players are warming up.
lawn looks evenly paced, 8.5 - 9 seconds. The sun is shining and the sky is clear - the day will get hot.

NZ have won the toss,and are starting.

Chris (B) standard to East boundary level with Rover

Samir(Y) duffer to 1yd West! of penult

Paddy (K) misses from III to peg-high on WB

Robert (R) hits the duffer, takes off to B, fails to get good rush to 1. Takes off short, and retires N of partner close to 2.

Paddy (B) shoots from 1 to 2, misses.

Samir (Y) roqets partner to NB, takes off to B and rushes it to EB level with 3. Confers with Robert.

Croquets K to WB 2y S of 1. Sets long rush on partner in middle of N boundary to B

Paddy (K) retires to III

Samir (Y) rushes well to B, gets dolly rush to 1. Under-hits and has to approach from 3Y NE.Makes the hoop with a rush W.
Rushes to R, and gets good rush on R to 2. Angly approach, powers through. Hits R and takes off to K in III.
Rolls K to 4 with very good roll to get rush to 3 on B. break now looking good.

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Samir (Y) went to 4B and set a max-length spread. Paddy (K) lifted the WB ball and missed to IV.

Robert (R) rushes to B at the peg, croquets Y to 2 and rushes B to K in IV. Goes out 18 inches N or the corner. Takes off and rushes K to 1.

Robert (R) has break under control. Peels 4b before 6, makes 2b off patner and rushes back to 2y N of penult.
Croquets Y into jaws of penult. Rushes escape ball to SB, but only manages to put it peg-high instead of at 4b.
Rush-peels Y through penult after making 3b, croquets it to rover but not getting a good rush on B. Takes croquet 3y SE of 4b, not a problem.
Makes penult and rolls K towards rover - hits Y! K stops a foot NW of rover, Y on the wire.
Bombards K out of the way, rushes Y to peelable position.
Robert finishes the triple to take the first game +26TP.

Game 2.

Samir (Y) supershot.
Chris (B) shoots gently from I, missing on the left.
Robert (R) shoots at the double and hits

Robert (R) fails 1 from 3 inches dead in front.

Colour change - I have been reporting colours from the previous game.

This game:
Samir Blue
Robert Black
Paddy Red
Chris Yellow

So, we have Robert (K) failing hoop 1.

Paddy (R) hits and peels Robert (K) through 1.
Paddy on controlled 4bb.

Paddy (R) makes 3b and sets an with Robert's K on 2 (with its clip) and B well N of 4, open from A baulk.
Y has westward rush 2y W from EB 3y S of peg

Fulford (K) shoots from A at the open B S of 4 - misses.

Chris (Y) makes 1 and starts on a standard triple.
4b peeled after 3
Penult peel after 6 fails to find the middle of the hoop - break is still healthy though
Death roll from really close to penult succeeds.
Straight rover peel.
NZ win game 2 +25TP

Game 3:

Chris (B) supershot
Samir (Y) max length position on EB
Paddy (K) shoots from II and misses into IV
Robert (R) shots from A at Y and hits.
Makes 1 and gets 4bb under control.

Leave is a spread - Blue by the peg, Black 3y from the WB.
Yellow and Red on EB 1y N of rover

Chris (B) shoots from III and hits Red.Croquets Y to 2 getting rough rush om K.
Rushes K to 4y W or 1, 1Y n or 1.
Takes off, makes the hoop and is away.
Will we see a TPO?

No TPO this turn - Chris under-approaches 2 and plays a scatter shot giving Robert a 9-yarder.
Robert (R) hits aY and misses by a fraction.

Samir (Y) nd sets a leave for Y:
K 2y S of the NB, 3y E of II.
B 1y off the EB 1y S of peg-high.
Y 4y N of SB.

Paddy (K) shoots at Y and misses by a fraction.

No TPO this turn - Chris under-approaches 2 and plays a scatter shot giving Robert a 9-yarder.
Robert (R) hits aY and misses by a fraction.

Samir (Y) nd sets a leave for Y:
K 2y S of the NB, 3y E of II.
B 1y off the EB 1y S of peg-high.
Y 4y N of SB.

Paddy (K) shoots at Y and misses by a fraction.

Samir (Y) roquets K and sends it to 2.
Blobs 1!

Paddy (K) shoots from 2 at R (3y N or 1) - misses.

Samir (Y) takes his hoop and rushes R to 5y S of B
Croquets R to 3, but fails to get rush on B (rush is to 3)
Good cut sends B to NB 1 y E of 2.
Takes off into 2. R is 1y SSE of 3, plays Y to scatter r, nicks it to 4y ENE of 3, Y on EB 2y S of 3.

Chris (B) shoots from NB to K on SB - misses.

Samir (Y) rushes R to NB 1y E of 3.
Takes off to B and K - short, Has 7 yard double. Hits K.
Rushes B to 3y WSW of 2. Good approach sending B deep. Runs hoop to boundary.
Approaches 3 from 2y E, gets angled hoop. Runds it well and now has a 3bb.

Tries to pick up K immediately, but fails to improve pioneer for 4 in the process. Taking croquet from 3y N of 4, runs hoop to the boundary. Now has a 4bb.
Makes 5 off partner, fails to get rush to 4b. Croquets R from EB towards 4b, planning to peel going to 1b.

Does not get a rush out of 6, bails on the triple. Loads 2b with partner, short by 4y.
Makes rover and sets a spread. K on WB, B at peg.

Paddy (K) takes the short shot from A baulk. Hits R.

Paddy (K) is on a 4bb. Will he peg Samir off and give Robert contact?

No, Paddy goes to 4b with Y on the wire of 2 (B's hoop), Red on the EB max position, and B and K on WB max position.

Robert (R) shoots from A baulk and misses to II.

Chris (B) now has a standard triple to win the match.
Paddy says "There is nobody in the world that I would rather have to play this turn".

Peels 4b after 3
Peels penult after 6, to 3y N or rover
Has a speculative peel going to 2B. Hits the outside wire.
Drama! Grovels through 2b, needs a sweep shot to hit the reception ball.
Peel attempt #2 at rover makes the jaws.
Rush-peels after 3b, now just 3 hoops to go.

The best player in the world delivers the goods and NZ win the match +5TP.

NZ now leads England by 2 matches to zero, with Greg Bryant on a finishing turn to make it a clean sweep.