Good morning from Cairnlea.

Cairnlea is a suburb of Melbourne, just over 10 miles NW of the city centre. Sitting by the East boundary of lawn 9 on a pleasant Monday evening, the skyscrapers of the Business district could be seen in the distance.
There is a pagoda beyond lawn 11, and a building site in between there and the lawns.
This is a housing development. Another building is nearly complete. Trevor and Claire Bassett have their name down for one of the flats, but the developers have been dragging their feet.

I am told that we are on the site of an explosives factory, and that the land was cheap because of the contamination.
I also believe that there was a 5-lawn Club in a posher part of Melbourne, and that that land was sold to finance this.
There are issues with the building. A warning notice prescribes procedures re the electrical supply in the event of rain.

n 2006 the GB Mac team practised here. There were just 3 lawns (now 8,9,10) and no building.

Four attractive matches today - all international (though Bamford now lives in England).

11 Robert Fletcher v Jenny Clarke P21 W17
7 Matthew Essick v Felix Webby P0

5 Harry Fisher v Edward Wilson P0
6 James Death v Reg Bamford P49 W13

Again, the number on the left is the lawn.
The numbers on the right are the head-to-head games from the first-named player's perspective.

The head-to-head predictor did not do so well yesterday, with 5/7 wins by the player with the worse record.

Fletcher v Clarke was originally slated for court 8.

Fletcher has beaten Clarke:
2-0 at the 2011 NZ Open
3-1 at the 2011 Aus. Open
single game in Worlds 2012 block
3-0 at the 2013 Worlds (3 tps, Fletcher went on to win Championship)
3-1 at the 2013 Aus. Open (Fletcher had 4TPs in the match)
2-0 at the 2016 Aus. Open (SXP, TP)
3-2 at the 2017 Aus. Open

Bamford has made 13 sextuple peels against Death, who has had one in return.
Their most recent match was last July's [British] Open Final, which Death won 2-0 (2TPs).

Essick had just the one triple yesterday, but coped well with the pressure of playing a highly rated opponent.
Wilson had three TPs yesterday, many last shots hit, and three peels done in the game he lost by blobbing 3-back.
(which suggests he's not winning the opening!)

My predictions are:
Fletcher 3-0
Essick 3-1
Wilson 3-1
Bamfors 3-2

Fletcher 91%
Essick 74%
Wilson 68%
Bamford 72%

Sorry, hit send too soon.

These then are one expert's assessment of today's likely winners.
Fletcher 91%
Essick 74%
Wilson 68%
Bamford 72%

Underway on lawn 7
Essick supershot (14y narrow)
Webby 18" S of II
Essick missed to leave a double with a ball and a quarter gap
Webby nearly found the gap, but hit.

Webby through 1

The top two seeds conceded 9 hoops in their 6 games yesterday.

L6G1T1 Bamford Black 10y N of IV
T2 Death Red just S of II

L11 Clarke 17y narrow supershot
Fletcher lags just E of peg
Clarke 3y E of that.
Three peg-high balls.
Fletcher misses 4th turn.

L6T3 Bamford Blue hits Black from A-baulk.

L7T4 Webby has 4-ball break.

L6T3 Bamford Blue takes off to Red, hits it.
Rolls Red 15y S of II (and in lawn a bit)
Leaves rush for Black

L11 Clarke fails hoop 1
Fletcher hits 15-yarder.

L6T4 Death yellow at Black from B-baulk, misses into IV.

L7T4 Webby fails 5.

L5T3 Wilson breaks down at 5.

L6T5 Bamford Black rushes Blue South of Red.
Rushes Red shy, 2y N of 1.
Bamford makes 1, has break.

L7 Essick Red hits 8-yarder. Now taking croquet from Black ball in 5. This is a poor position in which to find yourself.
The Yellow ball is near 6, but can't get anywhere near it.
He may be able to take off to hoop 1.
Instead he plays a shot leaving himself 12-yarder at Yellow.
Hits.

L5 Fisher has break.

L7 Webby misses 15-yarder,

L11 Fletcher has break.

L6T5 Bamford Black has reached hoop 4.
He's decided not to extract Yellow from 4th corner.

L7 Essick Yellow plays good rush to 1.

L7 Essick has break.

