This is Michael Wright on Brian's computer.

Paul Skinley is playing Blue and Black, and Greg Bryan is Red and Yellow.

Greg played Red to 14 yards North of C4. Paul responded with Blue just South of C2. Greg missed, and Paul hit fourth turn.

Paul moved Yellow slightly infield, and rushed Red to halfway between H2 and C2. He took off for Blue, and ended inches from the North boundary with a rush South! The rush sent Blue a yard short of H1, and the take-off left him with a short angled hoop. He stroked it through and got rush towards H3, which he cut to halfway between H3 and H4. A takeoff to Yellow resulted in a rush to C2, and the break was under control.

(All the above happened while Brian's computer was being set up. We are now back in the present, with Paul in control and approaching H6.)

Paul makes H6 with Black, having loaded 2B with Yellow. He makes 1B off Red, and sends it to 11 yards South of C2, 2 yards infield. Partner is sent to 3B. It is going to be and to construct a good leave.....

Paul makes 2B and and taps Yellow, croqueting it to 2y North of 3B. He makes the hoop with Black next to Yellow. The ground around the hoop is hilly - I tried to croquet a ball into NSL position at that hoop yesterday, and it rolled off into wide open position. Paul makes no such mistake, and croquets Yellow into the correct position from 2 yards away!

RECAP: Paul went around fourth turn and set a NSL with Yellow on H4, Red close to the WB, and Blue to play.

Greg lifts Yellow to C3 and shoots......centre-balls Blue to the South boundary

Greg rolls Blue just past Black, obtaining a rush to C2. He rushes Black just past H2, and loads the hoop while obtaining a rush on Red to H1. The rush is 2y short, and he takes off to a good position just over 2 feet straight.Runs the hoop and hits Yellow.

After H2, Greg rushes to Blue and brings the fourth ball into the break. Paul's 4B ball (Black) is at H4

Greg has tight control of the break. No TPO on the cards here, so just a clip on 4B unless the croquet gods intervene.

Greg sets a NSL with Black (Paul's 4B ball) on H4.

Paul lifts the ball on H4 and shoots gently, apparently at the infield ball which he misses by a few inches.

RECAP: Greg and Paul both have a clip on 4B, but Greg has the innings after Paul missed the lift.

Greg rushes Yellow to 18 inches South of Blue. He opts to rush Blue to Black instead of trying to get a rush to H1.

Greg rushes Black to H1, makes the hoop and splits to H3 and H2. Makes H2 off partner and rushes Yellow to next to H4. Takes off to Black at H3, leaving Blue a yard out of C4.

Greg runs into Black making H3, so he takes off to Blue. Loads 5 with Blue, and makes 4 off Yellow. Nicks Yellow to the EB level with Rover, and then sends it to 4B, cleaning up the escape ball for the peel. Black is now 1 yard West of 4B

The peel attempt after H5 leaves Yellow just in the jaws of 4B. Greg under-hits the rush and has to take croquet 4 feet West of H6.

Greg runs H6 to the boundary, and has an 8 yard return roquet. Centre-balls it. Takes off to Yellow in the jaws of 4B, and rush-peels it. Yellow gets sent to 2B

The croquet stroke to position Yellow at 2B is woefully short, leaving Yellow 4y NW of Rover. After making 1B, Greg sends Blue to 3B, rushes Black to Yellow, and then rushes Yellow to 2y North of 2B. He runs the hoop to the boundary, and nicks Yellow to next to 2B.

The croquet stroke on Yellow is again under-powered, leaving Yellow 3 yards South of penult. Black is rushed to level with Yelow. Greg takes off to Blue at 3B, moving Black to "normal" deep escape position for the penult peel.

Greg runs 3B by 10 yards, leaving a 6 yard return. He rushes it to 4 yards North of the boundary. Starting to look like a straight double......

The roll to Yellow leaves Blue a yard North of penult, and Red has a 2 yard rush on Yellow. He rushes it to next to Blue! Very peelable from there.....

