Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 09:34.
Good morning from Surbiton. We’ve got about 90% cloud cover, but it looks like it might brighten up.
Play-offs today, so plenty of tension
Block A (2 places) Simon Hockey v Christian Carter (winner qualifies) Mark Ormerod v loser ...
Block B (1 place) Robin Brown v Eugene Chang Harps Tahurangi v winner ...
Block D Ian Lines v Danny Johnston
Block E Stephen Forster v Stuart Lawrence
Block F (1 place) Jenny Clarke v Martin French Gavin Carter v winner ...
Block H Stephen Mulliner v Nick Parish
The 2 player play-offs are straightforward. Single game, winner qualifies.
The 3 players for 1 place are 2 players play, loser is eliminated. Winner plays other players in a best of 3 where they start game up
The 3 players for 2 spots is (I think) 2 players play and the winner goes through. Loser players other player in a best of 3 where they start game down.
This gives qualifying percentages of 37.5/37.5/25 rather than the normal k.o. format which would be 25/25/50 or 75/75/50
The bell has rung and practice starts – I like this formalised method.
I’ll commentate on the games on lawns 2 and 3
Lawn 2
Simon Hockey v Christian Carter
Lawn 3
Stephen Forster v Stuart Lawrence
I’ll try and give very brief updates on the other games as well
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 09:40.
Forster v Lawrence
1. Forster 12y narrow supershot
2. Lawrence laga between h3 and h4
3. Forster shoots at Lawrence from A-Baulk...........misses
4. Stuart takes 12 yarder from c3.........misses to C4
5. Stephen plays his super-shot ball and shoots at the ball between h3 and h4..........misses
6. Stuart now has a 6 yarder at the ball that has just missed............misses
For those of you who believe that you need to play aggressive openings nowadays due to the standard of shooting, please think again
Carter v Hockey
1. Hockey anti-duffer
2. Carter to C2
3. Hockey plays off the E boundary leaving a long rush towards C2
4. Christian shoots from C3 at his 13 yarder............misses
Congrats to Simon on a good opening choice.
4.
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 09:47.
Forster v Lawrence
7. Stephen fails to get rush to h1 and is making a leave- pretty decent - plenty of distance involved
8. Stuart shoots from 12y S of C2 to UK just W of C4............misses by 2 feet.
9. Stephen gets a cannon near C4 and plays it pretty well. Approaching h1 from 3 yards south and he's away
Carter v Hockey
5. Simon has a thrash at his long rush and it goes off 15y N of C1
He rolls to h1 and gets perfect position and runs it. He's now got an 8 yarder at partner, snicks it moving it a few millimetres......handy.
Splits partenr to h3 and leaves himslef a 5 yarder at the ball in C2..........hits.
Rolls up to hoop 2.....not bad.... he has a 4 foot 1 5 degree hoop...........runs it and now has a break. Very good opening followed by excellent pick up. I think he's a good player.
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 09:57.
Forster v Lawrence
Having mentioned that I'm a fan of Hockey, I should also say that I think Forster is quality. He didn't take croquet on day 1 of this event and to still be in contention is a fine effort.
9 (cont.) Stephen gets hampered after h3, but it looks easy...........plays a left handed sweep..........centre ball.
Carter v Hockey
5 (cont.) Simon going round with control
Report from Ailsa tells me that Parish was hampered after h3 and has let Mulliner in.
Interesting to see multiple Mac players in action today.......Mulliner, Forster, Clarke, Hockey and Lines. Ian Lines tells me that English ones are ex-Mac players - I agree!!!
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 10:06.
Forster v Lawrence
9 (cont.) Stephen reaches 4-b with an MSL
10. Stuart lifts the ball at h2 and shoots from A-Baulk.........may have a fair bit of the ball at 4 as well.............misses
Carter v Hockey
5 (cont.) Simon reaches 4-b with an NSL
6. Christian lifts the ball at h2 and shoots at the 4-b ball........good strike...........misses by nothing
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 10:17.
Carter v Hockey
7. Simon rushes to 4y SW of h1 and approaches to 2feet 45 degrees. Good hoop stroke and the hoop almost collapses, raising a white flag in surrender.
