Hello world, well after an appearance in my own quarter final, I'm done in time to provide coverage of a very competitive match at the bottom of the draw.

We join the action at game all, in game 3 with Paddy yet to trouble the scorers, and Maloof having failed to rush the peeler in front of river on a delayed triple picked up from a hoop 3 start

It's going to be an old standard leave, black up bearish two, blue well south off hoop 3, and he's rolling off from for yards south of rover.. Yellow into corner 4, red 4 yards north.

.Paddy has lifted black and is taking the shooting gallery from B baulk...

Misses everything.

Rushes red to blue, this should be all over now

Rushes to rover, through rover, takes off to get a long rush to the peg...hits it in the middle, pegging out from two yards.

David Maloof wins game three to much local excitement

Chapman v Maloof, game 3 (Maloof leads 2-1)

1. Maloof to 8y north of corner four with blue

2. Chapman just south of corner two with yellow

3. Maloof shooting at partner from A baulk. Comes on two feet north of blue

4. Paddy has red up on B baulk, shooting at a very long double. Walking after it...another cost of paint miss

5. Can Maloof put some pressure on with a fourth turn break?

Maloof cos blue out, rushes red off the South boundary beneath hoop 1. Rolls up (I fancy sending the croqueted ball a lot deeper). Has a four foot hoop...must have been angled, as he He runs back to partner

6. Yellow still near corner 2, in-form lawn rush for Maloof...Paddy will shshot at from near hoop 1...

Paddy is not in sight.

Paddy is back. Striding towards red. Shooting at Maloof's balls...

Misses.

7. Maloof chips red out a few yards, rushes to one. Doesn't have a useful rush, with he cuts to the middle of the South boundary. Needs some good shots to get going here

Croquets red towards 31st east boundary up bearish hoop 3, his partner, takes off into corner 2. Rolls up...

Runs a two yard hoop very smoothly. He'll be wishing he had his hoop 3 pioneer closer than 7 yards from the hoop...

Copes, and has a good hoop four pioneer. This break should go around now

Still going. He is through 1back, and it will be a spread

This game is on lawn 6. Dave and Samir are on lawn 7...the two main lawns in front of the clubhouse

This spread has got rather messy and very diagonal. Maloof laying up on the east boundary level with hoop four. This should guarantee Paddy takes the short shot.

8. Paddy is taking his time to find a shot he fancies.

Lifts red from near the West boundary. Short shot...hits it smoothly...centre ball. I expect a tpo

Rushes partner a yard north west of one. Take offs are easy on this lawn...cos well

Copes well. (Sry...on my phone)

Paddy has played a couple of nice strokes and now has the balls for a standard TPO

Red spots out to the side as a gust of wind hits his approach to hoop

two. Runs it well though

Takes his reception ball to three, no drama there

Takes his reception ball to three, no drama there

No...I'm clearly not watching closely enough...made two off peeler, didn't get it in position...Runs three...leaving David's fourback ball up there...from huge angle...IT IN THE JAWS!! Standard TPO back on.

Rushes up to complete the peel after four.

Doesn't get the peelee across well and some awkwardness sees the one back pioneer instead going near north boundary for a Wylie peel. Looks well under control though

Black into the jaws of penult and a tidy rush to one back.

Makes one back, rushes black through, has a two yard peel attempt going to two back...Misses the hoop completely

Tries to cut black back to peeling position...hits a lot of it, but jawsed the peel from around four yards

Leaving black in the jaws of rover, going up to penult. I'm not sure how many pegged out games Maloof has been in, but should be a good few

Making penult. He has a good yellow next to rover, so can rushpeel rover, send it to the peg, make rover off partner, rush partner off the boundary, and has plenty of ball still to use

Yellow is rushed to 8y north of corner four, black is in the box, yellow into corner two. Nice job Paddy

9. Maloof takes croquet from yellow, told it 2/3 of the way to hoop 2, sails past one, and takes position

10. Yellow to corner four

11. Maloof has a longish hoop which takes a lot of wire and hours goes through by about seven yards. Takes aim at Paddy in corner two...hits!

Rolls out from corner two...red goes to the end of B baulk. Runs a longish hoop to the boundary. Disappointing to do this much work and still have to hit a seven yarder

Good shot...rushes it to about six yards in front of three

I haven't seen a lot of David Maloof pay, but his single ball strokes are lovely.

Send reception ball long, runs the hoop really well...and rushes into corner four! Let's find out is David's nerves are up to this!

It looks like he must have scattered the corner four ball somewhat as ref Colin Irwin is on with a ruler

Yes, it's a cannon...

Cannon...rushes yellow well to hoop four, red on the South boundary directly behind it. Very good shot

Stops yellow across four yards approaching the hoop, and runs it off the boundary

Good croquet stroke getting a rush to givfive and on top of six

Makes five, croquets yellow well short of 1-back and gets more applause

Through six, important croquet stroke with a wayward 1-back pioneer. Rushes just SW of the hoop. Red is nicely at 2-back

He's having a bit of trouble getting the balls in contact on this critical takeoff. Calls a gardener..must be an old hoop hole. They have done a heroic job moving the hoops regularly...Soros need a big effort to get in (and out)

Aargh...superhoops.

Still gardening. Quick sideline interview with Paddy.."i would describe my current situation as 'beached'...there's enough sand". (Thanks Director Fordyce for suggesting that interview

Back into action...takeoff gives a moderate length hoop, runs it well, good croquet stroke.

That looked like lightning!!

Approached 2-back sending his reception ball deep and runs the hoop past red. This has been a very impressive turn..particularly with the stakes so high

Send red very close to 4-back, cuts yellow close in front of three back

Doesn't get a rush out of 3-back...big croquet stroke coming up. Kiwi youngsters refereeing to something called a 'stop bisque'. Tsk

Gorgeous croquet stroke gets surprising lack of applause...send avoid penult pioneer out, and gets a rush to 4-back

Good rover pioneer, in front of penult.

Gets a rush out of penult...Nice way to settle the nerves...although David has looked very calm here.

Send yellow as a deep reception ball, rushes dead in front of rover...and the 2014 silver medalist is looking like making an exit

Through rover, this I'd for the American to win 3-1. Taking off to the peg...huge applause. Maloof wins game 4 +14 OTP

David Maloof will play David Maugham in the world championship semi final from 9am tomorrow.
Reg is still waiting for Mulliner v Honeycutt...Mulliner has had all the play lately.

(Sorry for the typo...Huneycutt)