The grass was long and the ground mushy, but that didn't stop David Krause from posting an impressive victory in today's CS croquet match here at Research Park in Davis. Krause (playing blue) bested three opponents, including the impolitic drubbing of his supervisor Karl Krist (playing red), who placed second. Also on the pitch were third-place Linda Ribera (playing yellow) and last of all Jim Coats (playing black). Despite the 8 minutes' difference in their finishing times, each player made at least one or two outstanding wickets. The weather was pleasant and warm with a slight breeze, but spectators were few and consisted entirely of jackrabbits and a variety of small birds.
Krause looked weary and drawn after the match, ready for a few days' rest before he has to defend his title. Winning and losing aside, all players appeared to enjoy themselves, and look forward to a re-match.
THE RESULTS: 1ST: Krause (blue); 2ND: Krist (red); 3RD: Ribera (yellow); 4TH: Coats (black) Game Time: approx. 40 minutes
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By late afternoon Thursday you might have thought Davis was closer to the sea, all sunny with a fresh breeze befitting a fine springtime day. But not so in the noon hour, when the wind was both colder and stronger. Add the cloud cast that blanketed the sky, and you'll understand why local croquet players, wrapped in jackets and hats (some even in gloves), made do with only a single, quick round of the wickets. Competition was close through the first half (downwind side), with Coats (yellow) and Ribera (blue) making hoops 3 through 5 in one or two strokes each. A misaligned shot, though, gave Coats little boost at the midway post and Ribera then moved firmly into the lead. Further back on the course, Dragoon (black) was still struggling with hoop 3. Coats rallied late and, partially blocking hoop 13, appeared ready to take the final post, but a determined Ribera slipped past and through the hoop to the victory post. Coats then tapped in and a chilled Dragoon conceded from the halfway point. All retreated indoors to warm drinks where they awaited the return of sensation to their extremities.
THE RESULTS: 1ST: RIBERA (blue) 2ND: COATS (yellow) 3RD: DRAGOON (black) Game Time: approx. 13 minutes
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Out of respect for certain religious traditions and the charms of the first day of Spring, there was no CS Thursday noon croquet on March 20. Play will resume at noon on Thursday, March 27.
Also, CS Croquet Today becomes an opt-in service as of next week -- that is, email reports will no longer be sent automatically to all CS folks. If you would like to follow the weekly exploits of your mallet-wielding colleagues, just go to the CS Croquet Today blog and add it to your blog list or set up an RSS feed. You'll find news on each Thursday's game by midday Friday.
Happy first of Spring!
Three regulars from last season showed up to play today, and you could hardly tell any of them had taken the better part of seven months off from the game. As a matter of fact, with the exception of a few remarkably lucky hits, you could hardly tell that one or two of them had ever played the game before in their lives. And yet, with the "beginner's mind" so sought after by zen masters, these intrepid three managed to play through two full circuits within the confines of the 12 o'clock hour.
The first game began with a series of extraordinary shots by Dragoon (red), but fickle luck departed like so much wind-blown pollen halfway through the course. With Dragoon on the ropes, Ribera (black) then surged to the lead, making the most of her free strokes gained at the midway post and wickets. She ended up finishing an easy first. Coats (blue) had bad luck early in the game when his mallet misfired. Fortunately no one was hurt. The game resumed, but that bad shot cost him and kept him well back til the end. The second game was marked from the start by shots taken out of turn, and the confusion built from there. Frankly, it's surprising no one was lost on the course.
Luck, of course, always plays a role in any sporting competition; in this case, that role would have earned it top billing. Still, all were in good spirits and said they enjoyed today's play -- and certainly the weather -- and they plan to return for a re-match next week.
THE RESULTS: GAME 1: 1ST: RIBERA (black) 2ND: DRAGOON (red) 3RD: COATS (blue) Game Time: approx. 16 minutes GAME 2: 1ST: RIBERA (black) 2ND: COATS (blue) 3RD: DRAGOON (red) Game Time: approx. 20 minutes
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Plans for this year include a Flash application for online play, so folks in Oakland and on the road can join in for some Distance Whacking!
