Welcome back to the Cammeray Croquet Club for the second time today. The match about to start on Show Court 1 is Greg Fletcher against Robert Fletcher. The winner of this match goes straight into the final for the cabbage, and the loser gets a second chance, having to play the winner of Alison and Jim. Should be a some good croquet ahead today. Pete Landrebe has joined me in the commentary box and will be following the Alison / Jim match. Random updates from the Plate will also be added.

Referees are out firming up the hoops now we are at the pointy end of the competition. Let's get started.....

Robert in first with a supershot, playing red and yellow. Greg shoots Blue peg high on east boundary.

Robert shooting from B Baulk. Just hits it and jags the rush towards four. Game on.

In the absence of Simon Hockey, Substitute Si has joined me commentary along with Bill Lawry. Morning Bill.

Good morning, what a wonderful day here to watch two Victorians playing in the best croquet tournament outside of Victoria. The Crowd, the tension, the Victorians we love it all.

Thanks Bill.

Robert loads two and jags perfect rush to one. Third turn nine looks likely. No third turns completed yet this tournament.

Substitute Si: "Hoops are buckets so should be an easy break"

Bill: "Yes easy conditions for the Victorian world number 1 he should be solid here".

Robert runs two and roquets reception ball. Great load at three. Break still looking good.

Makes three but no rush, good toll to load five and get to four. Still under total control. Thanks Motels.

Some clips being thrown over on far lawn. Hoops are not kind.

Robert for six.

Robert for 2 back. What will the leave be:

Nick: Little Ducks
Sub Si: Ducks
Pete: Ducks

Now for three back.

Sub Si: (or hoop 9 for those of you who can count past 6...)

Robert rushed into hoop five so ducks are not on. Reverse ducks? Defensive leave?

There is $1000 on this game as the winner goes through into the final and will be playing off for the prize. $3k for the winner and $1k runner up.

So, Robert is doing the 2 4 leave. Nope, over run the take off back to hoop three so has gone the defensive leave.

And that completes turn three.

Greg sizing up the shot and is taking the short shot from A Baulk. Taking the shortest shot he can with the biggest reward. Expecting Robert to finish if he misses.

And..... misses!

Robert rushing to ball on west boundary. Overcooked that rush and cuts it to within a foot of the ball. Not great position to load two but will get dolly rush to hoop one. That is twice he has overcooked shorter shots. Lawn is speeding up in the sun and as the day warms up.

Big cut now to get to one, rush pointed towards peg but he puts it within a yard of one to the East. nice one.

Under cooks the roll. Angley hoop, makes it well. seven yard return roquet.

Rushes to A Baulk in front of hoop one.

Two good shots here and standard triple is on.

Ray Warren: "Put down the Glasses, Robert is Home".

Not so fast Ray, still a bit of work to do.

Rhyming Slang: Robert is running the red town hall through the Betty Boop looking to start an achilles heel.

Sub Si: Git.

Any other suggestions?

Sub Si: Glad Robert has things back on track. The start of the break was particularly crummy by his standards.
Sneaks through hoop 3. Lucky today isn't yesterday - wouldn't have got half way with that shot.

Now we have a 1.5 yard peeling opportunity with good escape ball.

Bill: The tension, the excitement, the crowd, that wasn't Robert's fault he bombed the peel, he is a Victorian after all.

Thanks Bill. Roberts peel bounced left and is sitting out to the side now, it didn't even jaws. Robert has made four with a rush back up the lawn.

Takes the rush and taking off back to five after re-positioning peelee.

Over cooks AGAIN. Lawn is speeding up quicker than the space shuttle on take off. Still in a good position to get rush out of five.

Misses getting the rush, makes a liar out of me.

Now a return roquet of three yards back down to the halfway between hoop one and four.

Escape well positioned to peel four back on way to six.

Yep good roll, perfect pace. Hoop 1 back loaded (seven for you Si) and finishes close to peelee. Great shot.

Bill: What else would expect from a Victorian.

Bill spoke too soon and Robert misses the peel. Spits out to the right. Good rush now to six. Two attempts from reasonable positions have been unsuccessful.

Runs six but is on a Rush to nowhere. Thanks Talking Heads.

Sizing up a peel on the way to 2 back? Might try on way to 1 back. peelee is east of hoop. Robert now has positioned it to make it on the way to 2 back.

Referee??

All good, found one.

Sub Si: If Robert doesn't get peel or jaws before two back, he won't complete triple. For live betting call 1800 CALLUM.

OH MY GOD! Soccer ball from the adjoining pitch has landed on the pitch. Not cool. Security has been dispatched and has taken the ball and is deflating it much to the crowd's disappointment.

Big shot coming, peel on way to two back...

Not complete, falls back into a hole that is a few inches in front of hoop. Makes rush peeling tricky.

Alison has donned her hat for protection from wayward soccer balls.

Rush to 2 back is short. 7 yard to roll in.

Smashes through the hoop and makes a BIG NOISE when it hits the hoop box thingy that David S built.

Has to be a straight triple to finish?

Sub Si: or rush through - peelee is about 3in out and 20 degree angle.

Rush peel is on.

It is sitting in a hole. Risky shot. Naturally he makes it.

Now, wired from 3 back pioneer, which is a few yards short of 3 back.

No Alan, he won't peel penult from B Baulk behind four back on way to three back.

Overolls. Now no rush to three back and will be making it from four yards behind, just west. Peelee finished 2 yards south of penult and slightly west.

Perfect pace on hoop approach, should be able to get rush out of hoop.

Smashes it and four yards return roquet now.

Richie just joined us. Welcome Richie:

Richie: Yes thank you, and great to be here, for the first time today. Robert, who is 22, is lining up to make peel number 2, that is peel 2, for 22, year old Robert. He is looking resplendent is his bone, off white, white ivory and beige pants, and collared shirt.

Sub Si: i.e. boringly attired, as usual :)

Right. Now, peelee a foot or two in front of penult. Robert approaching four back. The other ball is a yard north and a yard or two east of peg.

Rhyming Slang: Robert runs through loop de loop to the C Chaulk. Makes the return OK to the albert hall at the leg.

Sounds better when said out loud.

Sub Si: just passing on a suggestion from the players - don't bother phoning them whilst they're playing... they might not answer...

Bill: That would be Shane Warne out there on the text messages, another great Victorian.

So, Robert now peeling penult from foot and half in front. Great peel.

Ray Warren: Over to Blocker on the sideline: If it wasn't for the front row forwards today this game would a load of....

Ray: HOLD THE PHONE BLOCKER! The peel has jammed into the peg, and now the young man from Lismore Victoria has a difficult situation to get the peelee in front of rover. He sets the rush beuatifully and is about to make the stroke....

Thanks Ray, four and a half foot peel now, in front, Ball behind the hoop, yard south and yard east, other ball near the peg. No room for mistakes. $1000 peel.

Peel is JAWSED! It is just through though according to the crowd.

Half jump. Ok, interesting thing here. The peelee had run the hoop but wasn't clear of the hoop on the non playhing side. So point scored. Robert did a half jump and the peelee went back through the hoop into the jaws. Some rules questions. Has Robert taken croquet??

Hang on, robert has taken croquet off yellow. Now lining up to peg out. Greg charges on to the lawn. Calls for the rules book.

NOT hoop and roquet.

Robert replaces his ball and roquets the escape ball. Peelee in jaws.

Robert tries to bombard the ball out of the jaws. Will just have to rush it out of the jaws to the peg now. Good finish.....

Yeah neat. Pegging out.

That is the end of the fifth turn folks and game.