The peel hits the wire and Yellow stops 2 feet East of the hoop. Greg rushes Black to 4B and makes the hoop. Black goes to 1 yard East of the peg, Blue to 1 yard South-East of penult, and Yellow is rushed to 18 inches straight in front of the hoop.

Greg plays the peel fairly hard, but Yellow catches in the hoop and Red knocks it through, but ends up on the outside wire. No prospect of making the hoop of even scattering, all Greg can do now is play Red away. He plays Red into C1.

RECAP: Greg failed to complete a triple, and broke down on penult. Yellow clip is on rover. Paul is on 1 with Blue, and Black is on 4B.

Paul takes his lift with Blue, and sends Red to 3 yards South of 2. He pivots off Yellow and rushes Black to 3y SE of H1. Makes the hoop with a forward rush. Black is sent to H3. Will Paul finish a standard triple?

Paul had to play a big split to load H4, and ended up with Yellow 4 yards NW of the hoop. He makes 3 off partner, and the peel ends up exactly where Greg's Yellow stopped - just in the jaws. Paul gets a rush on Red, loads H5 and rushes Yellow to H4

Paul rushes Yellow North after H4, and loads H6. His rush-peel moves Black but not by more than a millimetre. He now faces a horrible take-off to Red, which is 2y SE of H5.

The take-of leaves Black in the jaws of 4B, and the roquet on Red leaves Paul with a 2y approach to H5. He sends Red to a yard SE of the peg, and makes the hoop with little wire to just past the peg. Another good roll will be required to get the rush-peel.

This time the rush-peel goes through. Black is rolled to 30 inches North of penult! Paul blobs H6 after a firm hoop stroke, must have caught a lot of wire.

RECAP: Paul has just left Blue in the jaws of H6, with Black just North of H6. Red is a yard NW of 1B, and Yellow a yard SW of H6.

Greg bumps Blue through H6 and puts the clip on 1B.He croquets Blue to 2Y South of 4B, and rushes Black to Red just past 1B. He will try to wire Black and Blue - looks like the wiring is good. Red is rushed to 2 feet West of rover.

Greg runs rover with Yellow to the boundary. Hits the 10 yarder.

Greg rolls Red off the court into C4, leaving a 5 yard rush on Yellow towards H1.

Paul is shooting with Blue, at Red in C4. It is a 26 yards shot........misses by a couple of inches.

Greg loads rover with Blue, and rushes Yellow to Black.Gets a 30 degree cut rush on Black, which he hits to 2y NE of penult. Runs the hoop past Black, and rushes Black into H2 (close to Yellow).

Greg takes off to Yellow, and rushes it to 4y SSE of the peg. Takes croquet off Blue 4 feet North of rover. Runs to 2y North of boundary - we'll call this a controlled hoop :-)

Greg hits the return roquet and rushes Yellow to 2Y E of the peg. Pegs out to wind game 1 26-16

Game 2

Paul starts with Yellow rover-high on EB

Greg puts Black 6 inches South of C2

Paul misses with Red

Greg shoots from C3 and misses into C4

Paul rushes Yellow 2 feet North of Blue in C4. Takes off behind Blue and rushes it to H2. Takes off to Black and ends up inches from the boundary, with a rush to H5. Sounds familiar?

Paul approaches H1 from 7 yards East of the hoop. Gets 2 feet slightly angled position, decides to return to partner in C4

RECAP: Greg's Black is a yard North of H1, and Blue is a yard East of H2. Paul's Red is in C4, Yellow a foot North of it

Greg shoots Black at Blue, missing

Paul rushes Yellow to the North boundary behind H3. Takes off to Black, and stops between Black and the boundary! Cuts it to 4 feet North of Blue.Loads H2 with Black, and rushes Blue to 4 feet West of H1

Hoop approach leaves a short angled hoop, about 20 degrees. Paul hits firmly but the ball stops in the jaws.

