Good afternoon from Cheltenham.

Crowd confused.
Was that a tea bell or a presentation bell.
I grab some coffee cake to be on the safe side.

Mulliner and Chapman practising on lawn 8.
Chapman more or less in white rather than his usual New Zealand black.

The presentation was conducted by Andrew Hope (CA Vice-President).
He mentioned that it was a concern that there was only one player under 30 in the event [Daniel Gott]
The Solomon peeling prize went to James Death (4 TPs and a QP)
The Z went to Joel Taylor ("He looks under 30!")
Y Doubles Brian Cumming (who's gone already) and Doug Grimsley
The Plate play-off is ongoing on lawn 6.
Sam Murray has had first ball round v Giraud. Sam now 2 & 4-back v Giraud 2 & break
The Doubles is about to start.
For some reason the Mixed Doubles trophies from the Men's & Women's were presented to Alison Jones & David Maugham.
Andrew couldn't resist kissing Alison, so Beast kissed Andrew.
Burch tried to muster a smile as he collected the runner-up trophy.
Maugham was presented with the main cup, so it fell to him to make a speech.
He was most effusive in his praise of Cheltenham Croquet Club, and rightly so.
The conditions were absolutely amazing, thanks to Robin Hayes as Lawn Manager and hoop-setter.
Catering to usual high standard, thanks to Eileen Magee et al
"I cannot praise the Club enough." Hear, hear!

Well I've had time to type all that and the Doubles is yet to start.

Doubles Final: Chapman & Maugham v Mulliner & Suter Game 1

G1T1 Mulliner Blue 10y N of 4th corner.

G1T2 Chapman Yellow just S of 2nd corner.
G1T3 Suter Black at Blue from A-baulk. Misses to the North,

It's best-of-3, superAdvanced, and I'm assuming not Alternate Stroke!
Not sure there was any Alternate Stroke played this week.

G1T4 Maugham Red at Black / Blue from B-baulk. Misses to his left, Red comes on 4y S of Blue.

G1T5 Suter (not ASD then!)
G1T5 Suter Black rushes Blue into 4th corner. Blue into lawn, rushes Red off 5y E of Yellow.

More like 6y from Yellow
Suter plays take-off, short.
Big roll with Yellow travelling down W bdry, just staying on lawn.
Black back to Blue. Inadvertent scatter.

I assume inadvertent, but Suter is a good shot.

G1T6 Yellow to 3rd corner.
G1T7 Mulliner Blue hits Black to S bdry, thickish take-off to Yellow, falls off lawn 8y S of Yellow

I am in far corner of tea-room, and Sarah has brought the tea-pot to me for a refill. Thank you, Sarah.
As big a club as Cheltenham needs noble volunteers, and the Magees' splendid recent efforts have now been well supplemented by the Hayes.

G1T8 Chapman Yellow at Red, missing to S of 2nd corner.

G1T9 Mulliner Blue misses Red

G1T10 Maugham Red rushes Blue into 2nd corner. Rush to 1 is 7y short, so scoopy approach. 10' hoop, bounces off next to Yellow.

Suter would have a big double at Red / Yellow, but there's a funny metal thing in the way.
G1T11 Mulliner Blue misses Yellow and / or Red (26y)

G1T12 Chapman Yellow rushes Red near 5, takes off to Black, rushes Black to Blue.
Black croqueted near 1, Yellow makes 1 off Blue.

After 1, Chapman Yellow rushes Blue off S bdry, croquets Blue to 3 going to Red.
Now rushes Black to 4y shy of 2.
Approaches pretty close, angled, runs it to boundary.
Has break, though Red is 5y W of 1.

Having gone to the bar, I can report that Red was only 4y W of 1.
I hope you realise that all my distances are approximate, and some more approximate than others.

G1T12 Chapman Yellow has 4-ball break. Now for hoop 5.

