Good morning from Surbiton. Nick Parish here again, trying to make sense of the games going on, not helped by the fact that Stephen Mulliner is playing Sam Murray in a game that cannot possibly be happening. A kindly spectator informs me that they are playing a Surbiton club match, which explains some things but not others.

So, to the real events. Ben Rothman and Reg are playing Martin Murray and David Goacher. In an upset to the form book, Martin and David are one up from Saturday night, when the Goat finished with a 3bb having hit the wrong ball on a lift after a Bamford TPO on Murray. This is the second game. Reg is for 1b and Rothman is taking a boring break round to peg having apparently been forbidden from attempting the SXP by Reg. He's obeyed, which goes to show why Reg is partnering him and not Mulliner. The Goat is still for 1 and Murray is for 1b so this is not looking good for the West Country partnership.

The kindly spectator informs me that Reg has failed two hoops in this game!

I am an idiot. Ben is, of course, taking the break to 4b not peg to avoid giving away a contact, partner being for 1b. It's a tidy-looking diagonal spread. By the way, the main event doubles is also super advanced.

Murray takes the long lift, which hills off. Reg now needs a TP starting from 1b to finish.

He is having to make 2b off peelee, though, so needs a straight TP.

Elsewhere, Wicks and Burch are about to defeat Kibble and Walters. They are 1-0 up and and Jack is approaching 3b with all the peels done.

Clarke & Fulford, which was advertised as starting against Mulliner and Ormerod, hasn't because Mark Ormerod is still in the singles. So the grudge match is delayed, sadly.

There's an interesting match going on two lawns away which I can't see too clearly - Maugham and Chapman against Patel and Death. It looks to me like Maugham is approaching penult with one peel of his triple to go. He is. Jawses rover peel and jumps clean over it so now needs to cannon it through to finish.

And I was an idiot (again) about Wicks, who still has a peel to do. He's about to do it, though, so will be game and match for Wicks and Burch.

I was also an idiot about Reg. A couple of exceptional rolls later and a great rush out of 2b (peelee was 2b pioneer, remember) and he has a go at the 4b peel before 3b. It's through and he takes off back to his 3b pioneer. This is all over too.

Reg is attempting to peel penult before 4b. That's not too shabby considering he was making 2b off peelee with no peels done! Peel bounces out, though, so down to a straight double.

Maugham succeeds with his cannon and pegs out to win. Oppo's clips were quite well advanced, so I assume that is 1-0. Correct. Game two about to start.

Wicks (and Burch) win.

Maugham/Chapman v Death/Patel, game two.

Maugham to standard EB tice. Death to corner 2. Chapman takes long shot from B baulk at partner. Misses. Patel shoots at partner in corner 2. Hits. Takes off to Maugham. Flirts with h6 like an Essex girl with a bouncer in a Friday night, but just slides past it. Sends Maugham to h1 going to Chapman in c4. Hits and takes off to h1. Short. Returns to partner in c2.

Reg takes on the straight double and Irish peels penult into the jaws of rover. Not too shabby. Finishes to make it 1-1.

The rain has started to come down lightly, and lunch is smelling good. I'm breaking for grub soon.

The Reg/Ben/Goat/Murray doubles restarts. Goats hits third turn, Ben misses four turn, and Martin is away. But not very far. Clangs h1. Reg hits in.

Death et al have paused for lunch.

The singles is continuing, and it's almost crunch time. Most unexpected non-qualifier so far is Jack Wicks, who won five out of his first six games but then had a tough run of opponents and lost the next four. He plays Graham Gale next, with the winner going through and the losing going out. Wicks must be firm favourite, but you never know - Graham has been playing well. They're just starting on lawn 4 which is a long way away but I'll try to keep up. Wicks has first break.

No real shock qualifiers so far, except perhaps me (modest cough). Robert Wilkinson is the lowest ranked qualifier so far, but perhaps that isn't a surprise given that he is a good player who's been on a bad run for the past season or so. Elsewhere, others still alive in the singles include Ormerod, Hurst, Sharpe, Vincent, Berthouze, Morrow, Avery and Cumming. Oh, and Walters has now qualified.

Most play have stopped for lunch. I got there just in time to grab the last of the casserole, which was in short supply today as the grey, cooler weather has driven the punters away from the cold buffet. Very good, too. It's nice not to be playing for once, and therefore able to eat as much as I like.

