Jeff Soo won the toss and chose to play first.  Kevin Beard
chose R and Y, Jeff has U and K.

T1. Jeff with U, supershot to 3yards WSW of the peg.

T2. Kevin with R to peg high on the E boundary.

T3. Jeff plays K from III and and misses R to half way
between R and IV.

T4. Kevin plays Y from B baulk and misses double to IV.

T5. K hits R, puts R to 2, gets rush to 1 and is away on his
first break.  After 2 he rushes R to the S boundary near 1,
puts it to 4 and nearly goes out after a pass roll to Y,
finishing about 6 inches from the boundary, almost with a
cannon. He takes off to a good pioneer at 3 but is hampered
after making the hoop and misses to peg high.  Wide joins
with U, so that K is 5 yards W of III, U is 10 yards W of
III, R directly in front of 6by 3 ft and Y on the S boundary
12 yards E of 1.

T6. R from near 4 goes through small gap between enemy balls
(9 yards and 18 yards).

T7. K hits U to N boundary (7 yards), takes off and rushes R
behind Y near IV.  Puts Y to 5 but only obtains a 4 ft
position for 4. Bounces off.

T8. Kevin plays R at K near 4 (7 yards), misses to 4 ft from
W boundary 8 yards S of II.

T9. Jeff plays K from near 4, hits Y at 5 to W boundary11
yards N of I, takes off dangerously to get a rush on R to 4.
 Approaches and runs 4. Rushes R to I and puts it to 6
getting rush to S boundary in front of 5.  Takes off too
far, 2 ft E of 5.

T10.  Kevin plays R at U, missing to the right

There are now two spectators and the Australian coach
watching under a bright sun.  The construction work around
the main clubhouse altered the entrances to the club this
morning.  We are re-routed through remote parts of the
Visitors car park.  I will be surprised if many spectators
find their way here.  But wait, Erv Petersen, the US
manager, has appeared to support Jeff, who is preparing to
make a diagonal spread leave.  R goes to 4 yards from the W
boundary, 12 yards S of the N boundary.  Y is wired from it,
1 ft E of the peg.  U has a rush on K on the E boundary, in
line with the other balls.

Ellie Beard arrives to support her son.  Her cap features
elements of the Australian flag, very patriotic.

He's now approaching 2b, with a very short pioneer for 3b (4
1/2 yards).  No problem, however, as he sets his leave after
making 3b.

K is left at 4 wired from A baulk, rushable to 1. U is 2 1/2
yards from the E boundary, 11 yards S of the N boundary.  R
has a rush on Y, 12 yards N of IV.

He puts R peg high, 4 yards from the E boundary and Y ony 4
yards S of the peg, rushing K to 3 yards N of 1 and taking
off to hit the E wire of 1.  He plays a scatter shot very
well, K going 2 yards S of III and U 15 yards S of II.

T14.  Kevin plays Y at R (8 yards) hits and rolls R to 3
yads SW of III, going to K.  K is put 4 yards E and 1 yard S
of 1 and he puts Y 4 ft NW of R (no rush).

T15.  Jeff hits K into IV.

T16.  Kevin plays R and rushes Y to the middle of the N
boundary, takes of to U and obtains a rush to II, not what
he wanted.  He rolls U to 4 yards NE of I, putting R in
front of 1 at 5ft, 20 degrees.  He immediately goes off to Y
on the N boundary, seeking a good place for R.  Back at R,
he hits it 4 ft W of Y, both on the boundary.

T17.  Jeff shoots U at Y, hitting (32 yards). Y goes between
2 and the N boundary and R is rushed into IV, getting the
cannon.  he plays it well, putting R 3 yards E of 4 and the
roqueted ball, K, about 3 yards SE of 1.
After considering the situation for a minute or two
(unwisely!) he over-rolls 1 and sets up mid-lawn, 7 and 11
yards N of 1, both his balls wired from Y, N of 2.

T 19.  Jeff plays U, hits K to 1 and makes 1 with a rush to
IV.  This should be a finishing triple, but...