L6T5 Bamford Black takes off to Yellow after 5.
Big roll out of corner. Plays it well.
No question of 1-back tactics this game.

L5 Fisher to 4-back with a spread.

L11 Fletcher to 4-back with a spread.

L7 Essick has reached 1-back.

L5 Wilson lifts ball at peg to B-baulk, misses to 4th corner.
.

L7 Essick has left Black very close to 2, wired from B-back (for the MSL)
Now rolling up to 2-back from 3 or 4 yards. No problem.

B-baulk

L7 Essick calls for ref. No idea why, can't see 3-back from my current position
I'm in the clubhouse, it's another chilly morning.

L11 Clarke misses lift.

L7 Essick was hampered after 3-back, but coped.

L7 Essick's leave. MSOSL?
So black at 2 is OK, the other 3 balls are in OSL position.

L7 Webby lifts Black to A-baulk.
13-yarder, misses.

L6T5 Bamford Black has made 9. Spread with Yellow at the peg.

L5 Fisher is on his second break.

L11 Fletcher too is on his second break - delayed TP ahead?

L6T6 Death lifts Red to A-baulk, misses Blue.

L7 Essick Red is thru 2 with 4-ball break. Yellow is currently near peg, if he can get rush on it there's a standard TP in front of him.
Went 3y beyond Yellow, didn't middle it as required.
Break continues.

L6T7 Bamford Blue is approaching 1 from 2y to the East. 2' hoop, makes it, no rush.
Black is the hoop 2 pioneer, so a few good shots required to get position for standard TP.

L7 Essick Red has reached 5. Yellow is expectantly waiting at 4-back

L7 Essick Red attempting to peel Yellow thru 4-back before 6. 2y peel.
Yellow bounces of wire to 1' E of hoop.

L5 Fisher is running 4-back.

L6T7 Bamford Blue is unable to peel 4-back after 3.

L5 clips: Fisher Red 4-back, Yellow peg; Wilson Blue 5, Black 1.

L7 Essick Red making 4-back. Zero peels.

L11 It's 90 yards away, but we're guessing Fletcher has done 1 peel.
He is making 1-back with partner at 2-back.

L5 Fisher attempts spread, but ball at peg is open on partner.
Lays up in 4th corner.
Wilson plays balls as they lie, misses 11-yarder.

L6T7 Bamford Blue trying to peel Black thru 4-back from 3 yards. He's for hoop 6.
Black is in or near jaws - looks rush-peelable.

L7 Essick reaches 4-back and peg.
Webby misses lift.

Fisher wins game 1 +22 v Wilson

L6T7 Bamford Blue rush-peels Black thru 4-back.
The 1-back pioneer is East of hoop.
Bamford goes beyond it in, now take-off approach from 4y.
2', 20 deg hoop.
Runs by a few inches, but with Red to the side that's fine.

L7 Essick rolling to 4-back from 4 yards.
Runs hoop to boundary.

L11 Fletcher fails penult peel before 4-back.

L6T7 Bamford Blue peels Black thru penult with death roll to 2-back.
Black sails thru to 4y S of rover.

Essick wins game 1 +22 v Webby

L5G2 Unsure of the opening.
Fisher Blue is now approaching 1 from the S bdry.
Tucks trousers into his socks.
Fails hoop 1 off partner.

L6T7 Bamford Blue trying to rush Black into peeling position after 3-back.
Good rush gives him chance for rover peel.

Fletcher wins game 1 +26tp v Clarke

L5 Wilson hits in.

L6T7 Bamford Blue peels Black thru rover after 3-back.

L5 Wilson has done something wrong.
Fisher hits 14-yarder.

L7G2 Webby Black to E bdry
Essick Yellow to S of II
Webby Blue hits partner from A-baulk
Takes off to Yellow, hits

L7G2T3 Webby rolls Yellow 11y S of II (and in a bit)

L11 Fletcher 12y narrow supershot.
Clarke to II (or just South)

16 degrees out there, according to Rosemary's phone.

L11G2T3 Fletcher hits 13-yarder at Clarke 's ball.

L7G2T4 Essick misses "short" shot (15y)

L6G1T7 Bamford Blue hampered after penult. Ref is on.

Wilson is back in on lawn 5.

