Good morning once again from the delightful setting of the Wynnum Croquet Club in Brisbane.
It is another beauuutiful morning, and play has started early.
There are some good matches on the program, with players playing their opposing numbers in the other team.
So, we have...

M. Fletcher v. Bryant (lawn 2)
Wilson v. Hakes (Lawn 1)
G. Fletcher v. Shilling (Lawn 4)
Forster v. Freeth (Lawn 3)
and
Bassett v. Clarke (Lawn 2 - probably the best lawn by a fraction - the only one that has any real differences is the slopey lawn 1)
Landrebe v. Mayard-Husson (Lawn 1)
Sharpe v. Robinson (Lawn 4)
Verge v. Fisher (Lawn 3)

I'm tipping a 5-3 result today, giving Australia the 3rd test 7-5, again.

I'll fill you in on what's happening in a moment, but I'd just like to mention one good act of sportsmanship that I've seen already.
in the contest of the Alisons on Lawn 4, Alison R. won the toss and chose to play first, Alison S. chose Red and Yellow.
Alison R. proceeded to play Yellow into the lawn (standard opening), and Alison S. put Blue in as a duffer.
Since all 4 balls had not been played onto the lawn, and since nobody had yet played a correct ball, the Fix should have been to cancel both strokes, and for Alison R. to place one of her balls (Bl or Bk) on a baulk. However, players decided that rather than following the law to the letter, they'd just swap colours by mutual consent and leave the balls as they lay, thus not disadvantaging One player for a mental slip on Both sides. A referee was called, and the situation discussed, but did not interfere with the players' mutual agreement.
Good sportsmanship from all involved.

Lawn 4.
Shilling plays low standard.
Fletcher to C2.
Shilling seems to have fired but his ball is yarded in 6in East of C2, so not sure what happened there.
Fletcher firing from B.Balk and 1.5 ball target.
Hits both balls off court. No cannon.

Robinson has made 2 and missed a hamper at partner, and Sharpe is shooting fro 3.

Again, questions or comments, feel free to email me at cjhyland@utas.edu.au - I plan to do commentary for at least half the day.

Lawn 3.
Forster has the first break against Freeth (though Freeth was on earlier), and has just run H3 with balls under control.

Fisher and Verge haven't got off H1 yet, but Verge is set up near EB with a rush to Fisher's ball at 2 (the other is at 1). Fisher plays the ball at 1 off to just north of C4.

Lawn 2.
Clarke is making the first break against Bassett, and is approaching 1back. Good confident, speedy start for Clarke.
Having said that, she sticks in 1Back. Easy start for Bassett.

M. Fletcher and Bryant are doing nothing much yet, and Malcolm has just shot at a long trap up near C3.
Bryant turns and hits the 6 yarder, and has a good chance of loading 2 and getting a rush to 1. Fletcher's other ball is mid West Boundary.

Lawn 1.
Wilson seems to have the balls under control and is approaching 3. There is another clip on 3, but not sure from which game.

Nina M.H. is in against Landrebe, but not sure what she's up to - if she's off the mark at all. There has been some interaction down there.

Lawn 4.
Fletcher doesn't get position at 1, and retreats to partner near EB.
Shilling fires at Fletcher from 3y North West of 1, and misses.

Robinson back in and making 4.
Sharpe hasn't taken croquet yet as far as I know.

Lawn 2.
Bryant has made 1, and has a long rush to 2 (or oppo on WB) from 8y N of 4 (he chose not to load 2 earlier). Rushes to oppo.

Bassett approaching 3.

Ok, the state of play on Lawn 1 (thanks to my monocular) is:
Landrebe on 1 and 1. Mayard-Husson on 3 and now 4, having missed a roquet after 3.
Landrebe with a 2 yard hit in.

Wilson approaching 2back, Hakes on 1 and 1.

