CNZ AC Open Championship
FINAL Game 4 - Bryant vs Freeth by Hamish McIntosh
No rest for the wicked as we have a quick turnaround into the 4th game
13 Jan 2019 4:41PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Freeth now U&K and Bryant R&Y
13 Jan 2019 4:41PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Freeth U to Max distance
R to c2
K hits U from a baulk, takes off to R. Croquets 3 to 7y SW of 2 and hits of the E boundary, leaving K with a rush on U we think pointing due W
13 Jan 2019 4:45PM (Tournament); 10 Readers
Bryant opting for the long lift with Y...
13 Jan 2019 4:45PM (Tournament); 10 Readers
The ball he's aiming at is S of level with hoop 5
13 Jan 2019 4:47PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Restalks twice...
13 Jan 2019 4:47PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
It has slid past. Half a ball or so in it. Y ends up in C4
13 Jan 2019 4:48PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Alright Josh, this author is praying for a ball round to 4b, nothing unorthodox, to save me some typing
13 Jan 2019 4:49PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Have my wish so far.. Josh has run 2 with a 1ft rush east and has a tight hoop 3 pioneer. Will need to get Y out of c4 but early signs are promising for this being a clip to 4b
13 Jan 2019 4:54PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Expert analysis from Webby is that Bryant is due to hit a lift. Reference source: law of averages
13 Jan 2019 4:55PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
So far, all according to plan. 2b is nicely loaded with partner and hoop 6 is in the bag
13 Jan 2019 5:02PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
That was a nice settled turn (just the 1 paper towel) from Josh
13 Jan 2019 5:13PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
He's finished with a spread Y 5y S of 2, R at peg, and U&K e boundary approx level with rover
13 Jan 2019 5:14PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Bryant persisting withthe long lift. Picks up Y and takes it to b baulk
13 Jan 2019 5:15PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
This time not shooting from c3 but approx 4y w of it
13 Jan 2019 5:15PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Webby is resigning as expert analyst - Bryant has slid past the in lawn ball, not much in it at all, and is in c4
13 Jan 2019 5:16PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Webby has been rehired as expert analyst as there aren't many people left at the club
13 Jan 2019 5:17PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
Sorry that wasn't the in lawn ball Bryant shot at, it was the boundary ball. Everything else is correct
13 Jan 2019 5:18PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Freeth continues to look settled and has made 1 and 2 with a hoop 3 pioneer against the back of the hoop
13 Jan 2019 5:19PM (Tournament); 20 Readers
Might moa! What's happened here
13 Jan 2019 5:19PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
He's tapped R (hoop pioneer gently and it sat in an awkward position in the jaws of 4b
13 Jan 2019 5:21PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
*Mighty
13 Jan 2019 5:21PM (Tournament); 21 Readers
He's tapped R (the hoop 3 pioneer) gently and it has come to rest in the jaws of 4b. Plays the take off well, getting R out of the way of the back of the hoop but has an angled hoop stroke
13 Jan 2019 5:22PM (Tournament); 11 Readers
30degrees just under a yard
13 Jan 2019 5:23PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
And it's stuck in the jaws of hoop 3
13 Jan 2019 5:23PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Could potentially have hit that hoop stroke with a but more oomph
13 Jan 2019 5:25PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Could potentially have hit that hoop stroke with a bit more oomph
13 Jan 2019 5:25PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Bryant is playing R and has set a leave:
K (for 4b) 5y e of 4. U (for 3) 5y NE of 2.
Y off the w boundary 2y N of c1. R 5y due E of that
13 Jan 2019 5:28PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Freeth shooting U at R...
13 Jan 2019 5:29PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Gentle shot that slides past R
13 Jan 2019 5:29PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
Greg playing R. Taps U and croquets it 2y N of 1, not getting a rush on Y
13 Jan 2019 5:31PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Knocks Y to c1 and plays a lively croquet stroke to approach 1 and load 2. Impressive given the time he has been off the lawn
13 Jan 2019 5:32PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
But perhaps R wasn't as close in front of 1 as I thought. Greg played his hoop stroke with some pace and hit the wire bouncing out SE of the hoop
13 Jan 2019 5:33PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Freeth plays U onto R and snicks the 7y shot
13 Jan 2019 5:34PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Attempting a pass roll to load hoop 4 with R. Doesn't get enough of it and although R I nicely positioned, there's no rush on K to hoop 3 or Y