L6T7 Bamford Blue hits Red (hampered 3-yarder.)
Yellow was left behind near 4-back, Black is at rover. All 3 peels done.

L7 Webby fails to get going.
Essick misses 16-yarder.

L11 Fletcher has 3rd turn break.

L7 Webby runs hoop 2 to boundary.
There is no ball within 15 yards of hoop 3, so will need a good rush in a minute or so.

Bamford wins game 1 +26tp v Death

Death only quarter-finalist yet to take croquet.

L7 Webby Blue attempting 3 from 3 yards in front.
Fails hoop.

L7 Essick Red picks up break.

L5 clips: Fisher 1 & 1; Wilson Red 4-back, Yellow 3
Wilson makes almost horizontal spread.
Fisher lifts ball by peg to A-baulk, shoots at partner (20y)
Misses to 2nd corner.

L11 Fletcher has made 9 3rd turn.

L7G2T1 Death Blue 10y N of IV
T2 Bamford Yellow 6" S of II
T3 Death Black at Blue from A-baulk.
Misses, comes on 1y N of Blue
T4 Bamford Red hits Blue (and Black!)

L11 Fletcher has three ducks leave.
L11G2T4 Clarke hits.

L7 Essick has made 9, NSL
Clips: Essick Red 4-back, Yellow 1; Webby Blue 3, Black 1
Webby misses lift.

L6G2T4 Bamford makes 1, gets 2nd corner cannon, has break.

L11G2T4 Clarke has break.

L7 Essick Yellow is thru 1

L7 Essick misses return roquet after 1

L7 Webby hits 15-yarder.

L5 Wilson Yellow quickly round to peg, with a straight 4-back peel en route.
Leaving Black and Blue tightly cross-pegged (6" between balls).

L7 Webby fails 3 again.

L11 Clarke going round, no TPO attempt.
First break will settle her into match.

L6 Bamford still trundling round. He'll be making 9 again.

L7 Webby misapproaches 3, retreats to 1st corner.

There's a dirty great cloud to the geographic South, but Samir's phone assures us there'll be no rain for 2 hours.

Wilson wins game 2 +26. 1-1 v Fisher

L11 Clarke makes 9, NSL
L11G2T5 Fletcher lifts western ball (for 1) to B-baulk.
Misses to (near) 4th corner.

L7 Webby still has innings, but little prospect of break.
Makes difficult hoop 1.
If he can roll off 2 from W bdry, might get going.
Webby fails 2, ball then rebounds to hit penult.

Essick Red misses 9-yarder

Wind is getting up.

L11 Clarke has approach from 5y N of hoop 1, makes it, has break

L5G3 Wilson supershot
Fisher max distance E bdry
Wilson misses from A-baulk,
Fisher thinks he has hit 4th turn, but misses "by a millimetre"

L6G2T4 Bamford has made 9, diagonal spread.

L7 Webby's Blue is in the middle of 3.
Essick Red hits Black (~11y)

L6G2T5 Death playing Black (the Western ball) as it lies.
He can see Blue at peg (11y), with Bamford's ball in background.
Ref wandering behind shot, now spots him.
Death misses. Not close.

L7 Webby taking on 20+-yarder.
Potentially his last shot of game,
Hits!

Samir's phone is wrong. It's raining a little.

L6G2T6 Bamford Yellow rushes Blue (by peg) to 1, and he's away.

L11G2 Clarke fails 4-back peel after 3,
doesn't organize attempt before 6.
Runs 6 to Bdry, misses 8y retunr roquet.

Fletcher hits 4-yarder with hoop 1 ball.

L7 Essick misses 15-yarder.
Webby's clips are 2 and 3

L5 Wilson failed to get going 5th turn.
Fisher has first break.

L11 Fletcher doesn't get good rush to 1.
Roll gives him chance of 45 degree hoop.
Doesn't fancy it, retires to S bdry.

The club cat is on lawn 7.

L11 Clarke hits 20-yarder.
Her clips on 1-back and 4-back - Fletcher's 1 and 4-back.

L6 Bamford striding back to hut, raising oppo''s hopes. But it's just a natural break.
He has outside chance of the first peel of triple after 3.

