The North of England Championship
Final day 2 by George Mallington
Just like the snooker world championship, the final of the northerns is being played over two days. Players have arrived at Bowdon and game 2 will commence shortly.
26 Aug 2025 9:02AM (Tournament); 3 Readers
Despite being the only two players left in the event and only some bemused locals here for the regular Tuesday morning club session in attendance, both players are still dressed in white.
26 Aug 2025 9:03AM (Tournament); 3 Readers
Maugham won the first game comfortably, but after a night's sleep, anything could happen today. There has been some rain overnight, so the brown patches will be less fierce today. That will favour both players, so it will be more important to hit in the opening that it has been for the rest of the weekend.
26 Aug 2025 9:07AM (Tournament); 3 Readers
4 hours 50 min remaining for game 2.
26 Aug 2025 9:11AM (Tournament); 3 Readers
Players are waming up now. There is light scattered cloud, 3 -- 4 octas and currently the sun is shining with no rain forecast for at least the next 2 hours.
26 Aug 2025 9:12AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
I believe Lines went first in game 1, but that gives no indication of who won the toss as Maugham would have chosen red & yellow either way.
26 Aug 2025 9:18AM (Tournament); 3 Readers
Same arrangement for game 2. Lines to east boundary.
26 Aug 2025 9:19AM (Tournament); 3 Readers
They're not playing super advanced. No prizes for guessing who declined it.
26 Aug 2025 9:19AM (Tournament); 3 Readers
Maugham to C2.
26 Aug 2025 9:20AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
Lines shoots at partner which hills off to the left and Maugham will take the long double from B baulk.
26 Aug 2025 9:21AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Maugham misses the long double and Lines will have the first chance of a break.
26 Aug 2025 9:22AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Lines slightly over-rushed to 1, but has taken off in front and has a 1 m straight hoop.
26 Aug 2025 9:25AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Which he runs to hoop 2. The closest ball is in corner 2, which he shows no interest in shooting at, so he returns to partner on the east boundary.
26 Aug 2025 9:26AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Maugham has found a bucket of dirt and is filling in old hoop holes.
26 Aug 2025 9:29AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Maugham shoots with his ball at hoop 1 and misses next to Lines's balls on the east boundary.
26 Aug 2025 9:30AM (Tournament); 6 Readers
Lines rushes to just south of C2. He stops red to H2 and turns around to hit yellow in the corner.
26 Aug 2025 9:33AM (Tournament); 6 Readers
He doesn't try to approach hoop 2. Instead he rolls yellow down to hoop 1 and retreats back to partner on the east boundary, near hoop 4.
26 Aug 2025 9:35AM (Tournament); 6 Readers
So a balls at hoops 1 & 2 leave.
26 Aug 2025 9:35AM (Tournament); 6 Readers
Pairing up on the east boundary, Lines accidentally scattered partner so now he has a 2 m join instead of a rush.
26 Aug 2025 9:36AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Maugham shoots red at yellow from H2 to H1.
26 Aug 2025 9:36AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Shanked it.
26 Aug 2025 9:37AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
Lines now has two balls near hoop 1, so he will play with black, which is for H1.
26 Aug 2025 9:37AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
He takes off to red on the south boundary in front of H1.
26 Aug 2025 9:38AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
The planes are on 23 at Manchester today, as they have been all weekend.
26 Aug 2025 9:38AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
Good length on the take off. Lines needs to croquet red to H2 and get north of yellow, which is 4 m north of H1.
26 Aug 2025 9:39AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
The croquet goes badly and he has a rush to nowhere.
26 Aug 2025 9:40AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
It will be a 4 m backwards take off to the hoop.
26 Aug 2025 9:40AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
Take off is long and he has a 2 m straight hoop.
26 Aug 2025 9:41AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
He runs it to halfway between red and yellow. Of course.
26 Aug 2025 9:41AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
5 m shot at yellow... hits! Centre ball.
26 Aug 2025 9:42AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
Red is a pioneer at H2 so he has one big roll shot to load H3 to play and then an easy break.
26 Aug 2025 9:42AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
Underhit.
26 Aug 2025 9:43AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
He's close enough to red, but yellow is closer to H6 than H3.
26 Aug 2025 9:43AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
No problem with hoop 2 and he has a rush pointing at both yellow and blue. He is contemplating which to rush to.
26 Aug 2025 9:44AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
He rushes to blue on the east boundary.
26 Aug 2025 9:45AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
A SAS A320neo departs on the SID overhead, enroute to Copenhagen.
