Lovely day in Sydney for the final day of the Dixon. Cammeray Club has put on some great hospitality and made all the visiting players feel most welcome. Special thanks up front to David and the Club members at Cammeray who are keeping us fed.

Lawns are in good condition and hoops are firm in the ground. The first game of the day is the toughest as the ground is firm and hoop holes have been packed. After a few games they are much easier to run.

Allison and Pete up first. Allison finished her last game at 11.00pm last night and won with a perfect 9 - 12 - 5 in eight turns.

Allison blue and black, Pete red and yellow. Allison standard opening. Pete to corner two.

Allison hits partner turn three. Takes off the Pete's ball in in corner two.

Interesting opening on lawn 2. Rosie V Alan Honey - Rosie does short supershot in front of hoop 5, Alan hits, dosn't get position on hoop 1 and retires to east boundary.

Allison punts Pete's ball to west boundary in front of hoop two and retires with rush across towards one.

Pete shooting at blue and black......

Misses! Opportunity now for Allison to put on the first break.

Rosie shoots at Alan honey, misses. Alan shoots from B Baulk with Rosie's ball as a double, misses. Rosie in control and opportunity for a break. Alan's balls was north of peg slightly on east boundary.

Lawns are 9 seconds, according to Jim Nicholls.... the dew is holding up the balls a little.

Allison fails to get rush on Pete's ball at 2, rushes to just south of five with her partner at 2.

Overcooks roll to one. 1 yard out to the side. has a crack....

Makes it and nails 10 yard return roquet. Allison is playing well.

Over on lawn two Rosie has failed one.Alan Honey shoots with his ball at two and hits. Has two balls at one now and opportunity for a break.

Special shout out to Simon Hockey, before I forget.

Jim and Callum are underway. Jim standard 'Beethoven' opening to east boundary. Callum duffers tice. To set the scene, Callum is wearing batman pants and Jim a hawaiian shirt. Jim nails the roquet on turn three. As Ray Warren would say "CRUNCHING ROQUET".

Allison making solid break now. up to hoop three.

Jim rolls putting partner at two, taking position on Callum's ball to rush to one, leaves himself five yarder rush to one, doesn't quite jag it....finishes 8 yards south of two. What now Jimbo?

And the hoops claim their first victim, Allison has hampered shot after three.

Jim taking off to one, lands in the jaws. He deems it ! Nice opening leave. Two balls near two, Jim has a four yard rush to one and his ball in the jaws. callum takes the double from A baulk. misses.

Allison hit the hampered 5 yarder and is now back under control.

Alan Honey under control in first break on lawn 2.

Jim rushes to A Baulk. Should make nine from here.

Jim declines the opportunity to put his patner ball through one. Allison through five. Jim has good hoop load at 2, just north, to dig green out of the corner. JIm is playing pink and white, Callum therefore must be playing green and brown.

Allison has an angled hoop at six, makes it with ease.

So at the start of day three six are still in the hunt for the cabbage - Jim, Callum, Pete, Allison, Robert and Greg. No pressure on these two matches....

Jim's loads are a bit loose through 3 and 4, Allison making 1 back, Alan Honey also at 1 back.

Allison understands the pace of the lawn really well this morning. Tidy break through 2 back. Jim still finding it.

Allison looks to be setting 2-4, Alan Honey looking for DS on lawn 2.

Nice 2 4 from Allison. Good start.

Alan Honey has left Rosie at peg and in corner four, with his two balls in corner two. LEave didn't quite come out right. Rosie shoots with peg ball towards corner four, misses.

Pete working out what to do.....Can he see Yellow from A Baulk? Yep, Allison tells me half open.

Pete shooting from corner 3.

Not sure what Jim is doing, no load at 3 back. Two balls near peg, rushes oppo to 3 back and goes three yards past.

Pete misses to corner four. Lawns are playing well at this time of day, if ever time for a delayed triple..... Hoops are being run well by all players.

Jim putting in loose DS leave.

