Welcome readers to sunny Surbiton ... the sky has been almost cloudless today; a contrast with Saturday when it was cloudy for most of the day with a chilly wind.

You can read the details of the block play elsewhere on this site. But Will and Jonatan have maneuvered themselves well to make the final with one or two rusty games along the way.

Will has won the toss.

Be to 3 yards dead in front of Hoop 1. Rd misses to left.

Bk deeper & slightly shorter.

Yw misses. But Will fails with Be.

Rd attempts block but is just too long. Will strokes Bk through the hoop to N boundary.

Yw to 3 yard position. Be out wider. Rd shorter.

Bk clears Yw effortlessly, all the way to S boundary.

But Yw clears Be !! Superb shot that was never missing (we are playing on Court 3 at Surbiton & I am just in front of hoop 1).

Rd to good position. Be to 3-yard position. Bk attempts to clear the lurking Rd but only cuts it into the jaws.

Jonatan makes no mistake with the clearance of Be. Even Will can not do the bouncing bomb from 20 yards, so he lags to behind hoop. Rd runs hoop 2. Will 1 - 1 Jonatan.

Bk approaches from relatively close on North boundary. But Yw then clears Bk from close to hoop 12.

Be to 3-yard position. Jonatan clears with the Rd that had only just dribbled through hoop 2.

Bk clears Yw, which comes back in. Be to one foot in front of hoop 3.

Rd clears Be from East boundary, level with hoop. But Will makes the 6-yard hoop with Bk. Will 2 - 1 Jonatan.

Yw to 2 yards. Be just behind, blocking Bk's shot at Yw. But then Jonatan approaches Rd to nestle on the back of Yw. Will is studying hard. Perhaps Yw still has a shot at hoop.

Bk to three yards at 20 degrees towards East boundary.

Rd & Yw are touching. So Jonatan hits to leave Rd between Be and hoop.

Be clears Rd to South boundary.

Rd just misses Bk. Will clears to leave himself two balls closer to hoop but neither can run. Yw to three yards at 20 degrees towards East boundary. Be to one yard in front.

Rd approaches from North boundary.

Bk clears Yw to East boundary.

Bad miss to offside position. Be runs hoop. Will 3 - 1 Jonatan.

Rd to one-yard position. Bk deeper. Again Will chooses 20 degree position.

Yw attempts block from penalty spot. Not sure how much in the way it was but Be hits Yw instead of Rd.

Rd runs hoop to just beyond peg. Will 3 - 2 Jonatan.

Bk to one-yard position. Yw deeper and wider. Will lies on ground to check if Rd can get past Bk. I am sitting in line & say "no!".

Be from West boundary to 3-yard position.

Rd clears Bk to North boundary.

Bk clears Yw to South boundary. But Jonatan is not deterred. He clears Be with an elegant strike.

Be to a position that is open to Yw. Rd & Bk to close positions.

Yw hits back of hoop. But Will blobs the easiest of hoops!? Be bobbles out to the West side of hoop.

Rd does not have shot at hoop because of hampered back swing. So clears Bk to area of hoop 1 instead. Rd does not have a shot at hoop, so Bk to very deep and wide.

Yw to just behind hoop but one yard wide. Be into jaws. Jonatan decides Yw has a shot, so puts Rd to close position. But he fails to cover Bk's shot. Bk peels Be and ends up on North boundary close to corner 2. Will 4 - 2 Jonatan.

Yw to North boundary. Be to two yards in front of hoop. Rd alongside Be. Bk clears Rd.

This leaves Yw with shot at hoop but fails by hitting inside of right leg. Will stalks Be a couple of times and then strokes Be through. Almost no deviation despite being at 20 degrees. Will 5 - 2 Jonatan.

Rd to very poor position. Almost level with hoop to West. Bk keeps very short. Yw to much better position but fails to block Yw's shot at hoop. But Will misses from 6 yards, not even touching the hoop.

Rd hides behind Yw. Bk gets closer. Yw fails to hide Rd (despite being very close in original position). Be hits Rd although only a cut to West boundary and Be is close to corner 3.

