Croquet is shaking of its genteel, garden party image. Women's Editor Christen Pears talks to champion player Sam Curry.

IT'S the quintessential English summer scene - sunshine, a perfectly manicured lawn and a game of croquet. The gentle tap of mallet on ball fills the air as the players aim for the hoops. But if you thought croquet was a genteel game reserved for the upper classes, just a few minutes in the company of Sam Curry will convince you otherwise.

Striding across the lawn, mallet in hand, she's a formidable figure, as well as one of the country's best players. When she strikes the ball, it isn't so much with a gentle tap as an almighty crack. Fresh from taking her third British women's open golf croquet championship title, the England international won the British open doubles championship with Newcastle-based John Moore earlier this month.

"I was delighted, particularly bringing those trophies back to the North-East," she says. "There are many more croquet players in the south of England and I suppose they would consider themselves better but this proves otherwise."

Sam, who is manager of the Ripon Spa Hotel, became hooked on croquet ten years ago when Keith Smith, of the Croquet Association, asked if the hotel's lawns could be used for the game. He thought it would be a good idea if there was someone at the hotel who could teach and took on Sam as his apprentice.

Having played tennis, lacrosse and hockey, she was a natural. "It's all about having good hand-eye co-ordination," she says. "If you have that, you can become quite good at croquet quite quickly. There's a much higher element of beginner's luck than in any other sport I've seen."

The Ripon Spa Hotel now has three full-size croquet lawns and the Ripon Spa Croquet Club is one of the leading clubs in the country. Members range in age from ten to 82 and come from all walks of life.

Sam has been competing for eight years, taking part in the world and European championships, as well as the British Open.

In September, the club will be hosting the Yorkshire International Open Championships, which attracts players from across the world, including the awesome Egyptian team who can hit the ball at 45mph.

"They're absolutely amazing," says Sam. "At the World Championships, we had to have 4ft netting around the courts because if the ball strikes anyone at that speed, it could kill them. The genteel image of the game has gone."

Out on one of the courts, Sam gives me a demonstration. She swings the mallet backwards and forwards through her legs like a pendulum and then strikes the ball with a thwack. It hurtles through the hoop but this, apparently, is nothing compared to what the Egyptians can do.

The origins of croquet are much-debated. Some say it developed in France among the peasants, while others believe it came to England from Ireland in the 1850s.

The game has developed over the years and there are now two types of croquet: golf and association. Golf croquet is faster than association croquet, which is a more tactical game. Although some people play both, Sam plays only golf, which she says was regarded as the lesser sport until a few years ago.

"The thought of sitting around at the side of the court while your opponent makes goodness knows how many breaks just doesn't appeal to me. You could be sitting there for 30 or 40 minutes with association. I'd much rather be on court with my opponent," she explains.

She practises every day, usually for around an hour or an hour-and-a-half - and then there are the sessions at the gym. Recreational croquet players don't have to be particularly fit but at Sam's level, it can be crucial. It's particularly important to build upper body strength to avoid repetitive strain injuries.

"When you're hitting the ball that hard, you have to be strong. It does require a lot of dedication but it's definitely worth it. The feeling of actually getting the ball through the hoop is quite amazing."

* The Ripon Spa Croquet Club runs free taster sessions. For more information, call Sam Curry on (01765) 602172.