The Blue team’s encounter with Maldon Lakeside on Friday proved to be a really close match as all good handicap games should be. Faced with a Maldon team of Shirley Macro (11) Mary Burd (12) Richard Wallis (14) and Shirley Wallis (14) our team of John Skuse (3) Paul Bridgman (3) Peter Wilkinson (9) and Lesley Bridgman (10) were required to give away no fewer than 118 extra turns during the course of the match. However the doubles games were shared with Peter and Lesley winning their game 7-3. Least said about Paul and John’s offering the better. Much muttering about how well their opponents’s played and Paul declaring that he just could not play properly on what were and still are difficult lawns to play accurately. How crazy is this game? Paul won all 4 of his singles games and was never taken to the 13th hoop. A superb achievement considering the differences in handicap with all his opponents. Lunch was taken after the first set of singles with the score 3-3. The home team, suitably refreshed, won the second set of singles 3-1but the Blues managed to level the match score after the 3rd set. It could so easily have been a clean sweep as Lesley lost to captain Mary Burd’s excellent running of the golden hoop when apparently blocked. Cheers from the Maldon crew and sighs from the Blue team. Match score at this stage 7-7. Undaunted Lesley won her final singles as did Paul and it finally rested on John’s shoulders to bring home the bacon with a 7-5 win over Shirley Wallis. Final score Maldon Lakeside 8 (100 hoops) Chelmsford Blue 10 (99 hoops). A fine match played in sunny weather until shortly before the end when wet weather gear had to be donned as a clap of thunder halted proceedings for a few minutes. Apart from the sight of a £20 note being chased by its owner their are no “incidents” to report for the match and the accompanying refreshment breaks were enjoyed by all JS