Rd clears Bk, which then tries to take wired position from Rd. However, it is open to Yw goes to one-foot position. Be fails to cover Bk (from 30+ yards!). Rd makes the clearance on Bk.

Bk (from West boundary) clears Yw, so again the tables are turned and now Jonatan has a 15-yard shot from South boundary. He nails it!

Be to one yard, blocking Rd, which is at 6 yards. Jonatan makes the clearance but is behind the hoop on South boundary. However, Will fails to put Bk in wired. Then Jonatan accidentally nestles Yw into back of Bk!?

Be to one-yard position but quite angled. Jonatan studies hard and decides he needs to clear with Rd. Another successful shot (8 yards).

Will decides to clear Yw away with Bk; not too close to result in a double tap. Yw back in. Will attempts 9-yard hoop with Be. Hits outside of left leg.

Rd clears Bk. Bk can see Yw, which is at a tight angle. Decides to clear Yw, which comes back in. Be to deeper position. Rd to blocking position between Bk (on West boundary) and Yw.

Bk to behind hoop.

Yw makes easy hoop to South boundary. Will 5 - 3 Jonatan.

Be to one-yard position.

Rd from near hoop 8 shoots at Be ... misses to right ...

Bk to deeper, straight position for hoop 9 ... Yw misses Be to left ...

Be runs hoop, going 3/4 of way towards 10. Will 6 - 3 Jonatan.

Rd to 3-yard position. Very close to Be. But Bk goes wide. Yw to near Rd but can not prevent Be clearing Rd to East boundary. Jonatan checks if Bk has shot at hoop. Very angled if it has. He decides he needs to shoot. And makes clearance from 9 yards.

Bk from beyond peg shoots and misses Yw ...

Jonatan checks firmness of hoop and strokes Yw through to boundary ... Will 6 - 4 Jonatan.

Be to two-yard position. Again Jonatan with a confident clearance from 6 yards.

Bk & Yw approach. Be misses Yw from North boundary near corner 3. So Rd is able to clear Bk to almost on the West boundary near to hoop 1.

Bk shoots at Yw ... misses ...

Yw from two yards ... no problem ... down to almost level with hoop 12 ... Will 6 - 5 Jonatan.

Be to very deep position. Rd is almost perfect but just falls to side at one foot. Perhaps able to run? Players not quite sure. Bk does not take the pseudo double from the North boundary. Instead to about four yards.

Jonatan decides to clear Be with Yw. He hits (6 yards). Be back in.

Jonatan shapes to attempt to run the hoop with Rd but then steps away to look. He attempts again and gets into the jaws. Will runs Bk to East boundary just South of the half-way marker.

Yw shoots at ...

(from the North boundary near hoop 7) ...

Rd ... but misses ...

Will makes the easy jump with Be ... Will (7-5) Jonatan.

Jonatan missed very few clearances but Will just had enough big shots to make the difference. What will happen in game 2?

Players off for a comfort break ...

Spectators are discussing the problem of boundary boards being covered in creosote early in the season ... stains evident on shoes ...

Rd to good position ... slightly West of centre.

Bk misses.

Yw to slightly deeper and just to East of centre.

Be misses ... skipping along from about half way across court ...

Jonatan gets into jaws with Rd, having attempted to run to next hoop.

Bk towards half-way line. Yw too. Be too. But neither Bk nor Be are blocking Rd towards hoop 2. Rd goes a bit deep but is well placed alongside hoop 2. Will (7-5) 0 - 1 Jonatan.

Bk stays deep. Yw to closer position. Be shoots at hoop but hits outside of left leg.

Jonatan studies Bk. Spectators decide Bk can not see hoop but Jonatan still takes 6-yard clearance and sends Bk beyond peg. Bk hits just enough of Yw from 12 yards.

Yw to good position.

Be to wide position. Rd alongside Be. Bk starts to jump alarmingly but makes just enough contact with Yw to clear to 10 yards. Once again Jonatan makes the clearance. Be also gets Rd but Be goes a long way (to east boundary) and Rd can return to good position.

