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Solomon Trophy (GB vs USA)

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  • Great Britain vs United States of America

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Solomon Trophy (GB vs USA)

Solomon Trophy -- Day 1 by James Hawkins

Morning all. Sorry for the late start with the commentary, but I'll be here for the rest of the event.

The weather is still dry here in Bowdon, but the forecast is grim. We're expecting heavy rain for the rest of the day.

There are three doubles matches in progress.

Lawn 1 has Maugham and Wicks (ENG) vs Maloof and Rothman (USA). Maloof and Rothman lead +25TP (Maloof)
On Lawn 3 Mulliner and Ormerod have +21TP(Mulliner) vs Soo and Lawrence.
Patel and Walters beat Essick and Hurst on Lawn 4 + 24TP (Patel).

Thanks to Colin Irwin for acting as a human easel, and standing in front of me with the results board.

28 Jun 2016 11:40AM (Tournament); 5 Readers

Lawn 1: Maugham has just run Hoop 1, and is taking croquet from Yellow on the North boundary near Hoop 3. Black is level with Hoop 4 on the East boundary, and he's just taken off to Blue which is in a sort of supershottish position. He's now rolling off Hoop2.

28 Jun 2016 11:42AM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Yellow and Black are on boundaries near Hoops 3 & 4, and he's rushed Blue off 8 yards north of Black.

28 Jun 2016 11:44AM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Blue is a good H4 pioneer, and he's got a rush to nowhere. He's rolled Black out midway between H1 & 2, scooped off his hoop and run it from close in front. All the hard work done.

28 Jun 2016 11:47AM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Soo has just failed Hoop 1 off partner. Blue is SE of Hoop 3 and Black is deep behind H2. Ormerod (Black) is shooting at Blue.

28 Jun 2016 11:49AM (Tournament); 6 Readers

Meanwhile, Walters is round to 4b with Red. He's laid an NSL, and Hurst is lifting Black. Black is for 3, and he's missed the shot from A-baulk.

28 Jun 2016 11:52AM (Tournament); 7 Readers

So, Patel is for 1 and 4b. He's got three balls together and oppo's blue ready to rush from H4 to H1.

28 Jun 2016 11:53AM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Wixy tells me Blue only rushes to H5.

28 Jun 2016 11:54AM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Meanwhile, back on Lawn 1, Maugham is through 1b and has jammed a ball behind H2 for the leave. A Maugham Standard Leave, would you believe.

28 Jun 2016 11:55AM (Tournament); 7 Readers

I'm sitting in a tent here, and have a restricted view of much of the play. Beyond the small huddle of spectators, Ormerod has got back in somehow. He's just run H1 with Black and seems to be off. Mulliner has his hands in his pockets and is smiling.

28 Jun 2016 11:57AM (Tournament); 6 Readers

Maloof and Rothman are on the lawn looking at the damage. They've opted for lifting the H4 ball (Maloof's Blue). He's shot into corner 4 and missed. Wicks has taken the rush to H1 and two yards beyond.

28 Jun 2016 12:01PM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Take off to the hoop, and he's rolling to H2 &3 from near H1.

Here in the grandstand we like what he's done with that, and he's through H2.

A rush towards corner 4 slams midpeg, and he's got an ugly thick takeoff back to partner at H3.

28 Jun 2016 12:04PM (Tournament); 7 Readers

All looking OK. He's left Red at 4b, and he's bringing Blue into play from corner 4. Black is a foot from H4.

28 Jun 2016 12:06PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Patel has jawsed Red in 4b and is having an umpire on to check that his rush peel is clean. He's got a loose Blue at 1b, he's rolled Red somewhere near penult, and he's got Black down to 2b.

28 Jun 2016 12:08PM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Ormerod, in the narrow chink of Lawn 3 that's visible, is running 2b with Black. Everything else in on H1. Assume that's a diagonal spread unless I tell you otherwise.

28 Jun 2016 12:10PM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Patel (Yellow) has jawsed Red going to his shallow 1b pioneer (Blue), revisited Red after 1b, and rush peeled it down to Rover. It's now a couple of feet south of rover, and he's carrying on nicely.

28 Jun 2016 12:12PM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Wixy's not taken the clip off 4b, but he's peeled it on the way to H6.

28 Jun 2016 12:13PM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Patel has jawsed Red in Rover going to 3b, and everything looks easy. That's looking kinda terminal for the Americans.

28 Jun 2016 12:14PM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Wixy has a rough old 2b pioneer with Black, about 8yds north of the hoop. He's going for some sort of death roll through penult.

28 Jun 2016 12:16PM (Tournament); 10 Readers

The peel is through, but he's had a long roquet on Black, which he's rushed off the line of the hoop. He's rolled up from the side and blasted through.

Red is a bit north of the peg, and Blue (the 3b pioneer) is a couple of yards wide of Rover.

28 Jun 2016 12:19PM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Applause as Patel pegs out. That's +23TP (P), to take the first match.

28 Jun 2016 12:19PM (Tournament); 11 Readers

Wixy's rover peel pulls a lot and gets full outside wire of the hoop. The clip is still misplaced.

