (67) -17	Feb 2 at United: - beat Bruno Hess, Ger   (387) +25tp - beat Nelson Morrow, NZ   (152) +24 - beat Phillip Drew, NZ   (99) +9	Feb 2 at Cashmere: - beat Masaaki Yamada,   Jap (364) +21 - beat Jim Bast, USA (163)   +15 - lost to Peter Parkinson,   NZ (97) -11	Feb 2 at Fendalton: - lost to Michael Wright,   NZ (43) -13 - lost to Paul Skinley, NZ   (18) -9 - beat Bruce Fleming, Aus   (11) +8	Feb 2 at Fendalton: - lost to Bruce Fleming,   Aus (11) -22 - lost to Michael Wright,   NZ (43) -17 - lost to Paul Skinley, NZ   (18) -14	Feb 2 at Cashmere: - lost to John Versey, NZ   (91) -25 - lost to Stephen Mulliner,   Eng (7) -26tp - lost to Vincent   Commarieu, Fra (360) -4T
Feb 3 at United: - beat Liz Fleming, Aus   (103) +24 - beat Robin Brown, Eng   (95) +25 - beat David Hajn, CZ (729) +13	Feb 3 at Cashmere: - beat Jack Wicks, Eng   (90) +17tp - beat Kevin Beard, Aus   (66) +7stp - beat Stewart Jackson,   USA (53) +7	Feb 3 at St Martins: - beat Ailsa Lines, Eng   (98) +17 - beat Mark Prater, Aus   (60) +10 - beat Colin Irwin, Eng   (54) +26tp	Feb 3 at St Martins: - lost to Mark Prater, Aus   (60) -26tp - beat Ailsa Lines, Eng   (98) +21 - lost to Keith Aiton, Sco (6)   -26tp	Feb 3 at St Martins: - lost to Keith Aiton, Sco (6)    -17 - lost to Colin Irwin, Eng   (54) -21 - beat Mark Prater, Aus   (60) +5	Feb 3 at St Martins: - lost to Ian Burridge, Wal   (29) -25tp - lost to James Death, Eng   (9) -26tp - lost to Jenny Clarke, NZ   (26) -22
Feb 4 at Cashmere: - lost to Jonathan Kirby,   Sco (17) -26tp - beat Reg Bamford, SA (1)   +26 - beat AJ Reid, NZ (43) +21	Feb 4 at St Martins: - lost to Leo McBride, Can   (25) -24tp - beat Stephen Forster,   Aus (38) +26otp - beat Greg Bryant, NZ   (14) +26tp	Feb 4 at St James: - beat Michael Wright, NZ   (43) +12tpo - beat Paul Skinley, NZ   (18) +8tpo - lost to Bruce Fleming,   Aus (11) -10tp	Feb 4 at Elmwood: - beat Masaaki Yamada,   Jap (364) +23 - beat Jim Bast, USA (163)   +5 - beat Peter Parkinson,   NZ (97) +12	Feb 4 at Elmwood: - beat Peter Parkinson,   NZ (97) +19 - beat Masaaki Yamada,   Jap (364) +15 - beat Jim Bast, USA (163)   +10	Feb 4 at United: - lost to Ken Bald, Aus (76)   -22 - beat Ron Lloyd, USA (64)   +7 - lost to Tim Murphy, Aus   (80) -4
Ian Lines (World No.20) plays in the Knockout:	David Maugham (World No. 5) plays in the Knockout:	Keith Aiton (World No.6) plays in the Knockout:	Colin Irwin (World No.53) plays in the Plate:	Ailsa Lines (World No.93) plays in the Plate:	Richard Griffiths (World No.256) plays in the Plate:
Feb 6 at United: - Round 1 beat Greg   Bryant, NZ (13) +6 +1T	Feb 6 at United: - Round 1 beat David   Openshaw, Eng (32) -25   +25tp +17	Feb 6 at United: - Round 1 beat Toby   Garrison, NZ (45) -14 +22   +11	Feb 6 at St Martins (Rnd 1): - lost to Stephen Forster,   Aus (43) -11tpo - beat Brian Cumming, Can   (23) +11 - beat John Hardy, Aus (77)   +4	Feb 6 at Elmwood (Rnd 1): - lost to Ken Bald, Aus (74)   -16 - beat Margaret Melville,   Aus (157) +1	Feb 6 at St Martins (Rnd 1): - lost to Simon Watkins,   Aus (111) -26tp - lost to Neil Bonnar, Aus   (95) -5T
