Fordyce playing R an Y, Bryant B an K
R to EB
B S of C2
Y hits R from A-baulk and a thick take off to c2 finishes with R 4yE of h4 and Y off the lawn 2yS of B

K misses into c2

A bit of interaction, Edmund had first chance at making h1 but overapproached and aborted to a corner. Bryant currently has the innings with a rush to c2 on the EB level with h4 and Fordyce in c2 and 3

Fordyce shoots from c3 down the line and misses to 1y W of c4
Bryant rushes to 3yS of c2. Takes off, gets some sort of cut to c4 and plays a brilliant shot to get it in the corner

Good rush to h1, smoothly through and finishes 10yW of c4. Taking off to the ball 2yNW of c4 and looks like he's hilling onto it..

Finishes with a 5" rush pointing at h5, cuts to c2. The Panther is playing well today.

On this lawn, h5 and rover are the toughest approaches. It's almost of if it is sitting atop the hill

Rubbish shot from c2 gives him a rush towards c3 rather than h2, but recovers and has just made 3 with 2 balls 3yS of h4. No rush out of 3 and chooses to take the roll down... falls 5y short and h5 pioneer is 4ft NE of 5 but should cope. Ideally I think you want to double pioneer h5.

This has been the best pickup of the tournament by a long way.

After 4, Croquets a ball N of 5. Looks like it has landed directly in the rushline for his h5 pioneer.

It looks like he is trying to cannon the ball out of the way rather than just loading h6. I think this is a risky option but it shows how important the rush to h5 is.

Cannon works, but has no pioneer within 10y of h6 and a 1y rush to h5.

Approaching 5 for 10" directly E of 5. Plays for 6" in front, finishes just over a ft straight with the turn. Good controlled hoop, now loading 1b from 5y SSE of h5 and going to the two oppo balls S of peg to get a rush. 1b Pioneer finishes S of 6 but should have a controlled rush to H6.

Rush to 6 finishes 1Y NW of 6.. bits of brown around that hoop so this could go anywhere

The feet are stamping telling the ball to stop and eventually it listens. 18" 10 degrees. Runs it too cleanly and has a 7y return.

Misses the return, hitting h6 and bouncing off the WB level with 5. This is exactly the opportunity that Edmund needed - balls in lawn with the easy chance of a break. That was a shame from Bryant, looked really good until H5

Fordyce has a 6 yarder to start his turn...

Middles it. THat will be good for the confidence.

Finishes on the WB 1yS of peg. 6Y southwards takeoff is overhit, but finishes with a rush to the inlawn ball so not a disaster.

Croquet stroke loading 2 and getting a rush to 1 falls short, recovers with a good cut to H1 and is away. Bobs your uncle.. who's your aunt?

Has made H3 but needs a few good rushes to tighten up the break. Edmund can hit the ball very straight, looks like he has good technique in his croquet strokes and think its only a matter of time before the precision come and he looks very dangerous.

It is no longer overcast, but the wind is picking up which isn't good news for a number of players. Good 2Y approach for h4, has 2 balls 3y and 4y S of h5 and a should be able to load 6 and hold on the latter of the two.

Pioneer to h6 falls short, and overruns h5. Will be tough to get a good 1B pioneer, and a tight rush t H6

1b pioneer finishes level with h6 and has to approach H6 from 2Y's. 1Y 10 degree. Restalks due to the wind but runs a good hoop and hits the 3y return.

Has to take off to 1B but copes fine. Will be sending partner to 3B but still should be able to get a spread out of it.

I think makes the wrong decision and sends partner to peg. This would be his normal way of setting up for the spread but his 2b pioneer is average and its fast around 3B so should have been double pioneering. His 3B pioneer finished 3.5YS of 3B but played a very good take off from the peg after making 2B and should finish with a nice spread.

I'm impressed to see how focussed he looks and relaxed. Its a very good sign of maturity for not only his age, but also his experience.

Doesn't get a rush out of 3B and falls 4Y short of the peg ball with partner possibly in the way. Very good recovery shot, looks like it will be quite a tight spread.

Clippage;
Fordyce on 4B with Y an H1 with R
Bryant on 1B with B and H1 with K

K is the ball at the peg

B an K are open at the peg, 12Y apart, B has a single ball at R an Y on EB. Plays with K and heads to C3. I feel as if he thought about taking the short shot but doesn't want to give Edmund all the balls.

The Panther is casting...

Stops due to wind and re-stalks.

Mallet stays in the air..