28 Jun 2016 12:21PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Wicks has a tidy looking straight rover peel coming up. Blue deep, Black level, Red bang in front of the hoop.

28 Jun 2016 12:24PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

Red's through and Yellow is mid jaws. He's eyeing up whether to promote Red away from the hoop. He's decided he's got a clear enough line to rush to the peg, and he's done it.

That's game 2 - Maugham and Wicks +26TP(Wicks)

28 Jun 2016 12:27PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

Just one game still in progress, and Colin has unzipped the side of the tent so I can see something. Lawrence hit that diagonal spread, and has been going round. He's now at 1back

28 Jun 2016 12:29PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

One of my non-croquet Facebook friends has just said "This is amazing. It's like snooker commentary without the pictures".

28 Jun 2016 12:33PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

Lunch is being taken by two thirds of the players, and Stuart Lawrence is just laying his leave. There are a lot of balls around the peg, so no surprises for guessing it's a diagonal spread.

28 Jun 2016 12:34PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

Ooooooh

28 Jun 2016 12:35PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

His ball on the west boundary has gone much closer to the edge than you'd normally want.

28 Jun 2016 12:35PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

Jeff Soo is stood by the boundary ball waiting to check the perfect alignment of the four balls.

28 Jun 2016 12:37PM (Tournament); 14 Readers

They're making a lot of discussion about the placement of the balls for the rush. More discussion, arguably, than Mulliner would have required. Within seconds he's on the lawn lifting Blue from the peg.

28 Jun 2016 12:38PM (Tournament); 14 Readers

Blue shoots at Red and Yellow from A-baulk and finds the gap.

28 Jun 2016 12:39PM (Tournament); 14 Readers

Jeff Soo is about to start a break, so that seems to be a good time for me to have lunch.

28 Jun 2016 12:42PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Jeff Soo is about to start a break, so that seems to be a good time for me to have lunch.

28 Jun 2016 12:42PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Oh no. He's dug that out and then clanged H1. Black (Ormerod) has a half ball target from not very close. He's joining with Blue at H4.

28 Jun 2016 12:43PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Yellow (Soo, at H1) may have a shot at Red (Lawrence) at H2, but it's a bit dead on the wire.

28 Jun 2016 12:44PM (Tournament); 11 Readers

Soo has been on the ground to see the line, and has taken the shot. It's a miss. Mulliner has a 6-yarder at Black. He hits and takes off to Yellow near corner 2

28 Jun 2016 12:45PM (Tournament); 11 Readers

Mulliner is on the move, and has shuffled around the balls. He's placing the peelee as his H3 pioneer and is running H2.

28 Jun 2016 12:48PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

The Lawn 1 match has resumed. Maugham and Wicks once again playing Red and Yellow, so as not to confuse the spectators.

28 Jun 2016 12:49PM (Tournament); 14 Readers

Maugham has taken Corner 2. Wicks centred the Black on Turn4, and has blobbed H1 off Blue.

28 Jun 2016 12:50PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

Maloof joins back up on the East boundary. It's uncertain whether Yellow is runnable.

28 Jun 2016 12:51PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

Mulliner has two clips in his pocket. He's running H4

28 Jun 2016 12:52PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

Back in the Wixy game, Wicks (Yellow) runs H1, shoots across at Blue and Black, skimming H5 and deflecting to a few inches outside corner 4. Almost as if he meant to do that.

28 Jun 2016 12:53PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

Maloof runs H1 with Blue. Red is in corner 2 and Yellow in corner 4.

28 Jun 2016 12:54PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

He rolls both his balls to H2, and is having a stop shot approach from C2.

28 Jun 2016 12:56PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

Red's a couple of yards deep at H3, but he's spanked the Blue through H2. An ugly split now from H2 to the far side of Red.

28 Jun 2016 12:57PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

I'll give him 9.5 out of 10 for that.

28 Jun 2016 12:57PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

He's leaving the pickup of Yellow in corner 4 until after H4.

28 Jun 2016 12:59PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

Meanwhile - oh my GOSH - Mulliner has peeled penult and then missed the roquet on his 1b pioneer. That's Jeff's H1 ball.

28 Jun 2016 1:00PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

So - we have Mulliner (blue) on 1b; Ormerod (black) on Rover; Lawrence (red) on 4b and Soo (yellow) approaching H2. Red is near H3 and it's a controlled break.

28 Jun 2016 1:01PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

Maloof hasn't got tidy control yet against Maugham and Wicks, as he runs hoop 5 more cleanly than he expected. His H6 pioneer now is sort of near H5

28 Jun 2016 1:03PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

It's still not raining.

28 Jun 2016 1:04PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

For those who aren't local, Manchester's weather is binary - raining or not raining. We're expecting the current situation to reverse soon.

28 Jun 2016 1:05PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

Soo has his peelee in the jaws of 4b as he heads towards H4.

28 Jun 2016 1:06PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

Looking back at the Maloof game, it's hard to tell what hoop he's for. As soon as he dug that corner 4 ball out, he whizzed through a hoop too hard and had to rebuild.

