Click here for a better viewing experience.

MacRobertson Shield

NZ vs USA Day 3: Clarke vs Lawrence by Jarrod Coutts

We're racing!

Lawrence R an Y
CLarke B an K

Y to EB
B duffer 1y of 6
R down the line from C3 and misses N of c4

20 Apr 2017 8:28AM (Tournament); 21 Readers

K has a good shot and hits the duffer to 2yW of h4

20 Apr 2017 8:29AM (Tournament); 24 Readers

Plays a good shot and gets a southwards rush on the northern EB ball and has a 3y takeoff to get a rush to H1 and plays it reasonably well

20 Apr 2017 8:31AM (Tournament); 23 Readers

Approaching from 4y SSW

20 Apr 2017 8:31AM (Tournament); 23 Readers

OK approach and has a 4y straight rush to H2. Plays it well and gets a rush out of 2 with a ball near 3 so should be round now

20 Apr 2017 8:34AM (Tournament); 25 Readers

Had to roquet her h6 pioneer after she ran h5 but some good recovery strokes and she's back in control

20 Apr 2017 8:42AM (Tournament); 24 Readers

Making hard work of the leave.. hoop and roquet at 3b means the croqueted ball is now 2.5yN of h4 so I don't think we'll be seeing the NSL she had planned

20 Apr 2017 8:49AM (Tournament); 27 Readers

All other clips on 1 but it's a clip on 4b 4th turn, so I'll take it

20 Apr 2017 8:50AM (Tournament); 27 Readers

Y 2y off the WB level with 6
R 4yE of the peg
B an K laid up in c4

20 Apr 2017 8:51AM (Tournament); 27 Readers

R takes what looked like a huge doubles from where it lay - I'm sure there would have been a gap, but it didn't look great from the angle I'm sitting on. Lawrence fills his boots and that should be great all

20 Apr 2017 8:54AM (Tournament); 29 Readers

A photographer has just run out to the middle of the lawns between 2 and 3. Liz runs onto the court and saves the day. Well done Flemming!

20 Apr 2017 8:55AM (Tournament); 36 Readers

Lawrence plays a cracker of a recovery stroke after not rushing to within 10y of the WB ball from c4. Gets a good rush to h1 but underhits and is appraoching from 5ft S

20 Apr 2017 8:58AM (Tournament); 38 Readers

5ft N of h1*

20 Apr 2017 8:58AM (Tournament); 38 Readers

Awful shot and doesn't even finish level with the hoop. On these hoops, you have to leave yourself a shot at the hoop. If you get within 4 yards 35 degrees, you're odds on to continue the turn

20 Apr 2017 8:59AM (Tournament); 38 Readers

Makes a very interesting decision and guards the boundary to stop the ball at c4 shooting at the reception ball. This leaves Clarke a 18 yarder free shot with her 4b ball

20 Apr 2017 9:00AM (Tournament); 36 Readers

Good distance leave from Clarke. Lawrence misses from WB to N of c4 and Clarke has 3 balls with the 4th being 3y SE of c2. First finishing turn opportunity for her

20 Apr 2017 9:05AM (Tournament); 36 Readers

Reasonable turn so far - gets some sort of rush out of h2 off partner so has a good chance at a standard TP with all the balls out

20 Apr 2017 9:11AM (Tournament); 42 Readers

Delayed TP for Clarke with a little bit of work to do

20 Apr 2017 9:13AM (Tournament); 39 Readers

Underhits the rush to the ball E of h4 and has no h5 pioneer unless she plays a stoppo approach getting in front of h4

20 Apr 2017 9:14AM (Tournament); 39 Readers

Which she does, so is back in control

20 Apr 2017 9:14AM (Tournament); 39 Readers

Gets a good rush out of h5 but doesn't get the rush peel and manages to jaws the peele going to h6

20 Apr 2017 9:20AM (Tournament); 41 Readers

Soo has just run 1b with two peels done

20 Apr 2017 9:24AM (Tournament); 43 Readers

Clarke approaching 3b from 3yS with good chance at peeling going to 4b

20 Apr 2017 9:29AM (Tournament); 44 Readers

Straight rover peel left..