Greg plays Blue and hits Red out of the jaws. He now has Paul's laid break in front of him....

After H2, Greg loads H4 and rushes Red to C3, allowing him to get behind Yellow (still close to the North boundary) and get all 4 balls into the break. Should be a clip on 4B now, today has been overcast, and the courts have not become as tricky as they have been in previous afternoons.

Having said that, a few bald spots around hoops are potential traps - you still want good pioneers.

Greg makes H6 off Black, with Red and Yellow at 1B. He rushes Black to the peg, and croquets Red to 3y North of 2B. After 1B he loads 3B with Yellow (4 yards NW of the hoop), and then croquets Black to 3B to help improve the situation. He over-runs Red though, and now has to take croquet 3 yards North of 2B.

Greg runs 2B to the boundary, and has control again. Red is sent to the peg, going to Black which is sent 4 yards South-East of the peg, obtaining a rush on Yellow to 3B.

Greg makes 3B off Yellow, and proceeds to lay a DL.

RECAP: Paul (Red and Yellow) is on 1 and 1. Greg has just taken Blue to 4B, leaving a deep Diagonal Spread with Yellow 8 yards South of H2, Red by the peg wired from Yellow, and Black on the EB 10 yards North of C4, with a rush on Blue towards the peg

Paul lifts Red from near the peg, and shoots from C3. Just misses the infield ball, a carbon copy of his previous lift shot.

Greg loads H2 with Blue, and rushes Yellow to 2 yards SW of H1. Gets a slightly angled 2 foot hoop. Hits firmly, and grovels through a few inches.Yellow is about 5 yards North, does not look as if he has a shot at it.

Greg retires Black to C3

Paul shoots Yellow (5 yards North of H1) to Red in C4. Misses.

Red and Yellow a a couple of feet apart in C4 (The lift shot did not make the corner). Greg is contemplating shooting Blue at them.....misses.

Yellow and Black are in contact in C4, with Red a couple of feet West. Black is in C3.

Paul plays Red at Yellow, but manages to nudge Blue a few millimetres, so no cannon. Rushes Blue to 3 yards SE of H1.

Paul fails H1 with Red from less than a foot right in front. A bit like my hoop running this tournament......Blue is 6 yards North, and has very little of Red to hit (it has barely started running the hoop)

Greg shoots at Red - rushes it to the boundary.

Greg is playing Blue, his 4B ball. He loads H4 with Red, and sends Yellow to 5y SSE of H2 (where the Black clip is). Blue ends up 7 yards South of Black in C3, so Greg elects to simply put Blue out on the EB 3 yards South of Black

RECAP: Paul (Red and Yellow) has not made any hoops yet. Greg's Blue is on 4B, and Black on 2. Greg has set a leave with Red a yard East of H4, Yellow 5 yards SSE of H2, and Black in C3 with Blue 3 yards South of it.

Paul shoots Yellow at Black.......

Misses by a small margin.

Greg loads H3 with Yellow, and rushes Blue to 7 yards North of Red (which is close to H4). Deep thought.......decides to commit to the break, and takes off for the rush on Red. Rushes Red to 4 feet SW of H2.

Greg runs H2 and rushes Red towards H4. Loads the hoop and rushes Blue back to H3 for the standard triple.

Greg runs H3 by 4 yards, leaving a 3 yard roquet on Blue. Hits it gently and lines up the peel from 18 inches, at about 15 degrees.

A gentle stop shot gets Blue in the jaws. Yellow is rushed South to the EB level with H5, then sent to H5.

Greg has a short approach at H4, but the ball rolls off a little. He now has an angled hoop, which he pokes into the wire.