28 Jun 2016 1:07PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

A couple of shots later, and he's got perfect control at 1b

28 Jun 2016 1:07PM (Tournament); 18 Readers

Soo is carrying on with his triple. Stuart Lawrence and Stephen Mulliner are chatting on a bench by the lawn, and Mark Ormerod is on the next bench chatting to one of the local spectators.

28 Jun 2016 1:09PM (Tournament); 18 Readers

The rain has arrived. Bowdon now has a retractable glass roof which will allow play to continue in the dry.

28 Jun 2016 1:11PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

(That's not true)

28 Jun 2016 1:11PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

Mulliner has retreated to the tent, and the other players are donning waterproofs.

28 Jun 2016 1:12PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

...but I think the rain may now have stopped.

28 Jun 2016 1:12PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

Two peels done by Soo. Maloof is laying his diagonal spread. Red (Maugham for 1) is an inch from the peg, Yellow (Wixy for 2) is almost horizontal somewhere off the west boundary.

28 Jun 2016 1:14PM (Tournament); 18 Readers

Maugham has lifted the peg ball and is shooting down the east boundary at black.

28 Jun 2016 1:17PM (Tournament); 18 Readers

Not happy, and it's missed to a foot north of corner 4.

28 Jun 2016 1:18PM (Tournament); 18 Readers

David Maloof has just entered the tent and said to one of the club members that the weather is "a wee bit nippy".

28 Jun 2016 1:19PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

Soo is on his way to 3b, and pondering whether to go for an angled rover peel. It looks like a waste of effort but - !!!! - it sails through.

28 Jun 2016 1:20PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Ormerod and Mulliner look dead and buried in that game. Soo is on rover and peg.

28 Jun 2016 1:22PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Rothman is on the lawn. He's on H3 with Black, but sending Blue (for 4b) down to H4. Red is still in corner 4.

28 Jun 2016 1:23PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

That's Soo and Lawrence vs Mulliner and Ormerod +9TP (S).

I'm going for lunch

28 Jun 2016 1:24PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Back at the lawn.

Rothman tickled blue into peeling position at 4b on the way to H6. He's now for 3b, and he's setting up for a delayed double.

Red is a bit deep at 3b, and his take off back to it has gone into the yardline area. No worries, and he's approaching 3b with Blue and Yellow at penult.

28 Jun 2016 1:42PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

Bowdon's catering team have provided a bean curry, and a selection of cold salads. I'm pleased to see a large bowl of beetroot salad, so it's a shame that the players haven't entertained the spectators by spilling their lunch all over their white trousers.

28 Jun 2016 1:44PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Rothman has four balls around penult, he's gone for the peel on blue, but glued it straight to the left wire.

28 Jun 2016 1:45PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

He's having the straight double, with a peel from dead in front of penult. Yellow is wide of the peg and red is at penult.

The peel soars through and blue sits two foot to the right of rover.

He's got no rush on yellow by the peg, so it's a split roll to rush blue into position

28 Jun 2016 1:50PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

I think that's a couple of feet dead in front

28 Jun 2016 1:50PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

He plays that gently rather than having the Irish peel. He calls Colin Irwin on to referee his jump through the hoop, and he gets a nice sideways flick off the wire. Straight through to the boundary.

28 Jun 2016 1:54PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

He's down on the ground lining up his peg out. About 3 yds, and it's centre peg.

Rothmam & Maloof +25TP (R)

28 Jun 2016 1:56PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Three empty lawns, so I've gone back for more food. I've taken the last of the Summer Pudding. Arctic Roll would have been more appropriate.

28 Jun 2016 2:02PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Play's now resuming. We now have:

Patel and Walters vs Maloof and Rothman

Maugham and Wicks vs Soo and Lawrence

No sign yet of the other match, which is going on on Lawn 1.

28 Jun 2016 2:04PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Hang on

28 Jun 2016 2:04PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Someone replaced the clips on H1 in the wrong order. All fixed now.

28 Jun 2016 2:05PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Light rain again.

Rothman's had a corner 2 opening with Black. Maloof is shooting down the east boundary at Red and Yellow.

28 Jun 2016 2:07PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

Maloof's shot waggled indecisively between the two targets before missing.

28 Jun 2016 2:08PM (Tournament); 24 Readers

On the far lawn, Maugham had a corner 2 ball. Wixy took the fourth turn shot from A baulk and missed. Soo (Blue) is now playing for a rush to H1 from Yellow.

28 Jun 2016 2:09PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

The third game has started. Ormerod placed a duffer tice, The US shot down into corner 4 leaving themselves widely joined. Mulliner hit the duffer, had a speculative approach to H1, and has retreated.

28 Jun 2016 2:11PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Mulliner has left Ormerod a rush to H1 from corner 4, R & Y are midwest and at H3. Hurst shoots red at yellow and misses.

28 Jun 2016 2:13PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

Soo and Lawrence have a clip (of some colour) on H2. They're parked in corner 2 with a rush out. Maugham shoots at them from mideast boundary and misses. Yellow is just north of H1.

28 Jun 2016 2:16PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

It's raining and windy. The scoreboard has just blown over. I've put my coat on and moved the commentator's table further back into the tent. It's fine rain but it's coming down sideways. I think this is it for the rest of the day.