Allison's rush a bit wayward to 2, but partner is just north and to the west. takes off and has 2 yard rush to one. Jim setting cross wire at peg.

Alan Honey starting peeling turn on lawn 2. 4 yard angley four back to start.... misses and yellow looks to have popped out to the east.

Allison rushes, good shot, a bit short, and left with a three yard take off to get position. Ball is East of hoop one. Good shot, takes position2 foot out and runs it with control. Jim has set an OSL.

Some funky stuff happening on lawn 2. Alan rush peels 4 back, must have been closer in front than I first thought.

Callum shoots from B Baulk and ball near the peg. Misses and hits a chair.

Allison as sent red to three and gone to Pete's ball in corner four. Big take off coming up under pressure,

Good shot. Leaves a four yard rush to 2 with reasonable load at three.

Bassets have arrived, Claire in Blue, Trevor in red. No players in white. GOOD TO SEE!

Honeyman for 5, ball in position at 6 for penult peel.

Allison has made three. She did a perfect 9 12 5 against me last night, will she go for the delayed against Pete?

Jim now for two on second break. Partner is near corner four, three well loaded.

Jim runs two and hits reception ball. Lucky thing two otherwise it may have knocked over the fence that separates the croquet club from the tennis Club.

Rosie in on lawn 2. Not sure what happened - think Alan bombed five. OH NO! Rosie bombs 2!

Allison looks to be chasing a delayed triple. Has oppo at four, left a ball at 4 back and loaded five with yellow.

Honeyman missed Rosies ball that was stuck in two.

State of Play:
Alan: six and penult, Rosie: 1 and 2
Jim: four back and.....

OH MY GOSH!!!! JIMBO STICKS IN 3........

Allison four back and four, Pete: 1 and 1

Callum hits! Takes off to two balls at hoop four.

HUH? I turned away for a minute and Callum was JAWSED IN 4? He retires to corner 3.

Jim has tap on with four back ball.

ROsie making three on lawn two.

Allison misses peel at four back on way to six. You have to take the finishing opportunity when you can against Pete.

Big shout out to the three people reading, including you Simon Hockey #LOOKOUT!

Allison rushes ball after six to corner three, the crqoeut shot then is a bit short so cant really rush peel ball at four back. 1 back load is north and west by two yards. She hits four back ball and it falls into a hole in front. 2 back is well loaded. .....Perfect shot. Peels four back on way to one back ball. Neat.

Rosie for hoop five. hang there, Allison has angled hoop at one back... makes it. That looked tough from this angle. Jags perfect rush to peelee.

Jimbo has left two balls in corner two, Callum has a ball fouryards north of three and a ball four yards south of three.

Callujm shoots towards ball at four and misses. That fence is taking a pounding.

Allison for 2 back. Peelee is still north of four back by two yards, oppo is five yards north of 3 back.

I have put some pictures up on Facebook in the Croquet NSW page.

ANGUISH!!!! the tennis players have played a miraculous shot next door and are cheering.

SO, Allison for three back, peelee now 9 yards north of penult, taking off to pioneer at 3 back. Monica Seles is playing tennis next door.

Three yard rush to three back. Short, makes it hard to get the rush up the lawn after three back now. Angley hoop,

Hoop and roquet... now what...??

Taking off to peelee, leaving a ball at three back.

Punches is across to 2 yards south of rover. Long range peel time?

JIm and Callum still sparring. Not change in score.

Allison leaves peelee 2 foot in front and rushes to four back, has a 2 foot hoop in front and runs it, straight double to finish? Greg and Robert if you are reading get here soon boys you are about to be on.

Allison rushes oppo to end of a baulk out of four back.

Loads rover, now rushing other oppo up to penult and does a good rush, just south of hoop two yards to the west. Good shot.

Peel coming from 1 foot out....

In other news, Rosie broke down at 1 back and Jim has just made three.

Great peel, partner is now 1 yard north of rover and only just offline, slightly west.

OH NO!! Rolls into partner and puts it in front of rover!! 2 to 3 foot straight rover peel to finish. Live escape ball.

