VICTORIA'S top ranked female Tricia Devlin will open the third annual Bendigo Croquet Festival at the lawn tennis complex in Barnard Street next Wednesday (August 16) at 1pm.
Devlin, a member of the Castlemaine Croquet Club, brings with her an impressive list of credentials, including wins in the Australian and Victorian singles and doubles championships.
She has won numerous other tournaments, often competing against male players.
Devlin has represented Australian seven times, helping win the Trans-Tasman Cup against New Zealand.
She has represented Victoria 12 times, for a record seven Eire Cup victories.
The festival coincides with with the opening of the Northern District Croquet Association (NDCA) season, involving clubs from Bendigo, Castlemaine, Kyneton, Macedon Ranges, Maldon and Maryborough.
It caters for the two most popular forms of the sport, with a golf croquet tournament to run on Thursday and Friday (August 17-18), followed by an association tournament on Saturday and Sunday.
Players will travel from across Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia for the tournament.
Play in the NDCA season opener will start at 1.30pm on Wednesday.