L6G2T6 Bamford has just made 4. Red is within a few inches of 4-back, in front, may be rush-peelable.

L11 Clarke fails 1-back.

L7 Webby Blue has break.

L5 Wilson on lawn, making 3. I guess he hit the lift.

L6G2T6 Bamford Yellow fails rush-peel before 6, ball bouncing off to side.

L7 clips: Essick Red 4-back Yellow 2; Webby Blue 4-back, Black 2.

Webby has diagonal spread.
Essick lifts Red from by peg to B-baulk,
Misses 22-yarder into 4th corner.

L7 Webby Black runs 4' hoop 2 to boundary.
Hoop 3 pioneer is 6y W of hoop.

L11 Fletcher has leave
Clarke misses 25-yarder.

L5 Fisher taking lift shot.

L6 Bamford Yellow had 2-back pioneer at 4-back. Rush-peels Red before 2-back. Makes 2-back.

L5 Fisher missed lift.
I think Wilson made an NSL, Fisher lifted western ball, missed short shot.
Wilson has made 1 with his second ball.

L7 Webby has break with second ball.

L6 Bamford has nice hoop-and-rush at 3-back.

L7 Webby going for 4-back peel before 6.
About 1 yard, 30 deg, Jawsing it would be nice.
Peel bounces off near wire, may be rush-peelable?

L6 Bamford peels partner thru penult before 4-back.

L7 Webby Black does well to rush-peel Blue thru 4-back before 1-back.

L11 Fletcher on a TP.

L5 Wilson on second break, zero peels.

L7 Webby Black hoping to peel Blue thru penult before 4-back.
Rolling from beside 3-back, Christs off Red. Did he not want that!
Croquets Red behind 4-back, rushes Blue East of 4-back, stops it back toward penult, runs 4-back to Red.

Bamford wins game 2 +26tp. Leads Death 2-0

L7 Webby Black hoping to achieve straight double peel.
Good little rush, he's one yard in front.

L7 Webby Black peels Blue by 1 yard, runs hoop by inches, hits the side ball (Yellow). Red is 3y NW of peg.
Black croquets Yellow behind rover going to Red, rushes Red to Blue.

L7 Webby Black puts Red to just in front of 6.
9" rush on Blue, takes some lining up.
Can;t be sure from where I am, but I think Blue clipped the peg.
Ambitious 4y peel attempt.
Blue hits hoop, conveniently bounces out of the way.
Black runs rover to S boundary.

L6G3T1 Bamford Black 10y N of IV

L7 Webby croquets Yellow 5y NNE of 4. Blue and Black 4' apart on W bdry. (Red at 6)

L7 clips: Essick Red 4-back Yellow 2; Webby Blue rover, Black peg.

L6G3T2 Death Yellow just S of II.
T3 Bamford Blue hits Black from A-baulk.

L7 Essick lifts Yellow to A-baulk. Makes target of Blue / Black (~22y)
Misses to 5' N of Blue.

L7 Webby Blue taps Yellow. Stops Yellow into lawn. A bit too far for rush to rover; don't think red will rush to rover.

L6G3T4 Death Red at Yellow from A-baulk (17y).
Misses.

L11 Fletcher needs straight double peel to complete TP.

L7 Webby Blue cuts Black toward rover. Approaches, almost sending Black off S bdry.
Runs rover, rushes Black 2y W of 4th corner. Takes off to Yellow...

Wilson wins game 3, leads Fisher 2-1
+17, I guess.

L7G2 Webby has leave
Essick Yellow hits 30-yarder.

L7 clips: Essick Red 4-back Yellow 2; Webby Blue peg, Black peg

L6G3T5 Bamford has first break.

L5 at lunch.

L11 Fletcher breaks down!
Clarke on lawn.
I'll take a 200-yard walk to discover what happened...

I only get 20 yards. when a returning husband brings news.
Fletcher had good irish peel at penult, so would have been going for finish.
His clips are now rover and peg - we don't know what went wrong.
Clarke is 4-back, and on a break to peg from 1-back.

L7 Essick Yellow picks up break. Runs 3, attempting 8' peel on red thru 4-back.
Red goes thru by a few inches.

Tony Hall stops by to say hello.
Lovely man, and my pioneer: it is believed he was the first to write an online commentary.
It was at the WCF World 14-point Team Championship, in Italy, in the year 2000.
This was won by Wales.

