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Croquet England AC Open Championship

Sunday Singles by Andrew Gregory

Good morning from Surbiton.

The sun has just broken through.
The third heatwave of the summer continues.

13 Jul 2025 9:40AM (Tournament); 1 Readers

The two semifinals resume this morning.

On lawn 3 Robert Fulford and Mark Avery will start their deciding game.

On lawn 4 Jenny Clarke and James Death are in their third game.
Death has pegged out Clarke.
1 and peg v penult alone.

13 Jul 2025 9:45AM (Tournament); 3 Readers

We should really be starting the final now.
Fulford got to rover and peg, then failed the hoop once and misapproached it on his second chance.
Clarke blobbed 4-back on a finishing turn.

13 Jul 2025 9:48AM (Tournament); 1 Readers

The players are warming up.

13 Jul 2025 9:54AM (Tournament); 6 Readers

Who is favourite in the pegged out ending?
The crowd is unsure.

13 Jul 2025 9:57AM (Tournament); 6 Readers

Death
Blue peg
Black 1
Clarke
Yellow penult
Red pegged out

Time expires in 3 hours.

13 Jul 2025 9:59AM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Yellow is in or near 4th corner.

Death black makes 1, 2.
Lays wired rush between 2 and 2nd corner.

13 Jul 2025 10:01AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Clarke yellow to 1st corner.

13 Jul 2025 10:01AM (Tournament); 11 Readers

Death good rush to 3.
Makes hoop.
Now looking at wired area near 3rd corner.

Clarke shoots (40y).
Misses.

13 Jul 2025 10:04AM (Tournament); 12 Readers

On lawn 3 Fulford is shooting at his duffer tice on 4th turn.
Hits.
Avery is joined up on east boundary.

13 Jul 2025 10:05AM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Death makes 4.
Has to retrieve ball from the bushes.

13 Jul 2025 10:06AM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Yellow is 4 or 5y N of 3.
Blue 3y SE of 4.
Black still in the bushes.

13 Jul 2025 10:08AM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Fulford is thru 1.

13 Jul 2025 10:08AM (Tournament); 11 Readers

Death's black has been located.
He rushes blue off east boundary.

13 Jul 2025 10:10AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Fulford has break.

13 Jul 2025 10:10AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Death rolls his balls toward 1st corner.
One of the balls falls off the lawn.
Blue is 3y W of 1st corner.
Black is 2y W of Blue.

Surely it's not a wiring lift?

13 Jul 2025 10:12AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

My runner thinks this is wired.

A second runner thinks it's open.

Ref is on.

13 Jul 2025 10:14AM (Tournament); 11 Readers

Clarke has wiring lift.

13 Jul 2025 10:15AM (Tournament); 11 Readers

Clarke yellow taps black to blue.
Here is the crucial rush...

13 Jul 2025 10:16AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

... mishit.

She is about 7y N of 1.
Thick take-off approach.
Not in front.
Takes position.

13 Jul 2025 10:18AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Fulford has reached hoop 6.

13 Jul 2025 10:19AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Death Blue to 3rd corner.

13 Jul 2025 10:19AM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Clarke runs penult to by the peg.

13 Jul 2025 10:20AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Clarke takes posi at rover.

Death black misses yellow (15y).

Clarke fails angled hoop.

13 Jul 2025 10:22AM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Death black 4y west of blue in 3rd corner.
He's trying for a wired spot.

5 and peg plays rover alone.

Yellow is 1y east of rover.

13 Jul 2025 10:24AM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Clarke shoots at blue.(26y).
Misses.

13 Jul 2025 10:25AM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Death plays blue.
Take off to Black.
Lays up near 1st corner.

Not wired!

13 Jul 2025 10:27AM (Tournament); 6 Readers

Black is 4y N of 1st corner.
Blue 8' SW of 1.

Clarke yellow to 4th corner.

13 Jul 2025 10:28AM (Tournament); 6 Readers

Death black rushes blue 6y S of 5.
Drive approach ends up too angled.

13 Jul 2025 10:29AM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Fulford has made 9 4th turn.
NSL

13 Jul 2025 10:29AM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Death's blue is 5y NNW of 6.
Black goes off north boundary.