Jawses 4-b after h3
Forster v Lawrence
11. Stephen makes hoop 1 and just about peels 4-b after h3.
On lawn 1 Jenny is taking her second ball roudn 7th turn. Both Martin's shots have hilled off.
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 10:22.
Carter v Hockey
7.(cont.) Simon unusually makes 1-b off the peelee and rushes nicely to 5 feet in front of penult after 1-b............peel penult by a yard and is in good position. The Mac players are showing their big match experience so far.
Forster v Lawrence
11. (cont.) Jawses penult after h6. Rush-peels penult after 1-b. This has been a couple of nice turns from Stephen.
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 10:28.
Carter v Hockey
7.(cont.) Simon is setting up for a straight rover peel
Forster v Lawrence
11. (cont.) Stephen finishes +26tp. Well played
Mulliner v Parish is 1+2 v 4(break) +5. Quality.
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 10:31.
Carter v Hockey
7 (cont.) Simon finishes +26tp. A very good performance just when it was needed. Like United the Surbiton lawns are at their easiest during the first 2 hours.
Lawn 1 Clarke is 4-b and peg v french on 1+1.
Lawn 5 looked like Chang 1+2-b with innings v Brown on 1+4-b. Winner plays Harps
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 10:34.
Christian now starts game down in a best of 3 against Mark Ormerod
On lawn 1, Martin misses his "last" lift. Jenny lost 2 games yesterday from this position, so fingers crossed.
On lawn 4, Ian Lines is 1+3 v Danny Johnston on 1+4-b. Danny has a chance with his h1 ball.
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 10:44.
Jenny rushes to 6 yard S of 4-b with a good penult pioneer. Approaches to 4 feet 10 degrees........runs it back a foot and has a 5yarder........centre ball. Makes penult and rover, but gets a poor rush to the peg. Rushes to 10yards SW of the peg.......................misses
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 11:04.
10. Martin hits 11 yard lift in the middle. Doesn't play a particularly good croquet stroke and h1 will be tricky. Ends up blobbing h1.
11. Looks like Jenny has a target from h2 to h1........misses the front ball........hits hoop 1 leaving Martin a break
12. Martin hasn't got a h3 pioneer which is poor given the easy starting position. Makes h3, but still some work to do to make h4. Copes and now has a 4 ball break.
I'm not sure that I've mentioned the lawns at Surbiton so far. They have been excellently prepared and offer a genuine challenge in the afternoon when they are about 12.5 with patches running much faster. The hoops I have mentioned :-(
Lines is about to reach 4-b and 3 v Danny on 1+4-b
I'm told Mulliner is on a second break against Parish
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 11:17.
Phil Eardley describes the Chang v Brown game as "a Feast of Nervousness". Brown is 1b + peg and Chang is on 3 and 4-b and is in with his 4-b with a chance of 3 hoops and a Riggall.
It looks like Chang has broken down at rover as Brown is taking croquet.
French is round to 4-b. Jenny's balls are 11y N of C4 and 8y N of h1. Martin's ball are 10y S of C2, so some short shots available as well as some long very defensive ones.
Danny missed the lift against Lines who now has a break with his h3 ball.
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 11:19.
Martin is on 2 and 4-b v Jenny peg+peg.
Jenny turns down her lift and takes a 7 yarder with the ball N of h1 at the peg!!!!????............hits!!!!
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 11:27.
All I can say is that I think hitting the peg was only marginally better than missing it. Jenny is a better shot than me though.
Martin makes h2 and is unlucky that his rush hits h6 otherwise he could have had a easier break. Plays a defensive roll back to h3, the hoop by 6 yards and has an 8 yard return roquet..........hits.
Rolls partner 4y S of h5 and leaves a 5yarder at the peg ball..........hits. Now needs to roll up to h4 from the E boundary.............it's been a very aggressive turn so far, but failing this approach would leave Jenny a short shot for the game............Martin thinks...............takes off to h4 - I hate that option...............runs h4 and has a 7-8 yarder at Jenny's ball or a 7 ardeer at his ball South of h5..........misses partner. He is now 12 yards apart but has a guard on Jennys shot at the ball S of 5
Brown beats Chang
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 11:30.
Should Jenny dribble to the peg or shoot hard?