Thanks to Jimbo for the research.
The Australian team was Hall & Oates & Oates!
Several bonus points available if you can name the English team without cheating.

Jimbo = James Death.
Jim Nicholls is also known as Jimbo.
The WCF nickname committee should rule on this matter.

L7 Essick is lining up rover peel before 3-back.
Peelee sails thru.

L6G3T7 Bamford Black has made 9, spread.
One would hope not a B-spread this time.
T8 Death lifts Yellow from by peg to B-baulk.
Misses to 4th corner.

Essick wins game 2 +2tp, leads Webby 2-0

I make the expedition to lawn 11.
I don't have the gory details, but there are 3 clips on the peg and Clarke's other is on 4-back.
Fletcher is on the lawn...

Fletcher wins game 2 +5, leads Clarke 2-0

L6G3T7 Bamford picks up second break.

They've restarted on L5.
From the look of it, Fisher had 3rd turn hit and leave.
Wilson hits 4th turn.

Every second round match was won by the younger player.

L6G3T7 Bamford Blue peels Black thru 4-back before 6.

It's raining. Not drizzle, rain.

L5 Wilson approaching 6

L6 Bamford Blue fails 6!

L6 Also Black wasn't peeled, he just removed the clip briefly as it was distracting from his rush to 6.

L6G3T8 Death Yellow misses Blue (8y).

The Yellow ball went on to hit 2-back, ends up in front of 1.

L6G3T9 Bamford Blue hits Red (7y).

Clarke had a finishing turn in G2, but failed 4-back.

Lawns 7 and 11 lunching.

L5 Fisher hit the long lift shot.

L6G3T9 Bamford Blue takes off to Yellow, hits wire.
Can he see Yellow? Can he return to mother?
The player didn't bother to look whether Yellow can run 1 from where it is.

Bamford Blue retires to N bdry behind 4-back.
Can Black run 4-back? Dunno.

L6G3T10 Death Yellow has 1y, 15 deg hoop.
Runs it to S bdry.
Can hit Red a few yards away.
Death takes croquet!

North boundary

Death Yellow takes off to S of Black, rush-peels it thru 4-back to Blue.

Death Yellow runs hoop 2 to bdry.
The North boundary.

L5 Fisher going round.

L7 T1 Essick Yellow narrow supershot, 4y NNW of 5.
T2 webby Black just S of II
T3 Essick Red at Black....

Essick hits!

L7 Death has break. he will be aiming to complete the TPO.

L6

L7 Essick is going round 3rd turn.

L6G3T10 Death Yellow peels Black thru penult after 6.

L5 Wilson is taking on 13-yard lift shot.
Hits.

L6G3T10 Death Yellow blobs short angled 3-back,

L6 Black is v close to rover, Blue 4y SSW of 4-back, Red is 2y N of 3-back.

L6G3T11 Bamford Blue at Red, ref on to watch Yellow just in case. Ref marks Yellow out of habit, I guess.

L7G3T3 Essick makes 9, leaves the 3 balls SW of 2
T4 Webby misses from A-baulk.

Bamford hits Red.

Bamford thinking.
To be fair, thinking is necessary on his occasion.

this occasion.

L7G3T5 Essick Yellow peels Red thru 4-back after 3.

I'm off to check on the farther lawns.

L11 Three balls in middle of lawn.
Fletcher hits 4th turn, is going round.

L7 Essick has done 2 peels, is for 2-back.

L6 Bamford Blue croquets Red near 1-back going to Black.
Rushes Black 4y N of 4.
Bombards Yellow thru 4, getting 2' rush to 6!

L6 Bamford Blue croquets Red near 1-back going to Black.
Rushes Black 4y N of 4.
Bombards Yellow thru 4, getting 2' rush to 6!

L6 Bamford Blue croquets Red near 1-back going to Black.
Rushes Black 4y N of 4.
Bombards Yellow thru 4, getting 2' rush to 6!

L7G3T5 Essick peels rover before 3-back, misses return roquet after 3-back.