13 Jul 2025 10:31AM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Avery lifts ball at 4 to A-baulk.
Misses Black.

13 Jul 2025 10:31AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Clarke stays in 4th corner.

13 Jul 2025 10:32AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Death blue hits black (6y).
Lays wired rush.

13 Jul 2025 10:33AM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Clarke yellow to 1st corner.

13 Jul 2025 10:33AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Fulford didn't get a good rush to ball near west boundary.

13 Jul 2025 10:34AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Death rushes blue to east boundary.
Rolls toward 3rd corner.

13 Jul 2025 10:35AM (Tournament); 11 Readers

Clarke yellow stays in 1st corner.

13 Jul 2025 10:36AM (Tournament); 11 Readers

Fulford has leave.

Avery's shortest shot is 23 yards.

Which he hits.

13 Jul 2025 10:39AM (Tournament); 11 Readers

Death lays wired rush nr 3rd corner.

13 Jul 2025 10:40AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Avery takes off off the lawn.

13 Jul 2025 10:40AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Clarke stays in 1st corner.

Death makes 5.
Looking to leave rush wired by hoop 6.

13 Jul 2025 10:43AM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Fulford is thru 1.
Slightly hampered, asks for ref.

13 Jul 2025 10:44AM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Clarke yellow to near 3rd corner.

13 Jul 2025 10:45AM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Fulford now has opportunity for standard tp.

13 Jul 2025 10:46AM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Death black makes 6.
Lays up near 1st corner.

Peg and 1-back v rover alone.

13 Jul 2025 10:47AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Yellow stays in or near 3rd corner.

Death improves his rush.

Yellow stays.
Waiting for her lift.

13 Jul 2025 10:49AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Death black runs 1-back but takes too much wire.
Has to retire to south of 4th corner.

13 Jul 2025 10:51AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Clarke lifts Yellow to A-baulk.
Shoots at Black (13y).
Hits.

Blue is 8y W of peg.

13 Jul 2025 10:52AM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Fulford has just rush peeled partner through 4-back before 5.

13 Jul 2025 10:53AM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Clarke yellow takes off.
She's 2y N of blue.
Cuts it 2y SSW of rover.
Take off yields 4, maybe 5 foot hoop...

13 Jul 2025 10:55AM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Yellow runs rover to boundary.

8y return...

13 Jul 2025 10:56AM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Yellow snicks blue!

13 Jul 2025 10:56AM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Clarke wins game 3 +7

13 Jul 2025 10:57AM (Tournament); 15 Readers

Fulford peels partner through penult after 6.
Peelee about 2' south of penult.

13 Jul 2025 10:58AM (Tournament); 13 Readers

Fulford's first 3-back pioneer isn't great so partner is also sent there.

13 Jul 2025 11:00AM (Tournament); 11 Readers

A couple of indifferent shots and Fulford has a missable 2-back.
Runs it to boundary.
Hits 5y return.

13 Jul 2025 11:02AM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Fulford is thru 3-back.
Rover peel will have to wait.

13 Jul 2025 11:03AM (Tournament); 11 Readers

Straight rover peel coming up.

13 Jul 2025 11:06AM (Tournament); 11 Readers

In the modern way Fulford has 2 side balls rather than a deep ball.

Irish peel goes well.

13 Jul 2025 11:09AM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Fulford wins game 3 +26tp

8th turn I think.

13 Jul 2025 11:09AM (Tournament); 11 Readers

Best-of-3 final will start shortly on lawn 2.
Robert Fulford v Jenny Clarke

13 Jul 2025 11:11AM (Tournament); 6 Readers

On the head to head:
Fulford and Clarke have played 16 ranked games.
Clarke has won two, winning a match at the 2006 Australian Open.

13 Jul 2025 11:18AM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Last occasion a woman played in the Open final:
1966 Hope Rotherham
Last time a woman won:
1960 Hope Rotherham

13 Jul 2025 11:20AM (Tournament); 6 Readers

T1 Clarke blue 8y N of IV
T2 Fulford yellow hits blue from A-baulk

13 Jul 2025 11:21AM (Tournament); 6 Readers

Fulford rolls both balls into the middle of the lawn.
Blue is 2y E of peg.
Yellow 2y S of blue.