She shoots hard...........misses
Martin should play his 4-b ball now to join up if he misses.............yes that's his choice.......snicks it. Takes off to Jenny's ball and will be trying to move it to about 6y S of C3 to guard the shot at the peg. Sends it NW of h3 - way too short. Tough to guard the shot now
Meanwhile, Ormerod has the first break against Christian Carter
Parish is back in play against Mulliner
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 11:33.
Martin joins partner and Jenny has a freeish shot at the peg..................misses
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 11:38.
Martin rushes to 4y ESE of 4-b.........aproaches to 4 feet straight.........clangs
Jenny's shot from the S boundary like like it might be adequately guarded, but I think she'll shoot anyway...............no, she goes to the middle of the W boundary
Did I do something wrong in a previous life that I've had to watch all these close endings???
Martin plays his 4-b ball, hits partner and takes off to 4-b...........short.........very angled, maybe 60+ degrees. Takes 6" position at 4-b
Big chance for Jenny now.......shoots at the peg............hits (YAY!!!)
Jenny will now play Gavin Carter in a best of 3 starting game up.
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 11:46.
Ormerod reaches 4-b with a diagonal spread. Christian lifts the ball at h2 and takes the short lift (Ormerod isn't a peeler, so good choice). Shoots.............hits
Brown is about to start his best of 3 game up against Harps.
Quite remarkably, this game has been put on the same lawn as the Lines/Johnston match. That's one of the worst bits of lawn allocation I've ever seen. Clearly, the players are also to blame for not questioning the decision.
In the big game, Mulliner is 4-b and penult against Parish on 6 and 2-b(break)
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 11:48.
Hurrah!!! The mistake has been rectified. Well done to Mike. No problem wioth making a mistake if you then sort it out.
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 11:50.
Harps v Brown has been transferred to lawn 3 after after 4 turns have been played. The players have really appreciated the single banking this morning and the standard of play has been higher.
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 12:02.
Parish reaches 4-b and Mulliner misses the lift. Parish makes h6 and has good chance of picking up a break. Clangs 1-b off partner.
Mulliner has a 6 yard wide join on the S boundary near C4. They are playing on lawn 6 which is MUCH bobblier than all the others. Nick plays his 1-b ball is will be trying a tricky pick-up
On lawn 4, Lines broke down at h5. Danny picked up a break and was hampered after 1-b. It didn't look too difficult, but he has missed. Ian is now back in with a fairly easy chance for his h5 ball.
Christian is having an equalising break on lawn 2 against Mark.
Harps is having the first break on lawn 3 against Robin
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 12:17.
The lawns have lost their morning dampness and now have a few nice faster spots. You need to keep focussed.
Harps breaks down at h5, but immediately hits back in again - he is a good shot. Takes off from C2 to Robin near C4, hits h4 and is wired on the near ball, but hits his 7 yarder in the middle. A poor croquet stroke fails to get a rush to h1.
On lawn 4, Lines is almost round to the peg
On lawn 2, Christian is making an NSL, break all
On lawn 6, the big game is still in progress. Mulliner is still on 4-b and penult and has his balls just out of C1 and C3.
Parish is on 1-b and 4-b and has just laid up for a ladies 1-b peel.
Mulliner shoots from C3 to 1-b. The crowd ask "which ball was he shooting at?"
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 12:23.
Ormerod lifts the ball at h4 and takes the "long" lift (actually only 17yards) from C3.............misses.
For everyone who think good players hit verything nowadays, have a read of the shooting from these pressure games.
Christian makes h1, but has a poor h2 pioneer. Hmmm......I didn't think it was poor enough for him to croquet off the lawn going to it, but that's what he's done
Harps didn't get in front of h1 and joined partner. Robin hit a 14 yarder. The game has disintegrated into randomness with balls everywhere.
Ian is round to the peg and has made a horizontal spread. It is 4-b and peg v 2-b and 4-b
Jenny v Gavin has just started on lawn 5 and Gavin has the innings
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 12:28.
Mark plays a good approach to h1 from the W boundary .........has a 3 foot 15 degree hoop......aims at the middle of the far wire and hits it exactly where he's aimed. Calls a ref to see whether he has managed to grovel through..........Ian Plummer says "not looking good".....it's not through
Christian has a 4 yarder with his h2 ball for a half chance of a break.......hits. Plays a good croquet stroke and has an easy rush to h2 for a break.
