Good morning,

Just doing the beginnings of games this morning as I have other things to do later.

Matches today are:

Lawn 9: Avery & Burch v. R. Fletcher & McCormick

Lawn 2: Death & Fisher v. Dumergue & Forster

Lawn 1: Clarke & Bryant v. Balding & Soo

Lawn 3: Patel & Carter v. M. Fletcher & Wilson

Lawn 4: Chapm & Fordyce v. Rothman & Morgan

Lawn 9:

McCormick plays Blue into C2
Avery plays Yellow to 5ft N of C4
Fletcher plays Red into C4
Burch plays Black at Red and misses in C4.

Fletcher plays and is approaching H1 from 4.5y

Lawn 2:

Fisher plays Blue to EB standard
Forster plays Red to C2
Death plays Black at partner from A-Baulk. Hits, takes off to C2, rolls Red to 7y South and 4y W of H2, retires to partner with a rush to red.
Dumergue plays down EB (from 3y W of corner - due to the hills) and aims at the inside ball. Hits, rushing Blue to 3y W of C4.

Lawn 1:
NZ to EB.
Soo's Yellow to C2
NZ to EB, misses.
Balding at Blue and Black on EB. Hits and gets a cannon!
Rushes to H1, and makes it, rushing back to EB. Loads Blue up towards 2 and gets a rush to C2. Rushes partner back out of C2 to H2 and makes the hoop. Hits Black in C2 and should be away.

Lawn 4:
USA to EB standard (playing Red and Yellow)
Chapman to C2
USA at partner from A-Baulk, hits, does the same as Death did on Lawn 2. Retires with a rush.
Fordyce, Blue, hits USA and should have a break.

Lawn 3:
Fletcher, Yellow, supershot to 2yW and 4y N of H5.
Patel, Black, to longest point (19y) on EB.
Wilson, Red, shoots at Black from A-Baulk. Misses.
Carter, Blue, shoots at R and Bk ... or they probably will, if they ever make up their minds...
Plays from B-Baulk and hits Black.

Lawn 2: Dumergue underapproaches 1 with partner. 18in, 45 degree hoop... Plays a jump shot and lobs in the jaws. Black is 5ft SW of C2, and Blue is 3y N of H2.
Black plays at Red and hits in the middle. Break for Death ahead.

Lawn 9: Fletcher has dug out a break and is approaching H4.

Lawn 1: Balding away and has made H6.

Lawn 4: Fordyce up to H3.

Just a reminder, live clip positions and the latest play updates can be found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VjvMxLJ087wsZoCv6fIf3enrHImF4aZvkEYhGHhp9OQ/edit#gid=687196431 and livestreaming here: https://livestream.com/mysportlive/events/10679699

Balding, Fordyce, Death, Carter (approaching 1), R. Fletcher all in break and looking good.

Death looking comfortable on the lawn at last (for the series I mean). There were signs of it yesterday, but today looks like normal Death - which is good, because as we all know, this lawn (Lawn 2), is notoriously hilly, and Death is an extremely exciting player to watch.

One addition to the status of this game, Death put Dumergue's yellow through H1, and looks like he's considering peeling it through H2 at some point. Considering anyway.

Lawn 4:
Fordyce fails H6, with Morgan 3y on the other side. Ref is called to adjudicate, and Morgan hits.

Lawn 2: Death rushes Blue to the leg of 1back, plays a croquet stroke lobbing Black in the jaws, and it sneaks through by millimitres and is hampered.

Lawn 1: Very neat Diagonal spread.
Clarke lifts the westerly ball (Black) and fires down EB. Misses to just out of C4.

Lawn 9:
Fletcher sets a diagonal spread, stopping at 3back (again - has been doing this each match since he's been playing with McCormick).

Lawn 2: Death plays at Blue with ref in attendance. Misses.

Dumergue has a 9 yarder at 1.5 balls at H2 (his hoop), or an 8.5 yarder on Red near H1 if he takes the lift - can put Bl and Bk in the background and make a double if he wants. That's the shot I'm taking, because as it is, if he hits the front ball at H2, the chances are good that the back one will be cannoned off the lawn and in a bad spot...

Dumergue, however, takes the latter option, and hits the front ball on the correct side and the back ball stays where it is. Black is snuck and goes 3 yeards. Looks like he'll do a square shot loading 3 and going to the ball at 1, then coming back to the H2 load.