13 Jul 2025 11:23AM (Tournament); 5 Readers

T3 Clarke black makes target from A-baulk.
Shoots hard.
Hits.

13 Jul 2025 11:24AM (Tournament); 4 Readers

Black takes off to blue.
Rush sails 6y past 1.
Declines the approach.
Rolls toward east boundary, but well short.
Blue is 5y east of 5.
Hits black off east boundary east of blue.

13 Jul 2025 11:28AM (Tournament); 6 Readers

T4 Fulford red hits blue (10y)
Blue is 6y N of black.
Take off no rush.
Yellow is v close to peg, where can it be rushed?
Halfway between 1 and 5.
Approach is short.
After some thought red retires to 3rd corner.

13 Jul 2025 11:33AM (Tournament); 6 Readers

Clarke joins up.
Or rather hits 25-yarder.
She's in middle of east boundary.

13 Jul 2025 11:34AM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Clarke plays roll. Blue goes a couple of yards past 2. Black doesn't get rush on yellow.
Take off approach.
4' hoop.
Failed, bounces off just where Fulford wants it.

13 Jul 2025 11:37AM (Tournament); 8 Readers

T6 Fulford yellow runs 1, but only just.
Ref is on.
This is more difficult than I thought.
Sweep shot.
Gets it.

13 Jul 2025 11:39AM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Big croquet stroke after 2.
Yellow falls off lawn near 3rd corner.

13 Jul 2025 11:42AM (Tournament); 6 Readers

T7 Clarke black hits red (5y).

13 Jul 2025 11:44AM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Clarke black rushes yellow near blue.
Rush to 1 good strength but 2y N of hoop.
Take off approach.
4' hoop.
Hoop and roquet.

13 Jul 2025 11:46AM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Clarke black rolls blue to 4.
Has northward rush of yellow.
Rush to 2.
Another take off approach.
Runs it to boundary.
Hits 5 yard return.
Has break.

13 Jul 2025 11:49AM (Tournament); 5 Readers

Clarke is approaching 3 from 3 yards.
Makes it.
Break not yet under full control.

13 Jul 2025 11:52AM (Tournament); 6 Readers

Clarke is thru 4.
Hoop 5 pioneer 4y W of hoop.

13 Jul 2025 11:55AM (Tournament); 5 Readers

Clarke thru 5.
Should go round now.

13 Jul 2025 11:58AM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Clarke blobs 6 from nowhere.
Calls on ref to check hoop.

13 Jul 2025 12:00PM (Tournament); 6 Readers

No jam.

13 Jul 2025 12:02PM (Tournament); 7 Readers

T8 Fulford yellow knocks Black out of hoop.

He's through 3 with a break.

13 Jul 2025 12:05PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Fulford runs 6.

13 Jul 2025 12:12PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Fulford has won this title 11 Times.
Reg Bamford has the record with 12.

This is Fulford's 20th final.

I invite Statto to correct me!

13 Jul 2025 12:16PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Jenny Clarke is the current NZ Open Champion.
Has anyone ever held both titles?

Clips
Fulford
Red 1
Yellow 4-back
Clarke
Blue 1
Black 6.

13 Jul 2025 12:21PM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Defensive leave coming up.
Blue is 8y S of 2nd corner.
Black in middle of east boundary.
Red is just north of 4th corner.
Yellow 2' north of red.

13 Jul 2025 12:26PM (Tournament); 6 Readers

T9 Clarke lifts black to A-baulk.
Misses 13-yarder.

13 Jul 2025 12:27PM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Joe Hogan won the 1989 Opens, which was also the first World Championship.
He then won the NZ Open in early 1990.

13 Jul 2025 12:28PM (Tournament); 7 Readers

T10 Fulford approaches 1 from 3y in front.
The ball bobbles to the east.
He can't run hoop.
Retires to north boundary.