Danny takes what should be his last lift..............misses
Robin hits from h1 to the E boundary
I'll wander down to lawn 6 for an update on the big game
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 12:40.
Lines beats Johnston
On lawn 6, Parish has reached 4-b and peg and is amking an OSL against Mulliner on 4-b and penult
On lawn 2, Christian is taking a second ball round with no peels against Mark
On lawn 5, Jenny hit from 1 to 2, but failed hoop 2 with a break ahead of her. Gavin has hit from h3 to h2
on lawn 3, Brown is on 1-b with a break
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 12:58.
Mulliner takes a one-fingered lift at partner.........about 13 yards.............misses
Parish rush to 3yards in front of 4-b, approaches and runs 4-b to the boundary. He's got a 4 yard retun and a ball about a yard SW of the peg. Swings.........hits it quarter ball to 4y in front of penult. Rolls up........3 foot hoop..........runs it South of rover...........7yarder pointing into baulk...........centre ball rushing it back to partner. Rushes partner just south of rover, runs the hoop and rushes to 3 yards from the peg........wins. Congrats to Nick.
Christian has just blobbed 4-b with 1 peel done. Mark has a good chance with his h1 ball if he can hit part of a ball in 4-b from 8 feet.........hits
Robin starts his second break against Harps
Gavin made a leave which Jenny hit and then made h1 and h2 before missing a cut-rush to h3. Gavin has the innings.
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 13:04.
Brown has started a standard tp.
Gavin played a nice stop-shot approach to h3 from C3 and should be away now.
Mark is on h2 and has all the balls for a standard tp.
Mulliner is practicing on lawn 6.
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 13:10.
Mark has made hoop 3 and as usual their is no sign of any peeling intent.
Robin peeled penult after h6. he should be able to peel rover before 3-b
Gavin is going round against Jenny
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 13:48.
Sorry, lost internet connection
Robin fails the rover peel before 3-b and fails to get a rush to 3-b..........approaches to 8" 50 degrees.............jumping..............clang.
Lots of 7 to 10 yarders on offer for Harps. Takes a 7 yarder which gives a fair chance of a break for his h6 ball..........hits. Plays a poor first take off which finishes inside the C4 square and now has a lot of work to do. Croquets a ball to 1-b, but it finishes near the N boundary. Now needs to approach h6 from 7y W of C3. Doesn't try the approach and sends partner off the lawn making his leave. It's not a bad leave.
Robin hits from h1 to h3
Mark has reached 4-b with his second break
Gavin reaches 4-b with an NSL
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 13:52.
Robin beats Harps.
Just two games left now
Gavin is on his second break against Jenny who is on 2+3
Mark has a backward take-off to penult from 4 yards............3 foot 40 degree hoop..............a very poor stab clangs.......possibly meant to be a jump
Christian hits a 3 yarder with his penult ball and has a chance to get to the peg and make a strong leave
Current clips Mark penult +peg, Christian penult+4-b
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 14:09.
Christian makes penult, but his rush to rover finishes 5yards SSE of rover. Backward take-off finishes 6 feet and 10 degrees in front of rover.............he's looking at returning to partner in the middle of the W boundary..............yes that's what he's done. Mark's pther ball is 11y W of C2
Mark thinks............he might as well shoot in my opinion, since Christian has a rush.................shoots...............hits the back ball in the middle. That's his peg ball he's just played. He croquets the rover ball a bit further south and rushes near partner. Needs to take-off behind partner to get a rush to C4......ends up 7y N of C4
Christian shoots from the N boundary at Mark's balls............misses
Mark rushes 4y N of penult.......rolls up.........gets 6" straight position............should finish now and qualify.
Gavin has reached 4-b and peg and made a vertical spread against 2 + 3
Submitted by Chris Clarke on Tue, 08/13/2013 - 14:14.
Matrk grovels through rover, but can hit his esacpe ball. Partner is 9y E of the peg. Takes off and goes 2 yards too far. It will be a long peg-out. Good cut-rush gets it 4 yards away
Mark wins +6
Unsurprisingly, my wife is last to finish. :-)
Jenny lifts the ball in penult and takes the short lift from A-Baulk.........misses
Gavin needs to finish from 4-b and peg to take it to a decider.