I'm sure all of you have been following me all day, but just let me remind you that Mark Suter is the 9th partner with whom Mulliner has reached the Open Doubles final.
And he's won it with 5 of them so far.

G1T12 Chapman Yellow will be running 1-back, conceding contact.

G1T12 Chapman Yellow is approaching 3-back, with no balls in corners as yet.

G1T12 Chapman Yellow sticks in 3-back.

G1T13 Mulliner Blue taps Red, croquets it not far enough, just beyond peg.
Blue rushes Yellow out of hoop southwards.
Blue makes 1 off Black.

G1T13 Mulliner Blue plays good croquet stroke after 1. If he can rush to 2 from 10 yards, he's away.

Rush to 2 goes 3y E of hoop. Approach gives 1y 15 deg hoop. Press-up time.

G1T13 Mulliner Blue runs hoop 2 off the boundary. Has 4-ball break.

Plate play-off Murray is 4 & 4-back v Giraud 4-back and break, up to 5 now with all the balls.

Giraud has broken down.

G1T13 Mulliner Blue has reached hoop 6, but it's not very tidy.

I've been researching players winning the Open Singles and Doubles in the same year.
(Maugham might do it this year.)
It happens more often than you'd think.

The last player to do it was Reg Bamford in 2011. He also did it in 1994.
Robert Fulford did it in 1991, 92, 96, 98, 2004, 06, 07, 08.
He might have done it in 2003 had they bothered to finish the final.
(I think I've already deprecated that sharing earlier today.)
Stephen Mulliner won the Singles and Doubles in 1988 and 2000.
Joe Hogan 1988, Mark Avery 1987, David Openshaw 1985, Nigel Aspinall 1975, 76, 78 and 84
William Prichard 1980, Michael Heap 1977.

I have more to come...!

G1T13 Mulliner Blue has made 9 hoops.
Black is in the middle of the West boundary.
Yellow is 2y N of 4th corner, Red 12y S of 3rd corner.
Blue into 3rd corner.

Neither Chapman nor Mulliner had the confidence / control to leave a ball in 2nd corner after 1-back.

G1T14 Chapman Yellow taps Blue, takes off to Red, overhits it
Speculative roll to 3-back, not in front.
Red is 3y NW of 4th corner.
Yellow plays 1y NW of Red.

Plate Giraud stuck in 5, Murray hit him and now has break with backward ball. Should be 4-back and peg at end of turn.

G1T15 Suter Black at Red / Yellow. Hits Yellow (24y).

G1T15 Suter Black rushes Red 4y past 1. Fair approach to one yard, slightly angled. Sticks in front of hoop.

I think Black is only just in jaws and runnable. Red is 6 or 7 yards away, but can't see much.
Don't think he can see Yellow either.

G1T16 Maugham Red to 4th corner.

Suter raises his mallet. Martin Murray is on.
G1T17 Suter Black runs 1 to 5y S of 2. Shoots at Blue (which is 2y W of 3rd corner). Misses.

Eugene Chang and the Next Generation are number one in the charts.
Sorry, that should read milling about near 4th corner.

G1T18 Maugham Red at Yellow (8y). Misses, bounces off 4 to near 3.

G1T19 Suter Black croquets Blue to 3, rushes Red to 2, makes 2, has good chance of standard TP.

G1T19 Suter Black jawses Blue in 4-back after 3.

Plate: Murray 4-back & peg v Giraud 5 & 4-back. Giraud has innings. Time may be a factor. Not sure why there is a time limit.

G1T19 Suter Black gets Northward rush after 4. Rush-peels Blue before 5.

G1T19 Suter Black has a longer-than-it-should-be peel of penult after 6. Blue stops in front of hoop.

For those who haven't been following me avidly, (why ever not?):
Eugene arranged for a dozen or so students to come to Cheltenham for 2 days of semi-serious croquet.
There were lots of mentors to help them, some players from the tournament when not in play.
Also some visited just to assist: Robert Wilkinson, Gabrielle Higgins, Tobi Savage, I apologise if I've missed some.
Some of the students came to hone their drinking skills rather than their croquet, but that's an important life skill too.