Jeff puts K 5 yards S of 4b, intending to rush R back to Y
but touches R. He takes off to get a rush on Y, short.  He
attempts to roll 2 from IV and gets position 6 yards SE of
2.  Alarmingly, he goes for the hoop with power and makes it
by two feet.  The Y is about ten yards away but he hits and
is constructing a standard triple.  K lands on the E wire of
4b and he rushes Y to the E boundary. It becomes his pioneer
for 5 but is nearer 4.  After 4 off R he rushes R north and
then rushes K to the S boundary (it must have been off the
wire).  K goes back to a peeling position at 4b and he makes
5 off Y, with no forward rush. Y goes towards 1b, 5 yards
short and he peels K through 4b, with a rush to 6.  Making
6, R is rushed into III, put to 2 yards NW of 5 (as pioneer
for 2b?) and he rushes K towards penult, but then sends it
to 2b. After 1b he sends Y to 3b, rushing R to the W
boundary level with 1.  R is sent to 2 yards S and 1 ft E of
penult and he rushes K to 3 yards W of penult.  He positions
K and R for the penult peel before 4b but K goes to a yard
SE of penult (maybe it came off the hoop as I didn't see the
stroke).  After 3b he rushes Y to near the peg, puts it to 1
yard due S of penult, rushes K 2 yards NNW of penult and
tries the peel, jawsing K.  He rushes R to 4b, makes the
hoop and sends R to 3 yards W of the peg, rush-peeling K by
two feet and croqueting it to good position at rover, just
missing Y and the peg. He rushes Y back through penult,
makes the hoop and tries the straight rover peel from 3 ft.
K goes only 15 inches through and he babies U through, short
of K, and finishes by bombarding K out from behind rover.

Jeff Soo wins game 1 against Kevin Beard +17tp

T2.  R duffer tice 2 yards SSE of 6.

T3.  Kevin shoots U at K, missing to IV.

T4.  Jeff plays Y, hits duffer with power, his Y passing the
S boundary near 1 at speed, R peg high 4 yards from E
boundary.  He takes off and rushes K to near IV, no cannon,
puts K out 3 yards, rushes U to 1, makes 1, rushes U 5 yards
W of IV and gets a rush on K to R, rushes R to 2, makes 2,
cut-rushes R behind U on S boundary and is away on his first
break.

Jeff is playing with great confidence and lots of power.
The finishing break from the last game clearly gave him lots
of confidence, particularly the roll from IV to 2 to get it
going.

We still have bright sun but only two spectators.  The
constant noise of aircraft on their finals for Heathrow
disturbs the otherwise tranquil garden setting.  With two
runways operating [and no strike (yet?)] we have two jets
passing every ninety seconds.

His leave is as before, a diagonal spread, with K four yards
off the W boundary and U at the peg, wired from K.  R has a
rush on Y at the other balls.  R and Y are about 10 yards N
of IV.

T5.  Kevin lifts K to A baulk and takes the "short shot",
hitting R.  He should be away now, but fails to get a good
rush to 1.  He approaches well and runs through by ten
yards.  After hitting the return roquet he asks the referee
to check that the hoop is not too wide.  It is well set,
within the specified tolerance.  He is, indeed away, but is
slightly hampered after 2.  He calls the referee as a
courtesy to his opponent and the six spectators.

After 3 he sends R to 1, probably intending a pop.  It goes
4 1/2 yards too far, half way to I.  After 4 he puts Y to 6
as a pioneer, and goes to R, pass-rolling to U at 5 while
sending R into 1 to stop it.  After 5 he rushes U to the W
boundary, sends B to 2 yards S of 1b and sets for the pop,
going to 6.
R bounces off to 4 ft NW of 1.  He makes 6, puts U to the
peg and Y to 3b, makes 2b and prepares for a diagonal spread
leave, still with no pop.

His leave is Y 2 yards from W boundary, 18 yards N of the S
boundary, R 6 inches E of the peg, wired from Y.  U has a
rush on K towards the other balls, 12 yards N of IV.

Lunch.

T7.  Kevin plays U, rushes K to W boundary, gets a rush to 1
and starts his second break.  He nearly goes off the court
sending the pioneer to 4 before making 3 but recovers well,
however after 3 he sends Y to 5 on a croquet stroke and goes
off the court near R in IV.

T8.  Jeff roquets U, sends it to 2, gets a rush on K to 1
and now has a finishing turn if he can complete the triple.

The sun is still bright and we have just three Australian
spectators, including
Kevin's mother and aunt.  Ken Edwards is skirting the court,
taking pictures of the spectacular garden and bright green
sward.  The odd golfer passes on his way back to the
clubhouse or car park.