L5G4:
T4 Wilson to 4-back
T5 Fisher to 4-back
T6 Wilson blobs !
T7 Fisher hits with forward ball, leave
T8 Wilson misses
T9 Fisher misapproaches 1, leave
T10 Wilson hits, has standard TP in front of him

T6 Wilson blobs 1

Sorry for triplicate comment earlier, but it was a good bombard!

L7G3T6 Webby Black has break.

L6G3T11 Bamford Blue peels Black thru rover after 2-back.

L5 Wilson jawses 4-back peel after 3.

Wilson wins game 4 +17tp

Wilson Beats Fisher 3-1

L7G3T6 Webby intends to peg out Essick's Red.

L11G3T4 Fletcher to 4-back, spread
T5 Clarke misses to 4th corner.
T6 Fletcher picks up 3-ball break.

Death is the last Englishman standing!

Bamford wins G3 +18

Bamford beats Death 3-0

L7 Webby pegs out Essick.

L7 clips: Essick Yellow 4-back, Red box; Webby Blue 1, Black peg.

L7 The Blue is 2y W of 4th corner.
The Black is in or near 2nd corner.

Essick has contact.

T7 Essick Yellow takes croquet from Blue. Rolls northwards. Well short.
Blue is 5y W of 4-back. Yellow has nine-yard hoop.
Takes it on, hits left wire, goes off near end of B-baulk.

T8 Webby Blue to 1y E of 1st corner.

T9 Essick Yellow at Black (12y)...

... Essick misses,
comes on 1" N of Black.

T10 Webby Black taps Yellow. croquets Yellow 5y NNW of 3.
Black lags to 3y NE of Blue.

T11 Essick Yellow to end of A-baulk.

T12 Webby decides to play Black, rather than try to make progress with Blue.
Black hits Blue.
Takes off to Yellow.
Hits Yellow, rushing it Eastward a few yards

Black croquets Yellow 4y SE of 4-back.
Black lags 4y ENE of Blue.

I'm outside, it's starting to rain.

T13 Essick Yellow is shooting...

Yellow misses Black. (28y)

I've moved under the awning but the rain is blowing in.
Back inside, I fear.

T14 Webby Blue taps Yellow, croquets it northward.
Makes 1 off Black.
Rushes Black south.
Big croquet stroke, short with both balls.
Knocks Yellow off W bdry, 2y N of peg-high.
Essick calls "Shot!", as you do when you want oppo to go for hoop.
6' hoop 2....

Webby runs 2 to the boundary.
Another big croquet stroke. has 4y "rush" on Black.
Approaching 3 from 3y NE.
Good stroke.
Has 3-ball break.

Stopped raining, back where I can see.
Webby's hoop 5 pioneer is 7y S of hoop for some reason. (Can't do pass rolls, I suppose.
Makes 5, but the hoop 6 pioneer is 2y SW of peg.
Good rush to hoop.

Four-yard return roquet after 6. Hits, but that means no 2-back pioneer.
Webby Blue makes 1-back off Black.
Lift pending!

Yellow is 3y WNW of peg.
Blue plays pretty good croquet stroke after 1-back, 2y rush on Yellow...

... also pretty good.
Blue runs 2-back to boundary.

Favourite to finish now.

Webby Blue makes 3-back off Black, no rush.
Yellow is 3y SSW of 4-back.
Big roll from beside 3-back...

That's good.
3-yarder at Yellow
Approaching 4-back from 2y SE.
Bit short, 2' hoop slightly angled....

Crunches thru to boundary.

Makes penult off Black, runs it by 2'
Ref is on for hampered 7' roquet.
Doesn't look too tricky.
Plays it standing up.
No problem.

The Yellow ball is 3y N of hoop.
Tentative rush to rover.
Good approach.

Webby wins Game 3 +4
Essick leads 2-1

Good turn!

Fletcher wins Game 3 +26tp (probably)

Fletcher beats Clarke 3-0

Referees fettling the hoops.

Time for a cup of tea.

Chance to catch up on some emails.

Earlier I glibly chracterized James Galpin as a converted Golf Croquet player.
Kathy Wallace of Nailsea CC puts me right:

I must disagree with the comment about James G. coming to croquet though GC, or because of GC.
He came to Open Day at the club as a 13 year old so GC was his first experience and where he first hit the big time.
However, he was always fascinated by AC and came to watch AC tournaments right from the start.
Ask him if he thinks he came to the sport via GC!
Peter Dyke coached him for years but I do claim to have shown him how to do a spread when I wanted him in my 3rd team in the Advanced League when his handicap was about 10.
By the next day, he was doing them with ease (spreads). He also upset the opposition in the League by playing too well!