I'm off to take supplies to Jenny. Someone else can do commentary on the rest of todays play - I'll offer the computer to Mr. Death
Comments
Good morning from Surbiton. We’ve got about 90% cloud cover, but it looks like it might brighten up.
Play-offs today, so plenty of tension
Block A (2 places)
Simon Hockey v Christian Carter (winner qualifies)
Mark Ormerod v loser ...
Block B (1 place)
Robin Brown v Eugene Chang
Harps Tahurangi v winner ...
Block D
Ian Lines v Danny Johnston
Block E
Stephen Forster v Stuart Lawrence
Block F (1 place)
Jenny Clarke v Martin French
Gavin Carter v winner ...
Block H
Stephen Mulliner v Nick Parish
The 2 player play-offs are straightforward. Single game, winner qualifies.
The 3 players for 1 place are 2 players play, loser is eliminated. Winner plays other players in a best of 3 where they start game up
The 3 players for 2 spots is (I think) 2 players play and the winner goes through. Loser players other player in a best of 3 where they start game down.
This gives qualifying percentages of 37.5/37.5/25 rather than the normal k.o. format which would be 25/25/50 or 75/75/50
The bell has rung and practice starts – I like this formalised method.
I’ll commentate on the games on lawns 2 and 3
Lawn 2
Simon Hockey v Christian Carter
Lawn 3
Stephen Forster v Stuart Lawrence
I’ll try and give very brief updates on the other games as well
Forster v Lawrence
1. Forster 12y narrow supershot
2. Lawrence laga between h3 and h4
3. Forster shoots at Lawrence from A-Baulk...........misses
4. Stuart takes 12 yarder from c3.........misses to C4
5. Stephen plays his super-shot ball and shoots at the ball between h3 and h4..........misses
6. Stuart now has a 6 yarder at the ball that has just missed............misses
For those of you who believe that you need to play aggressive openings nowadays due to the standard of shooting, please think again
Carter v Hockey
1. Hockey anti-duffer
2. Carter to C2
3. Hockey plays off the E boundary leaving a long rush towards C2
4. Christian shoots from C3 at his 13 yarder............misses
Congrats to Simon on a good opening choice.
4.
Forster v Lawrence
7. Stephen fails to get rush to h1 and is making a leave- pretty decent - plenty of distance involved
8. Stuart shoots from 12y S of C2 to UK just W of C4............misses by 2 feet.
9. Stephen gets a cannon near C4 and plays it pretty well. Approaching h1 from 3 yards south and he's away
Carter v Hockey
5. Simon has a thrash at his long rush and it goes off 15y N of C1
He rolls to h1 and gets perfect position and runs it. He's now got an 8 yarder at partner, snicks it moving it a few millimetres......handy.
Splits partenr to h3 and leaves himslef a 5 yarder at the ball in C2..........hits.
Rolls up to hoop 2.....not bad.... he has a 4 foot 1 5 degree hoop...........runs it and now has a break. Very good opening followed by excellent pick up. I think he's a good player.
Forster v Lawrence
Having mentioned that I'm a fan of Hockey, I should also say that I think Forster is quality. He didn't take croquet on day 1 of this event and to still be in contention is a fine effort.
9 (cont.) Stephen gets hampered after h3, but it looks easy...........plays a left handed sweep..........centre ball.
Carter v Hockey
5 (cont.) Simon going round with control
Report from Ailsa tells me that Parish was hampered after h3 and has let Mulliner in.
Interesting to see multiple Mac players in action today.......Mulliner, Forster, Clarke, Hockey and Lines. Ian Lines tells me that English ones are ex-Mac players - I agree!!!
Forster v Lawrence
9 (cont.) Stephen reaches 4-b with an MSL
10. Stuart lifts the ball at h2 and shoots from A-Baulk.........may have a fair bit of the ball at 4 as well.............misses
Carter v Hockey
5 (cont.) Simon reaches 4-b with an NSL
6. Christian lifts the ball at h2 and shoots at the 4-b ball........good strike...........misses by nothing
Carter v Hockey
7. Simon rushes to 4y SW of h1 and approaches to 2feet 45 degrees. Good hoop stroke and the hoop almost collapses, raising a white flag in surrender.
