South of England Championship
The Final by Andrew Gregory
Good morning from Eastbourne.
25 Sep 2022 10:33AM (Tournament); 10 Readers
Harry Fisher has just defeated David Maugham with a 5th turn TP.
Jamie Burch has had the morning off, so is practising on lawn 4 before the final on lawn 3.
25 Sep 2022 10:36AM (Tournament); 10 Readers
Best weather of the weekend now. Sunshine, bit breezy.
25 Sep 2022 10:42AM (Tournament); 10 Readers
Friday was damp till lunchtime, then the rain intensified and it wasn't pleasant.
Not much rain yesterday but chilly.
25 Sep 2022 10:43AM (Tournament); 10 Readers
Burch still practicing.
25 Sep 2022 10:46AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
The final will be best of 3, normal advanced.
25 Sep 2022 10:47AM (Tournament); 13 Readers
I am doing this on my phone, not sure I'll be able to keep up!
25 Sep 2022 10:50AM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Start is imminent.
25 Sep 2022 10:54AM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Harry Fisher v Jamie Burch
25 Sep 2022 10:55AM (Tournament); 14 Readers
T1 Burch Blue 3y SW of peg.
25 Sep 2022 10:56AM (Tournament); 14 Readers
T2 Fisher Red East boundary 13y N of IV.
25 Sep 2022 10:57AM (Tournament); 14 Readers
T3 Burch Black at Red from B-baulk.
Misses into 4th corner.
25 Sep 2022 10:58AM (Tournament); 13 Readers
T4 Fisher Yellow at Red from A-baulk. Misses.
25 Sep 2022 10:59AM (Tournament); 13 Readers
T5 Burch Black at Red (from IV).
Misses to 3rd corner.
25 Sep 2022 11:00AM (Tournament); 13 Readers
T6 Fisher Yellow taps Red, Red to 3, Yellow short on Blue, but a good cut rush, and he has the first break.
25 Sep 2022 11:02AM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Oops, Red is at 2 not 3.
25 Sep 2022 11:03AM (Tournament); 14 Readers
After 2, the big croquet stroke is not ideal. Yellow has 5-yarder at Black. Sticks it, should get round now.
25 Sep 2022 11:06AM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Oops again, snicks not sticks.
I blame autocorrect.
25 Sep 2022 11:07AM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Kids' football is going on an adjacent pitch. The ball went on to lawn 5, which was empty at the time. The young lad crawled on to the lawn to retrieve it, so that his spikes didn't damage the court.
25 Sep 2022 11:11AM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Fisher is making 2-back off partner.
Diagonal spread coming up.
25 Sep 2022 11:14AM (Tournament); 15 Readers
I'm told that both of Burch's shots along the east boundary hilled off.
25 Sep 2022 11:16AM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Fisher has made 9.
Black is by the peg.
T7 Burch lifts Blue to A-baulk.
Misses badly.
25 Sep 2022 11:17AM (Tournament); 16 Readers
T8 Fisher Red taps Yellow, little take-off, rushes Blue in lawn, overhits croquet stroke, not bad cut but it's a backward take-off. Red hills to leave a more angled hoop than one would like. He copes, rather fortunately getting a rush.
You'd expect him to finish now.
25 Sep 2022 11:24AM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Fisher Red peels Yellow thru 4-back after 3.
25 Sep 2022 11:26AM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Poor croquet stroke before 4 has the hoop 5 pioneer 3y east of hoop.
Ends up running 5 farther than he'd like.
25 Sep 2022 11:31AM (Tournament); 17 Readers
A decent croquet stroke rescues the situation.
He's back in full control.
25 Sep 2022 11:33AM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Fisher Red peels Yellow through penult after 6.
25 Sep 2022 11:33AM (Tournament); 18 Readers
Fisher is attempting the rover peel before 2-back.
Nicely done.
25 Sep 2022 11:37AM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Fisher wins the first game +26tp
25 Sep 2022 11:44AM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Lunchtime.
25 Sep 2022 11:45AM (Tournament); 18 Readers
Game 2
25 Sep 2022 12:01PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
T1 Fisher Black 7' NW of 5.
25 Sep 2022 12:02PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
T2 Burch Yellow at Black from near 1st corner.
Misses to 3y east of peg.
25 Sep 2022 12:03PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
T3 Fisher makes target from A-baulk.
Shoots hard.
Misses to just west of 3rd corner.
25 Sep 2022 12:04PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
T4 Burch Red picks up break.
25 Sep 2022 12:05PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
The sun is behind a cloud, it's a bit chilly out there so I've relocated to the hut.
Burch has reached 1-back.
25 Sep 2022 12:12PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Burch has made 9.
Diagonal spread with blue by the peg.
The sun's out again.