13 Jul 2025 12:30PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

T11 Clarke blue hits black (22y)
Near 4th corner.
Takes off to red.
Rolls red to 2, getting 2y rush on yellow.
Rushes yellow 6y E of 1.
Approaches 1 sending yellow toward west boundary.
Runs hoop to Red.

13 Jul 2025 12:35PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Clarke blue makes 2.
No break yet.

13 Jul 2025 12:36PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

My researcher has found that Fulford won the Open and NZ Open in 2006.

13 Jul 2025 12:37PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Clarke sends croquet stroke off lawn next to partner, near 4th corner.

T12 Fulford yellow hits black (9y)

13 Jul 2025 12:39PM (Tournament); 6 Readers

I'm carelessly in a spot where I can't see 4th corner.
Black appears near end of A-baulk.
Blue is rushed near red by 1.
Can Fulford engineer crosswire?

13 Jul 2025 12:43PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Blue is sent near West boundary.
Yellow 7y S of 3rd corner.
Red in 3rd corner.

13 Jul 2025 12:47PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

T13 Clarke blue hits yellow (30y)

13 Jul 2025 12:47PM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Clarke blue approaches 3 from 3rd corner.
Not in front.
Joins up.

13 Jul 2025 12:49PM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Red has 11-yarder but Yellow is at 3.

T14 Fulford yellow to 2nd corner.

13 Jul 2025 12:50PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Clarke blue rushes red from 4 to 3.
Take off from 3y east of hoop.
Fails hoop.

13 Jul 2025 12:53PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

T16 Fulford red rushes blue 3y east of 2.
Yellow is in 2nd corner.
Black is near 4.

13 Jul 2025 12:55PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Fulford croquets Blue 5y N of 3 going to black.
Black now 5y ESE of 1.
Red hits yellow.

13 Jul 2025 12:58PM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Fulford leaves rush out of 2nd corner.

T17 Clarke black misses blue (28y)

13 Jul 2025 1:00PM (Tournament); 10 Readers

T18 Fulford red rushes yellow to 2.
Takes off to Black.
Now rushing blue to 1.
Runs 4' hoop to within 5y of black near 6.
Hits 5-yarder.

13 Jul 2025 1:04PM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Black is conveniently near 3.
Takes off back to blue near 1.
Gets rush on it.
Might be able to set up standard triple.

13 Jul 2025 1:07PM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Fulford red peels Yellow thru 4-back after 3.

13 Jul 2025 1:15PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Fulford Fulford red fails to peel Yellow thru penult after 6.

13 Jul 2025 1:18PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Might be rushpeelable?

13 Jul 2025 1:18PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Fulford indeed rush peels Yellow after 1-back.
Yellow bounces off peg toward 2-back.

13 Jul 2025 1:22PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Yellow will be the 4-back pioneer.

13 Jul 2025 1:25PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

After 4-back, Fulford rushes yellow to rover. Some think he could try the rover peel now, but he wants to stay in complete control.

13 Jul 2025 1:30PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Croquet stroke after penult has inadvertent collision. This means Fulford will have just the one side ball.

13 Jul 2025 1:33PM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Straight rover peel.
Yellow goes through.
Red stops in jaws.

13 Jul 2025 1:34PM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Fulford wins game 1 +19tp

Best-of-3

13 Jul 2025 1:35PM (Tournament); 7 Readers

My researcher has come up with another player to have held Open and NZ Open titles at the same time.
John Solomon 1963.

13 Jul 2025 1:37PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Lunch.
Though I have already snuck in the main course.
Finally I am commenting on someone you can ignore for a fee minutes in confidence they won't break down.
Off for pudding now.

13 Jul 2025 1:40PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Joe Hogan won Open and NZ Open in 1986.

13 Jul 2025 1:57PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Someone's been measuring the lawn.
14.5 plummers near the peg.
15 near 3rd corner.

13 Jul 2025 2:01PM (Tournament); 9 Readers

G2T1 Clarke east boundary
T2 Fulford hits, rolls both into lawn.
T3 Clarke hits.
Same start as Game 1.

13 Jul 2025 2:04PM (Tournament); 6 Readers

Clarke approaches 1 from 6y to the east.
Not an impossible hoop.
She removes the clips.
Thinks better of it.