Lawn 4.
I've found out how Shilling ended up East of the ball in C2 after the 3rd turn. - He hit Partner on EB, took off, an, adn d just went out.
Fletcher has been waiting a bit, and is now rushing to 2.
Rushes short and overrolls... Handily, there is a ball in C2, as yet unused, which he middles.

Robinson up to 2back.

Lawn 4.
I've found out how Shilling ended up East of the ball in C2 after the 3rd turn. - He hit Partner on EB, took off, an, and just went out.
Fletcher has been waiting a bit, and is now rushing to 2.
Rushes short and overrolls... Handily, there is a ball in C2, as yet unused, which he middles.
Plays a fantastic Load and Hold putting oppo down near 4, and getting 2ft position. Runs it and continues.
Fletcher has been in play almost 17 min and has 2 hoops (waiting for double bankers)
Players are in charge of their clocks and referees on Request, so players can do whatever they like re. time - although one referee has been marching out uncalled and telling players to play with greater dispatch.

Robinson up to 4back and making a leave.

Lawn 3.
Forster made 9, and Freeth seems to have hit. Is approaching 3 with partner, and oppo balls are at 6 and down near C4.

Fisher approaching 1. No hoops scored there yet.

Lawn 2.
Bassett makes 9 and doesn't get a 2-4 leave (ball at 4 is NW of hoop by 8in) and spreads her balls to C4 and 12y North on EB.
Clake picks up the 2 ball and hits Bassett's 4back ball in the corner with her 1back ball. Loads 2back, tries to rush partner to ball on EB, but doesn't, also doesn't takeoff well, and will be doing a leave (unless she rolls in tot 1back from EB...)

Bryant up to 2back.

Lawn 4.
Fletcher hampered after 6, but hits with referee's supervisory eye nearby.

Robinson makes a leave. Sharpe misses, and Robinson will have a tricky start.

Lawn 1.
Not sure what happened after Wilson made a leave after 9, but Hakes has a ball on 2 (Edward may have popped him though).
Wilson now on break 2.

Landrebe has both clips now on 2.
NMH has progressed to 3 and 5.

Lawn 2.
Bassett fires from 2 to 1 with her H1 ball.
Misses.
Clarke back in.

Bryant setting a leave of some sort. Will be a but unorthadox with ball movement as there's an oppo still near 1 where he's been trying to peel it.

Good atmosphere so far today. No palpable tension or nerves, no confrontations or arguments (yet), and not too much tiredness/relaxation, as has popped up every now and again to players' detriment in previous days.
The Series has been played in an excellent spirit, and I think that most, if not all, of the players will go away having had an enjoyable time.

Lawn 4.
Robinson sets up.
Sharpe misses.
Robinson thinks (and now waits for Fletcher, who's setting his leave after 3back (it's a 2-4 - what a surprise).

Lawn 2.
Bryant sets a nice defensive leave.
He is 1ft and 3ft North of C4. Fletcher is EB halfway between peg and 6, and 1y off WB at maximum distance (19y from both A and B baulks)
Fletcher lifts this westerly ball, and makes a double down the East Boundary. Shoots and misses to C4.

Clarke going around still.

Lawn 4.
Shilling picks up the ball at 4, and misses down EB

Robinson has made 1, with a load at 3, and has a cut rush from S of 3 to H2.
Plays it good weight, but will be rolling in from 9y S.

Lawn 2.
Clarke sets a similar leave to Bryant's a moment ago, and Bassett lifts her H1 ball from out west, and hits Clarke in C4.
Her partner is in lawn 4.5 yards and peg high, so good chance for a break.

Bryant is playing a short, angled H1...
Makes it by 14 yards, and has a 12 yard return on oppo, or a 17 yard shot at partner straight accross over near EB.
Takes the latter shot and middles it.
Will be taking off to the ball just in lawn from C4.