G1T19 Suter Black might have been looking to rush-peel Blue after 1-back, but Christed it off. (I think.)
Anyway the death roll peel before 2-back goes OK. (OK includes being 10' short of your pioneer, but that doesn't seem to bother these chaps.)
Except that Suter has failed 2-back.

Clips: Chapman Yellow 3-back, Maugham Red 1; Mulliner Blue rover, Suter Black 2-back.

Suter was making 2-back off Red, but bounced off into wired position.

G1T20 Maugham lifts Red, misses 8-yarder.

G1T21 Suter Black at Blue (8y). Hits.

Blue is halfway between 3 and 4.
G1T21 Suter Black takes off to Red. Presumably intending to rush Red to Yellow at 3-back, but gets rush to 2-back so takes it.
Approaches 2-back from 4y. Makes it. Chance to finish this turn.

G1T21 Suter Black has made 4-back with Blue 1' in front of rover.

Solomon & Cotter won the Open Doubles a lot.
The Singles and Doubles combo was achieved by
John Solomon in 1959, 61, 63, 64, and 65
Patrick Cotter in 1955, 58 and 62.

OK that's enough history, especially as Statto could probably write a subroutine to compile this info far more easily and correctly than my handwritten notes.
But Robert Fulford must be in the lead with 8 times to date.

G1T21 Suter Black rushes Red into Blue. He didn't want to do that. Still should get straight rover peel.

G1T21 Suter Black peeling from 6" but 15 degrees. It goes OK.

Plate: Giraud has 3-ball break after Time to win.

G1T21 Suter has 4' rush to peg from 9y. Not great, 10' peg-out.

Mulliner & Suter win Game 1 +18

G2T1 Suter Black 10y N of 4th corner.
G2T2 Maugham Red just S of 2nd corner.
G2T3 Mulliner Blue at Black from A-baulk. Misses to 1' N of Black.

G2T4 Chapman Yellow at Black from A-baulk. Hits.

G2T4 Chapman Yellow rushes Blue 6y S of Yellow (poor). Good take-off.
Yellow rushes Red 2y NW of 1.
Approach yields 1y hoop, makes it.

After 1, Chapman has a 7' rush toward Black. Misses it altogether.

G2T5 Suter Black misses Yellow (7y).

G2T6 Chapman Yellow hits Black (3y).

G2T6 Chapman Yellow takes off to Red, short. Rushes Red towards W bdry. Take-off to Blue which is 5y W of 2. Again a bit short.
Now has backward take-off approach to 2. 2' hoop, run to boundary.
Not exactly a break yet.

After 2 Chapman Yellow croquets Blue 2y E of 5., gets northward rush on Red. Red off near middle of W bdry.
Now take-off to Black, which is 3y WSW of 3rd corner. Short. Approaching 3...

Chapman overhits approach, and clip is on 3.
Blue and Black are 12y apart.
Consultation with partner.
Looking to join up.
Goes off 4' N of Red.

G2T7 Suter Black at Blue (12y). Hits.

G2T7,, Suter croquets Blue to 2, finishes 3y short of Red / Yellow, misses.

G2T8 Maugham Red has 4-ball break,

G2T8 Maugham Red up to hoop 4.

Alain Giraud has won the Plate.

Maugham sticks in 6. The mallet is up. Are there any referees left?

Yes the good doctor is still here. Maugham is claiming a wedge. He doesn't get it.

Clips: Chapman Yellow 3, Maugham Red 6; Mulliner Blue 1, Suter Black 1.

Sad to see the Plate play-off decided on Time. Unclear if Manager insisted on Time limit, or players just assumed. Manager has been busy today!

G2T9 Mulliner Blue makes 1 and has 4-ball break.

Press-up required at 2. Fails angled hoop.