Three balls scattered between 1 and 2, roughly.

13 Jul 2025 2:07PM (Tournament); 7 Readers

T4 Fulford blue from B-baulk at yellow (12y).
Blue would have gone off near 1st corner, but it hits yellow.
Rushes yellow near 1. Some think he might go for 1 now. Instead he goes round the balls, approaches from 2y SE, runs it too well, has to knock his hoop 2 pioneer away.

13 Jul 2025 2:11PM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Fulford has slightly angled hoop 2.
Runs it to the boundary for a break.

13 Jul 2025 2:14PM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Both Plate semis (technically finals) went to time.
The final (play-off) is Omied Hallam v Joe King.

Z final is Jack Good v David Fuller.
Fuller won the Z last year.

13 Jul 2025 2:19PM (Tournament); 11 Readers

Fulford's 2-back pioneer is 2y south of hoop.
So he sends a second pioneer.

13 Jul 2025 2:23PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

1-back is a bit angled.
He runs it to the south boundary.

13 Jul 2025 2:25PM (Tournament); 7 Readers

Fulford has made 9.
All other clips on 1.

13 Jul 2025 2:29PM (Tournament); 6 Readers

Positioning the NSL ball from a yard.
Not good, you can see most of that from A-baulk.

13 Jul 2025 2:31PM (Tournament); 5 Readers

Blue rushes red to west boundary.
Take off back to black.
Now playing thick take-off, sends black off in middle of east boundary, blue off a yard or two south of 2nd corner.

13 Jul 2025 2:36PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

T5 Clarke lifts Red to A-baulk.
Misses yellow (9y, not full ball).

13 Jul 2025 2:37PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

Black is 8' north of red.

13 Jul 2025 2:38PM (Tournament); 9 Readers

T6 Fulford Black hits red.
Black ricochets into yellow, knocking it 2' west.
Black rushes Yellow to 1.
Through hoop.
Red is 4y WSW of peg.

13 Jul 2025 2:41PM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Black tries to rush red to blue.
Red hits hoop 2, bouncing off 2y to the east.
Approaches hoop.
Runs it to boundary.
Does he go for Blue (6y)?
No, hits red to 8y S of 2nd corner.

13 Jul 2025 2:44PM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Fulford croquets red inlawn.
Big croquet stroke from by 2nd corner.
Blue is meant to go to 4 but the peg intervenes.
Black a bit far from yellow.
Hits yellow.
Fails 3.

13 Jul 2025 2:47PM (Tournament); 8 Readers

T7 Clarke yellow at blue (8y).
Misses.

13 Jul 2025 2:47PM (Tournament); 9 Readers

It seems Fulford could run 3 should he wish to do so.
T8 Fulford blue at red (10y).
Misses.

13 Jul 2025 2:50PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

T9 Clarke red at yellow (16y).
Misses, but at least she's joined up.

13 Jul 2025 2:51PM (Tournament); 11 Readers

T10 Fulford blue at Black (17y).
Misses.

13 Jul 2025 2:52PM (Tournament); 10 Readers

T11 Clarke red rushes yellow 3y east of 2nd corner.
Take off to Black.
Rushes black to blue.
Rush to 1 is more of a cut than it should be.
Rushes it into back of hoop 1.
Take off.
Jumps through hoop and over blue.

13 Jul 2025 2:56PM (Tournament); 10 Readers

After 1, Clarke red at yellow (13y).
Hits.

13 Jul 2025 2:57PM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Take off back to blue.
Knocks blue near end of A-baulk.
Take off to 2, too far.
Off north boundary.

13 Jul 2025 2:59PM (Tournament); 10 Readers

T12 Fulford blue to 1st corner.

13 Jul 2025 3:01PM (Tournament); 10 Readers

T13 Clarke red overcuts rush to 2.
Take off, runs hoop.
Hits yellow off west boundary.
Rolls both toward black.
Almost too hard.
Hits black.
Tries drive approach of 3.
5 or 6' hoop.
Gets it.
Misses yellow (8y).

13 Jul 2025 3:06PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

T14 Fulford Black at Red or yellow. (25y).
Misses.