Trevor says "JUST GO FOR IT!"

Honey broke down. State of play coming in a sec...

Allison plays to peel her partner and jawses it on way to escape ball. Jump shot now from two foot out.....didn't even get air... Allison leaves standard four ball rover leave.. all that good work.

Allison just bought Greg and Robert about 30 mins....

State of Play:

Alison: Rover-Rover, Pete 1-1 Pete in Play

Jim: Five - four back, Callum 1-1, Jim in second break

Rosie: 2 back and four, Alan Penult and six. Rosie in control.

Pete's rush to 1 is not great.... four yards short...

Pete's roll to 1 is short. Alison has two balls near one, Pete is looking to scatter. good shot. Scattered rover ball towards yellow though, Alison has seven yarder.

Hits, should finish from here.

OK, so, attention turning to Jimbo...now peeling four back on way to six. Pulled the break together well.... except, makes the peel and has hampered shot on rush to six. Referee has been called.

Alison pegging out. Any win against Pete is a good one, especially 26 nil.

Jim nails the rush.

Jim leaves himself 7 yarder after not running six with control. Shoots for peelee... just grazes it all the way to the boundary.

Jim on east boundary hoop high. Rolls peelee to in front of penult, rushes brown to corner 2ish, loading 2 back and taking position for 1 back.

Load to 2 back is way short.

On lawn two, Rosie still in control. Just run two back to be equal with Alan on points

Jim peeling penult. Death roll. Interesting tactic given where load was, now has five yarder to rush to 2 back and hits it well. 3 yard roll to 2 back,.

Jim has long hoop run. Someone brace the fence..

He runs it and fortunately hits the fence post.

Rushes back to peelee which has dribbled a foot or two through penult.

Good load on four back. Rushes peelee to between three back and rover, takes off to pioneer, now making three back.

Jim runs and tries to rush peelee to in front of rover. Good tactic. Now has two yard peel on way to reception ball fromthree back, misses peel. Peelee 1 foot east of rover, hoop high.

Mike Hughes has arrived wearing white. Fletchers have arrived, all wearing white. They missed the memo about colourful clothes.

Jim gets peelee in place on way to penult. Good load....

Good position to make penult.

On lawn two, Rosie setting leave, 2 back and peg.

Balls not quite coming together at Rover for Jim.

Does well. Long roll now into Rover to take position on peelee and set deep ball. Good ball off to thte side. Now 1 yard tap to hit peelee.

Oops.

Rover Rover and angley peel, declines the peel. Callum will get another turn.

Rosie setting diagonal spread, looks nice.

State of Play:

Rosie: Peg and 2 back, Alan 6 and Penult, About to take lift, should be forced to take penult ball and does.

Jim, Peg and Rover, setting leave, Callum 1 and 1.

Honeyman misses lift. Rosie could finish from here.

Shout out to Mr Wilson.

So, Jim's leave.....

Looks likely to be a reverse old standard.......

ROSL it is.

Rosie left herself a long hoop approach on lawn 2 towards 2 back.

Callum hits Jim with his ball near the peg. Rosie makes a good hoop and rushes to 3 back, in control.

Callum ends having to roll to hoop one from end of A Baulk, over cooks it and now has left a ball way out there. Jim's balls were well spread in corner 2 and corner 3, good time to have set a leave.

Callum now has two balls near one, about 7 yards north.

Rosie failed hoop three back, Alan missed 6 yarder, Rosie didn't get position on hoop so Alan taking another long shot, misses, Rosie back in control but some work to do to lay the break out.

Jim hits. but is playing peg ball.

Jim setting a leave.

Cross wire at rover, Jim's balls will likely end up in corner three I am thinking.

SO this is interesting. Can't tell if callum's balls are wired. They are kind of but are ten yards apart.

OK, Jim on boundary in corner three and three yards south of corner three. Callum lining up the cross wire.

Callum on the ground lining this up. Takes brown at green and hits. Great shot.

Massive roll coming up. Callum is south of two on west boundary, rolling to corner three and loading two. Good shot.