Lawn 4.
G. Fletcher makes an angled h1 to applause from the crowd, but sticks plum in H2 with partner on the other side.
Calls friendly WA referee to check for a stick.
Shilling looks hopeful, and goes and sits nearby (there have been a couple of queries about refs' abilities to check for sticks, but from what I've seen, they're doing it right)

Jam not granted (he did hit it quite hard at the hoop, so should have gone through if it had been a clean shot).
Shilling firing from 3 to 2. He hasn't scored yet, but has hit 50% of his roquets this game.
Increases his percentage to 66.7%
Striker ricochets off and disrupts balls from the other game. Shilling pulls a particularly agonized looking face (even for him), but carriers on after guessing where they were.

Lawn 3.
Freeth doing something - I think he's leveled the game at 9 all against Forster, and is now beginning with his second break.

Fisher is making a break. (I think to 3, though hard to tell given where the balls are). All other clips on 1.

Lawn 4.
Shilling going around.
Robinson going around.

Lawn 3.
Verge misses a long shot (Fisher was up to 3), and Freeth is setting up for a standard TP.

Lawn 2.
Bryant is busy on break 2, but with to peels done - yet.
Bassett fails an angled 6 and Clarke is back in.

Lawn 1.
Mayard-Husson has set up somewhere and Landrebe is taking a long shot.
Hakes is in, but is mallet is falling apart, and wants to know what happens it an end comes off (he's still playing with the good end....)
Wilson seems to have stopped at Rover and 2back.

Lawn 4.
Shilling is back talking to me, so must have done something wrong - either that or he's done a very strange tactical setup around 3...
Fletcher back in, and rolling to 2 with partner from 4y E of peg.

Robinson on 3 as well, but back in.

Lawn 2.
Clarke is approaching 1 with her backward ball.

Bryant has tried to run 3 with partner on the other side for a peel, but has jammed, and has had the hoop reset.

Bryant asks about regs for hoop-setting tolerances.... says it's been reset for "ball plus a zillionth"
(for your information, they are supposed to be set to widest ball being used on that court + a 32nd of an inch, with an upward tolerance of 0, and a downward tolerance of a 64th of an inch.)
The setting has been very good so far, though on the tight side - which is fair enough with the soft ground and not all that difficult conditions. There have been a few sticks though - especially on that lawn (2)

Lawn 3.
Freeth attempting 1st peel of TP on the way to 6.

Verge has rushed to 1, and will be approaching from 5 yards.
Fisher has made a mighty 3 with one ball.

Lawn 4.
Fletcher has started a TP, and has all under control.

Robinson seems to have switched balls mid break, but nobody has noticed. Now playing the 4back ball, and I have no idea where the switch occured.

Switches back by accident after marking balls to let Fletcher through. All's good.. I think she only played a couple of strokes in error, and gained no advantage, so I'll say no more about it.

Lawn 2.
Drama. 2 referees, manager, and hoop setter are busy resetting Bryant's hoop 3. All clocks are stopped.
They're only doing the reset with the striker's ball, and as there's only a 1 in 8 chance that it is Bryan't green, he could theoretically appeal again if he fails the hoop this time.

Lawn 1.
Hakes seems to have crashed 3back.
Wilson back in with his 2back ball. 1 peel to go.

Landrebe and NMH are not doing much of interest.

Lawn 3.
Verge made 1.
Fisher made 1.
Verge did something.
Fisher is now in with her H4 ball. Doing a setup.

Freeth stopped at 1back without getting any peels.
Forster in with his H1 ball.

Lawn 4.
Fletcher still tripling (2 peels done, partner 1ft in front of rover, making 2back)

Robinson's clip is on 5, and Sharpe has a rush to 1 from H3 area. Both of her clips are still on 1.

Lawn 1.
Wilson finishes in style to take the first game against Hakes, 26-9.

Mayard-Husson has just run 4, with partner on 2back.
Landrebe is on 3 and 4.

Lawn 2.
Bryant, after running 3 successfully, rushed partner back behind the hoop, and while seems to have put it in the jaws from behind accidentally on the next stroke. He's up to 5 now, but will have to do a bit of manipulating to get his first peel going to 6.