13 Jul 2025 3:07PM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Black comes on just S of red.
T15 Clarke red.
Opportunity for promotion.
Crowd would have hit that harder.
Good rush of yellow to 4.

Makes 4.

13 Jul 2025 3:10PM (Tournament); 9 Readers

Take off to Black.
Knocks it near end of B-baulk
Take off to 5.
Hoop possible but inadvisable.
Back to yellow near 4th corner.

Clips
Fulford
Blue 4-back
Black 3
Clarke
Red 5
Yellow 1

13 Jul 2025 3:13PM (Tournament); 11 Readers

T16 Fulford blue at Red/ yellow.
(25y)
Misses.

13 Jul 2025 3:14PM (Tournament); 11 Readers

T17 Clarke red stops blue into lawn.
Rushes yellow to 5.
Runs 5 to north boundary where black is waiting.

13 Jul 2025 3:16PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Clarke red takes off to blue.
5 or 6y short.
Hits blue.
Sends blue to 1-back, going to yellow, which is halfway between 5 and the peg, a bit east if that.
Good shot.
Rushes yellow 3y shy of 6.
Takes off.
Runs hoop to black.

13 Jul 2025 3:20PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Clarke grovels thru 1-back.
Mallet in the air straight away.
Ref is on.
Awkward.
Misses.

13 Jul 2025 3:24PM (Tournament); 10 Readers

The only good thing is that the short shots available are all for blue not black.

13 Jul 2025 3:26PM (Tournament); 10 Readers

T18 Fulford blue hits red.

13 Jul 2025 3:27PM (Tournament); 11 Readers

Fulford blue sends red toward 2nd corner.
Rushes yellow near 1st corner.
Sends yellow 1y SSE of 4.
Rushes black toward 3rd corner.
No wait - he's approaching 4-back.
Doesn't get in front.
Leave for black.

13 Jul 2025 3:31PM (Tournament); 10 Readers

T19 Clarke yellow to 1st corner.

13 Jul 2025 3:32PM (Tournament); 10 Readers

T20 Fulford thinks.
Is this an opportunity for a hoop for Black and peel of blue?

13 Jul 2025 3:35PM (Tournament); 11 Readers

T20 Fulford does something that doesn't involve scoring any points.

13 Jul 2025 3:37PM (Tournament); 11 Readers

T21 Clarke yellow at blue/ black (34y).
Misses.

13 Jul 2025 3:38PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

T22 Fulford Black fails to peel blue going to yellow.
Approaches 3 sending yellow toward 4.
Runs hoop, peels Blue going to red.

All very clever.

13 Jul 2025 3:42PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

I missed Fulford running 3.
My expert says he was trying hoop and rush, took a lot of wire, ran hoop by a fraction.

Now Fulford has failed 4.

13 Jul 2025 3:45PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

T23 Clarke red hits black.
Rushes yellow 5y SSE of 2-back.
Take off.
Fails hoop.

13 Jul 2025 3:46PM (Tournament); 11 Readers

T24 Fulford Black has 12-yarder at yellow
Hits.

13 Jul 2025 3:49PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Nice croquet stroke, OK rush to 4, fails hoop.

13 Jul 2025 3:50PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

T25 Clarke red hits black.
Neglects to cut the rush to 2-back.
Rolls up from 4y, perfect.
Through 2-back.
Ball at 3-back, also one at 4-back should she wish further progress.

13 Jul 2025 3:54PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

Clarke is making 4-back, but not penult by the looks of it.

13 Jul 2025 3:57PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Wrong again, she is making penult.
I'd have thought she could have had a better pioneer. Maybe a parity issue.
Runs penult too far, rushes blue off south boundary.
Not sure if the intention was to make rover as well, but the clip is on now.

Black is left 7y NE of 4.
Blue is 14y S of 2nd corner, in a bit.
Yellow has rush out of 2nd corner.

Clips
Fulford
Blue penult
Black 4
Clarke
Red rover
Yellow 1

13 Jul 2025 4:04PM (Tournament); 9 Readers

T26 Fulford plays blue as it lies.
Hits red (13y).