After 3, Jeff roquets the peelee, Y, to three yards and 45
degrees from 4b but doesn't try to jaws it.  He leaves it in
front of 4b, makes 4 and puts U near 4b as the escape ball
and pioneer for 6.  He makes 5, puts K 4 yards short of 1b
and has a five yard roquet on the peelee.  Naturally he hits
it out of good position, but manages the peel (just) and
gets a rush to 6.  He hits an excellent approach, makes 6 to
the N boundary and rushes R to peg high.  he then takes off
to hit Y but reaches a position wired from Y.  He calls the
referee and takes a shot at about a cm of Y, taking the full
wire to finish his turn, R bouncing to 3 yards ENE of the
hoop.

T9.  Kevin plays U at R, missing to the N boundary.

T10.  Jeff calls the referee again for the shot at half of Y
. He hits Y , puts it to penult and goes to U.  Putting U to
2b, he makes 1b off K, puts K to 3b and attempts the
death-roll at penult.  Y bounces off penult but R goes to U
and he makes 2b with a rush N.  This time he makes the
penult peel but his ball goes nearly to the S boundary, 6
yards from the K pioneer at 3b.  He plays it gently and
misses, R going 2 yards N of 6.

T11.  Kevin has a 2 yard roquet with U at Y, which he hits,
with K as a pioneer at 4 and R at 5.  He puts Y 3 1/2 yards
SW of 4b and goes to 4 via R at 5.  After 4 he positions the
peelee, K, at 4b with Y as the escape ball and pioneer for
6.  He should finish a delayed triple from here.  But...
He fails to get a forward rush after 5, puts R to 1b and
rushes K beyond 4b.  He then puts it in a position to be
rushed to 4b after 6, makes 6 and looks at the rush to a
peeling position.  Deciding that is not a high probability
shot, he rushes Y to 3 yards N of 2b and takes off back to
K, rushing it to a beautiful position about 12 inches in
front of 4b. (Applause from the six spectators.)  He peels K
through 4b with a thick take-off to R at 1b, makes 1b and
rushes R to 3b.  He then takes off short, back to K, but
cut-rushes and croquets it to due N of penult, going to 2b.
Making 2b off Y he has a 4 yard rush and sends Y to
peg-high, 4 yards from the W boundary.  He sends Y 4 yards
short of 4b and roquets K to 2 yards from the N boundary,
taking off 4 yards short to R at 3b and missing the simple
roquet to the boundary.

T12. Jeff lifted R to B baulk, hit K, put it 7 yards out and
rushed Y to U on the S boundary in front of 3b, hitting U
and getting a cannon.  Badly underhitting the cannon, he
approached 3b from 5 yards to 1 1/2 yards and stuck on the
wire of 3b.  Doug Grimsley says he must be nervous!

T13.  I was told that Kevin called me and I went to watch R
but he shot at and hit Y near the S boundary.  He put Y to 4
yards ESE of penult, made 3b off R and rushed R to E of 4b,
putting it to penult and attempting but failing to rush K to
a peeling position at penult.  Y is rushed back to 4b,
leaving R and K together SE of penult.  Y goes to rover and
he again tries to rush K in front of penult.  This time he
succeeds and Irish peels K to 5 yards N of rover.  R is
croqueted to two yards past rover while getting a rush on Y
to the West of rover.  He takes off and rushes K to 45
degrees and 2 ft from rover. He makes rover off K and
declines a rush on K to a peeling position, instead rushing
R to 8 yards N of IV, taking off back to Y, roqueting and
croqueting it to a yard E of the peg and laying up on the W
boundary, giving K a rush on U to rover, his hoop. U and K
are 18 yards from A baulk.

T14.  Y is open on U and Jeff hits it.

Clips are now:
K and Y on rover, R on 4b and U on the peg.

Jeff rushes K to R on the E boundary and R to 2 yards E of
1.  It must be adrenalin as his Y clip is on rover.  He
lines up a croquet stroke putting R near the middle of the S
boundary and giving Y a 1 yard 45 degree shot at rover,
which he makes by 1 foot with a powerful stroke.  He aims at
R, not hampered (just) and misses.

T16.  Jeff Soo calls the referee to watch where the ball
goes off the court and plays R at K, gaining the cannon.  In
the cannon stroke K goes 5 yards N of 4 and he rushes Y off
the W boundary near U, puts Y 4 yards out and trying to rush
U to 4b but it hits 6.  He rolls 6 from 7 yards away,
getting good position, gets a rush to and makes penult but
misses a 4 yard return roquet to the N boundary

T17.  Kevin lifts K to B baulk and misses R (7 yards) to II.

T18.  Jeff hits K with R, takes off to Y and finishes.

Jeff Soo beats Kevin Beard +3 and wins the match 2-0.

That's All, Folks, from Court Four.