Such a shame he missed that lift shot in the last game – but he’ll be back

Sorry the last sentence is Kathy's too, forgot to italicize it.

Referees doing a thorough job on lawn 7.

An Australian, born in Melbourne, now living in England,has been in touch.

... it sounds like you had fun with fish and chips. Flake is the Australian equivalent of cod (insofar as it's the standard fish and chips choice). It's actually shark, but for some reason when it's battered and fried it gets called flake.

Can you guess who it is?

Clue:I have played doubles with him.

Never mind, we're off.

G4T1 Webby Black 12y N of IV
G4T2 Essick Yellow 6" S of II
G4T3 Webby Blue at Black from A-baulk.
Misses badly to the South, Blue comes on 1' S of Black.

G4T4 Essick Red makes double from B-baulk.
Red hits Blue.

Blue now 2y S of Black.
Red stops Blue into lawn, rushes Black not well.
Black is 3y SW of 2.
Red takes off to Yellow, cuts it Southward a few yards.
Rolls Southward - pass roll.
Red can run 1!
- but fails to do so.

Looks like Red is due East of hoop, v close to wire.
Yellow is 5y away, but can't see much of Red.

Webby is changing his shirt, to wolf-whistles from the crowd.

G4T5 Webby Black at Yellow (17y)...

... misses to S bdry.

Wrong!
Webby clipped Yellow.

Sorry about that, I'd avoided major commentary errors up to that point.
Minor errors such as confusing |East and West don't count.

G4T5 Webby Black croquets Yellow 2y NE of 2 going to Blue.
Taps Blue, take-off to Red.
Hoop-and-rush at 1 gives Webby first break

We have sunshine!
I may even remove my sweater.
Or not, it's breezy out here.

Webby making serene progress. Has reached hoop 5.

Thirty-odd spectators watching this with me outside.

Or should that be thirty odd spectators.

Also two camera-people,one with tripod, one monopod.
I haven't mentioned the live streaming. After all TMS doesn't say you could be watching this on Sky.
But if you are reading and watching, how is it?
I understand Gareth Denyer (Australian Welshman) has been doing the audio.
I am being superseded, but I shall drivel on for now.

G4T5 Webby Black has reached 3-back, is planning a spread.

G4T5 Webby fails 3-back. Maybe 4' straight hoop - his take-off from the peg was short.

G4T6 Essick Yellow can rush Blue to the E bdry. Blue goes to 2, now taking off from Red to Black 5y away.
4' rush on Black to 1...right strength, wrong direction.
Rolling to 1 from 5y South
1' angled hoop.
Runs it by 1'
Hits 6-yarder, should pick uo break now.

G4T6 Essick Yellow thru 2 with 4-ball break.

Beyond the lawn is the club's perimeter fence, and the other side of the road is an educational building of some sort.
There are two flags flying. On the right is the Australian flag, on the left a flag with 2 horizontal stripes, Black and Red, with a Yellow circle in the middle.
Any ideas?

I ask the crowd.
It's the Australian Aboriginal flag.

Essick Yellow has reached 6. Red is the early 2-back pioneer.

Sorry I failed to notice that Webby peeled red to 2 at the start of his break.

Clips: Essick Red 2, Yellow 4-back; Webby Blue 1, Black 3-back.

Essick lays NSL with Blue at 4.

G4T7 Webby lifts Blue to 3rd corner.
Shooting at Red (21y)...

... misses to 4th corner.

G4T8 Essick Red rushes Yellow 5y SW of Black. (which is 4y SSW of 2)
Redruns hoop 2, but only just
Black is 4' away. Can he hit it?

Essick is on his knees.
Hasn't called the ref yet

Mallet in the air.
Tworefs march on.

Sorry
Two referees march on.

Sorry
Two referees march on.

One to check no hands on legs etc, one to check for bevelled edges.
Clean shot, but misses to just beyond Black.