Yellow and Black are 4' apart, whereas Red at Blue is a partial 5-yarder.

G2T10 Chapman rushes Black to 4. Would like to take off to South of Blue. Does so.
Knocks Blue thru hoop. Rushes Red 3 yards from 3. Good approach to maybe 1y. Runs it to Black at 4!

Chapman Yellow roquets Black to dead south of 4. Thick take-off back to Red. Short. Misses 4- or 5- yarder.

G2T11 Mulliner Blue has 11-yarder at Red. Prefers 15-yarder at Black. Hits.

G2T11 Mulliner Blue takes off from near end of A-baulk to Yellow on N bdry. Good shot.
Blue taps Yellow, now croquets Yellow to 4, getting past Red but a bit wider than ideal.
Cut rush required, Blue hits middle of Red.
Blue now approaching 3 from 5y E. Short.
Yellow and Black are 7y apart.
Blue off in 1st corner.

G2T12 Chapman Yellow hits Black (7y).
Yellow takes off to Red. Chance of cut rush to 4. Hits it in middle. Red is 11y N of 4th corner.

Chapman goes for it. Croquets Red to 5, Yellow has 18" angled hoop.
Full volume thrash, runs hoop by 3y. Hits Black. Has 3-ball break. (Blue in 1st corner.)

After 4, Chapman croquets Black 1y N of peg going to Blue. Croqueting out of 1st corner, pretty good.
Now has 4-ball break.

G2T12 Chapman Yellow is thru 1-back.

After 1-back, Red is croqueted to 3-back. Except the peg intervenes.
No worries, Blue can be sent to 3-back,
Again, nothing yet buried in a corner.

G2T12 Chapman Yellow has run 3-back. All the other balls are nearby.
This is my approach to leaves, it is sheer hubris to start thinking of the leave before you've made the requisite hoops.

OK commentator error, I thought this was a contact leave, but as Red is for 6, it's just a lift.
Red has found its way to near 4th corner, and the partner is on waving his arms.
Blue is left halfway between 3 and 4.
Black is left 11y W and 3y N of peg.
Yellow 4' N of Red.

Daniel Gott is still here, knocking balls around lawn 10. Ah, the enthusiasm of youth.

G2T13 Mulliner lifts Blue to A-baulk, hits Red (13y).

Mulliner Blue rushes Yellow 2y W of 3, take-off, press-up, fails hoop badly. Not even in jaws.

Chapman Yellow could make 4-back if he wants.

Clips: Chapman Yellow 4-back, Maugham Red 6; Mulliner Blue 3, Suter Black 1.

G2T14 Chapman Yellow makes 4-back off Blue.
Has rush on Blue toward Red.
Tries to get rush on Red to penult as he croquets Blue to rover.
Cut rush needed, Red is now 3y ESE of penult.
Take-off to Black, goes 2y past.
Good direction, short. Approaching from 10', does well.

G2T14 Chapman Yellow makes penult.
And will be making rover.

Cross-peg leave would be good with Red for 6.

G2T14 Chapman Yellow makes rover off Blue.
Not going for tight cross-peg, more a diagonal spread.
Black is 6" E of peg, 1" S.
Blue is between 1 and 2.
Red has rush on Yellow from 12y N of 4th corner.

G2T15 Mulliner lifts Blue to B-baulk. Shoots at Red (21y). Misses by 1' into 4th corner.

G2T16 Maugham Red rushes Yellow 3y South of Black.
Stops Yellow toward 1-back. Fair rush to hoop.

Good approach to 6. Makes it.
Should be Game all in 10 minutes or so.

Kibble was pontificating about the 3 kinds of dusk yesterday. Nautical, civil, astronomical, I think. Wasn't really listening.
Anyway I think it'll be too dark to play about 9.30.

G2T16 Maugham Red thru 2-back. Time to dig Blue out of 4th corner.

Maugham in full control at 4-back.