Bk & Yw also approach. Be misses Rd, which has a simple hoop. Will (7-5) 0 - 2 Jonatan.

Bk to good position. Yw misses (at last) ... from 14 yards.

Be to another good position.

Rd misses.

Bk runs hoop but is disappointed to only go through by two yards. Will (7-5) 1 - 2 Jonatan.

Yw to two-foot position ... Be promotes Bk, although not straight. Rd hangs back. Bk makes the clearance on Yw, which comes back in but it is open on Bk (on South boundary).

Be comes in ... Rd clears Be ...

Bk ... eight-yard shot at Yw ... hits ... but goes as far as Yw, which comes back in ...

Be shoots at Yw but barely moves it ...

Bk with big shot ... 20+ yards ... misses to right ... Easy hoop for Yw ... runs to South boundary. Will (7-5) 1 - 3 Jonatan.

Be to plumb position. Rd misses (from seven yards).

Bk in to wide position. Yw shoots at ... hoop ... hits right leg almost full on ... Will runs with Be ... to beyond hoop 6 ... Will (7-5) 2 - 3 Jonatan.

Rd approaches from West boundary and fails to get far enough to be wired from Be. Bk alongside Rd. Yw attempts to clear Bk but misses. Be clears Rd almost to corner 4.

Rd hits Bk ... and cuts it into jaws!? ... Fortunately this has not run and Rd is onside on West boundary level with hoop 7 ... Bk runs to North boundary ... Will (7-5) 3 - 3 Jonatan.

Yw to good position. Be to deep position. Rd approaches and has just covered the hoop shot of Be. Bk just clips Yw, which then returns to a deep position. Be clears Rd but fails to keep in hoop running position.

Bk from West boundary ... clears Yw with excellent cut to East boundary. Bk is on North boundary with a decent sight of the hoop. Yw to boundary near Bk. Be clears Rd to North boundary. Rd approaches to good position, failing to block Bk.

Bk shoots, hits right leg and goes against left leg. Yw clears Be to West boundary. Be clears Rd. Rd takes mid position. Bk fails very angled hoop. Yw clears through back of hoop.

Be clears Rd from in front of hoop 3. Rd misses Bk from West boundary ... not missing many from 7 yards ...

Bk runs three-foot hoop by four yards ... Will (7-5) 4 - 3 Jonatan.

Yw to 1.5 yard position straight in front of hoop ... Be to 1.5 foot position but Yw still can see hoop ... Rd from East boundary ... short of blocking Bk shooting at Yw ...

Bk misses just to left from 15 yards ...

Jonatan misses hoop !? Will makes easy Be ... Will (7-5) 5 - 3 Jonatan.

That was a bad miss from Jonatan ... earlier in the day he was missing hoops badly but he did not especially snatch at this one ... the direction was all wrong though ...

Rd to good position. Bk misses Rd Yw to deep position ...

Be misses Rd to right ...

Rd ... three-yard shot ... no problem this time, runs to five yards short of hoop 10 ... Will (7-5) 5 - 4 Jonatan.

Bk to good position ... Yw slightly shorter ... Be almost between Rd and Bk ... But Jonatan has no problem to clear ... Bk back in ... Yw clears Be to North boundary ...

Be clears Rd to South boundary ... Bk is sitting right in front of hoop 10 ... Rd ... misses ... just ... to right ...

Bk makes easiest of hoops. Will (7-5) 6 - 4 Jonatan.

Yw to plumb position ...

Be in ... but this leaves Rd with a clearance of Bk (both balls in front of hoop 3) ... excellent shot from Jonatan ... Bk is on South boundary and totally wired by hoop 5 and peg. Bk to near peg ... Yw runs ... almost to South boundary (harder than ideal) ... Will (7-5) 6 - 5 Jonatan.

Be in ... Rd in ... Black tries the nine-yard shot ... hits inside of left leg and then out ...

Yw ... 11 yards to Be ... misses ...

Will runs 5-foot hoop ... Will (7-5) (7-5) Jonatan.

Will Gee is the Surbiton GC Open Champion.

Thank you for reading ... Time for ceremonies and the like ... Until the next time ...