Clarke is making 4 under control, and has peelee jawsed in 4back.
Bassett still on 6 and 4B

Lawn 3.
Verge makes 2 with balls under control. Might be a break here...

Forster runs 4 with balls under control. Will be trying 1st peel on the way to 6.

Lawn 4.
Fletcher still moving forwards.
Sharpe still hoopless, but not hopeless, a she's back in and has another long rush to 1 from up near C3.

Sharpe makes 1, but sticks in 2 (where Fletcher queried for a jam earlier... )
Robinson with 8 yarder.

Lawn 3.
Forster up to 2back with 1 peel done. Partner at 2back. They're very boring in their ball-movements up here. Must be something in the air which makes them forget that variety exists.

Verge up to 3.

Lawn 4.
Fletcher wins Game One against Shilling, 26TP-2.

Robinson hits with 4B ball, and sets up.

Lawn 2.
Bryant peeling 4back on the way to 6.
Clarke waiting now. She's done one peel and seems to be up to 2back (partner ball down there... Ugh.)

Lawn 3.
Things still continuing as before.

Lawn 4.
Sharpe hits and will have another long rush to 1. Good practice.

Lawn 1.
Game 2 of Hakes v. Wilson has started...

Missed the openings, but Hakes is in and has made 1, with a 7y return. Misses. Puts clip on 2 before yarding ball in on S.Boundary. No qualms from this lawn's referee.
Wilson with a 7yarder in the middle of the lawn. Misses!
He normally plays well first thing in the morning, but I would expect Hakes to receive a few more errors as time goes by.

Hakes shoots at partner (2y S of peg) from SB, and misses to NB behind 3.

Wilson fires at partner (by 2) from EB.
Hits hoop and bounces off towards C2.
Hakes fires from NB behind 3 at WB (wired from himself). and middles it.
Wilson hits 7 yarder, loads, 2, and has a rush to 1.

Lawn 4.
Shilling v. Fletcher begin.
Fletcher to just south of C2 on turn 1.
Shilling goes max distance on EB from B-baulk.
Fletcher fires down EB and misses to 4y S of Shilling's ball.
Shilling will be making a double from B-baulk.

Sharpe did not make 1, but is now back in with her H2 ball. Rushing from 3 to 2.
Makes 2.

Lawn 2.
Bryant stops his clock in frustration. He's made 3 hoops in "half an hour" while waiting for Jenny Clarke to clear the way, which seems unlikely to happen until she's finished her TP.

J. Clarke does something badly at rover.
Peelee is through by 1in. Striker is in the jaws. Bassett is 4ft SW of rover (her 4back ball) and 3Y SSE. It's her turn.

Bryant starts his clock and is up to 2back with 1 peel done (partner at 2back).

Lawn 3.
Forster finished his Triple to take Game One against Freeth - 26TP-15. Hoops are checked.
Freeth does supershot to start Game Two
Forster to C2.

Verge up to 3B. Partner still on 1. Oppo on 2 and 4.

Lawn 4.
Shilling hit 4th turn, but couldn't get a rush to 1, so set up.
Fletcher misses.
Shilling doesn't get position at 1.
Fletcher corners (now in both 2 and 4).
Shilling makes 1 off partner and will have a tough lawn ahead.

Sharpe up to 2back.

Lawn 1.
Nina MH is up to 2B and 1B.
Landrebe still on 3 and 4.

Wilson making break and is up to 6.

Lawn 2.
Bryant mostly wires himself from his 3B load. Calls ref (not watching) and waves his mallet frantically in the air. Referees on other courts seem to have been instructed not to move, as the don't (nearest is 7y away). Odd.
Should be able to hit it with no problem. I would. and he should. Doesn't. Miserable shot.

Lawn 3.
Freeth blobs H1 on turn 3.
Forster misses double from B-baulk (close ball was only 8y away).
Freeth runs 1 and is away.