13 Jul 2025 4:05PM (Tournament); 9 Readers

While he's thinking it's teatime.

13 Jul 2025 4:06PM (Tournament); 10 Readers

Fulford has corner cannon.
Red is sent near end of B-baulk.
Yellow rushed near 4.
Yellow is left a few feet SSW of 4.
Blue is looking to give black a wired rush.
You or I would leave the rush to 4.
Fulford leaves the rush to red.

13 Jul 2025 4:14PM (Tournament); 14 Readers

T27 Clarke yellow to just north of 1st corner.

13 Jul 2025 4:15PM (Tournament); 14 Readers

T28 Fulford Black rushes Blue into red.

13 Jul 2025 4:16PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

Black rushes red 3y SE of 4.
Takes off to yellow.
Sends yellow 5y west of 1.
Back to black.

13 Jul 2025 4:21PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

Slight pause as Phil C explains the nuances of the Tour de France to Jenny.

13 Jul 2025 4:22PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

T29 Clarke red to 3rd corner.

13 Jul 2025 4:23PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

T30 Fulford blue rushes black near red.
Rushes red to middle of east boundary.
Croquets red southwards, blue stops 6" from the boundary.
Blue hits yellow.
Yellow is sent 9y west of peg.
Blue to 4' west of black.

The manager has been researching.
1998 Fulford v Fournier is regarded as the first and last best-of-7 final.
But check out 1871.

13 Jul 2025 4:30PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

T31 Clarke red at Blue (30y).
Misses.

13 Jul 2025 4:32PM (Tournament); 14 Readers

T32 Fulford Black rushes blue into red (on purpose!).
Rushes red off west boundary.
Red to 5.
Approaching 4 from 2 or 3y NE.
Runs hoop to boundary.

13 Jul 2025 4:35PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

This could be the finishing turn.

13 Jul 2025 4:38PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

Jack Good beat David Fuller in the battle of the natty hats.

13 Jul 2025 4:38PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

Fulford concentrates on getting the break fully under control before thinking of the double peel.

13 Jul 2025 4:42PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

Big stroke after 1-back. Pretty good but leaves 4-yarder. Copes.

13 Jul 2025 4:44PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

Fulford Black makes 2-back off blue, with yellow waiting near the south boundary.
Red is 3y NW of 3-back.

13 Jul 2025 4:45PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

Maybe if the double peel doesn't work out, peeling red thru rover and pegging it out might be an option.

Fulford's intended 4-back pioneer (yellow) smacks into the peg.
Blue has to go to 4-back.

13 Jul 2025 4:48PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

Black fails 3-back.

13 Jul 2025 4:49PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

T33 Clarke lifts Yellow to B-baulk.
Hits Blue (6y).

13 Jul 2025 4:50PM (Tournament); 17 Readers

Blue is 9y N of 4.
Take off to N of black
Knocks it out of hoop to south boundary.
Black is sent halfway between 2 and 6.
Very good rush of red to 1.
Runs hoop too cleanly.
Misses 10y return.

13 Jul 2025 4:54PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

T34 Fulford Black to 4th corner.

Clips
Fulford
Blue penult
Black 3-back
Clarke
Red rover
Yellow 2

13 Jul 2025 4:55PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

T35 Clarke red at yellow (6y).
Hits.

13 Jul 2025 4:56PM (Tournament); 14 Readers

Red takes off to Black.
Sends black 4y ENE of 3
Sends blue 4y SW of 2
Leaves rush for yellow pointing NE.
Or maybe north by northeast.
The film sequel that never was.

13 Jul 2025 5:01PM (Tournament); 14 Readers

T36 Fulford blue to 1st corner.

13 Jul 2025 5:01PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

T37 Clarke yellow rushes red off east boundary 7 or 8y from black.
Hoop 5 may have been in the way of a better rush.
Two yard rush to 2.
Goes 5 yards past.
Rolling up.
Good shot.
Runs hoop to boundary, to the east of black.

13 Jul 2025 5:06PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

Yellow taps Black.
Big shot, yellow goes past red.
Approaching from 10 feet.
Hoop isn't too angled but she jumps it anyway.
One more good croquet stroke required for 3-ball break.