28 Jun 2016 2:18PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

Stuart Lawrence is playing Black, and has set himself up for H1. He takes the clip.

28 Jun 2016 2:19PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

Ormerod is for H3 with control.

28 Jun 2016 2:19PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Stuff is happening in the other game. Patel and Walters got going and stalled at H3 (somehow, but I can't see what happened). Maloof is now running H2 on a break.

28 Jun 2016 2:22PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

I'm pleased to say that I've had feedback from one of my loyal readers. To avoid confusion, the previous match of Mulliner / Ormerod vs Lawrence / Soo has been shelved. Everyone's cracking on with the next round and they'll play the decider later whenever they get time.

Everyone's off to the Opens at the weekend, so the event is constrained by time pressures. They want to get as much played as early in the week as possible.

28 Jun 2016 2:26PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

Nowt much happening. Ormerod's going round. Lawrence is going round. Maloof is going round.

28 Jun 2016 2:27PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

Lawrence is through 3b, and there's a diagonal spread coming up. Ormerod is on 2b, but he's doing the same.

28 Jun 2016 2:29PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Lawrence puts a clip on 4b, leaving Maugham at the peg on a diagonal spread. Soo's blue is on H2.

28 Jun 2016 2:32PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

And Maugham takes the lift. Shooting down the east boundary.

28 Jun 2016 2:32PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Maugham misses and Soo plays on.

28 Jun 2016 2:37PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Ormerod finishes his diagonal spread, and Essick is taking the lift. He's left red at the peg, and has missed to corner 4.

28 Jun 2016 2:38PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Maloof - he's not quick.

His break started at the same time as Stuart's and Mark's, and he's still going.

He's got through 3b and has now run out of shots with no ball on the peg. So he's rolling stuff around and is having some sort of OSL. Red and Yellow are both vaguely midlawn to left and right. He's occupying corner 4. Red (westish) is for H1, Yellow (eastish) is for H3.

28 Jun 2016 2:43PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

When I say that he's having an OSL, he's still having it.

28 Jun 2016 2:44PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Oh. Finished now.

28 Jun 2016 2:44PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

I have to say, as a commentator on three games, it's good to have three different paces, as it allows me to watch all of them simultaneously.

28 Jun 2016 2:46PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Jeff Soo's game on Lawn 4 presents a problem for me, as there's a bench at eye level stopping me from seeing 4b and penult. I think he's had the clip off 4b, and his partner is in the penultimate environs. He's run 1b, and has tonked the peelee down beyond 2b. He's pumped it back to rover, so it looks like all is under control.

28 Jun 2016 2:50PM (Tournament); 24 Readers

Mulliner peeled Black through 4b going to H6. Peelee is now his 2b pioneer, and he's hoping to rush back to penult.

Two yards short, so he rolls it into place.

28 Jun 2016 2:52PM (Tournament); 25 Readers

Mulliner attempts to peel penult going to 4b. A load of pull and it fails. Now looking at a straight double.

28 Jun 2016 2:55PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Some to and fro in the Rothman/Maloof/Walters/Patel game. The US had lost control, Samir joined up, and Ben has just hit in again.

28 Jun 2016 2:59PM (Tournament); 24 Readers

Mulliner jawses the rover peel, jumps it cleanly, and is now cannoning it through with red. A lovely shot, and the balls come to rest with a dolly rush to the peg.

28 Jun 2016 3:00PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

Soo has just run rover, but there's still a black clip on penult. He's propped Red onto the wire of rover, and yellow seems to be full in the jaws of penult. So not the TP I thought it was.

28 Jun 2016 3:02PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

Mulliner misses the pegout, so leaves Essick a six yarder at black. Red is near rover and Blue has retired to corner 2. It's a wobbler, and barely makes contact. An easy setup, but there are two clips on the peg.

28 Jun 2016 3:04PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Rothman has just run H3, and has a standard triple. Red and Yellow are for 1 & 3.

28 Jun 2016 3:05PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Essick is ignoring Mulliner's blue in corner 2. He's got a good three-ball break and is at H3.

28 Jun 2016 3:07PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Rothman's dribbled at a six footer and missed. He has one peel in the bag, but has joined up with Samir's yellow at Hoop 4. There's a blue ball six inches in front of his hoop.

28 Jun 2016 3:09PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Wixy takes his last shot. Lifts Yellow from penult and middles the opponent. An awkward position to get anything to H1, so he's rolled to the west of Red, rushing it away from rover towards the east boundary. He's now approaching H1 from the boundary south of H4.

Not an ace result, but he's going to hack at the hoop.

Failed.

Yellow alongside H1, Red midway between H3 and H4, Black between H1 and H2, Blue beyond H2 on the boundary. Black (Lawrence, for penult) joins up.

28 Jun 2016 3:14PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Essick has finally drawn Mulliner's blue out of corner 2. He's now for 2b, and is going to do

28 Jun 2016 3:15PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

well

28 Jun 2016 3:15PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

I don't really know what he's going to do.

