Felix Webby vs. Harps Tahurangi

Harps is the current Heenan plate holder, playing the young gun, 16-year old Felix who has had a very impressive tournament so far.

After standard opening Harps has hit in and made H1 and H2, and is tightening up the break.

Anthony commentating again...Harps has just stuck in H3 and Felix hits in. Big split roll down to partner near 4. Other opponent ball is in cornr 2.

Setting leave near corner 4.

Harps hits the long shot, with a reasonable position to pick up the break again

Harps makes H3 this time, and rushes down to corner 4, behind potential pioneer.

Harps has made H6 in a3-ball break, but with ball in crner 2

Harps has a 7 yarder into corner 2....MISSES

Felix hits in.

Felix makes H1 with good break prospects ahead.

Felix through H2, with good rush in field and reasonable pioneer and pivot set

Felix makes H6...break is under control

This is game 1 of Best-of-3, by the way.

Felix missed a short shot after 1B - very surprising. Goes into A baulk, so an easy start for Harps

Harps on 1B, and Felix on 2B. Other balls are both on 1.

Harps has lifted his ball into a position on the line that is about 4 yards from A baulk!! Wants to rush Felix ball...Harps plays and now Felix is pointing out that the ball shouldn't have been placed there! Graeme has been called to sort it out.

Because Harps made a roquet he is allowed to play it again from the correct position on the baulk line...however, he picks up Felix's ball by mistake . . . this is pointed out to him, and he gets the right ball. I think the brain explosions are over now. No extensions to the baulk line allowed

Harps has made H1 and now sets a good pioneer at 3, with pioneer at 2

Makes H2 and break looks good

Harps has made H4 - break under control.

Harps makes H5 but pivot is a long way away...sets good pioneer at 1B with rush to 6

Makes 2B

Harps setting up NSL after making 3B

Felix hits long shot from B baulk

Felix goes out in a big croquet stroke, near Harps' ball.

Harps has good setup for his blue ball on 1B...should get the break going

Harps doesn't make 1B...Felix shoots and misses long one. Harps has long rush to 1B and is short. However, long take-off gets reasonable position and he makes the hoop. Break prospects are good.

Makes 2B and seems to be setting partner up for a peel at 4B...taking off back to make 3B

Good approach to 4B but overcooks his rush on the partner ball so can't do a 4B peel

Harps is around to the peg, with his other ball on 4B... setting up his leave - a diagonal spread.

Felix is on 1 and 2B...to shoot

Misses a 8 yarder from A baulk...Harps' leave wasn't the best. Harps misses a 9 yarder at partner in corner 4.

Felix plays into corner 1.

Harps sets up on East boundary

Harps has done long take-off to R+Y in corner 1, leaving partner near 4B (which is the hoop he wants to make).

Harps has made 4B with break set up - should be 1-0 to Harps

Harps made it to the peg but went out on a long takeoff to Felix's R...Felix is in, and has made H5. His other ball is on 2B, so it could yet be an exciting end to this game

Felix on penult...

Its on a sharp angle and e jumps it through. . . but has difficult hampered shot. Looking at the sweep shot.

Calling the umpire.

Makes the roquet! Phew...

Now Felix gets hampered again, after rover and can't hit anything. Hits back to B baulk, forgetting the lift.

Harps is playing from the correct position on the baulk this time, and will peg out...well, he left himself 5 yards short of partner! A nervous roquet is made and he pegs out to make it 1-0 to Harps.

Game One was won by Harps 26-19. Game 2 is starting.
Harps to East boundary
Felix sets a shot duffers
Harps shooting from B baulk at partner and misses

Felix did a couple of very nices rushes to set up a break and made hoop 1, but blobbed hoop 2. Harps is in now.

Harps has made H2 with a laid break...

Harps has some work to do at H4 with rather loose pioneers

Has a long hoop but makes it in style, down to the line...

Makes H5 and sets 2B pioneer early...break well under control now

Harps is making slightly heavy weather of his break, but heading to 2B

Harps sticks in 3B and Felix is able to bully it out towards H1...makes the hoop with nice cut rush to partner

Felix is digging out the break. Had a 3 yard H3 which he sailed through down to the South boundary...hits longish shot and should be OK

Felix has set up the break very well and should be on his way to 4B

Felix is for 3b, but his pioneer is well past the hoop...

Felix has gone to 4B and set an OSL. Harp shooting at partner mid way between peg and 4b

Misses...

Felix is setting up another leave

He has made a very long hoop 2 and is trying to get a break sorted . . . difficult still

Harps got a break going after Felix broke down at 2...but Harps bounced off a longish hoop 5, and Felix got in again with the second break. . . . however, missed hoop 4 and now Harps is back in.
Conditions are getting drier again, and tricker to control the play

Harps on 3B and 5, vs Felix on 4b and 4. Harps sets a leave

Felix misses a 30 yarder at Harps B+B in corner 3

Harps made H5 and set out on a 2-ball break with B+B wide apart. Overrolled H6 however, and is trying to decide what to do

He disappears to West boundary...Felix shoots back to partner.

Harps hits a long shot, and is taking off to B+B in corner 4, hoping to make 1B

He overrolls a short croquet shot on a dry patch... is now setting up a leave.

Felix got in and has done a rapid fire break - making 3B now. 4B pioneer is terrible but has rush on partner ball to hoop instead

He's lining up a peel at 4B . . in fact that 'terrible pioneer' was the escape ball for a straight triple . . .

The long peel goes through but his playing ball is very close to hoop and angly...jumps through and hits escape ball.

Gets rush on partner to penult...not bad - 2-3 yards straight in front. He's actually spending some time lining this one!

Its through! and he makes the hoop...its on!