G4T9 Webby Black rushes Red to Yellow by 3. (Blue still in 4th corner)
Black rushes Red 1y W of Blue.
Can't see 4th corner from here, waiting for Blue to hove into view.

Here it comes.
Blue is rushed 5' SE of 3-back.
Webby Black makes 3-back.
Black rushes Blue 3y N of 1st corner.

Black takes off to Yellow near IV, hits it.
Big roll out of corner. Yellow is 4y SW of 6, Black has 6-yarder at Red.
Misses it to N bdry.

Clips: Essick Red 3, Yellow 4-back; Webby Blue 1, Black 4-back.

G4T9 Essick Red has 5-yarder at Black.
Centre-ball.

An aeroplane takes off from Melbourne's main airport, about 5 miles to the geographic NE.

G4T9 Essick Red plays good croquet stroke, but poor approach shot.
Not happy.
This looks worse than 45 deg.
Rejection.
Are Red and Yellow cross-wired?

G4T10 Webby coming to have a squint.
They must be cross-wired, Black lags to Blue.

Essick lying on the ground to see if there's a sliver for either ball.

G4T11 Essick Yellow to 4th corner.

G4T12 Webby Blue makes 1 with Eastward rush.
Overcuts Black, it's now 4y SW of peg.

I've just been sold raffle tickets by an enterprising young Bassett.

Webby rolls to 2, putting Black nr W bdry.
Runs 5' hoop to boundary.
Hits 7-yarder.
Red is at 3

|Another big croquet stroke.
Black is croqueted 4y E of 4, Blue has 3-yarder at Red. 9/10 for that stroke.
But now Webby misapproaches 3.
Short and angled, but possible.
Tries to flip it thru, fails.

All clips on the same hoop, 3 & 4-back apiece

G4T13 Essick Red hits 5-yarder at Blue, snicking it the right way.
Makes 3.
Subsequently hits 6-yarder at ball in 4th corner to establish a 4-ball break.

G4T13 Essick Red eyeing a delayed TP, but his hoop 6 pioneer isn't deep enough.

It's a nice day at last, though as I write this the sun disappears behind a cloud.
The crowd has swelled to about 50, not counting those in the warmth of the hut.

G4T13 Essick Red has optimistic 6y peel attempt before 6, Yellow flicks off West wire.
Now has 4-yard tonk to 6, restalking because of wind.
And again.
Now middles it.

G4T13 Essick Red runs 6, but not cleanly. Ref is on, but this looks OK.
Delay while balls diligently marked. Indeed that wasn't too tricky.

Essick is still committed to the triple peel.
Black is the 2-back pioneer, but it's at 4-back.
As per Bamford earlier today.

Oops my laptop battery has given up the ghost.
Back inside hut.

Essick failed to get his 4-back peel before 2-back, but plays good rush and makes hoop.

Now Essick trying to rush-peel Yellow before 3-back.
Yellow is in front of hoop, but he can take off somewhere near Blue.

In here I'm surrounded by deprecatory experts.
"Should have left rush-peel til before 4-back."

Essick has still not got his 4-back peel.
He'll have to settle for being 4-back and peg.

A diagonal spread is expected.
Or maybe not.
"I wouldn't have put that there."

Clips: Essick Red peg, Yellow 4-back; Webby Blue 3, Black 4-back.

Leave: Blue 6y S of 4-back, Black 9y WNW of peg. Yellow in 4th corner, Red 2y N of Yellow.

G4T14 Webby lifts Blue to A-baulk, shoots at Yellow (13y).
Misses on the right.

G4T15 Essick Yellow takes off from Blue, rushes Red to W bdry.
Yellow rushes Black to 10' S of 4-back.
Approaches to 3 or 4'
Runs hoop to boundary.
Red is at penult.

Yellow makes penult, no forward rush
Black is 4y N of rover.
Good roll.

Takes lot of wire at rover, but he's thru.

Essick wins game 4 +15

Essick wins match 3-1

This is a civilized time to finish.
It's still daylight!

Tomorrow we have the semi-finals:
Robert Fletcher v Matthew Essick
Edward Wilson v Reg Bamford

On lawns 3 and 4 was the plan, don't know which way round.

Til 08:30 tomorrow (21:30 today UK),

Bye, Andrew