28 Jun 2016 3:15PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

Samir has run H6 and there's a Blue ball very close in front of Rover. Looks like the inevitable double peel.

28 Jun 2016 3:16PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Maugham hit in with Red on Blue and Black, and is now having a break. Just through H1, so 1 & break vs penult and peg.

28 Jun 2016 3:18PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Patel's yellow rushes blue through rover. That should be a peg out, with Walters on 1 against Rothman alone on 4 (mutatis mutandis)

28 Jun 2016 3:19PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Essick rushed Black into the back wire of 3b, took off, and had to leather the ball through with a hoop and roquet. He and Hurst are now discussing what happens next. 1 & 4b vs peg & peg with a ball in hand and no real control.

28 Jun 2016 3:22PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

He's very short on his split roll going to blue, but he hits. He's leaving Mulliner's blue on the west boundary a bit south of H2, Black 15yds out of B-baulk, and he's missed the three yarder at his partner. Now seven yards split, with a lift coming. Red's at H4 and Yellow's just out of corner 4.

28 Jun 2016 3:26PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Maugham's clip is on H4 and Lawrence is taking croquet from his Red. He's got a long rush up the lawn on Yellow, and it look like he's just going to dump it somewhere deep and join up.

28 Jun 2016 3:27PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Mulliner misses.

28 Jun 2016 3:29PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Maloof is pegged out. Rothman for 4 has a contact against Walters (1) and Patel (peg)

28 Jun 2016 3:30PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Patel takes corner 1 with Walters in corner 2.

28 Jun 2016 3:33PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Hurst comes VERY close to sending his ball off. He's struggled to get going, but he's barely been on the lawn since I arrived this morning, and it's now very cold and wet. He's left a rush along the boundary from corner 4 to Black on the boundary at H1. Blue's at H2.

Ormerod shoots along the boundary and misses. There's probably not enough room to stop him into the lawn, so Hurst takes the rush to H1.

There's a chance of the TP if he's bold enough to treat Black as a H4 pioneer from six yards behind the hoop.

28 Jun 2016 3:38PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Urgh. Hurst misses the Blue H2 pioneer from two yards. Mulliner joins with the Black, leaving a rush to the peg.

28 Jun 2016 3:39PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Lawrence's finishing attempts are heavy going. I can't see much of that game, as spectators are gathering in the dry, but there's no progress from anyone.

28 Jun 2016 3:41PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Hurst shoots at his partner (16ish yards), glances off H3 and misses. Mulliner rushes four yards from the peg. We've been here before.

28 Jun 2016 3:42PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

...When I say there's no progress in the Soo/Lawrence game, they've just placed the clips back on Hoop 1 and gone inside for tea.

28 Jun 2016 3:43PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Ditto Mulliner.

28 Jun 2016 3:43PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

The rain is proper belting down, and Colin Irwin (not in waterproofs) has been called out to referee a wiring lift. No clip changes in the Rothman three ball finish, but he's been left a ball in corner 4 and two balls in corner 2. No chance, says the ref.

28 Jun 2016 3:46PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

I thought someone might bring me a cup of tea, but nothing. Ah well, it's probably another 13 minutes until the designated time.

Play has restarted everywhere.

28 Jun 2016 3:48PM (Tournament); 24 Readers

Hurst has placed a corner 2 ball. Ormerod hit third turn, took off to the second corner, and missed. Essick centre-balls the corner ball. No cannon, but an easy rush to H1.

28 Jun 2016 3:50PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

There's a curtain of water in front of us, and everyone is in waterproofs. It's difficult to tell who's who, except Jeff Soo who has orange shoelaces.

28 Jun 2016 3:52PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Essick slams down his mallet as he overhits a short shot and gets no rush to H2 from the nearby corner. He's chosen to roll up to his distant partner. Scrappy stuff in horrible conditions.

28 Jun 2016 3:54PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Sorry - he was getting a rush to H3 not H2. Now laying up wide to guard the boundary near his hoop.

28 Jun 2016 3:56PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Mulliner misses, and Essick has another chance to get going.

28 Jun 2016 3:57PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Essick has a gruesome looking hoop shot, three foot and angled. Tries it with topspin and the hoop spits it back at him. Mulliner is alongside and rushes him into play.

28 Jun 2016 3:59PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

The rain redoubles, and Mulliner's rush to H4 goes to H5. He gets a rush on partner anyway, and he's through H1.

28 Jun 2016 4:01PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Walters is off the mark, and is two-balling round. He's run H5 with a rush up the lawn. Black is in corner 2, and has yet to progress from H4.

28 Jun 2016 4:02PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

I AM FREEZING

28 Jun 2016 4:03PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

In the other game, Wixy is having a ball round. He's for H5, with nothing else having started.

28 Jun 2016 4:04PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Walters has pulled oppo out of corner 2 with a stop approach to 1b. Good enough, and he's through. Looks like he might now finish with a controlled break.

28 Jun 2016 4:06PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

Walters blobs 3b. Rothman is for 4. He has a something-like 12 yard shot to get the break back.

28 Jun 2016 4:09PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

...12 yards, that is, if you forget he's got a lift.