Jawses 4-b after h3
Forster v Lawrence
11. Stephen makes hoop 1 and just about peels 4-b after h3.
On lawn 1 Jenny is taking her second ball roudn 7th turn. Both Martin's shots have hilled off.
Carter v Hockey
7.(cont.) Simon unusually makes 1-b off the peelee and rushes nicely to 5 feet in front of penult after 1-b............peel penult by a yard and is in good position. The Mac players are showing their big match experience so far.
Forster v Lawrence
11. (cont.) Jawses penult after h6. Rush-peels penult after 1-b. This has been a couple of nice turns from Stephen.
Carter v Hockey
7.(cont.) Simon is setting up for a straight rover peel
Forster v Lawrence
11. (cont.) Stephen finishes +26tp. Well played
Mulliner v Parish is 1+2 v 4(break) +5. Quality.
Carter v Hockey
7 (cont.) Simon finishes +26tp. A very good performance just when it was needed. Like United the Surbiton lawns are at their easiest during the first 2 hours.
Lawn 1 Clarke is 4-b and peg v french on 1+1.
Lawn 5 looked like Chang 1+2-b with innings v Brown on 1+4-b. Winner plays Harps
Christian now starts game down in a best of 3 against Mark Ormerod
On lawn 1, Martin misses his "last" lift. Jenny lost 2 games yesterday from this position, so fingers crossed.
On lawn 4, Ian Lines is 1+3 v Danny Johnston on 1+4-b. Danny has a chance with his h1 ball.
Jenny rushes to 6 yard S of 4-b with a good penult pioneer. Approaches to 4 feet 10 degrees........runs it back a foot and has a 5yarder........centre ball. Makes penult and rover, but gets a poor rush to the peg. Rushes to 10yards SW of the peg.......................misses
10. Martin hits 11 yard lift in the middle. Doesn't play a particularly good croquet stroke and h1 will be tricky. Ends up blobbing h1.
11. Looks like Jenny has a target from h2 to h1........misses the front ball........hits hoop 1 leaving Martin a break
12. Martin hasn't got a h3 pioneer which is poor given the easy starting position. Makes h3, but still some work to do to make h4. Copes and now has a 4 ball break.
I'm not sure that I've mentioned the lawns at Surbiton so far. They have been excellently prepared and offer a genuine challenge in the afternoon when they are about 12.5 with patches running much faster. The hoops I have mentioned :-(
Lines is about to reach 4-b and 3 v Danny on 1+4-b
I'm told Mulliner is on a second break against Parish
Phil Eardley describes the Chang v Brown game as "a Feast of Nervousness". Brown is 1b + peg and Chang is on 3 and 4-b and is in with his 4-b with a chance of 3 hoops and a Riggall.
It looks like Chang has broken down at rover as Brown is taking croquet.
French is round to 4-b. Jenny's balls are 11y N of C4 and 8y N of h1. Martin's ball are 10y S of C2, so some short shots available as well as some long very defensive ones.
Danny missed the lift against Lines who now has a break with his h3 ball.
Martin is on 2 and 4-b v Jenny peg+peg.
Jenny turns down her lift and takes a 7 yarder with the ball N of h1 at the peg!!!!????............hits!!!!
All I can say is that I think hitting the peg was only marginally better than missing it. Jenny is a better shot than me though.
Martin makes h2 and is unlucky that his rush hits h6 otherwise he could have had a easier break. Plays a defensive roll back to h3, the hoop by 6 yards and has an 8 yard return roquet..........hits.
Rolls partner 4y S of h5 and leaves a 5yarder at the peg ball..........hits. Now needs to roll up to h4 from the E boundary.............it's been a very aggressive turn so far, but failing this approach would leave Jenny a short shot for the game............Martin thinks...............takes off to h4 - I hate that option...............runs h4 and has a 7-8 yarder at Jenny's ball or a 7 ardeer at his ball South of h5..........misses partner. He is now 12 yards apart but has a guard on Jennys shot at the ball S of 5
Brown beats Chang
Should Jenny dribble to the peg or shoot hard?
