The champagne was flowing at Canterbury Croquet Club this week as they celebrated winning their first national trophy.

The club’s four-strong team travelled to Medway’s lawns at Cobdown, Ditton, knowing that they faced a daunting task in taking on High Wycombe in the Croquet Association’s Secretary’s Shield final.

The Buckinghamshire side had reached the final by beating last year’s shield winners, Kington Langley.

The shield competition is open only to clubs that have won their area U (unlimited handicap) leagues the previous year.

The 6-1 scoreline suggests Canterbury had an easy ride but the opposite was the case. Each of the 3.5 hour time-limited games was hard-fought and several could have gone either way.