13 Jul 2025 5:09PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Approaching 4 from 7' in front.
Thru 4.
Clarke has break, blue still in 1st corner.

13 Jul 2025 5:11PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Clarke yellow takes off from black near 4 to blue.
Red is 2y WSW of 5.
Is hoop 1 in the way for yellow?

13 Jul 2025 5:13PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

Yellow misses 1 by inches.

Balls finish in ideal position.

Angled hoop 5.

Another jump.

Clarke fails 5

13 Jul 2025 5:15PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

T38 Fulford Black at Red (6y).
Hits.

13 Jul 2025 5:16PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

Red to 4-back.
Black very slightly too far on Blue.
Not sure exactly where yellow is and where it can go.
Black gets rush on yellow.
Yellow is rushed 2y NNW of 3-back.
Take off approach.
Runs it, again by a long way.
Hits red (7y).
Red was to be the 4-back pioneer.

13 Jul 2025 5:21PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

Fulford Black takes off from north boundary to yellow.
Yellow to 2y SE of penult.
OK rush has blue 4y S of 4-back.
Take off.
Runs hoop into red.

13 Jul 2025 5:24PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

Red is sent to rover.
Finishes about 1' SW of rover
Blue is at rover also.
Single peel of oppo coming up.

13 Jul 2025 5:27PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

Fulford Black does well to set up hoop and rush at penult.
Yellow crashes into the peg.
Technical promotion of red.
Peeling red from one foot in front...

13 Jul 2025 5:30PM (Tournament); 14 Readers

Red is thru rover.
Black is nearly thru rover.
Just what you want.

13 Jul 2025 5:32PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

Fulford Black stops blue toward east boundary.
Rushes red to 7' from peg.
Pegs out red.
And Black.

13 Jul 2025 5:34PM (Tournament); 14 Readers

Yellow was left 3y in front of 5.

T39 Clarke plays yellow as it lies.
Fails hoop.
Bounces off 1y to west.

13 Jul 2025 5:36PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

T40 Fulford Blue off west boundary.

13 Jul 2025 5:37PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

Not sure if that was a shot.

T41 Clarke takes posi at 5.

T42 Fulford blue hits yellow (13y).

13 Jul 2025 5:38PM (Tournament); 16 Readers

Blue takes off to penult.
Takes position.

13 Jul 2025 5:39PM (Tournament); 15 Readers

T43 Clarke yellow at blue (18y).
Misses.

13 Jul 2025 5:39PM (Tournament); 14 Readers

T44 Fulford runs penult to 8y beyond rover.
Takes 5' position.

13 Jul 2025 5:41PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

T45 Clarke yellow at blue (22y).
Misses.

13 Jul 2025 5:41PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

T46 Fulford 15" in front of rover.

13 Jul 2025 5:42PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Either Clarke has to run 5 or hit a sliver of blue.

T47 Clarke misses.

T48 Fulford runs rover to south boundary.

Applause as Omied Hallam wins the Plate.

13 Jul 2025 5:44PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Blue to 10y east of peg.

T49 Clarke hits 25-yarder.

13 Jul 2025 5:45PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

Blue is sent 4y N of 2.
Yellow not in front of 5.
Clarke taps Yellow in front of 5.

T50 Fulford misses the peg to near 4th corner.

13 Jul 2025 5:47PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

T51 Clarke runs 5 to north boundary.
Good shot to take one yard position at 6.

13 Jul 2025 5:48PM (Tournament); 14 Readers

T52 Fulford lags to a few feet south of peg.

13 Jul 2025 5:50PM (Tournament); 12 Readers

T53 Clarke decides she doesn't have a backswing to shoot at blue as it lies.
Runs 6 to boundary.
Misses Blue (18y).

13 Jul 2025 5:51PM (Tournament); 11 Readers

T54 Fulford hits peg.

Robert Fulford is Open Champion

13 Jul 2025 5:52PM (Tournament); 11 Readers

Thanks for reading

Cheers Andrew

13 Jul 2025 5:53PM (Tournament); 13 Readers

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