20 Apr 2017 9:39AM (Tournament); 46 Readers

Front ball goes into the jaws.. jumps it cleanly through. Hits the deep ball the wrong way and doesn't get a good rush on the escape ball to bombard it through

20 Apr 2017 9:41AM (Tournament); 46 Readers

Good cut still gives her a good chance

20 Apr 2017 9:42AM (Tournament); 47 Readers

Bombard works.. but unfortunately also makes a roquet so that will be the end of this TP

20 Apr 2017 9:42AM (Tournament); 46 Readers

Rolls both off the EB into c4 and 2yN and both clips go on the Peg

20 Apr 2017 9:43AM (Tournament); 46 Readers

Lawrence misses his 10y leave and Clark makes the leave but doesn't finish with a rush to the peg and is instead pointing at h1

20 Apr 2017 9:51AM (Tournament); 50 Readers

Good cut to 2yNW of h1 and calls the ref. Is pegging out towards the direction of both oppo balls, so this would be good if both balls hit the peg this turn

20 Apr 2017 9:52AM (Tournament); 49 Readers

Front ball misses and back ball finishes within 1ft of the peg.. Clarke deciding what to do

20 Apr 2017 9:53AM (Tournament); 50 Readers

Pegs it off and we are now on 25

20 Apr 2017 9:53AM (Tournament); 47 Readers

Lawrence makes an incredible decision

20 Apr 2017 9:54AM (Tournament); 49 Readers

I'm hoping I'm wrong, but it looks like he had a rush along the NB with his partner ball and to load 2 getting a rush to h1 on Clarkes peg ball. but ends up roqueting Clarkes ball to near H3 and giving himself a really tough croquet stroke and then taking his rush to h1 into the wire of h6

20 Apr 2017 9:56AM (Tournament); 52 Readers

Lawrence plays a good croquet stroke to have a pioneer at H2 and a rush to H1, but rushes it directly onto the wire of H6...
Can only roll them to a place north-ish of H1, and then plays a scatter towards H1, leaving his R and Y about 8 yards apart, either side of H1.

On lawn 3, Chris has hit the lift against Stephen. Chris is H1 with both balls and Stephen is rover and peg. Chris is now on a 4-ball break.

Back on lawn 2, Jenny has just shot and missed the peg from near H2, ending up near C4.

20 Apr 2017 9:59AM (Tournament); 51 Readers

Lawrence has made h1 and 2 with some form of a rush to h3. Clarke is on the SB close to H4

20 Apr 2017 10:07AM (Tournament); 45 Readers

Lawrence laid up in c2 and Clarke shooting from c4. I think it's a fairly safe shot as he is not looking likely to take a break round if she misses

20 Apr 2017 10:11AM (Tournament); 45 Readers

Misses the peg.. but hit's the back ball and that should be game over

20 Apr 2017 10:13AM (Tournament); 45 Readers

+24

20 Apr 2017 10:21AM (Tournament); 47 Readers

Clarke still K an K etc etc

20 Apr 2017 10:23AM (Tournament); 44 Readers

K supershot

20 Apr 2017 10:23AM (Tournament); 44 Readers

R EB
B misses into c4

20 Apr 2017 10:28AM (Tournament); 49 Readers

Y misses partner

20 Apr 2017 10:28AM (Tournament); 51 Readers

Clarke hits the 2 balls on the EB with her supershot ball and has work to do for a break, but has first chance to go round

20 Apr 2017 10:29AM (Tournament); 49 Readers

Plays a canon out of c4 and is approaching h5 from 5yW

20 Apr 2017 10:34AM (Tournament); 57 Readers

doesn't get good position enough and aborts to c3

20 Apr 2017 10:34AM (Tournament); 58 Readers

Lawrence had first chance for the break and is 'woefully short' (Rhys Thomas, 2017). Plays a scatter and has potentially lost the innings

20 Apr 2017 10:45AM (Tournament); 56 Readers

Clarke misses a 13 yarder

20 Apr 2017 10:47AM (Tournament); 56 Readers

Lawrence misses a 25 yarder

20 Apr 2017 10:47AM (Tournament); 54 Readers

Clarke hits a 10 yarder and is taking Croquet in c4 with two balls on the WB peg high

20 Apr 2017 10:48AM (Tournament); 57 Readers

Misses a 4 yarder and gives Lawrence the innings

20 Apr 2017 10:58AM (Tournament); 54 Readers

First time this test, that all black shirts are on the lawns. If you're a NZ fan, we need some more of this.