13 Jan 2019 5:35PM (Tournament); 20 Readers
So Josh, takes off to Y which is near hoop 2
13 Jan 2019 5:35PM (Tournament); 20 Readers
He's underhit that and ended up with a 1ft rush NW
13 Jan 2019 5:36PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
Can only cut it to N boundary, halfway between 2 and 6
13 Jan 2019 5:36PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Rolling to hoop 3...
13 Jan 2019 5:37PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Tu meke on it
13 Jan 2019 5:37PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
1.5y 40degree hoop
13 Jan 2019 5:37PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Playing it as a jump...
13 Jan 2019 5:37PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Crikey, that was a good effort. Don't think he could have hit that much better. But it hasn't gone through
13 Jan 2019 5:38PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
It's spat out to the w of the hoop and Greg has a 4y with Y on it
13 Jan 2019 5:38PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Centre balls U to middle of N boundary
13 Jan 2019 5:39PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Loads 2 and has a 4y on K (e boundary level with rover)
13 Jan 2019 5:40PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
Centre ball - Bryant looking locked in right now
13 Jan 2019 5:40PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Taking off to R which is in front of 4
13 Jan 2019 5:41PM (Tournament); 20 Readers
1.5y rush to hoop 1 and he hits it sweetly. Approaching 1 from 1y straight
13 Jan 2019 5:42PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
He's through and let the speculation about what this turn will consist of begin. TPO? POP?
13 Jan 2019 5:44PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
SXP (our overseas viewers have proposed)
13 Jan 2019 5:45PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
At this point he's making 4 off U, K is at 5 and R is 4y NE of 6
13 Jan 2019 5:49PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Rushing U back to level with 3, approx 2y W. So that might have been a look at a POP?
13 Jan 2019 5:50PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Loads Y with U now and takes R up towards K at 5. What's the next plan?
13 Jan 2019 5:51PM (Tournament); 20 Readers
Hoop 6 has been made. U is at the pivot ball, R is the 2b pioneer and he's making 1b off K
13 Jan 2019 5:55PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
Final call for speculation on the leave as Bryant is making 3b
13 Jan 2019 5:59PM (Tournament); 22 Readers
It's a spread! K is just W of the line of 1&2, U is seemingly resting on the peg, maybe a little bit poking out for K to see?
13 Jan 2019 6:02PM (Tournament); 21 Readers
R & Y are in line with 2y N of rover
13 Jan 2019 6:04PM (Tournament); 22 Readers
Freeth considering whether U can b shit from the peg but decides against it and picks it up to a baulk
13 Jan 2019 6:04PM (Tournament); 23 Readers
U for 3, K for 4b, R for 1, Y for 4b
13 Jan 2019 6:05PM (Tournament); 23 Readers
Josh has eyes on this the whole way
13 Jan 2019 6:06PM (Tournament); 23 Readers
But it hasn't connected with anything and it is advantage Bryant
13 Jan 2019 6:06PM (Tournament); 22 Readers
Bryant plays R and taps yellow. Takes off back behind U and rushes this to K
13 Jan 2019 6:08PM (Tournament); 21 Readers
Streuth. Clatters the peg on the way and now rolling to K from 1y N of peg
13 Jan 2019 6:08PM (Tournament); 21 Readers
U is a good pioneer but the rush to 1 it pointing at the middle of the w boundary
13 Jan 2019 6:09PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Nice cut to 4y W and 1y S of 1
13 Jan 2019 6:10PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
The approach is underhit! Stone the crows
13 Jan 2019 6:10PM (Tournament); 20 Readers
He retires to off the e boundary leaving a 2y R on Y pointing at hoop 6
13 Jan 2019 6:11PM (Tournament); 21 Readers
Josh electing to shoot U (near 2) at K (6y N of 1)
13 Jan 2019 6:12PM (Tournament); 20 Readers
