Round 13 contained three games with leadership implications. The other was a rapid +25qp win for Maugham against Avery.

The first to finish was the game between two leaders, Burch and Patel. However, to quote Samir: "I was rubbish!" in failing hoop 1 and hoop 2 and Jamie had a comfortable +24tp win to move to 9/13.

The next to finish was Fulford v Mulliner. Rob laid for a sxp and looked well on the way when he was able to peel 2-b before 4. However, he failed to persuade the peelee to co-operate at 3-b and ended up, after making 1-b, with leaving himself semi-obscured from the still unpeeled partner. He nicked the hoop and ended up in C4, leaving B near 2-b. Stephen lifted K to A-baulk, hit Y and did a QPO. Rob was unable to progress and a slightly careless shot from C3 to C4 left the court 10 yards north of C4 and Stephen established a winning break, +6qpo.

The last (some said inevitably) involved Pacemaster Trimmer against Chapman. Pete had all the early play and embarked on a sxp that collapsed at 3-b with three peels done. However, Paddy failed hoop 2 for no obvious reason and Pete was back in and took his 4-b ball to the peg. Paddy hit the lift, went to the peg with two peels on partner and pegged out Pete's rover. Pete took contact from a ball in C4, successfully rolled off 4-b and had an approach to penult from the north boundary which left him a 5 foot hoop, effectively for the game. Unfortunately for him, he failed it and glued his ball to the hoop which allowed Paddy to lag to the ball near rover. Pete missed a couple of long shots by not much and Paddy finished +3.

Burch is on his own at 9/13 and needs to beat Avery to be the outright winner. Chapman, Fulford and Patel are all on 8 and need to win and hope that Mark helps them out. A four-way tie remains a possibility.

Round 14 began with Mulliner having a decent sxp against Chapman on Lawn 3. Burch was in action on Lawn 2 against Avery with the title his if he won. He had the first innings and went to 4-b. Avery made a leave off the contact and Burch missed a long shot with the 4-b ball. Mark then TPOd but Jamie had to wait until Mark left his balls near hoop 1 before hitting from C4 and having the game and the title at his mercy with a 3-ball break in front of him. Alas - he only just crawled through 2 and missed the 13 yarder at the hoop 3 pioneer. Avery then gained control and two-balled in stages to hoop 6, going from 3 to 6 in one break. Then he laid up just off a-baulk - forgetting that running hoop 4 has consequences in Super-Advanced. Jamie re-established his break and is now approaching penult...

... and only just makes it. He looks hampered ... and has missed the pioneer! Mark now has a break to win...

Mark is through 1-b without a forward rush, but puts R within a yard of 3-b and rushes K to 2-b. No problem at all.

No forward rush after 3-b either but rolls to 4-b, makes it, makes penult, makes rover and wins +2tpo. Fulford is on a closing 3-ball break against Trimmer so it looks like a play-off. Patel has just missed his second lift against Maugham, having reached peg and rover after starting a QP. Maugham has a TP to win.

Which he finishes with the flourish of peeling Samir's rover and pegging out his peg ball for the amusing score of +1tp. Dave's hidden artist is no doubt liable to make more guest appearances in the future.

The play-off will consist of a single game and will commence at 1415. Stay tuned.

Rob wins the toss and puts Jamie in who chooses RY. James hits 5 with Y and Rob sends B to just outside C2. R hits B, rolls it to 10 yards E peg and gets a semi-obscured shot on Y which he chips out a bit, rolls off H1, makes it and rushes to E of B, sending Y to H3 and rushes B to H2. Looking good. Makes H3 with control.

No problems as Jamie reaches 2-b with Y only 2y E of rover. Obviously stopping at 3-b. B is rushed into C4. Takes off to Y and rushes it to just S of C2. Takes off gently and fires R into C4.

Correction - R into C3.

Rob takes contact from B in C4. Rolls it to 4 feet W and 1 foot N of C1 and fires K to 6 inches N of C1. Jamie takes 33 yarder with Y at K ... and hits!

Stops K to 3yd W H1, cuts B to 2ft SW H1. Approaches and runs hoop softly but fails to get backwards rush. Chips it to 4yd N H1 and takes off to SW of K. Rushes K to 7 yards W of R in C3. Hits take-off firmly and is probably lucky to hit R. Tries to roll off H2 and gets 3 yard 40 degree hoop - bounces back to 4 feet ESE.