Misses into c4

Edmund rushes off the WB, puts his h2 pioneer 5yS of 2 and gets a 2Y rush pointing at H5. Im not sure if he was trying to cut it to H1 or to C4 but it finishes at the edge of A-baulk

Takes off to the ball in c4 and gets a rush pointing at the SB corner peg. Cuts it to c1

Approaches sending K (h1) 3yW of the peg. Good 1y approach but fails hoop.

Bryant pondering what to do. 12 yarder at Y finishing 4y S of c2 if he misses or 15 yarder at B on SB but finishing within 10 yards of R if he misses

Middles the 15 yarder.

Good croquet stroke gives him a 1y rush to H1 and should be away. I don't think he will attempt the TPO

Fails H1 giving Edmund a 3 yarder and the world ahead of him.

Overapproaches h1 from a ft and misses the balls at H2

Bryant plays his 1b ball, ends up making 1B off an approach from the NB. All the balls now, what will the leave be?

I would have thought an NSL with the 4B ball at 3B but it doesn't look like it

To any potential visitors, I wouldn't recommend the mixture of pineapple lumps and double bubble.

It is an NSL, he's going about it a different way that what I would have - so he's probably doing it the right way.

Good leave, Edmund falls for the trap and heads to c3 with his H1 ball. Lines up the shot, looks very focussed... it's on it's way....

Mallet stays in the air..

BANG

Hits 3/4 of a ball and has another great opportunity

Digs K 10YS of H3 and gets a rush on B to SB 3yE of c4. Poor stroke gettin a rush to h1 and has a rush pointing at H6

Very good recovery cut and is approaching from 5YW of H1

Great approach, runs his 2ft hoop by 15 yards and middles the 10Y return rather than taking the 6Y easterly rush

H4 pioneer finishes 1Y off the SB

Edmund has made a mistake and is looking at a TP. Doesn't even get to attempt the peel after 3 but does get the crucial rush off the SB near C4

fails h4 giving Bryant a 3 yarder with his H1 ball

Bryant has underapproached H1.. crouching down for a jump so the angle must be a lot. Failed off partner with Edmunds balls 1ftS of 2 and 3. His H4 ball is at 3.

His H4 ball is the ball at 2*

Can't tell from here if Bryant can run H1 or hit reception ball if Edmund misses

Edmund shoots from 2-3... Mallet doesn't stay up but that looked very close

Bryant hasn't got the break together yet

I lie - no wonder it's looked confusing. I've been thinking he was trying to approach 4 but he was coming the other way and has just run Rover. I'm off to see if he is not 4B and Peg

The leave is; R (h4) on EB N of H5, Y (4B) on WB N of H5 and B and K laid up in C2 with K having a rush what looks like towards H1??

Edmund doesn't take a lift and plays R into C4

I have to walk out to see where the clips are so I'll be back shortly..

K is for H2.

K rushes B down towards Y and gets a cannon.

Bryants cannon results in B finishing 6" SE of peg and reasonably close to H2. Runs 2 to the boundary and gets a southwards rush. Could be all over.

Bryants rush to H3 is poor - may have been a big cut or misshit but he's finished 3ySE of H6. Edmunds 4B ball is at H4 and his H4 ball is in C4. Bryant contemplates the takeoff, declines and sends partner to C1 going to R in C4

Greg laid up in c1 with a rush to H3, Edmunds 4B ball at H4 and his H4 ball 3y SE of H2

Edmund plays the ball from H4 into C4. I think that's a mistake and he should have shot

Bryant has another leave but now the clip is on H4

Edmunds H4 ball is just off the SB level with H4. I'm not sure where his 4B ball was, but it's now just S of C3 and Greg had a rush towards H2 with his H4 ball.

Edmund moves the ball by H4 into C1. I think this is possibly too dry. I wonder if a wide join would have been good here? Interested to get some thoughts from the experts that are reading.

Bryant either got an angled H4 or failed or just positioned in front, Edmund shot from C1 to the balls at H4 and missed. Bryant runs H4, hits the 6 yarder on the ball on EB and plays a poor croquet stroke sending the ball in-lawn and getting a rush to C1 rather than H5

Lots of excitement in the Hakes vs Mulliner match so sorry about the delay. Bryant now on H5 and Edmund took a 12 yarder from C3 which Greg had guarded on WB. I think that will be a lesson on what guarding is.

4 minutes left Bryant is 1B and Peg with the innings vs 4 and 4B

I'm very quickly going to be leaving but I'll try and stick around until the end of this game.

Bryant has established a half a chance at a break so if he makes 1B and 2B it should be all over

Time has gone and Bryant has made 1B and has a rush to 2B from EB level with 4 and Edmunds H4 ball at 4 along with Bryants peg ball