Chapman & Maugham win Game 2 +24. Game all

A quick word and we're carrying on.

G3T1 Mulliner Blue 9y N of 4th corner.
G3T2 Maugham Red just S of 2nd corner.

G3T3 Suter Black at Blue from A-baulk. Misses to 1' N of Black
G3T4 Chapman Yellow at Blue from A-baulk. Misses.

Yellow is just N of Black.
G3T5 Blue taps Black for yard-line cannon.
Thick wafer rushes Yellow 8' SW of 1.
2' slightly angled hoop.

G3T5 Mulliner Blue restalks, makes hoop 1. Sails 4y past Yellow, hits.

G3T5 Mulliner Blue croquets Yellow to 3, gets rush on Black to middle of W bdry.
Rolls toward Blue, hits Blue.
Stop-shot approach from 2nd corner, Blue doesn't reach.
Red is 4y E of 4, almost cross-wired from Yellow.
Blue leaves himself rush to 2.

Message from Statto: "Alain Giraud has done the Plate double [Du Pre & Association Plate].
I am not sure how often this has been done." Well if Statto doesn't know...

G3T6 Chapman Yellow can see Red, and to prove it he hits (22y).

Sorry Red was West of 4, not East. If that's my first E/W error, i'm amazed.

Chapman Yellow takes off, hits Black, rushes Blue 1y NE of 1.
Makes hoop, rushes Blue near Red.

G3T6 Chapman Yellow is thru 2 with a 4-ball break.

Hey folks you can be watching live! Tobi is streaming:
https://youtu.be/LF1v4vmvfPY

Chapman is showing all the signs of being able to play a 4-ball break. Has reached hoop 4.

I have moved outside the tea-room into the fresh air.
Am I still connected?

Yes I am.

Chapman has reached hoop 6.

Including everyone, I think there are about 20 people still at the Club.
It's a beautiful evening. Lawn 8 almost wholly in shade now.

After 1-back, Chapman Yellow rushes Blue near 2nd corner.
Red is the 2-back pioneer.

G3T6 Chapman Yellow has made 9 hoops.
Blue is near 2nd corner.
Red is 6" N of 4th corner.
Black is rushed 3y N of 1st corner
Yellow takes off, sending Black 2y further North.
Yellow into 3rd corner.

Clips: Chapman Yellow 4-back, Maugham Red 1; Mulliner Blue 2, Suter Black 1.

Discussion leads one crowd member to wonder "What are they up to?"

G3T7 Suter lifts Black to B-baulk, taps Yellow out of 3rd corner.
Take-off to Blue, 2y short. Hits Blue.
Rolls balls 10y South.
Leaves rush for Blue.

G3T8 Maugham Red hits Yellow (32y). Red appeared to leap as hit it.

Maugham fails to get good position for rush to 1, cuts it 3y E of hoop.

Sherif thinks there may be problem with streaming.
No problem with text.
Gary Lineker once opined it was better to watch Wimbledon FC on teletext anyway.

Maugham has 4', slightly angled hoop 1.
Fails. Red is just in jaws, runnable, could probably get to Blue at 2 if necessary.

G3T9 Mulliner Blue hits Black (15y).

Mulliner Blue croquets Black toward 1st corner, getting rush on Red.
Red is rushed thru 1 to 10y S of 2.
Approaches to jaws of hoop. Handy!

After 2 Mulliner Blue rushes Red 3y E of 1st corner.
Croquets Red near 1, rushes Black 7y W of 3rd corner.
Croquets Black halfway between 3 and 4, fails to get rush on Yellow
From 4' SW of 3rd corner, takes off to hoop.
Runs it to 3y N of Black.
Good cut of Black to 3y S of Red.

Mulliner Blue makes 4 off Red.
Black is 3y WSW of 5.
Yellow still near 3rd corner.

After 4 Mulliner Blue tries to cut Red to Yellow, overcuts to near 3.
Fair bit of room behind Yellow, which he finds.
Should go round now.

