Doubles was again the main order of business for the day. In the one remaining match from the round of 16, Death and Patel (England) advanced over Essick and Hurst (USA), Patel tripling in game 1 and finishing off the contact after an Essick TPO in game 2.
Read More2016 Solomon Final: GB 17, USA 4
MANCHESTER, UK -- Great Britain retained the Solomon Trophy with a 17-4 victory yesterday at the Bowdon Croquet Club.
Read More2016 Solomon Trophy Player Report: Days 1-3
On Day Four, Great Britain leads the Solomon test 15-3. Team USA's Jeff Soo has the following player report from the first three days of play:
Read MoreGreat Britain Announces 2016 Solomon Team
The Croquet Association AC Selectors have chose the following players for the 2016 Solomon Trophy test to be played June 28 to July 1, 2016 at the Bowdon Croquet Club in Manchester, England.
Read MoreAC Worlds: Mulliner 3, Maloof 2
Screenshot from the Livestream. Note that 66 viewers were still tuned in. (L to R) USCA President Johnny Mitchell, Stephen Mulliner and David Openshaw
THE COMEBACK KID
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA -- In a final that had everything, England's Stephen Mulliner repeated his Saturday performance and once again came back from an 0-2 deficit to American David Maloof to claim his first WCF World Association Croquet title. The scoreline went down as 22-26, 9-26, 26-21, 26-19, 26tp-0 for Mulliner in an 11.5 hour epic that stretched out from the morning start to an under the lights finish at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The entire final was broadcast via Livestream by Sherif Abdelwahab. Simon Jenkins brought audio commentary to the live feed in the afternoon and did what must have been six or seven hours of stellar solo commentary (minus a brief break provided by Reg Bamford). The live feed carried through to the awards and in what was unprecedented step forward for the sport. At it's peak, the Livestream broadcast had 144 viewers, while the text commentary also remained strong with 121 followers at peak. Add to that 200 spectators at the venue.
Other winners on day included Ian Lines for the Plate, James Death for the Bowl and Stephen Forster for the Shield.
FULL CROQUETSCORES.COM KNOCKOUT BRACKET: croquetscores.com/2016/ac/wcf-world-championship/main-ko
WCF EVENT REPORT: www.worldcroquet.org.uk/index.php/latest-news/195-stephen-mulliner-is-the-new-ac-world-champion
TEXT COMMENTARY: croquetscores.com/2016/ac/wcf-world-championship/commentaries/7649
AC Worlds-Maloof versus Mulliner
Photo by Jeff Soo -- " Stephen Mulliner, England’s colors on his jersey and flying in the background, pegs out to win his semi-final match against top seed and four-time champion Reg Bamford."
LIVESTREAM OF THE FINAL:
livestream.com/accounts/18489438/events/5205737
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA -- It was a stunning day of action at the 2016 WCF World Croquet Championship yesterday at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. American David Maloof continued his drive to the final with a 3-1 win over David Maugham (ENG). Maugham got the first game with triple, but Maloof took over from there and once the momentum swung it seemed all go his way. He joins Ben Rothman as the only US player to reach the AC World Final.
In the other semifinal, the script seemed to be going according to plan as Reg Bamford (ZAF) jumped out 2-0 and offered up a bit of shock and awe with a sextuple in game one. Stephen Mulliner then took game three with a 26tp-6 score. Ho-hum, right? Even the guys on ESPN probably know that Bamford isn't going to be denied with just one win to and three opportunities. But then, Mulliner followed with is own sextuple in game four and all of the sudden we're in game five and the murmors started to roll throughout the NCC.
Once the action in game five started and Mulliner was in, the historic comeback seemed inevitable. Sherif Abdelwahab kicked on the Livestream and personally, I was able to pop that view up onto my living room 37" HD TV in the living room and watch croquet history from Kansas City. Mulliner did finish 26tp-0 in that last game and advanced 3-2 on what turned out to be a thrilling day of croquet action.
SCORELINES:
Maloof defeats Maugham: 13-26tp, 26tp-1, 26tp-22, 26tp-1
Mulliner defeats Bamford: 0-26sxp, 13-26, 26tp-6, 26sxp-0, 26tp-0
TODAYS COMMENTARY:
croquetscores.com/2016/ac/wcf-world-championship/commentaries/7649
AC Worlds-The Real Final Four
Photo from Jeff Soo -- "photo of David on his match-winning turn in the QFs, Mieke watching nervously in the background"
THE USUAL SUSPECTS PLUS AN AMERICAN
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA -- The 2016 WCF World Croquet Championship has now narrowed down from 80 players to the four best. Along the way, the event had some predictability as well as some new wrinkles. Primarily, David Maloof became just the fourth American to make the final four as was able to take down the 2013 AC World Runner-up Paddy Chapman 26-9, 7-26tp, 26-0, 26otp-12. Maloof joins Jerry Stark (1990), Jaques Fournier (2001) and Ben Rothman (2009) as the only Americans to make the final four in the 15 editions of the WCF World Championship.
AC Worlds-Eight Players Left Standing
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA -- As 16 players went into battle on Thursday in best of five action, only two players were able to pull off "upsets" in the 2016 WCF AC World Championship. It happened to be the two Americans, David Maloof and Danny Huneycutt that went against the rankings. All of the other matches went according to the proper math, although #10 Samir Patel (ENG) had to go the distance to hold off #42 Jose Riva (ESP) 26otp-13, 22-26, 9-26tp, 26tp-20, 26-5. David Maugham (#7) (ENG) also had to go to five to hold off #26 Chris Williams (WLS) as did #8 Stephen Mulliner (ENG) in his match against #25 Stephen Forster (AUS).
Read More2016 AC World Championship-Day One Update
With the action underway for day two of the WCF Association World Championship in West Palm Beach, Florida, here's a quick look at how the eight blocks stacked up on day one with some early results already starting to factor in:
Read MoreMorning Coffee: WCF World AC Block Draw
The WCF has published the Association Croquet World Championship draw with eight blocks set for the field of 80 players. Seven qualifiers are yet to be named. The number ones include Robert Fletcher, Reg Bamford, David Maugham, Paddy Chapman, Stephen Mulliner, Samir Patel, Jeff Dawson and Ian Dumergue. From the US,
Read More