28 Jun 2016 4:10PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

Rothman hits centre ball. A laid break from H4 to finish.

28 Jun 2016 4:11PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

Mulliner has a diagonal spread. Hurst's H1 ball is at the peg. Essick is for H3.

28 Jun 2016 4:11PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

Wicks has a Maugham Standard Leave.

28 Jun 2016 4:12PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

I need a cup of tea.

28 Jun 2016 4:12PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

The cakes look very nice, and there are several plates of sandwiches. Bowdon catering is always good, and players are starting to cluster inside to dry out.

28 Jun 2016 4:21PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

Meanwhile back here in the North Atlantic, Rothman has made the most of that opportunity, and is approaching rover.

28 Jun 2016 4:23PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Maugham failed Hoop 1 off the MSL, and Soo has just hit. Dave's red ball is still in front of hoop 1, so Jeff's position looks healthy.

28 Jun 2016 4:24PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

And Ormerod's going round after Mulliner gave him the diagonal spread. He looks hampered after H5, but it looks dead straight. A brief pause while the ref comes on.

28 Jun 2016 4:25PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

It may be my imagination, but it feels as though the rain has eased slightly. For the benefit of American readers, the British perception of heavy rain / moderately heavy rain is affected by the quantity of tea drunk.

28 Jun 2016 4:28PM (Tournament); 18 Readers

Ormerod hit the hampered shot, and immediately missed the non-hampered shot which followed. Red, Yellow and Black are midlawn around H6, Blue (for 3) is in corner 4.

Hurst misses the eight yarder.

28 Jun 2016 4:30PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

Essick (Blue) - 3
Hurst (Black) - 1
Mulliner (Yellow) - 4b
Ormerod (Red) - 6

Mulliner misses a short one. Hurst and Essick join in corner 4. Ormerod hits partner and takes off to the corner.

28 Jun 2016 4:35PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

Ormerod has a cannon in corner 4. To Hoop 6. So he taps a ball out and just plays a rush up the lawn.

28 Jun 2016 4:37PM (Tournament); 18 Readers

Wixy has given me feedback from Miranda (Hi Miranda) who's reading that she can't tell which game's which. I'm struggling myself, as everyone is head to toe in waterproofs. It's come to something when Dave Maugham's only distinguishing feature is a red stripe on his trousers.

28 Jun 2016 4:41PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

Up on Lawn 4, Wicks and Maugham are playing Soo and Lawrence. Soo is for 6, Lawrence for 1, Wixy is being peeled through 4b on a standard triple.

For the record, Wicks is Yellow and Maugham is Red. Obvs.

28 Jun 2016 4:43PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

Here's some insider knowledge of the GB team. Wixy's just told me that he and Dave chose their colours because (a) Dave doesn't like Blue and Black, and (b) WixY and YelloW start and end with the same letters.

28 Jun 2016 4:47PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Ormerod is now for penult.. He's taken this break from H6 and has ignored Black throughout. It's still in corner 4.

28 Jun 2016 4:49PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Everything is suddenly nearing a conclusion. Mark Ormerod has gone to peg, leaving Black in corner 4, Blue midlawn and a rush to 4b for Yellow.

There's a mistle thrush eating a worm in the middle of the lawn and Mark has just chased it off.

28 Jun 2016 4:55PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

Meanwhile, Rothman has laid a diagonal spread. And Maugham is running penult with the backward ball.

28 Jun 2016 4:56PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

Essick has taken the lift against Mulliner and Ormerod, and hit. He has some sort of rush to H3, and partner is still in corner 4

28 Jun 2016 4:57PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

Maugham and Wicks beat Soo and Lawrence +21TP (M)

28 Jun 2016 4:58PM (Tournament); 14 Readers

Essick seems to be struggling with the pace. He got well short rolling to yellow to get a rush into play, but has played a good take off to that corner ball. He's now got an angled hoop 4

28 Jun 2016 5:00PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

...which he drops through. Now shoot back into the corner and it should start to get easier.

28 Jun 2016 5:01PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

Walters hit the lift against Rothman and he's just had the clip off hoop 1.

28 Jun 2016 5:02PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

... and he's placed it straight on hoop 2. A misapproach, so he's retiring. Samir's on the lawn to point at various bits of boundary.

28 Jun 2016 5:03PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

Some expert pointing at boundaries from the GB lads. Finally Walters puts a ball off on the north boundary.

Black is behind H2, Blue is somewhere in the middle of the bottom right quadrant. Yellow is between 3 and 6, so Red is on the north boundary at the nearest spot to it.

28 Jun 2016 5:10PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

Essick has made it to 4b with a diagonal spread. GB's 4b ball is at the peg, and peg ball is hoop2-wards. Mulliner immediately lifts the 4back ball.

28 Jun 2016 5:11PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

Centre ball on the black, shooting from B-baulk. A ripple of applause from the two spectators still out here in the tent. Maybe it's just so they can get their circulation going.

28 Jun 2016 5:13PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

Mulliner's out of 4b with a rush towards penult.