Mulliner is thru 5 and is consulting partner.

The decision appears to be to stop at 1-back, thereby conceding a lift not a contact.

Diagonal spread with Red at the peg.
Rush is left for Black.

Clips: Chapman Yellow 4-back, Maugham Red 1; Mulliner Blue 1-back, Suter Black 1.

G3T10 Maugham lifts Red to B-baulk. Shoots at Black (20y). Misses to 1' W of 4th corner.

G3T11 Suter Black rushes Blue into the peg. Unhelpful.

Needs a good croquet stroke now...
Christs off Yellow.
This turn is not going well.

Pass roll approach into back of hoop.
A most unlucky turn.
Ref on to watch the running away.
Blue is between 2 and 6.
Black is now 5y W of 3.

Blue and Black within 5y of each other.
Yellow 4y W of 1.
Red still just W of 4th corner.

G3T12 Chapman Yellow at Blue (20y). Hits.

Could try to make some hoops.
My expert thinks not.

Chapman trying to crosswire Blue and Black at 6.

Fine take-off to within 5y of Yellow.
Doesn't want to risk missing Yellow, goes off 4' N of 4th corner.

G3T13 Mulliner Blue at Red (23y). Hits.

G3T13 Mulliner Blue makes 1-back off Black. Lucky to get forward rush.

The light is fading.

Overhits next croquet stroke. Black is joined up with Red, no rush on Yellow.
Rolling to 2-back from 7 yards.
"Great shot" says partner but it's very angled....

That is worse than 45 degrees.
Blue into 3rd corner. (Needed to be with lift pending.)

Maugham and Chapman considering options.
Red has 1y rsuh on Red pointing NNW.
Yellow is 3y S of 1.

rush

G3T14 Maugham Red rushes Black to 4, take-off to Yellow, short.
Rolls up to 2, makes it. Hits 5y return.

Yellow is on W bdry, 8y S of 2nd corner.
Maugham Red takes off from Yellow to Blue, hits Blue.
Approaching 3 from 3rd corner...

Maugham has given himself a chance. 4' hoop maybe.
Makes it, hits 4y return.
Black is waiting at 4.

After 3, Maugham takes off to Yellow. Falls off lawn.

G3T15 Suter Black at perfect double of Red and Yellow (28y). Hilled off, apparently.

Clips: Chapman Yellow 4-back, Maugham Red 4; Mulliner Blue 2-back, Suter Black 1.

Chapman is playing, presumably to make some hoops. Blue is near 4-back.

G3T16 Chapman Blue makes 4-back.

Sorry,
G3T16 Chapman Yellow makes 4-back off Blue.

Really don't think this will finish tonight, but maybe just enough light for Maugham to whizz round. (If the lift is missed.)

G3T16 Chapman Yellow makes 3 hoops.

It's pretty dark. I think we may have to peg down after this turn.

Chapman Yellow is laying a reverse diagonal spread.
Red clip is on 4.

Mulliner / Suter will take their shot.

Good spread.

G3T17 Suter lifts Black from near 4 to A-baulk. Shooting at Red (19y)...

...misses to near 2nd corner.

Maugham strides out with purpose.

G3T18 Maugham Red now approaching 4 from 3 yards. 1y angled hoop.

G3T18 Maugham Red fails 4.

Pegging down time.

Clips: Chapman Yellow peg, Maugham Red 4; Mulliner Blue 2-back, Suter Black 1.

The good doctor is pegging down.
The match may be resumed at the Championship of Surrey.

Which is early August at Surbiton.

As Dave Maugham gave the thank you speech at the prizegiving 6 hours ago, one person was not properly thanked.
And that of course is the Manager.

This is probably the most complex tournament to Manage, certainly domestically.
And he does all that, and wins the Singles Championship, and may win the Doubles.
Remarkable.

Thanks, Dave.

Thanks for following.

Cheers, Andrew