Sussex County Annual AC Tournament 2026

This year we had a full complement of 32 players competing for the three trophies on offer. The weather was fine and the lawns were fast and playing well.

At the top end there were 8 minus players to whom were added a scratch and 0,5 handicap player (by D Grade) to make 10 players for the prestigious Abbey Challenge Cup. This was played as an unseeded knockout and consolation Swiss, with single games until the final which was best-of-3 games.

Top grade player Nick Parish lost to Thomas Cullis in the quarter-final, and Thomas went on to beat third placed Nigel Polhill for a place in the final where he was joined by Gabrielle Higgins.

In the first game Thomas (who had won the cup the previous year) made all the running and looked set to take the match until an error let Gabrielle into the game at hoop 3. She took her first ball round past one back when her approach to 2-back rolled sideways to give an angle of about 40 degrees. In a display of supreme confidence she took the hoop hard, running to the boundary and recipient ball. From then on it was plain sailing to the peg where she pegged out Thomas’ ball and went on to win the game.

The second game was an efficient display of controlled play by Gabrielle who won the trophy 2-0. Just as Thomas Cullis was a first-time player in the event last year, so (perhaps surprisingly) was Gabrielle this year.

Gabrielle Higgins with the Abbey Challenge Cup

3rd place went to Nigel Polhill and Nick Parish won the consolation event.

Nick Parish A-Class Consolation event winner

At the other end of the tournament, six players took plart in an American block to play for the Daldy Cup. This was convincingly won by Margaret Page, despite being the second highest handicapped player at 10 handicap, with 4 wins out of 5 (in what was also a level advanced event).

Margaret Page and the Daldy Cup

With 16 players in the B-class competition for the Scott Cup, a knockout competition would have given a definitive winner but only 4 games, so the competition was played in strict Swiss format.

By the end of the first day Richard Peperrel had settled at the top of the ‘ladder’ together with Timothy Luke, on 3/3 wins each. Sadly, Tim had to withdraw injured and Richard lost his fourth game so that by the end of play there were 3 players on 4 wins: Richard Peperell, Adam Newbould (who had beaten Richard) and Paul Castell. Since they had not all played each other, They agreed the winner would be decided on net hoops. In the end there was only 6 hoops between them and the winner was Adam Newbould with +56 points.

Thanks to our catering teams for excellent lunches, cakes etc and our barman for some interesting beers!

See you all next year I hope.

John Low
Manager