Bish bash bosh. Faster than I can type he's pegging out. Mulliner and Ormerod +17

28 Jun 2016 5:17PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

Up on Lawn 4, Stuart Lawrence's Black is stuck in hoop 1 off Wixy's Yellow. Yellow can't see it, so Maughams having the short shot with Red. A weird clattery noise and it's a miss.

28 Jun 2016 5:18PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

Lawrence has run hoop 1 and contrived some sort of yardline cannon. South boundary in front of hoop 1 going to hoop 2? Jeff does some gesticulating, and they line it up to rush towards Blue somewhere south of H3. Yellow stays behind, and it should be easy from there.

Should be.

But he seems not to get a decent rush, and plays a mahoosive cut rush, getting Blue over towards hoop 6. Rolls off the hoop, and smashes through. Job done.

28 Jun 2016 5:25PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

There are birds feeding everywhere. Lawn 2 is empty today, and there are three blackbirds, a magpie and (I think) a dunnock. All pecking for worms.

28 Jun 2016 5:26PM (Tournament); 18 Readers

Magpies are the only birds that can recognise their own reflection.

Anyway. This is all sort of relevant, because there's been an infestation of leatherjackets. They're the larvae of crane flies, and they like nothing better than getting eaten by birds. That's played havoc with the grass, and there's a bird scarer to, well, scare the birds. It's a kite in the shape of, well, a kite. When it's windy they see a big bird of prey (even if it's made of polythene), they stay away. But it's not windy.

28 Jun 2016 5:32PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

Walters, finally, has taken that break round to 4b. A Maugham Standard, with oppo in the jaws of H2.

28 Jun 2016 5:34PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Blue (Maloof) is for 1 and in the jaws for 2. Black (Rothman) is for 4b and on the back of H4. Maloof is lifting from A-baulk at Red and Yellow. Patel is Yellow and still for 1, with Walters on 4b.

28 Jun 2016 5:36PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Lawrence is finishing off his diagonal spread. Everything else on H1.

28 Jun 2016 5:37PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Back to my birds.

28 Jun 2016 5:37PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

Alan Mayne, the ground manager, has treated the leatherjackets with microscopic namatode worms, which stop the larvae developing.

28 Jun 2016 5:38PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

By next year, all should be back to normal.

28 Jun 2016 5:38PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Maloof misses the lift, and Patel goes to start his turn.

28 Jun 2016 5:39PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Wicks is leaving the ball at the peg, and taking the long shot from the B-baulk down the boundary. A miss.

28 Jun 2016 5:39PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Patel rushes oppo (blue) towards corner 3, splits it very close to H2 coming back to partner. He croquets partner a bit short of H5, getting a dolly rush on the hoopbound black to H1.

28 Jun 2016 5:41PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Soo has made hoop 1, rushing back towards corner 4. He's cut the corner 4 ball (Wixy's Yellow) out to the end of A-baulk, and now he's having a big heave to H2 and H3.

28 Jun 2016 5:43PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Patel has the first peel, and has rushed back up the lawn.

28 Jun 2016 5:48PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

He doesn't hang around, Samir. He's motoring now, and is at Hoop 6.

28 Jun 2016 5:49PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

A struggle to see, but it looks like Jeff Soo's had a go at the 4b peel and it's taken too much wire. Anyway, there's still a clip on 4b, and Black is just south west of the hoop. Hard to tell whether he's tried it yet or not. I think he must have, but Brian doesn't.

Soo approaches H5

28 Jun 2016 5:52PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Patel has two peels done, and is for 2b

28 Jun 2016 5:52PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Soo is for 6, and wanting to peel black through 4b. He's not got the angle for a take off peel, so leaves it in place.

28 Jun 2016 5:55PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

His 1b pioneer is at 4b, and he's got a couple of rushes coming up to get back under control

28 Jun 2016 5:55PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

No early rover peel from Patel, and he heads towards 4b with red in peelable position.

28 Jun 2016 5:57PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Soo has had to roquet black out of its perfect position in order to get a rush to 1b. Still no peels

28 Jun 2016 5:57PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Samir's now on rover and rover.

28 Jun 2016 5:58PM (Tournament); 24 Readers

Finally. Jeff rushes black away from 4b. He's for 2b and the 'peelee' is now at the peg.

28 Jun 2016 6:00PM (Tournament); 24 Readers

Samir runs rover. Mulliner yawns and walks indoors. Nothing to see here.

28 Jun 2016 6:00PM (Tournament); 24 Readers

Patel and Walters bt Rothman and Maloof +17TP (P)

28 Jun 2016 6:01PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

Soo has given up all attempt at a peeling turn, and is running rover. Looks like a tight diagonal spread with the intention of finishing next turn

28 Jun 2016 6:09PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Another game has just started between Patel, Walters, Rothman and Maloof. I'm going to pretend to you that it hasn't started, because I want to go home.

28 Jun 2016 6:13PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Mark Ormerod is sat with me, and he says that his decider is going on too. That's going to be after my bedtime

28 Jun 2016 6:14PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

So. The only game that I'm prepared to acknowledge is still underway on Lawn 4. Maugham is taking the lift at the diagonal from the end of A-baulk

28 Jun 2016 6:15PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Straight through the gap. Not happy with that. Stuart now has a finishing turn.

