BUDE Croquet Club’s higher handicap team, the reigning South West Federation champions, began their home defence of the trophy against Plymouth on Wednesday, June 10, and came away victorious.

In the first round of six singles, Bude's two strongest players, Pete Cash and Steve Thie, were surprisingly beaten, though both went on to win all their other games.

Fortunately for Bude, the other four games were won, Sue Matthews marking a memorable league debut with a 7-4 victory and Vic Frampton gaining the first of his four wins in the match. Shelley Coleman continued her fine start to her debut season, while Ray Haylock had to work very hard to secure his close 7-6 win.

The second round of six singles saw Bude win through in four of the games to open up a significant 8-4 lead, Thie, Frampton and Haylock winning emphatically to improve the Seasiders’ hoop difference.

The first of the doubles games came next, when Coleman and Haylock rapidly brushed aside their opponents for a 7-0 whitewash. Three singles wins then ensued, Cash getting into his stride with a dominant 7-2 win to ensure that the match was already guaranteed for the North Cornwall outfit.

That left three doubles to be played for the final round. Coleman and Matthews put up a good fight against much more experienced opponents but succumbed 7-4.

Frampton and Haylock, who both were unbeaten all day, rounded off their perfect afternoon’s work by winning 7-2, while Cash and Thie added the icing to the cake to make it a 14-6 success for Bude.

Of just as much importance was that the North Cornwall team ran 133 hoops to Plymouth's 88, a 45-point difference which could ultimately prove crucial in what promises to be a very competitive league.