Verge makes 9 and sets a leave.
Fisher fires from Abaulk at partner by the peg.
Middles it to H3.
She's playing her H2 ball, so will have a long rush to 2, but break ahead if she gets it.

Lawn 2.
Clarke take game 1 against Bassett (faultlessly I think) 26TP-14.

Fletcher has hit, and is making 1.

Lawn 4.
Shilling made 1, rushed to C4, rushed to C2, made 2, and missed oppo back near C2.
Fletcher now in and has a cut rush to 1.

Raining! Computer wet - I'm moving!!

Where did that come from?
Oh well, nothing a good block of chocolate can't fix!

Rain seems to have have affected some people though (though there's really not much of it - it's just that the wind has come with it and made things a bit unpleasant).
E.g. G. Fletcher has failed H1.
Shilling has hit in, and is rushing to 3.

Down on lawn 3..
Verge is hampered after 3 can calls for a ref. All have fled the visible world during the rain squall.
Freeth still going around.

Lawn 1.
Wilson and Hakes hacking a bit.
Wilson's made 9, and got going with the second ball, but not convincingly.
Hakes still on 1 and 2.

Mayard-Husson misses something up in C2 (she's on 2back and 3back), and Landrebe makes 3. Tough break to dig out though.

Lawn 2.
Game Two of Clarke v. Bassett.
Bassett supershot 4ft west of H5.
Clarke C2
Bassett first at C2 ball, and misses! (usually hits that one).
Clarke hits double on turn 4, and should be away.

Fletcher has made 6 and set a tea-lady leave.
Bryant's 3back ball is 3y NNW of 1, and his penult ball 4f SSE.
Fletcher has a rush from 2y West of C3 towards 1back.
Bryant plays his 3back ball, and misses.
One SXP attempt coming up.

Of all the players here, Malcolm is definitely the most likely to try and successfully finish a SXP. Has great control of rushes/croquet-strokes/hoop running, has first class ball-movement, and is undaunted by non-standard shots.
I would argue that his tactic is good given the opponent and situation.

Clarke has made H1, but may have a touch approach to 2.

Lawn 1.
Wilson still on a break, and has just peeled 4back getting a rush to 3back.
Landrebe in play, and making 5.

Lawn 2.
Fletcher has done 1 peel, and just made 4.
Clarke up to 1back

Lawn 3.
Verge made it to penult, Fisher didn't do anything, and Verge has just failed 1.
Freeth made 9, but Forster is set up on the WB with a rush to 1...

Lawn 4.
the Alisons have made 9 all, and Robinson is on second break somewhere bottom right of lawn. 3back I think.

Fletcher also doing something out of my vision.

Fugi the Italian Grayhound has been on my lap helping with the commentary for a while - hence I've not been doing much - but she has returned to owner Tom Knight, so I'm back.

Lawn 2.
Malcolm has only managed 2 peels, and has just made 2back, s it will be interesting to see what his plans are from here. He looks like going to the peg, but with how many peels, ro whether he can get any on oppo, I'm not sure.

Clarke has made 9 and has a diagonal.
Bassett lifts the western ball and fires down EB
Misses to C4.

Lawn 1.
Wilson gets 3 peels of a TP and tries a hard pegout from SB
Front ball hits rover and seems to have landed East of 5 in a wired spot from Hakes's H1 ball which is just west.
Pegs striker out.
Hakes' H2 ball is half way between 1 and 5.

Lawn 2.
Collision of balls between Malcolm and Jenny. Brian the ref. is out to help. Long discussions.

Lawn 1.
Hakes doesn't do anything significant, and Wilson has an 8y pegout.
Hits it, and nearly knocks it out of the ground. It certainly hhas a 50 degree tilt now...

Time must have gone in the other game, Nina M-H won 19-9.

Lawn 3.
Forster fails 1back.
Freeth has a 4 yarder with his H1 ball and all things ahead.
Hits.