Rob takes 15 yarder with K at Y and misses. Jamie centre-balls his 7 yarder with Y at R. Splits R to 2yd N of H2 and gets angled rush on K down to B. Rushes K to 4yd N C1, stops it to 5yd W H3 and gets good rush on B to H2. Rushes to 2 yard W. Stops B to 6yd WNW H3 and gets good position at H2. Runs it to the boundary. Hits R gently and sends it to H4, a bit firmly. Also gets S of K and rushes it to Nb, stops K to 6yd N H4 and a rush on B to H3. Right in front and in full control. A delayed TP for his first President's Cup. Can he take this third chance of victory?

Correction - a QP for victory. Runs H3, B to H5, K as pivot and rushes R to H4. Sets up for the 3-b peel which is from 12 inches and goes very cleanly, ending just past the E wire of 4-b. K is sent 3yd WSW 4-b. Makes 5 with a rush on B towards C3. Rushes B to 2yd S C3. Sends B to 3yd E 1-b and gets N of R. Rushes S and jawses the peel. Only nicks the rush on K and now has 5 yard sideways approach to H6. Gets 3 foot straight position with K close to the boundary. Makes it with wire but gets within 2 yards of K.

Rushes K to 11yd E of C2 and thinks. Goes for the ambitious wide split to be able to rush peel R. K is 4y N 2-b but Y has gone too far and he calls a referee to watch the shot. No problem and snicks it to the boundary. Rolls R to 3yd SW penult and gets reasonable rush on B to 1-b. Makes 1-b without a useful rush backwards or eastwards. Hits B gently and stops it to 4yd SSE 3-b and gets rush on R which he hits to 2yd N and slightly W of penult. Goes for the death-roll but R bounces out and stays close. Is slightly angled on K but cuts it back and stops to good position. Runs to the boundary and has rush on K straight to penult. Hits it to 2yd E of penult.

Looks at point from which he could perhaps contemplate a rush-peel. In the end, ignores R and takes off to behind B - good shot and he can rush B to 4 feet due S of 3-b. Seems to have squirted the approach to the E - there may be a slope there as this has happened to others. Tries jump and gets lots of momentum because Y ends up 5yd SE of H1.

Rob declines a lift and rushes R to 2yd SE H2. Has everything available. A query from a hard-working banker is received - why no bo3 play-off. Because the regulations in fact now prescribe a single game.

Rob goes to Y via B, approaches H1 and runs it. His options include 1-b for the sxp or pegging out the penult ball but the sxp looks the favourite.

Not so - having made H2 off R, he rushes it to 2 feet N of penult and peels it to near the peg. Then makes H3 and H4 and peels Jamie's Y firmly through 3-b (which will remove the squeeze possibility). Sends R to H6 and makes H5 off B.

The final scores were: 9 wins: Burch, Fulford; 8 wins: Chapman, Maugham, Patel; 7 wins: Mulliner; 4 wins: Trimmer; 3 wins: Avery.

Leaves B 4yds NWN of 5, sends Y to 1-b and makes 6 off R. Rushes R back to 4 feet N of rover and jawses the peel. Rushes B to Nb and sends it to 2-b while approaching Y which is very tight to 1-b.

Drifts K into Y, plays a very delicate stop shot and is able to run 1-b gently enough to be able to cut Y to 5yd NE of rover. Y to 3-b and K to N of R. Completes peel of R and croquets R to near the peg, going to B and making 2-b. Jamie will be for 4-b alone against 1 and peg. The interest may lie in the final positions of B and K as Rob has full control. He makes 3-b off Y and croquets it to 2yd N rover, going to R, sends that to penult and makes 4-b off B. B to the peg and makes penult off R. R and B at the peg and makes rover off Y.

Rushes Y to near R, pegs out R getting rush on B to C2 and B hits the flag. Takes off to 3yds W 3-b. Looking at the spot on Sb wired from 4-b. Calls a referee to watch the exit point. Neat turn.

Jamie takes contact from B in C2. Tries roll to 4-b. Good shot - Y is 4 yds straight and B close to Nb. Runs the hoop smoothly but with enough wire to fall short of B.

Rolls to penult. 4 foot straight position with B 1yd NE peg. Runs to 4yd S peg. Roquets B gently from 6 yds.

Sets up for the roll. Y stops 4yd short, B 4yd S. Runs to the boundary.

Has 7 yarders at B and K! Nicks B! Takes off to the peg and is the winner! A very entertaining game and many congratulations to Jamie on keeping his savoire faire despite earlier missed chances. His final break was Burchic croquet at its best. Over and out.