Harborough Croquet Captain in National Comp

The competitors, from Leicester Croquet Club, topped the 'Advantage Croquet' league last year in the region, so qualifying them to compete with players from across the country in 2024.

"This is a great opportunity to put our Croquet Club on the map!" said Gillian. "It's a new version of the game that allows players of all skill abilities to play together using a handicap system.

"Our team includes people who have only been playing for a few years, so have a high handicap. But in this format, they get a head start on those better players with lower handicaps - so making it a much closer match."

The fixture will involve one game of doubles (a pair from each side) and three singles, played in one day. If games are level at the end, a countback of the number of hoops is used to decide the overall winner, to go forward to the next round.

Croquet has two main variations - Association (the traditional game) and Golf (a simpler, faster game) - 'Advantage' is a variant on Golf Croquet.

Leicester Croquet Club plays at Monks Rest Gardens, Humberstone, Leicester. Offering playing opportunities to players of all ages and abilities both socially and competitively.

The Club runs 'Learn to Play' courses throughout the summer, for more details search Leicester Croquet and find on Facebook.