Verge is up to penult and I think 2back.
oppo is still on 2 and 4.

Lawn 4.
Robinson wins 22-9.

Fletcher has made 9 and left a 2-4.
Shilling lifts the 2 ball, and makes a 1.4 ball target from baulk. My favourite lift shot!
He slide between the ball at the hoop and Fletcher on the EB
Fletcher rushes to 1, and should have a standard TP (Shilling has made 3 with one ball)

Lawn 2.
M. Fletcher stopped at 3back and 4back. Didn't see the leave but I presume Bryant missed.
Fletcher has now made 3back and 4back with the rear ball, and time has gone.
Interesting.

Clarke doing things with the second ball.

Fletcher is through to the peg, and will be creating a leave.

Leave is:
Fletcher's 4back 1ft in lawn from longest point on WB.
Bryant's 3back ball on EB peg high.
Bryant's Penult ball 1y S and and 1ft E of C2.
Fletcher's other ball pegged off.

Bryant has 1 more turn.
I assume he will be making a double up the West Boundary, though might take the short shot at partner from B.Baulk.

Lawn 3.
Verge beat Fisher in Game One, with a score of something like 13-4.

Freeth peeling penult after 6.

Lawn 4.
Fletcher going around on his tp.

Sharpe takes off out cross court at the start of Game 2.
There are now balls 1ft apart on WB level with 6, and balls 1ft apart just north of C4.
One from each side in each pair. No hoops made.

Lawn 2.
Bryant takes the short short on partner and hits.
Waits for Clarke to clear the area around 3back before proceeding.

Clarke hits hampered shot after 3back, and continues her break. No peels attempted, and will be a ball to the peg.

Lawn 4.
Sharpe didn't take off out. She jumped over the ball she was trying to rush out of C4, and ended up next to oppo on WB.
Shrug.
Robinson now trying to get the balls in.

Fletcher still tripling. Up to 1back.

Lawn 2.
Bryant croquets partner to 3.5y East of peg, and doesn't get a rush on Fletcher... Will be taking off to 3B from 10y West and 3N of peg.
Gets 4ft slightly angled position.
Top shot.

Bryant fails hoop, and looks annoyed. He has just lost to Malcolm 22-18, so fair enough.
Bring on Game 2!

Now that all of the first round matches are over, I'm going to take a break for a bit.
Will try and find an alternative commentator, but the general sentiment is that you "can imagine what's happening".
Happy imagining.

Hello once again to the world at large.
Updates on game situations are as follows:

Lawn 4.
Fletcher defeated Shilling in straight games, though hooped and roquetted partner at rover, and set a leave, so no TP

Sharpe is in Game 2 against Robinson.
Sharpe has made 9 and now 12.
Robinson is on 2 and 6., and will be facing a leave.
3rd game almost guaranteed.

Lawn 3.
Forster made 9 in Game 2.
Freeth middled the lift down EB, and has just made 5, with all balls ahead.

Fisher is on 5 and 6,
Verge on 1 and 1.
Fisher just missaproachced 6, and Verge will have a minimum of a 11 yard shot to hit in.

Lawn 2.
Clarke beat Bassett in straight games, though probably only 2 or 3 errors from Bassett all match, so it was a good quality win.

Fletcher made 9, and 3 - failed a 5y H4.
Bryant now setting up a defensive leave after 9.
He will be in C2, with a rush towards 1, with Fletcher Peg-high just in from WB (4B ball), and 6y N and slightly East of 4.

Referee dug out of the clubhouse to watch both balls being rolled out.

Lawn 1.
Wilson won in straight games.

Mayard-Husson is on 4 and 5, and has just rushed to 5 with balls ahead.
Landrebe on 4B and Rover.
Still game 2.

Lawn 4.
Sharpe set a diagonal, and Robinson played the ball by the peg from where it lay at Sharpe on WB (played the H2 ball).
Missed.
Sharpe has a good chance of a finish.