She shoots hard...........misses
Martin should play his 4-b ball now to join up if he misses.............yes that's his choice.......snicks it. Takes off to Jenny's ball and will be trying to move it to about 6y S of C3 to guard the shot at the peg. Sends it NW of h3 - way too short. Tough to guard the shot now
Meanwhile, Ormerod has the first break against Christian Carter
Parish is back in play against Mulliner
Martin joins partner and Jenny has a freeish shot at the peg..................misses
Martin rushes to 4y ESE of 4-b.........aproaches to 4 feet straight.........clangs
Jenny's shot from the S boundary like like it might be adequately guarded, but I think she'll shoot anyway...............no, she goes to the middle of the W boundary
Did I do something wrong in a previous life that I've had to watch all these close endings???
Martin plays his 4-b ball, hits partner and takes off to 4-b...........short.........very angled, maybe 60+ degrees. Takes 6" position at 4-b
Big chance for Jenny now.......shoots at the peg............hits (YAY!!!)
Jenny will now play Gavin Carter in a best of 3 starting game up.
Ormerod reaches 4-b with a diagonal spread. Christian lifts the ball at h2 and takes the short lift (Ormerod isn't a peeler, so good choice). Shoots.............hits
Brown is about to start his best of 3 game up against Harps.
Quite remarkably, this game has been put on the same lawn as the Lines/Johnston match. That's one of the worst bits of lawn allocation I've ever seen. Clearly, the players are also to blame for not questioning the decision.
In the big game, Mulliner is 4-b and penult against Parish on 6 and 2-b(break)
Hurrah!!! The mistake has been rectified. Well done to Mike. No problem wioth making a mistake if you then sort it out.
Harps v Brown has been transferred to lawn 3 after after 4 turns have been played. The players have really appreciated the single banking this morning and the standard of play has been higher.
Parish reaches 4-b and Mulliner misses the lift. Parish makes h6 and has good chance of picking up a break. Clangs 1-b off partner.
Mulliner has a 6 yard wide join on the S boundary near C4. They are playing on lawn 6 which is MUCH bobblier than all the others. Nick plays his 1-b ball is will be trying a tricky pick-up
On lawn 4, Lines broke down at h5. Danny picked up a break and was hampered after 1-b. It didn't look too difficult, but he has missed. Ian is now back in with a fairly easy chance for his h5 ball.
Christian is having an equalising break on lawn 2 against Mark.
Harps is having the first break on lawn 3 against Robin
The lawns have lost their morning dampness and now have a few nice faster spots. You need to keep focussed.
Harps breaks down at h5, but immediately hits back in again - he is a good shot. Takes off from C2 to Robin near C4, hits h4 and is wired on the near ball, but hits his 7 yarder in the middle. A poor croquet stroke fails to get a rush to h1.
On lawn 4, Lines is almost round to the peg
On lawn 2, Christian is making an NSL, break all
On lawn 6, the big game is still in progress. Mulliner is still on 4-b and penult and has his balls just out of C1 and C3.
Parish is on 1-b and 4-b and has just laid up for a ladies 1-b peel.
Mulliner shoots from C3 to 1-b. The crowd ask "which ball was he shooting at?"
Ormerod lifts the ball at h4 and takes the "long" lift (actually only 17yards) from C3.............misses.
For everyone who think good players hit verything nowadays, have a read of the shooting from these pressure games.
Christian makes h1, but has a poor h2 pioneer. Hmmm......I didn't think it was poor enough for him to croquet off the lawn going to it, but that's what he's done
Harps didn't get in front of h1 and joined partner. Robin hit a 14 yarder. The game has disintegrated into randomness with balls everywhere.
Ian is round to the peg and has made a horizontal spread. It is 4-b and peg v 2-b and 4-b
Jenny v Gavin has just started on lawn 5 and Gavin has the innings
Mark plays a good approach to h1 from the W boundary .........has a 3 foot 15 degree hoop......aims at the middle of the far wire and hits it exactly where he's aimed. Calls a ref to see whether he has managed to grovel through..........Ian Plummer says "not looking good".....it's not through
Christian has a 4 yarder with his h2 ball for a half chance of a break.......hits. Plays a good croquet stroke and has an easy rush to h2 for a break.