Plays it not wonderfully, and Black only just gets past the H6 H5 line, but Yellow doesn't quite get wired from Red down near H1. Hits red and should be fine. Is through H2 and away.

Lawn 9: Avery picks up Yellow, the westerly ball, and shoots down EB at the inside ball. Misses.
On the stop at 3back from R. Fletcher, this will be for 2 reasons
1: because McCormick is the weaker player of the two, and if England get a chance to TPO Fletcher out and leave a 1 v 2 game with McCormick being the 1, they are in a weaker position - so making it a QPO almost entirely negates that likelihood.
2: AUS are more likely to win the game under current lawn conditions and test situations and player confidence, if McCormick is not attempting a TP, and just doing a break to the peg.

However, McCormick blobs H1, and Burch hits from 4y North. Burch is now up to H2.

Lawn 3: Carter is up to his leave (diagonal spread)

Lawn 1: Soo is up to H5.

Lawn 4: Morgan is up to 2back.

Lawn 1: Soo was not up to H5, but is now - and is setting up for a standard delayed TP, Red and Blue now sitting in good positions in the 4back vicinity.. Good to see!
Argh! Soo approaches from 4ft SW, and overrolls. Hoop is now unrunnable. Bummer. Thinking (and without partner in attendance, which is great to see - the On Player and their partner both having confidence in the On Player's own ability to make a sensible decision on their own. Would love to see more pairs doing that. Scatters the receiver, Black off the middle of the North Boundary, and Yellow goes off the West Boundary just North of the peg. Blue now has a rush on Red to Yellow.

Lawn 9: Burch sneaks through H4, and gets some forward roll, so has a sweep at Black, the receiver, and hits.

Lawn 3: Old Standard Leave (OSL) form Carter. Fletcher lifts the Easterly ball to A-Baulk and hits.

Temperate today is due to be about 20 degrees, a slight drop from yesterday's 28. An extra day's grass growth and the slight drop in evaporation rate should make for slightly easy playing conditions, and a reduction in wind should also assist players to keep in control, but still, the hills are unmoved and the pace is still good, so the conditions are by no means yet to be classed as "trivial".

Lawn 1: Bryant takes rush to Yellow, rushes back to Black, and hasn't managed to get a rush to 1. Yellow is over near 2, Red is mid EB, and Bryant plays a defensive roll from NB to H1. Doesn't get in front, and retreats to half way between H1 and C1.

Lawn 4: OSL sort of thing for a leave. R and Y are about 5y apart on EB.
Blue is lifted and misses into C4. Rothman sets off but stops short by failing H1.

Lawn 3: Fletcher rushes to H3 from H1 area, good rush but poor approach (up hill) pulls up short. Still makes the hoop and all is good. Break continues.

Lawn 9: Burch has run H9 and is setting a spread.

Lawn 2: Dumergue crawling around with confidence, and is through H7.

Lawn 1: USA Yellow goes to C4, and Clarke is away. Big roll to H2 from mid court (East of peg), and doesn't get position. Retreats to give herself a rush on partner almost directly S of H4. It's a 4y rush, but may be wired from Y which is 7y S of H3. Red is 3y N of H2.

Lawn 3: Malcolm tries to peel Black through 1 on his way to H6. Bounces out but is still straight in front. Break continues.

Lawn 9: Fletcher lifts Black from the peg, shoots down the EB and hits. Will be setting up.

Lawn 4: Chapman got going but has underapproached H3 (up hill...). Ugly angled hoop ahead, but it's close, so plays it smoothly and carries on.

Lawn 2: 9 hoops have been made but the leave is now being discussed. Why now?

Once again, it looks like a break from an Australian which is really neat, but then an explosion occurs for the leave. Looks like a hastily constructed reverse diagonal/OSL. Black is 2.5y N of peg, 2' W, Blue is 2y off EB, level with 5, Red and Yellow will be up in C2 with a rush South. Hmm.

Lawn 9: Fletcher makes a hoop (the 3rd reason for stopping at 3back, which I forgot to mention), sets a leave for McCormick. Yellow is just off EB just S of H3. Red is 3y NW of H2. Blue has a 4ft rush from C1 towards H1. Burch (Red) runs to C4. Probably a good idea with McCormick, who is a bit out of rhythm, to play.

Lawn 1: Soo plays from H3 to H4, and hits the near ball (still 18y). Has been going around the world, but has now got in front of H6, and is through.