Lawn 3.
Fisher in again and has made 5.
Has a rush from 4 to 6, and a ball on NB basically behind 1b
Rushes to that ball and hits it.

Freeth making 2b with a leave coming up. Probably a diagonal.

Lawn 2.
Fletcher lifts the Easterly ball (for 4) and makes double up WB.
Misses to 1ft E of C2.

Lawn 1.
NMH still on break. just made 1b with balls ahead.

Lawn 4.
Sharpe finishes to win Game 2, 26-6.
A good win, and that takes it to Game all.
If Sharpe continues to play like she did in that one, she should have Game 3 comfortably. Robinson is playing well, but doesn't look as comfortable in breaks as Sharpe when she gets in.

Lawn 3.
Fisher seems to be taking a 9y shot at a ball at 1b. Hits.

Freeth made 9 and set a diagonal, with his balls very low on EB (half way to C4).
Forster taking the short lift with his H1 ball (which was at the peg).
Misses..

Lawn 2.
Bryant through 2, but unlikely to get the first peel on time.
Could be some seasawing still to go in this game.

Lawn 1.
Fisher on 4b and 4.
Landrebe on 4b and peg.
Fisher in with 4 ball, but has cross court takeoff to Landrebe up on WB by 2...
Pulls up short, but shoots for the backward ball...
Hits.

Lawn 4.
Sharpe wins the opening and sets up.
Robinson fires from 1 to EB, and misses.
Good opportunity for Sharpe to make the first break of Game Three

Lawn 3.
Freeth continues.

Fisher gets to 4back and sets up with a 5y join up from C5.
Verge lifts her peg ball, and stands thinking....
Will update you when anything happens.

(that was, her ball at the peg, which is for 1, as is her other ball)

Lawn 2.
Bryant peeling 4b on the way to 6.
Gets the peel but faiils 6. Fletcher hits in with his H4 ball.

Lawn 1.
NMH made it to 6.
Leaves Landrebe's rover ball in hoop running position (though slightly angled) and herself down on SB.
Landrebe fires at SB balls and misses.
Break ahead for NZ's NMH.

Lawn 4.
Sharpe is hampered after 1.
Hits.
Sharpe is hampered after 2.
Lags across to partner at 3.

Lawn 3.
Verge hits partner from B-baulk. Cross court takeoff coming up.
Plays it well, and has a rush on down EB to the ball in C4

Freeth has done something weird.
Balls seem to be in contact - or close to - in H3. Clips are for 3 and 4b
Forster has a tap on with his H1 ball, and a ball at 4.

Lawn 3.
Forster fails 1 with partner on the other side.
Freeth's 4b ball is up by 2, and his 4 ball (Forster rushed him through 3) is next to 4.

Verge has a 6y backward takeoff to 1.
Plays it well, but has a slightly angly 1y hoop.
Double banked ball in jaws, so calls ref.
Decides not to wait, and joins up with partner on WB, just up from peg..

Lawn 2.
Fletcher runs 4, with balls ahead.

Lawn 1.
Nina MH is up to 3back, but has an angled hoop.
runs it by miles..

Lawn 4.
no clip progress, but balls are being rearranged a bit.

Snack time again for me.

Lawn 1.
Mayard Husson ran penult past the peg and was wired from the receiver ball. The Rover load was level with Rover and westerly, so she shot at partner N of 4, and missed.
Both players then on 4b and rover.
Landrebe lifts her 4b ball and hits partner at rover.
Does some good strokes to get everything set up, but fails 4b with NMH's 4back ball on the other side.
Asks for a jam, but doesn't get it.
NHM crawls through hoop and has a hamper.. Ref. coming out again.

Hits and continues.

Lawn 2.
M.Fletcher peeled 4b on the way to 2b (at last - something unstandard!), and will be going for a straight double in a minute.

Lawn 3.
Forster has just crawled through 2, with partner on 4b. Hampered.
Hits and continues.
Freeth on 4b and 4.