25 Sep 2022 12:18PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
T5 Fisher lifts Black to A-baulk.
Hits Yellow
25 Sep 2022 12:19PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Fisher now approaching 1 from 5 yards for some reason. Copes.
25 Sep 2022 12:22PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Experts are unsure what to expect.
TPO? POPS?
25 Sep 2022 12:23PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
After 2, Fisher rushes Red into the jaws of 6. That scuppers the TPO, if it was ever happening.
25 Sep 2022 12:26PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Joel tells me I have 19 readers.
25 Sep 2022 12:29PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
Yellow has been left near the west boundary.
9 hoops, no POPS.
25 Sep 2022 12:34PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Red is left very near 4. In the jaws? Can't tell from here.
25 Sep 2022 12:35PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Clips: Fisher Blue 1 Black 4-back; Burch Red 4-back Yellow 1
25 Sep 2022 12:36PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
T6 Burch lifts Yellow to A-baulk.
Hits Blue.
25 Sep 2022 12:37PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Red is in the jaws, so Burch rushes Black to 1.
After 1, Red is extracted. The rush to 2 isn't great. Underapproaches. Retires to east boundary.
25 Sep 2022 12:41PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
T7 Fisher misses 14-yarder.
25 Sep 2022 12:42PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Apparently Fisher had a target, but the shot was poor.
Burch has got his break back.
Yellow makes 2 off Red.
The attempt to put red in front of 4-back from 20 yards is unsuccessful, so the triple will be delayed.
25 Sep 2022 12:47PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Burch yellow peels red thru 4-back before 6.
25 Sep 2022 12:52PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Red will be the 2-back pioneer.
25 Sep 2022 12:54PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Burch Yellow peels Red thru penult before 4-back
25 Sep 2022 1:00PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Burch Yellow runs 4-back, but not to the boundary as intended. Red is close to rover.
25 Sep 2022 1:02PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Before rover, yellow unhelpfully rushes black into red. Still should finish.
25 Sep 2022 1:03PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Irish peel of rover goes well.
Burch wins game 2 +17tp
25 Sep 2022 1:05PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Game 3
25 Sep 2022 1:10PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
T1 Burch Black 2y NW of 5.
25 Sep 2022 1:10PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
T2 Fisher Red 13y N of 4th corner.
25 Sep 2022 1:11PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
T3 Burch Blue at Red from B-baulk.
Hits.
25 Sep 2022 1:12PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Good roll after 1 sets up 3-ball break for Burch
25 Sep 2022 1:13PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
T3 Burch Blue has made 9 hoops.
25 Sep 2022 1:22PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Burch is not doing the three ducks leave.
Rather he leaves Black 11y N of 4th corner, with a rush on Red to Blue on the west boundary.
25 Sep 2022 1:24PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
T4 Fisher Yellow shoots at Black from A-baulk.
25 Sep 2022 1:25PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
T4 Fisher misses.
25 Sep 2022 1:26PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
T5 Burch approaching 1 from 4 yards. 4 foot hoop. Fails into the jaws.
25 Sep 2022 1:29PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
T6 Fisher misses 15-yarder.
25 Sep 2022 1:29PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
T7 Burch relieved to be back on lawn, but some work required to retrieve the break.
25 Sep 2022 1:32PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Fisher's last shot hilled off. Allegedly.
25 Sep 2022 1:33PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Burch has played an incredible roll stroke, putting peelee in front of 4-back from twenty yards.
25 Sep 2022 1:36PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Burch Black peels Blue through 4-back after 3.
25 Sep 2022 1:37PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Burch has something to think about at 6. Black peels Blue through penult after 6. A good croquet stroke from the North boundary and he's back in full control.
25 Sep 2022 1:43PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Not sure why but Burch is unable to try the rover peel before 3-back. Also the 4-back pioneer is 3y north of hoop. Burch gets a forward rush after 3-back so he's OK.
25 Sep 2022 1:47PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Burch needs to negotiate a straight rover peel to win the championship.
25 Sep 2022 1:49PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Irish peel is good.
25 Sep 2022 1:50PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
The rush to the peg is good.
25 Sep 2022 1:50PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Burch wins game 3 +26tp.
25 Sep 2022 1:50PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Jamie Burch is Champion of the South of England
25 Sep 2022 1:51PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
And the winner of the coveted "Worst Player in the Event" title is... me!
Because I lost to Tribe who lost to Mulliner who lost to Maugham who lost to Fisher who lost to Burch.
Mind you I'm probably the worst player in the non-technical sense also!
25 Sep 2022 1:58PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Unless you're playing in the Secretary's Shield final, I'll see you next season. Good luck to our boys in the Mac.
Cheers Andrew
25 Sep 2022 2:04PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
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