20 Apr 2017 11:06AM (Tournament); 54 Readers

Lawrence made an error and Clarke now on her first break

20 Apr 2017 11:08AM (Tournament); 55 Readers

Recap:
Clarke
B for 4b
K for h1

Lawrence
Y for h1
R for h4

NSL with R at h4

20 Apr 2017 11:23AM (Tournament); 57 Readers

Lawrence goes to c3 and misses into c4

20 Apr 2017 11:23AM (Tournament); 54 Readers

Clarkes rush to h1 finishes just off the SB and has a mid range approach for these conditions

20 Apr 2017 11:25AM (Tournament); 58 Readers

Good shot leaves her a 1y pretty straight hoop

20 Apr 2017 11:25AM (Tournament); 58 Readers

Fails it badly but for NZ's fortune it lands back in front - we think 1ft 10 degrees

20 Apr 2017 11:26AM (Tournament); 60 Readers

I was way off - 30 degrees at least is the verdict from Garrison

20 Apr 2017 11:27AM (Tournament); 61 Readers

I'm not sure what happened but now Lawrence is in. Not an established break yet, but should go round and currently approaching h5

20 Apr 2017 11:41AM (Tournament); 52 Readers

Lawrence goes round, leaves a very avg leave - 3y join on WB peg high with Clarkes 4b ball 1ftN of h4 and Clarkes h1 ball at h2

20 Apr 2017 12:08PM (Tournament); 56 Readers

Clarke hits the 10 yard lift and is going round with peele in position until she misses a 3y dribble at partner when making h4

20 Apr 2017 12:09PM (Tournament); 57 Readers

Lawrence then misses the 7 yarder for the break with is h1 ball and Clarke now has a 3yarder to and a roll from c4 to h4 for the break to be back on track if she wants it

20 Apr 2017 12:11PM (Tournament); 56 Readers

Clarke has a leave instead

20 Apr 2017 12:19PM (Tournament); 52 Readers

Lawrence hits a 25 yarder with his H1 ball and has a standard TP if he does it properly

20 Apr 2017 12:19PM (Tournament); 52 Readers

Lawrence fails h2 and gives Clarke the innings with the standard TP all ahead of him

20 Apr 2017 12:27PM (Tournament); 57 Readers

Clarke is still 5 and 4b so Clarke must have made 4 then made a mistake/laid up and Lawrence hit. Lawrence now on a straight rover peel to level the match

20 Apr 2017 1:07PM (Tournament); 51 Readers

Lawrence just lining up the peg out so it will be 13TP to USA in g2 and force the decider

20 Apr 2017 1:11PM (Tournament); 50 Readers

G3
Clarke B an K
Lawrence R an Y

Lawrence hits 3rd turn and sets a very average leave, giving Clarke a 14 yarder

20 Apr 2017 1:45PM (Tournament); 63 Readers

Clarke hits 4th turn and is going round

20 Apr 2017 1:49PM (Tournament); 63 Readers

Clarke gets to 4b - I think Lawrence missed and then Clarke just missed her rush to h1. Lawrence now has the innings and has a good chance to equalize

20 Apr 2017 2:15PM (Tournament); 62 Readers

Lawrence fails h1

20 Apr 2017 2:20PM (Tournament); 65 Readers

Clarke misses the 4ish yarder at the ball in the jaws

20 Apr 2017 2:20PM (Tournament); 68 Readers

Lawrence having an NSL with Clarkes 4b ball at 3b

20 Apr 2017 2:37PM (Tournament); 57 Readers

Clarke lifts the h1 ball and goes to c3..

20 Apr 2017 2:42PM (Tournament); 46 Readers

Misses to 2yW of c4 - no one has hit down that line today so I think she made the right decision shooting at the inlawn ball

20 Apr 2017 2:42PM (Tournament); 41 Readers

Lawrence on a standard TP

20 Apr 2017 2:49PM (Tournament); 43 Readers

Gets the 4th peel after h4

20 Apr 2017 2:53PM (Tournament); 46 Readers

4b*

20 Apr 2017 2:53PM (Tournament); 45 Readers

Lawrence completes the TP to win the 3rd game +17TP

20 Apr 2017 3:22PM (Tournament); 32 Readers

NZ 2 USA 6

20 Apr 2017 3:22PM (Tournament); 30 Readers

At 13 Sep 2025 9:59AM (Tournament) there are 0 people reading commentaries.