Danny takes what should be his last lift..............misses
Robin hits from h1 to the E boundary
I'll wander down to lawn 6 for an update on the big game
Lines beats Johnston
On lawn 6, Parish has reached 4-b and peg and is amking an OSL against Mulliner on 4-b and penult
On lawn 2, Christian is taking a second ball round with no peels against Mark
On lawn 5, Jenny hit from 1 to 2, but failed hoop 2 with a break ahead of her. Gavin has hit from h3 to h2
on lawn 3, Brown is on 1-b with a break
Mulliner takes a one-fingered lift at partner.........about 13 yards.............misses
Parish rush to 3yards in front of 4-b, approaches and runs 4-b to the boundary. He's got a 4 yard retun and a ball about a yard SW of the peg. Swings.........hits it quarter ball to 4y in front of penult. Rolls up........3 foot hoop..........runs it South of rover...........7yarder pointing into baulk...........centre ball rushing it back to partner. Rushes partner just south of rover, runs the hoop and rushes to 3 yards from the peg........wins. Congrats to Nick.
Christian has just blobbed 4-b with 1 peel done. Mark has a good chance with his h1 ball if he can hit part of a ball in 4-b from 8 feet.........hits
Robin starts his second break against Harps
Gavin made a leave which Jenny hit and then made h1 and h2 before missing a cut-rush to h3. Gavin has the innings.
Brown has started a standard tp.
Gavin played a nice stop-shot approach to h3 from C3 and should be away now.
Mark is on h2 and has all the balls for a standard tp.
Mulliner is practicing on lawn 6.
Mark has made hoop 3 and as usual their is no sign of any peeling intent.
Robin peeled penult after h6. he should be able to peel rover before 3-b
Gavin is going round against Jenny
Sorry, lost internet connection
Robin fails the rover peel before 3-b and fails to get a rush to 3-b..........approaches to 8" 50 degrees.............jumping..............clang.
Lots of 7 to 10 yarders on offer for Harps. Takes a 7 yarder which gives a fair chance of a break for his h6 ball..........hits. Plays a poor first take off which finishes inside the C4 square and now has a lot of work to do. Croquets a ball to 1-b, but it finishes near the N boundary. Now needs to approach h6 from 7y W of C3. Doesn't try the approach and sends partner off the lawn making his leave. It's not a bad leave.
Robin hits from h1 to h3
Mark has reached 4-b with his second break
Gavin reaches 4-b with an NSL
Robin beats Harps.
Just two games left now
Gavin is on his second break against Jenny who is on 2+3
Mark has a backward take-off to penult from 4 yards............3 foot 40 degree hoop..............a very poor stab clangs.......possibly meant to be a jump
Christian hits a 3 yarder with his penult ball and has a chance to get to the peg and make a strong leave
Current clips Mark penult +peg, Christian penult+4-b
Christian makes penult, but his rush to rover finishes 5yards SSE of rover. Backward take-off finishes 6 feet and 10 degrees in front of rover.............he's looking at returning to partner in the middle of the W boundary..............yes that's what he's done. Mark's pther ball is 11y W of C2
Mark thinks............he might as well shoot in my opinion, since Christian has a rush.................shoots...............hits the back ball in the middle. That's his peg ball he's just played. He croquets the rover ball a bit further south and rushes near partner. Needs to take-off behind partner to get a rush to C4......ends up 7y N of C4
Christian shoots from the N boundary at Mark's balls............misses
Mark rushes 4y N of penult.......rolls up.........gets 6" straight position............should finish now and qualify.
Gavin has reached 4-b and peg and made a vertical spread against 2 + 3
Matrk grovels through rover, but can hit his esacpe ball. Partner is 9y E of the peg. Takes off and goes 2 yards too far. It will be a long peg-out. Good cut-rush gets it 4 yards away
Mark wins +6
Unsurprisingly, my wife is last to finish. :-)
Jenny lifts the ball in penult and takes the short lift from A-Baulk.........misses
Gavin needs to finish from 4-b and peg to take it to a decider.
I'm off to take supplies to Jenny. Someone else can do commentary on the rest of todays play - I'll offer the computer to Mr. Death