A miss! And I don't think by much
13 Jan 2019 6:13PM (Tournament); 23 Readers
Bryant will get another go at this TP
13 Jan 2019 6:13PM (Tournament); 23 Readers
Knocks Y in lawn and takes off to U. Croquets U to hoop 2 and rolls past K. Rushes K to 1y E of 1 and takes off in front and runs the hoop
13 Jan 2019 6:18PM (Tournament); 23 Readers
Cuts K to 1y S of hoop 4
13 Jan 2019 6:19PM (Tournament); 22 Readers
Croquets K to the middle of the lawn and has a 2y rush. He rushes it fairly close past K and ends up W of hoop 2. Loads 3 with Y (peelee) and now making 2 off U
13 Jan 2019 6:21PM (Tournament); 23 Readers
Approaching 3 off partner from a couple of feet. K tight nearby and U nice at 4
13 Jan 2019 6:24PM (Tournament); 25 Readers
But he's run 3 too cleanly! Goes 1.5y past peelee and hits peelee out of position on the return
13 Jan 2019 6:25PM (Tournament); 23 Readers
No outward sign that this has bothered Bryant as he continues immediately with setting up to peel going to 6
13 Jan 2019 6:26PM (Tournament); 21 Readers
Lining up the peel of 4b from 1ft in front. 1b nicely loaded and reception ball NW of 4b
13 Jan 2019 6:30PM (Tournament); 23 Readers
The peel is through by 5y and Greg has a 1foot straight rush to 6. This has been clinical to this point
13 Jan 2019 6:31PM (Tournament); 23 Readers
Making 1b off K, U is at penult, Y at 2b. All balls in great positions at their respective hoops
13 Jan 2019 6:33PM (Tournament); 23 Readers
Approaching 2b off partner from 2y straight..
13 Jan 2019 6:37PM (Tournament); 7 Readers
Has a 2y rush N after running the hoop but doesn't quite get enough on it to think about peeling it
13 Jan 2019 6:38PM (Tournament); 6 Readers
Instead croquets it to 1y in front of penult, taps K into position level with penult and half way between 4b and penult. Takes off up to 3b pioneer
13 Jan 2019 6:39PM (Tournament); 9 Readers
Running 3b from a foot
13 Jan 2019 6:40PM (Tournament); 9 Readers
Has a N facing rush
13 Jan 2019 6:40PM (Tournament); 10 Readers
Rushes U from 3b to level with penult, inches to the west
13 Jan 2019 6:40PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Takes off behind Y and rushes it to 2ft straight
13 Jan 2019 6:41PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Peelee is through to just past the peg and rush to 4b is straight
13 Jan 2019 6:42PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Half balls it to level with 4b, 1y to the W
13 Jan 2019 6:42PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Takes off in front, slightly off centre (particularly in comparison to all of his other hoops this turn) but is through and with a rush in lawn
13 Jan 2019 6:43PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Takes off to partner from 4y SE of penult. Rushes partner N of penult and croquets it to...
13 Jan 2019 6:44PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
1y N of rover
Approaching penult from 1y
13 Jan 2019 6:45PM (Tournament); 22 Readers
The rover peel is taking shape with U 2y S and slightly E of rover, K as the side ball
13 Jan 2019 6:47PM (Tournament); 21 Readers
Peeling from 1foot (max)
13 Jan 2019 6:48PM (Tournament); 22 Readers
Looking good to finish here - last expert analysis from Webby
13 Jan 2019 6:48PM (Tournament); 23 Readers
Hits the side ball. Rushes the other oppo ball close to Y
13 Jan 2019 6:50PM (Tournament); 22 Readers
1ft straight rush N
13 Jan 2019 6:50PM (Tournament); 23 Readers
He's rushed well. 1y S of peg
13 Jan 2019 6:50PM (Tournament); 24 Readers
And it's all over rover!
13 Jan 2019 6:51PM (Tournament); 24 Readers
They shake hands and Greg puts an arm around Josh. Not the last time Josh will be in an Open final
13 Jan 2019 6:52PM (Tournament); 22 Readers
Really crisp final turn from Bryant. He'll enjoy ending on a high like that
13 Jan 2019 6:53PM (Tournament); 21 Readers
Bryant wins game 4: 26TP-11 and wins the NZ Open 2019
13 Jan 2019 6:53PM (Tournament); 20 Readers
At 31 Oct 2025 6:38AM (Tournament) there are 0 people reading commentaries.