Paul rushes Black out of the hoop, narrowly missing the ball in the jaws of 4B! He sends Black to H2, and rushes Blue from the jaws of 4B to 5 yards North of H4. Takes off to Yellow at H5 to get a rush to H1

Paul approaches H1 from 4 feet straight. It is all uphill there. Gets 1 foot hoop, but slightly angled, maybe 15 degrees. He has failed this hoop twice......make that 3 times, as he gets a bad rejection leaving Red a foot South of the hoop, possibly at an angle.

Greg shoots Black (near H2) at Yellow,15 yards away. Misses to SB 4 yards from C1.

RECAP: Paul (Red and Yellow) is on 1 and 1, having failed H1 3 times. Blue is on 4B, and Black on H2. Black is on SB 4 yards from C1, Blue 5 yards North of H4. Red is in front of H1, Yellow 4 yards North of H1.

Paul makes H1 with Red !!! Rushes Yellow To C1. Good chance for a break here, just needs to rush Blue to H2

Paul works Yellow infield to 3 yards South go H1, and rushes Black to 4 feet SE of H4. Loads H3 with Black, and gets a good rush to H2. Under-hits the rush, and ends up 4 yards South of the hoop.

Paul's approach to H2 leaves him an 18 inch angled hoop - about 20 degrees. He bounces out of the hoop, leaving Blue a target. Greg declines the 5 yarder and shoots at partner instead - missing narrowly.

RECAP: Greg (Blue and Black) has Blue on 4B and Black on 2. Paul has just made 1 hoop with Red. Black is 1 yard South of H3, and Blue is on the EB next to it. Yellow is 4 yards South of H1, and Red is a foot in front of H2.

Paul runs H2 with Red, doubling his score. Lines up a shot at Blue on the EB.....misses.

Greg places Red 3 yards NW of penult, and rushes Black in front of 4B.Makes the hoop, and rushes Black towards H1 (to clear Yellow from A-baulk). The rush hits the hoop, and he takes croquet from the WB level with H1. Sends Black to 1 yards W of rover, and rushes Yellow to penult

Greg makes penult and rushes Yellow to middle of NB. Croquets Yellow to 4 yards North of H4, and rushes Red to 7 yards North of H1. Black is 1 yard W of rover. Croquets Red to 5 yards East of H4, and rushes Black in front of rover.

Greg runs rover deep, and rushes Black to 2 yards NE of the peg. Croquets it to the maximum position 1 yard infield on EB. Rolls Yellow to 1 foot from C4.Rushes Red to Black (?) and croquets it to 8 yards South of H1. Leaves Blue a foot in front of Black, pointed at Red.

RECAP: Greg (Blue and Black) has Blue on the peg, and Black on H4. Red is on H3 and Yellow on H1. greg has just set a leave for Black, with Yellow close to C4, Red 8 yards South of H2, and Black 2 yards South of the peg on the EB, with a rush on Blue towards Red.

Paul shoots with Yellow from C4 and hits Black. Gets a rush on Blue towards H2, and takes off to rush Red to H1.Paul over-hits thresh, and takes croquet 5 yards South of H1

Paul gets a slightly angled 2 foot hoop approach. Fails to 3 yards South of the hoop.

Greg shoots with Blue from 3 yards South of H2 to Black 5 yards South of H3. Just misses.

Paul shoots with Red from peg-high to Yellow, misses

Greg plays Black, hits Blue and takes off to Red. Bit short, hits the 4 yarder. Loads H5 with Red, and rushes Yellow to 2 feet in front of H4. Should be a controlled break to win now......

Greg has all 4 balls under control as he makes H5

The 1B pioneer is a bit iffy - level with rover, North of 1B. Greg plays a good shot loading 3B, and gets a chance to clean up the 2B pioneer.Takes croquet 12 inches North of the hoop - all under control again

Greg makes 4B with Blue, and sends it to the peg. His croquet stroke on Yellow is a bit weak, leaving the rover pioneer a yard South of the peg. Greg makes penult, and rushes Blue close to Yellow. Yellow rushes to a yard North of rover.

Greg makes rover and pegs out to win the NZ Open for the fourth time!