Lawn 2: Death taking shot from the peg at R and Y, with Ref in attendance in case of a cannon. Misses.

Lawn 9: McCormick makes H1, but with no rush anywhere. Rolls partner across towards EB S of H4 going to R in the corner. Doesn't get a rush but stops about 3in inside the EB. Lucky. Big split coming up.

Lawn 3: OSL. Black 4y S and 2y W of H2, Blue middle of EB. R and Y have a 2y rush North out of C4.

McCormick sets a rush out of C4, putting Red NW of the peg. Burch corners into C1.

Lawn 3: Patel lifts the Westerly ball, plays it at Red from A-Baulk, and hits.

Lawn 1: Soo up to 2back

Lawn 4: Chapman has made 3back and is setting a leave.

Lawn 2: Forster is up to H2, and has 2 balls ahead ready for a standard TP on the plate.

Lawn 9: McCormick hasn't succeeded in getting a good rush or good hoop position at H2, and will be retiring to NB behind partner with some sort of a rush.

Lawn 3: Patel (having been peeled through H1) has an easier start for a break, but harder start for a peeling turn than he would otherwise have had if Fletcher had not peeled him through 1. Successful tactic from Fletcher so far. Rush to H2 goes to NB behind H2, and a good takeoff will be required.

Forster had accidentally corquetted Blue into the jaws of 4back before 2, and this hinders him setting up his peels at H3. Runs H3 by a couple of inches, and has both Blue and Yellow in front of him - he can definitely hit one of them - but yellow is going to be a struggle. Hits Blue down lawn and will come back for a delayed TP later.

Lawn 4 - a leave to keep Dave Maugham happy ;)

Diagonal spread, but with Yellow just in front of H6...

That is Blue's hoop by the way, so quite reasonable in comparison to some options. Yellow is lifted and plays down EB.

Morgan hits down EB. This is with Yellow, which is for 4back, so it will just be a leave.

Lawn 2:
Forster just through H5 but can't hit the receiver. Shoots at H6 load and misses to NB.
Death shoots from H6 to H5, and misses to SB 2y W of H4.

Lawn 3:
Patel didn't make H3, and Fletcher is in with Yellow. Setting a leave with Black near C2, and Blue near WB level with H1, and R and Y just off EB level with H4 - possibly wired from Blue through H4.

Lawn 9:
Avery did a 10y join on SB, which scared McCormick off from making H2, and just encouraged a takeoff to C1 and reset. Reset put Y 5y S of H4, Red 5y NW of peg, and Bl and Bk up near C2 with a rush to C2. Burch shoots red at the balls in C2, and misses. McCormick taps red, rushes partner to H2 and makes it. No load at 3 so a couple of long rushes will be required to get this break going.

Lawn 1: Soo setting leave after rover - looks like a reverse diagonal.

Lawn 2: Red shot at Yellow and missed, and Blue then shot at Black and hit it on the SB. Has going around the world and may end up with a 6y roll to H1 off oppositon Yellow. Looks like he's not going to try it, but just retreat.

Lawn 9: McCormick sticks in 3 with partner... Red is 9y away, over by H6, but Avery shoots from 4y South of H4 at Blue and Black! Misses... Weird choice of shot.

Lawn 9: McCormick runs 3, rolls partner back to NB going to Yellow - doesn't get a rush - and loads Yellow to 3y E of H1 (i.e. it was a long load to H5), and a rush on R near H6 down to H4. Plays it well and then loads 6, but gets a long (4y) rush on Yellow towards H5. Stops 3y short, and will have a long sideways approach.

Lawn 9: Miserable attempt at an approach (takeoff to hoop from 3y... ends up with angled hoop and fails it badly, leaving Avery with a 2ft tap on - though a rush to mid SB)..

Lawn 3: Carter shoots from WB to EB - after several restalks. Misses. Wilson makes H1 with not much ahead. We'll see how confident he is today - looks good, demeanor wise, but...

Lawn 2: Fisher did end up rolling to H1, made a nice 4ft hoop, and is now off on a break approaching H2 (if he hits a 4y roquet at the H2 load).

Lawn 4: Morgan's hit down the line resulted in a leave, which NZ missed, and Rothman got going - but got a long angled position in front of H2... Retreats to partner W of H4.

Lawn 1: Clarke hit the long lift, set for Bryant, USA missed, and Bryant has just snuck through H1 with nothing at H2. Hits partner to up near H3, and should get a rush on Red (which is nearish to 3) to H2.