Lawn 4.
Robinson on break to 5.
Sharpe on 1 and 3. Robinson's other ball on 1.

Lawn 2.
Has anyone ever noticed how similar certain Fletchers look when lining up peels?
Doesn't matter, but M. Fletcher straight irish peels penult down to rover, but striker just crawls though, and he's got a tough shot on a sideways receiver...
Make that "an easy shot" on a sideways receiver.

Lawn 1.
NMH has run penult but won't be peeling partner through rover.

Lawn 3.
Verge back in and approaching 4. partner still on 1.
Fisher on 6 and 4back.

Lawn 2.
Malcolm Fletcher bungles a rover peel... You still have some work to do Robert!
Manages to get one ball out to EB, but everything else is there for Bryant. He's for 6 and penult, so a couple of big shots required, but is more than capable of pulling things together.

Lawn 3.
Forster running 6 with no peels done.

Verge up to 6.

Lawn 4.
Robinson up to 2b

Lawn 1.
NMH made it to the peg with a leave.
Landrebe missed with the peg ball, and NMH is now playing peg ball and doing odd things...

Just realised that the ball she is playing is not the rover ball, and will be constructing a leave with her 3 remaining strokes.
Sets up with Rosie's Blue (rover) in C2, Black (4b) 2y SE of 4back, Red (rover) 2y S of peg, and Yellow (peg), just East of C1.
Landrebe shoots at partner in C2, and misses.
Balls in contact in corner.

NMH first the in lawn ball down towards C4.
Landrebe rolling for 4b from C2. Not sure of the time situation, but should be close if not gone.

Lawn 2.
Bryant has made 6 and won't be making 7.
Sets up with Fletcher's rover ball at 1, and peg ball SE of 4.
Bryant will be together somewhere up North - probably behind 1b.

Lawn 1.
Landrebe doesn't get position but sets up. NMH fires peg ball from C4 to WB level with 2.
Landrebe makes 4b, but is almost hampered...
Hits, with nothing ahead.

Lawn 3.
Verge on 1 and 6.
Fisher on 4b and 2b.
Fails 2b and gives a lift.
Verge lifts H1 ball and should be off and away.

Forster up to penult with no peels done.

Lawn 4.
Robinson finished her 9.
Sharpe missed.
Robinson player her 1 ball and will be trying for a break.
Sharpe has fired at

Lawn 1.
Mayard-Husson makes rover off partner, gets a rush back to the peg, and just misses peg on the rush.
Will peg out to win Game 2 (and match) 26-21. A good win and a tough second game. Well done.

2 matches each to AUS and NZ so far today.

Lawn 3.
Verge fails an attempt at controlling H1...
Fisher plays the 2b ball and has the majority of the balls.

Forster sets up a reverse crosswire at the peg. He's on 4b and peg, Freeth is on 4b and 4.
Freeth considers...

Plays his 4b ball from B-baulk at Forster on WB, and misses.

Lawn 2.
Bryant seems to have stopped at 2back...
Fletcher has 1 hoop to make and 2 pegsout to take the match.
Makes the hoop, and the pegs out.
Fletcher d. Bryant, 26-17, to take the match 2-0.

Lawn 4.
Robinson missed her H2 pioneer, and Sharpe has a chance to make 1.

Fletcher Bros. hug in victory. Must be for show.

Sharpe fails H1... and Robinson misses the ball in the jaws.
Could be a long match this one.

Lawn 3.
Forster is making rover with his second ball, and should take the Match against Freeth 2-0, with a score of 26-12 in the second.
Does so.

AUS leads the day 4-2.

Fisher looks like taking the 2nd against Verge, so that should go to a 3rd game.
The Alisons are still at it on lawn 4, and look like being so for a while.

I have to go and do other duties now, so that will be a wrap from me.

I've enjoyed my time in the commentary booth, and I hope you've found the reading interesting.

Bye for now!