Leaves himself a seven yarder to corner ball.

Strikes it well.

rushes Jim's peg ball (White) to one, 7 yards short. Has two loaded, takes position and runs hoop. Good play.

On lawn 2, Rosie broken down at four back. Alan hasn't taken croquet for an hour or so.

Alan still has a long shot, Rosie pairs up in corner 4.

Callum has break laid out.

Honeyman makes a long roquet. Oops, jawses penult.

Ted Salter and Mike Hughes are warming up for their plate game on Lawn two.

Ted in Red, Mike in White.

My bad, Alan had jammed in six, not penult. Rosie missed and Alan is now making 6. Balls are in good enough position for him to make a break.

Batman, er I mean Callum, jams 4. Jim has eight yarder - the load at five is Jim's rover ball. Callum's two balls are stuck in four and behind four. Jim misses by a couple of inches.

Bat,.....Callum walks back out on the court. Can he run four?? Looking at it like he cant, or is he strategising.......

Runs four, he was jsut strategising. Jim's ball is not in corner four and Callum takes the long shot and hits it.

Callum is for six now. Break is kinda of under control but had to leave a ball behind between 4 and 5.

Ted in Red starts with the standard Beethoven opening on lawn two. Mike counters with a standard Mozart tice.

Honeyman made it to 2 back. Not sure why it failed but he has left a leave of sorts. Two balls in corner 2, Rosie at 2 back with peg ball and three back. Playing Two back ball to three back balls and hits. Nice shot.

Ted pings Mike's tice and misses. Mike does the same.

Callum makes one back and jawses Jim's ball, puts it through a bit too far though. Lawns aren't quite good enough for that leave, but a good effort all the same.

CRASH!!!! A plate has been dropped in the Clubhouse. Rockmelon everywhere. That makes two wine glasses and a plate. Cammeray won't have us back!

Nothing puts Callum off and he is soldiering on with the break. Now for three back.

Can't be much time left over on lawn 2.

Or lawn one for that matter.

Callum setting two four. Cards are being played here two and there is some cheating going on....

Mike leaves two balls in corner one, Ted can't resist a shot and misses.

Rosie now has two balls hoop high in corner four, Rush towards one. Alan's two back ball is at two back and he shoots at Rosie and misses.

Reasonable leave from Callum but ball is sticking through at two. Good target from b baulk? Jim is sizing up b baulk shot through Callum. His rush is towards a baulk though. Jim picks up ball in two and walks it to a baulk.

Jim lines it up..... misses completely. Callum has his two balls near four, jim's rover ball close by, and jim's peg ball at hoop four. Lets see if the triple is on to finish.,,.,. can't be much time left.

Callum runs one but somehow didn't get a load at two. Big roll coming up now to get up to two and position peelee three. Good shot. now has rush to two and nails it. Coming together for the peeling turn.

Rosie has made penult on other lawn and is also for peg. Lights out for Alan?

I looked away for a minute. Ted is also in on first break.

Callum has the balls at three, can have crack at three yard peel on way to escape ball that is a yard north of 4 back and slightly west.

HOLD THE PHONE BLOCKER! Rolls both balls into the hoop. THey bounce around a bit and are now sitting together wired from everything. Interesting...

Honeyman is toast. Rosie has knocked him over and he is out of the plate.

Callum still thinking

23 minutes left.

Callum hits green to corner two and leaves peelee wired from Jim's rover ball around 3.

Jim takes a long shot and misses. Jim now south boundary seven yards from corner 4, ball at hoop four. Callum at hoop 3 and west boundary. Shoots at hoop 3 ball, misses, hits the hoop and stops dead. Jim now hits and has two balls together at four back. Should finish from here.

Or not.... He now has a ten yard approach to rover. Left the rush short.

Good roll. 2 yard hoop attempt.

Runs it to the baulk, deep reception ball so should be OK.

Job done. Jim wins and Callum is out.

New commentary starting for Robert V Greg.

Thanks for tuning in.