In the only croquet game in the three lawns in front of me, Reg has taken the first break to 1b. Sextuple attempt permitted this time? Goat is taking the shot for the very good reason that Martin is still having lunch. Goat wonders onto the lawn, pausing only to ask which ball he's playing. Good decision! He hits.

Over on lawn 5, Gale was on the lawn briefly, but other than that it's been Wicks all the way.

Goat has established a break but it's rather slow, you will not be surprised to hear. I'm going to get news of the singles and a large bowl of trifle, not necessarily in that order. Back soon. Don't touch that dial!

Death/Patel v Maugham/Chapman has resumed with James going round. Heading for 3b giving contact. Standard super-advanced leave - James in c3, partner in c2, oppo across c4, although the EB ball is off the yardline. Dave lifts the other ball, and takes contact from the ball in c3. Attempts to roll croqueted ball to h1, going to partner just off the EB three yards North of c4. Plays probably the worst shot I've ever seen him play and sends striker's ball off the lawn about a yard South of c3 where he was taking croquet! Lost his balance while playing the stroke, apparently. As a result the balls are widely space with James (for 4b) near h1, Samir in c2, Paddy 3 yards NNW of c4 and Dave 1 yard South of c3. All for h1 except James. James trickles towards c2 giving Samir what I would call a hit-in but he says is a short roquet.

In Wicks v Gale, Wicks has a ball to 4b, with all the others on h1. Gale has the innings though.

Ian Vincent has beaten Alison Sharpe and goes to 5/10. Alison is eliminated, despite a fantastic win over Paddy Chapman.

Robert Hurst beats Mark Ormerod and qualifies. Ormerod is eliminated.

I'm now watching the Death match which is a bit far from the hut and wifi is erratic. I'm having to walk back to the hut to upload stuff, so updates will be longer but less regular.

Wicks has the innings back against Gale and is on a standard TP for qualification. Has done at least two peels heading for 3b, so looking good. Now just needs straight rover peel. Gets it. Wins and qualifies.

In the doubles, Paddy missed the long lift and Samir hit his roquet/hit-in/rush. Has started quad. Peeling 3b after 4. Peel bounces off to the side. Could be tricky now. Has another go after 5 going to h6 and bounces off again. Time to give up? Nope - he's gonna have another go going to 1b. Peel bounces out again (nowhere near) but striker's ball is excellent with a one-footer on the 1b pioneer, so keeps going. Surely now he'll give up? No - seems to be setting up for a straight quad. Surely this can't be the percentage play, even against Beast and Paddy?

The only one of the morning singles games still going is Morrow v Berthouze. Luc was well ahead but Nelson now has the innings. Must be nearly finished as singles games have 3 1/2 hour time limits and we started at 10am. Well, they did. I was still in bed.

Nelson has lost to Luc Berthouze, who qualifies. Nelson is still alive, though, on 5/10 with one game to come.

Samir has fourth go at 3b peel, straight Irish peel from a foot dead in front. Gets it - peelee lands 2 yards NW of 4b and striker's ball in the jaws. Other balls well placed. Rushes peelee into the wire of 4b and this time really will give up. This will finish peg and 4b v 1 and 1, with a lift.

The grudge match of Fulford/Clarke v Mulliner/Ormerod will start soon but sadly I won't be around to see it as I'm leaving in about ten minutes, which is well timed as I'm about to run out of battery.

I was wrong (yet again) about doubles. It's only super advanced if all four agree. Mulliner has vetoed it for the grudge match. In that match Fulford hits fourth turn and will have the first break. I feel a bit for Mark Ormerod, playing with three of the game's legends. Chris Clarke is dressed entirely in black (as Dennis Bulloch was earlier this week), justifying this on the grounds of being NZ national colours. Maugham points out that this only applies in WCF or team events and wants to demand he changes. Since Maugham isn't playing in that match, his views are disregarded.

Samir chooses a diagonal spread. Paddy shoots from A Baulk. Misses. Jimbo has only to take his 4b ball to peg to win. Does so without incident. 1-1. Crowd applauds wildly.

In the Reg/Ben/Goat/Murray, Goat got to 4b, Ben missed the lift and Martin was in with a break. Could have done a TP for the match or just gone to peg to put the pressure on. Sadly he clanged 4 and Reg is back in. Will leave a long shot for Goat/Murray with a standard TP for Ben if it's missed.

And that's it from me. I'm off to run errands. Possibly more later in the week. Bye.