Lawn 9: Avery makes 1 but doesn't get position in front of 2. Lots of play left in this one!

Lawn 3: Wilson makes H2 with balls ahead and a good chance at a Standard TP. Yellow is peeled after H3, and break continues.

Lawn 4: Rothman set, Blue went to C2, Rothman then had a go at H2 - and failed. NZ had a 16 yarder with Black, and missed to near C2. Rothman plays load and hold and fails H2 again. Now 10y from partner. on NB, and Black is over by H3.

Lawn 2: Fisher is through H7 and is happily continuing.

Lawn 9: Fletcher misses Blue and Black, and Avery is away. Makes H2 with a forward rush to 4back with partner, where oppos escape ball awaits. Standard TP possibility here. Peel successful and break continues.

Lawn 1: Bryant is off and away. Approaching H4 with things under control.

Lawn 3: Wilson hampered after 5, but hits.

Lawn 4: Chapman fires the 16 yarder at Yellow on NB. Hits. Will be another leave.

Lawn 9: Avery has a 4y approach to H5.. fast bit of lawn there, but plays it well.

Lawn 9: Avery runs H5 up to H6, and comes back to rearrange things. Sill all under control for TP.

Lawn 2: Fisher on break to peg.

Other lawns: boring breaks.

Except for Lawn 4, which is a slow drying leave - which will be finished in about 10 min.

Lawn 3: Wilson sneaks through 1back as well. Hits the ball which was sitting near H6 awaiting a peel. Hits.

Lawn 4: Nothing has happened. Again.

Lawn 1: Bryant making 1back.

Lawn 2: Fisher through 4back.

Lawn 9: Avery up to 1back with penult peel in position.

Lawn 1: Bryant misses return 4 yarder after 1back.. USA has choice of 7 - 9 yard roquets all over the place.

Lawn 1: Balding lifts Red (the 4back ball), and plays at Yellow, which is 1.5y N of 2back, from SB. Plays it as a single ball target, although he could have had both Black and Blue in the background... Misses to WB level with H2.
Clarke attempts 4ft H2 with Black, fails.
Balding plays Red at Black. Hits.

Lawn 4: Leave is set (Bl and Bk in C1, R West of H2, Y E of H3). Yellow to C4. Blue hits but to nowhere. Plays a big roll to load 1back and get a rush to 6. Gets rush, but Black goes in yard line on NB between C2 and H2. Not an easy start ahead.

Lawn 9: Red is peeled through penult on the way to 2back. Break continues.

Lawn 2: Fisher has a leave. Diagonal but with the ball at the peg open to everything. Fisher's last shot goes to EB, 3y S of partner Blue.

Lawn 3: Wilson has a long 4back hoop, with partner at penult ready to peel. Runs it and continues.

Lawn 2: Forster picks up Red from the peg, and will be making a double down EB. Misses, and Death is in - heading for 2back. Doesn't get a rush on partner, so rolls them up to H2ish trying to get a rush on Yellow to 2back. Striker goes off lawn and leaves 5ft tap on or 4y tap on fro Dumergue.

Lawn 4: Fordyce rushed to Yellow near C4, rushed back to H6, didn't get near, approaches H6 and has an angled 1y hoop. More consultation... (I told Fordyce at the beginning of the day that it was his responsibility to keep the viewers awake! He said he wasn't sure if he could do that. Sigh.) Retreates to near C2, but with no rush on partner. Morgan plays Yellow at Black (14y) and misses.

Lawn 3: Straight double peel coming up. Peels penult cleanly to 2.5y W of Rover.

Lawn 1: Balding runs 4back and hits return roquet to just off SB behind Rover. Blue is on NB behind H2, and Black on SB behind H4. Tricky takeoffs/rushes coming up.

Lawn 9: Avery up to straight rover peel.. It's through and should be Game 1 to England, 26tp-13.

Lawn 1: No rush, and Yellow is now 2y N of SB, 5y W of the end of A-Baulk. Rolls Black to 5y S of H4, going to Bl on NB. Approaching penult from there.. Overrolls. Retreat signal is called.

Lawn 3: Doesn't get a great rush on peelee in front of rover. Plays for the jaws and half-jump... Perfect. Should be Game 1 to Australia, 26tp-11.

Lawn 4: Fordyce is off and away.

Lawn 9: Game 1 to England.