Hits R behind the hoop close to corner 2...big split to Y, sending R down beyond rover. Hits Y but a long way from partner...

Takeoff is a little short but its still possible to rush to rover...but rushed off to about 5 yards and on anangle . . . will he give it a go?

Yes, he's lining up the dream peel...good on him

The peelee didn't touch the hoop! And he blobbed the hoop to add injury to insult

Harps is 4B and 1B, vs Felix on rover and rover

Harps is in and heading for 1B

His croquet shot to get a rush is overcooked and he is slightly wired . . . tries the shot anyway and bounces off the hoop. Felix is in again and looking likely to win

Felix is able to do an Irish peel at rover immediately - should peg out

Rush to the peg is a bit enthusiastic and goes past by 6 yards or so

Lying on the court as he lines it up...Paul, coffee in hand, has been called to observe...BANG hits the peg. That's 1-1 in the match. Felix wins 26-15

Felix and Harps have started the decider...Felix to East boundary, Harps just out of corner 2 (its been a very popular opening at these champs), Felix missed at his own ball, and Harps missed from B baulk.

Felix made H1 but missed a 3-yard hoop 2. Harps gets in and makes H1, with a break in prospect

Harps got to H4 but sent his ball over the line approaching the hoop. Felix is back in with a rush to ball near H2 which he wants to make

Approaches hoop 2 and decides to get it hammered down a bit . . . runs it and is setting up th break well

Felix has gone around to 3B and is approaching the hoop - its been a well constructed break from the young lad

And makes 3b...sets Blue well over to near West boundary. Black will be not that far from his own balls, but still a reasonable leave.

Harps takes the short shot from A baulk and only just misses.

Felix makes 1 and 2 but overshoots an ambitious hoop 3 approach - retreats, but leaves his other ball close to blue.

Harps set leave in 4th corner, with blue aiming to make H4. Felix tries a wide join on North boundary near the 3rd corner. Harps leave Y near hoop 3 and red near corner 2.

Felix misses the long shot at B+B. Harps hits R and goes to H4...

Harps makes H4 and sets up 3-ball break.

Harps is around to 2B with break relatively under control

Harps has called the referee to see if he has made hoop 3B - very close...after a minute of testing, it is declared through by a whisker. He can now set up a leave.

so, Harps is 4B + 1, vs Felix on 4B and 3

Felix hits the lift shot from A baulk

He fails at hoop 4 and Harps hits in, but goes off on the takeoff. Felix sets leave and Harps misses long shot. Felix now using B=B on North boundary to get a rush back to 4.

Felix makes H4 - has some work to do get create a break

He has a long takeoff back to H5 . . . and now a 5 yard hoop. Which he bounces off.

Harps misses long shot, and Felix retires Y into corner 4. Harps' B+B together so he sets up for a possible break starting at H1. Felix may have underestimated his opponent's prospects here.

Harps' rush to 1 is undercooked but will try split shot to get position. An angly hoop which he bounces off.

Harps missed a long shot at Y+R, and Felix approached H5 again - shorter this time, but same result. bounced off.

Harps is in again and setting a leave

Felix hits the long shot at B+B...with red (4B ball). He has Y at his hoop...will he make hoops or just set a leave?

Looks like the latter - hits Y well away...is heading over to corner 3.

Felix has gone out on a long take off - signs of weariness now. However, its a dry position for Harps.

Harps sets leave near 1. Felix goes for long shot with his partner ball wired from him. Misses.

Anthony signing off!

Current state. Felix on 4 back with both balls, Harps on 4 back with Blue, Black on H5. Felix in play and approaching 4 back with R. Hoop run and roquet on Blue. Takes partner ball to penult but blobs the hoop.

Harps shoots at Y with Black but misses. Penult run with rush on Y to Rover. R runs Rover, rushes Y to peg high on West boundary, takes off to Blue on East boundary. Roquets and positions Blue on 4 back. Roquets Black on East boundary and positions Black south of H4. Sets up for Y.

Harps shoots Black at R & Y, roquets R. Take-off for rush on Y to H5. Split drive for hoop approach. Poor position, attempts roquet of Blue but crashes into 4 back and stops. Y to roquet R on West boundary but misses.

Harps roquets Black with Blue. Makes 4 back H&R. Big split Black past Rover, Blue to R & Y. Rushing R to penult. Handy for little split approach. Makes hoop but misses 3 yard roquet attempt and finishes on A baulk. Y lifted, Blue rushed to Rover. Black then for Penult pioneer, rushes Y towards 4 back, hoop approach R goes out turn over.

Harps plays Black for Blue but misses. Y jumps 4 back Y roquets R on B baulk. Y take-off to Black on south boundary. But Y misses roquet. Harps positions Y at 6 for rush on Blue to H5. Simple hoop approach, makes hoop 5, H&R on Blue. Takes off to R on north boundary. R positioned at 1 back with rush for Black on Y to H6. Simple approach. Hoop run, Y towards boundary. Stop shot towards 2 back with rush on R to 1 back. Another simple approach, hoop run. Return roquet on R. R to 3 back (but poor position), Black to Blue pivot for takeoff and rush on Y to 2 back. Jaws Blue in Rover. Simple approach at 2 back. Hoop run.

Rush on Y towards Rover. Y towards 4-back for Rover, Black for rush peel on Blue to boundary. Split promoting Blue for rush on R to 3 back. Ineffective cut. Stop shot R to center court, 3 back made. Roquets Blue, Blue to penult while going to R. Takeoff to Y for rush to 4 back. Roll approach. H&R.

Y to Rover but closer to 2 back, Black to R pivot, take off to Blue. Simple hoop approach. Tricky hoop shot but made. Black rushes R to Y for return rush to Rover. Simple approach. Rover run, Blue at peg. Game over. Well done Harps.