28 Jun 2016 6:15PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

It had kind of stopped raining. Or maybe improved from rain to light rain. Hard to tell. But it's starting again now.

28 Jun 2016 6:16PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

Lawrence rushes partner to the ball that's just off the west boundary. Centre balls the rush into the other ball.

28 Jun 2016 6:18PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Takes off along the boundary to get with difficulty the rush that should've been easy.

28 Jun 2016 6:18PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

And he's now having to scoop off 4b from near penult.

28 Jun 2016 6:19PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

He gives it up, and retreats to partner on the boundary near H2. Wixy takes, and misses, a long shot from north boundary to H4.

28 Jun 2016 6:23PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

Stuart rushes partner off middle of the south boundary. Yellow is five yards away. He takes off to it and stops it to penult, trying a rush on red to 4b

28 Jun 2016 6:25PM (Tournament); 18 Readers

The rush looks adequate.

28 Jun 2016 6:26PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

An onlawn discussion to decide to approach sending red wired from yellow. Only relevant if you're going to approach the hoop badly enough not to try running it.

28 Jun 2016 6:28PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

He gets position which is neither so bad to run away, or good enough to run the hoop easily. He fails the hoop.

28 Jun 2016 6:29PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Maugham plays to just outside corner 1.

28 Jun 2016 6:29PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Right. Here's where we are.

Yellow and Red are for 1 & 1. Black and Blue are for 4b & peg.

Yellow is near penult, red is just outside corner 1, blue is just off the end of A-baulk and black is dead on the wire of 4b.

And - huh?! - black seems to have hit in on blue. Did I miss a wiring lift or am I mad? Maybe Maugham became responsible for black's position, but it seems unlikely.

28 Jun 2016 6:34PM (Tournament); 25 Readers

Either way, well done to Stuart.

28 Jun 2016 6:35PM (Tournament); 27 Readers

(As a Brit, I'd be expected to be neutral, but it's 6.30, I'm cold and wet, and the American present my best chance to go home soon)

GO AMERICA!

28 Jun 2016 6:36PM (Tournament); 26 Readers

U.S.A.!

U.S.A.!

28 Jun 2016 6:37PM (Tournament); 27 Readers

Aw, darn. Stuart makes 4b, and leaves a load of balls at the end of A-baulk. Wixy is gathering his break.

28 Jun 2016 6:38PM (Tournament); 25 Readers

He sneezes

28 Jun 2016 6:38PM (Tournament); 25 Readers

He sneezes again.

28 Jun 2016 6:39PM (Tournament); 25 Readers

No sign of the Mulliner - Ormerod / Hurst - Essick game starting. And in the game which I refuse to acknowledge is even happening, Walters is round to 4b with an OSL.

28 Jun 2016 6:41PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

Maloof lifts and shoots from the end of A-baulk. He hits.

28 Jun 2016 6:42PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Wixy has run 1b, and is having another MSL.

Maloof is running 2, and will (I guess) go round with a diagonal spread.

28 Jun 2016 6:48PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

Lawrence's 4b ball is on H2, and the plan must be to put the peg ball on H4.

28 Jun 2016 6:49PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

And so it goes

28 Jun 2016 6:51PM (Tournament); 21 Readers

Maugham and Wicks discuss the exact blade of grass for leaving the rush.

28 Jun 2016 6:51PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Maugham, for 1, could finish next turn with a triple. Lawrence, for penult, could finish with a two hoop break.

28 Jun 2016 6:52PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

He's shooting corner 3 to corner 4

28 Jun 2016 6:53PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

And taking off his waterproof jacket (madness!!)

28 Jun 2016 6:53PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

A miss into corner 4

28 Jun 2016 6:54PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Maugham plays the drive out of corner 4 and gets a rush to hoop 1. Almost as if he's played this pickup before.

28 Jun 2016 6:57PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

The hoop 2 pioneer is a bit deep, but it all looks healthy

28 Jun 2016 6:58PM (Tournament); 23 Readers

I'm getting a bit shivery now. Bloody Manchester. Bloody summer.

28 Jun 2016 6:59PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Maugham plays the roquet on partner after hoop 1, and misses it by a mile (well, maybe just an inch). I think he dribbled at it and it drifted off.

28 Jun 2016 7:00PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

He's joined with black, in what looks like a straight rush to penult.

28 Jun 2016 7:00PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Yep, Lawrence is approaching penult from three feet wide

28 Jun 2016 7:01PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Clip off, and a rush back to blue at hoop 3

28 Jun 2016 7:01PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Maloof is laying his diagonal spread. Though of course you're all now more interested in me getting home and going to Tesco's

28 Jun 2016 7:02PM (Tournament); 22 Readers

Stuart has wellied that through rover, and has a sweaty return roquet. He middles it and just has to peg out.

28 Jun 2016 7:04PM (Tournament); 20 Readers

Soo and Lawrence bt Maugham and Wicks +16

28 Jun 2016 7:04PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

That's me done for the day. I'm off home. See you tomorrow xxx

28 Jun 2016 7:06PM (Tournament); 19 Readers

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