Click image for more photosAfter a rained out February date, the new WoodRanch Croquet Club held its first 9 wicket croquet tournament on Sunday, May 22 at the Rancho Simi Community Park in Simi Valley, California. The WoodRanch Croquet Club is a group of people of all ages that enjoy the Simi Valley Parks and love to play croquet. Two players competing for the Rose Cup were Eric and Caren Sawyer. They are ranked amongst the top ten 9 wicket croquet players in the nation by the US Croquet Association. The club is lead by Michael Rumbin.
This event was billed as “The Last Man Standing,” a Cut Throat competition according to USCA Rules on a full size 9 wicket court using 4 inch wickets. Order of play was determined by picking clips from a hat. A Poison Ball finish provided the extra incentive for the players to build an early lead and gave the spectators an exciting nail biting finish. A poison ball is one that has made the rover wicket but not staked out. Any ball roqueted by a poison ball is eliminated (or “iced”) from the game.
The competition was divided into a Championship and a First flight Group. Each player in the 1st Flight group was given a real-time coach they could use for strategic advice. This made the game a great learning experience for the players. The 1st Flight Last Man Standing Championship was won by Scott Plimpton of WoodRanch Croquet. Scott built a commanding lead with the Black ball and was able to finish off the competition with his Poison Ball in just under 90 minutes of play.
The Championship flight was played by the Caren Sawyer and Eric Sawyer of the nearby Pasadena Croquet Club, and Michael Rumbin from WoodRanch Croquet. As with the 1st Flight order of play was determined by picking clips from a hat. Yellow was added as a player-less “wild ball” initially placed in center court. Caren was up first, easily passing though #1 and #2 and set up on the East boundary three yards from the Southeast corner. Eric followed with Red playing a block in the jaws of wicket #1. Michael attempted a jump shot with black but missed coming to rest half way to the #12 wicket (or 5-back). A few turns later, Michael made the first break of the game, which started at wicket #3, only to stall near wicket #6. Caren then came on strong and for a time was threatening Michael for the lead in the “turn-around” wicket and peg area, only to break down but block Michael from his wicket. Michael, who at the point was dead on Caren, was able to make an angled jump over Caren’s ball to get on with the game.
In the downhill run to Rover, Michael cleverly performed a two-ball break with the yellow wild-ball, not only fueling a couple of mini-breaks to poison, but also taking the wild-ball away from Caren and Eric, which deprived them of any significant break play.
Michael quickly went poison, and cleverly “iced” the yellow ball, eliminating any chance of a three-ball break by Caren and Eric. It was only a matter of time before Michael’s poison ball was able to “ice” Caren and Eric to end the game with a commanding victory.
As the USCA’s Southern California District President, Eric presented Michael with the Rose Cup Trophy. Eric remarked, “Today was a thumbs up for croquet in Southern California generally, and for the WoodRanch Club in particular. I think you have demonstrated a successful model of 9 wicket play in Simi Valley, perhaps soon hosting USCA sanctioned events. Also, I see in the not so distant future our two clubs squaring off and battling for possession of the vaunted Rose Cup.”
--Michael Rumbin, Tournament Director