Lawn 3: Game 1 to Austrlia.

Lawn 1: Clarke hits lift at Yellow, and gets a good load to H3, and a rush on partner to H2.

Lawn 2: Dumergue sets leave.

Lawn 4: Fordyce on break.

Lawn 1: Clarke runs 3y hoop 2, misses a gentle 7y return roquet, and is heading back to the clubhouse from whence she came.

Lawn 2: Leave is basically an OSL without the lift. Anyway, Death plays from H3 to H2, hits, takes off to R and Y which are 5y apart just N of C4, hits the Southerly ball, and will have a nasty takeoff to try and get a rush to 2back.

Lawn 4: Fordyce has just run 4back - no peels.

Lawn 1: Soo has hit and is setting a leave.

I'll be signing off soon by the way, so hopefully a replacement commentator will materialize... Otherwise Trevor Basset (and Co.) are still doing live updates here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VjvMxLJ087wsZoCv6fIf3enrHImF4aZvkEYhGHhp9OQ/edit#gid=687196431 although the disadvantage of the spreadsheet is it doesn't save historical comments, so you only get the last few shots of each game.

Lawn 2: Death gets a sort of rush, plays a reasonable roll, and clubs through 2back by a few feet. More work ahead!

Death plays big takeoff to get behind Blue which is 2y off WB up by H2, and gets a rush to Red which is just N of C4. Plays it well.

Ok, I'll do the openings of Games 2 on Lawns 9 and 3, and depart

Lawn 9:
Avery (Y) to 9y N of C4.
McCormick (Bl) 1y N of C4.
Burch (R) at Blue - misses leaving a perfect double..
Fletcher (Bk), snicks Red by the tiniest amount. Whew.

Lawn 2: Death approaching 4back under control and with a finish ahead.

Lawn 1: USA set up South of H1, and it looks like Bryant has hit in from somewhere.

Lawn 4: Fordyce is up to the peg and consultation re. the leave resumes...

Lawn 9: Fletcher rushes partner up the line playing for a cannon. Just misses it, and it looks like partner is almost touching oppo's Yellow, but just in lawn and just South, and he will have a precision small shot to get a rush to H1. Tries to make H1 with precision to ensure a rush back towards C4. Plays it too gently/not cleanly enough and sticks in the hoop with Avery on the other side. Avery's chance to do the same..

Lawn 2: Death through Rover and will finish Game 1, 26-14. Does so.

Lawn 1: Bryant through 2back and should get to the peg and remove Mr. Soo from the chance of having any more practice in this game.

Lawn 4: Have a guess whether or not anything interesting has happened...

Lawn 4: OSL thing, and Rothman lifts the Easterly ball (Red) and plays the short shot across form A-Baulk. Hits. Rothman is still on H2. makes hoop, finally.

Lawn 9: Avery makes 1, but doesn't get a rush back. Splits to H3 and Black on EB. Takes off behind partner down in C4... and pulls up short. Big roll to H2 or leave coming up. Long hoop position and has a go at it (2y, 15 degrees) but fails.

Lawn 1: Bryant still going.

Lawn 3: begins...
Patel (R) to anti-duffer 3y off EB.
Fletcher (Bl) duffer, right on the Eastern leg of H6.
Carter (Y) shoots at anti-duffer from A-Baulk. Misses.
Wilson (Bk) at duffer from B-Baulk, on line to C1 if he misses, but middles it. Break opportunity for Wilson. Loads 2 going to oppo on EB, and gets a rush back to H1.

Lawn 9: Fletcher plays Bk at Bl from 20 yards and hits. Takes off to Burch near NB, hits, loads H2 and gets a rush on Yellow towards H1. Good rush and should be off and away.

Lawn 4: Rothman approaching H3 with partner nearby, but not quite near enough to get a standard TP going.

Lawn 1: Bryant still still going.

Lawn 3: Wilson through H1 with good break ahead.
Lawn 9: Fletcher through H1 with good break ahead.
Lawn 4: Rothman through H3 with delayed TP ahead.
Lawn 1: Bryant through Rover with leave set ahead.
Lawn 2: Yet to start G2.

Wilson fails a short but slightly angled H3. Patel has 3y tap on..

That's it for me from the moment. I will keep the commentary open and possibly throw in a few comments now and then if I have time / if anything interesting happens and nobody else is reporting.

In the meantime, enjoy the livestream and scoresheet spreadsheet.