Feb 7 at United: - Round 2 lost to Shane   Davis, NZ (39) +7 -13 -21	Feb 7 at United: - Round 2 beat Paddy   Chapman, NZ (10) +4tp   +25tp	Feb 7 at United: - Round 2 beat Ian   Dumergue, Aus (12) +26   +16	Feb 7 at St Martins (Day 2): - lost to Jerry Stark, USA   (24) -11 - lost to Kevin Beard, Aus   (68) -7	Feb 7 at Elmwood (Day 2): - lost to Neil Bonnar, Aus   (107) -5T	Feb 7 at St Martins (Day 2): - lost to Robin Brown, Eng   (120) -5 - lost to Margaret Melville,   Aus (158) -15 - beat Bruno Hess, Ger   (413) +16
Ian Lines plays in the Plate:
Feb 8 at Fendalton (Day 3):  - beat David Bent, USA (75)   +10	Feb 8 at United: - Quarter-final lost to   Aaron Westerby, NZ (14)   +14 -5 -14 -4	Feb 8 at United: - Quarter-final lost to   Robert Fulford, Eng (3)   -18tp -17 -25	Feb 8 at St Martins (Day 3):	Feb 8 at St Martins (Day 3):	Feb 8 at St Martins (Day 3): - beat Dennis Bulloch, NZ   (104) +22
Feb 9 (Day 4), Plate Knockout Round 1: - lost to Duncan Dixon, NZ   (118) -12
FULL KNOCKOUT DRAW:
Round 1 (best of 3): Round 2 (best of 3): Quarter-final (best of 5): Semi-final (best of 5): Final (best of 5): Reg Bamford, SA (1) Shane Davis, NZ (39) Shane Davis +8 -22 +17tp Shane Davis -7 +13 +21 Stephen Mulliner +14tp +20tp +16 Stephen Mulliner +10 +7 +17 Ian Lines, Eng (20) Greg Bryant, NZ (13) Ian Lines +6 +1T Peter Landrebe, Aus (9) Michael Wright, NZ (24) Michael Wright -26tp +3 +15 Stephen Mulliner +26 -4 +6 Robert Lowe, NZ (41) Stephen Mulliner, Eng (8) Stephen Mulliner -8 +4 +8 David Maugham, Eng (5) David Openshaw, Eng (32) David Maugham -25 +25tp +17 David Maugham +4tp +25tp Aaron Westerby -14 +5 +14 +4 Leo McBride, Can (25) Paddy Chapman, NZ (10) Paddy Chapman 10tp -16 +5 Aaron Westerby, NZ (14) Ian Burridge, Wal (29) Aaron Westerby +18 +22 Aaron Westerby -25 +17tp +13 Philip Drew, NZ (88) Rutger Beijderwellen, Nld (4) Rutger Beijderwellen +15stp +18tp Robert Fulford, Eng (3) AJ Reid, NZ (42) Robert Fulford +26tp +26tp Robert Fulford +26 +17 Robert Fulford +18tp +17 +25 Chris Clarke -26tp -26tp +11tpo  +17 +26 Paul Skinley, NZ (19) John Gibbons, Eng (16) Paul Skinley -3 +8 +3T Ian Dumergue, Aus (12) Jenny Clarke, NZ (26) Ian Dumergue +5 -16 +1T Keith Aiton +26 +16 Toby Garrison, NZ (45) Keith Aiton, Sco (6) Keith Aiton -14 +22 +11 James Death, Eng (7) Marcus Evans, Eng (40) James Death +16 +22 James Death +19 +4tp Chris Clarke +17 +11 +8 Samir Patel, Eng (22) Bruce Fleming, Aus (11) Samir Patel +17 +16 Jonathan Kirby, Sco (15) Bob Jackson, NZ (27) Bob Jackson +11 +12 Chris Clarke +19 +4 Andrew Johnston, Irl (46) Chris Clarke, Eng (2) Chris Clarke +23 +24
Photos from the World Championships (taken by Paddy Chapman) Some shots of Chris & Jenny Clarke, David Maugham, Ian Lines and a broken Pidcock mallet; enlarge by clicking here