26 Aug 2025 9:46AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
Lines has organised a dolly rush to 3 and he nearly has an organised break.
26 Aug 2025 9:47AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
Slightly short on the approach but very runable.
26 Aug 2025 9:47AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
Smoothly through.
26 Aug 2025 9:47AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
He's rushed the pivot in between hoop 4 and his pioneer.
26 Aug 2025 9:49AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
He decides to approach H4 directly, a shot that would not have been possible yesterday, but is easy today.
26 Aug 2025 9:50AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
It goes well. His hoop 5 pioneer is adjacent to the hoop and he needs one good croquet stroke to get a hoop 6 pioneer.
26 Aug 2025 9:51AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
There are seven people in the crowd, which is more than last night.
26 Aug 2025 9:52AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
The croquet loading 6 has gone very well indeed. He is making 5 off yellow, red is pioneer at 6 and blue is the pivot, which is 5 m east of hoop 6.
26 Aug 2025 9:53AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Break under control how and it will probably be a spread at 4back.
26 Aug 2025 9:56AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Conditions are much easier today. The hoops haven't moved, but the ground is much softer.
26 Aug 2025 9:58AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
He slightly overran 2b and almost missed the (short) return roquet!
26 Aug 2025 10:01AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Instead he's rushed red directly in front of H1, which blocks access to the pivot. This will screw up the leave.
26 Aug 2025 10:02AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
He's having to scramble a bit to make 3b now.
26 Aug 2025 10:03AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Good rush to 3b and a short approach should recover the situation.
26 Aug 2025 10:04AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Emirates A380 departing overhead to Dubai.
26 Aug 2025 10:04AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Lines turned down the opportunity to get an NSL and will instead have an OSL, which is not a bad idea since partner is for hoop 2.
26 Aug 2025 10:05AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
Good OSL. Yellow is on the the line of H1 and H2, a bit north of centre, red is 180 degree rotationally opposite and blue and black are in C4 with a rush for blue (the hoop 2 ball).
26 Aug 2025 10:08AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
Maugham lifts yellow and will shoot into C4.
26 Aug 2025 10:09AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
The shot does not come off the middle of the mallet and misses in between blue and black. Lines has to organise a rush to hoop 2 from red, which is roughly halfway between H3 and H4.
26 Aug 2025 10:10AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
Short rush of partner out of the corner makes for a tricky croquet loading H3 getting the rush to 2.
26 Aug 2025 10:12AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
He gets an ok rush but shanks it and it's not even past H6.
26 Aug 2025 10:13AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Big roll up from side on to H2.
26 Aug 2025 10:14AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
It's runable.
26 Aug 2025 10:14AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
About 1.5 m, 5 degree angle.
26 Aug 2025 10:14AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
He clubs it through to the north boundary. If he has a rush back to C4 he has a standard triple.
26 Aug 2025 10:15AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
He wimps out of the big rush. He just taps red and will play the split half roll loading H4 going to partner at H3.
26 Aug 2025 10:16AM (Tournament); 6 Readers
Hopefully for the crowd's sake this will be a delayed TP attempt, rather than a ball to peg.
26 Aug 2025 10:16AM (Tournament); 6 Readers
The half roll has gone badly. The H4 pioneer is 6 m north of H4 and the pivot is just outside C4. He might have to pick up the 4th ball after H4.
26 Aug 2025 10:17AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
He's rushed the hoop 3 receiver all the way to H4. Takes off to the pivot. He needs to get boundary side to get the rush north...
26 Aug 2025 10:19AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
It's just ok.
26 Aug 2025 10:19AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Cut rush north.
26 Aug 2025 10:19AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Goes pretty well. He has a half roll perpendicular to the rush line to hoop 4.
26 Aug 2025 10:19AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
It goes well, but his rush to H4 only goes half the distance he wanted. He has a 2 m straight approach to H4.
26 Aug 2025 10:21AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
He runs hoop 4 well and now has a 4-ball break, but no realistic prospects of any peels. Booo.
26 Aug 2025 10:22AM (Tournament); 6 Readers
I can't foresee anything interesting happening for a while now.
26 Aug 2025 10:23AM (Tournament); 6 Readers
The cloud layer is now best described as overcast. Some rain might be imminent.
26 Aug 2025 10:26AM (Tournament); 6 Readers
He makes 6 off partner and sends it to 2b, so he will need to swap pivots at some stage or else he'll be making rover off partner.
26 Aug 2025 10:28AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Meanwhile Maugham is on his 18th game of computer patience, while he patiently waits for his next turn.
26 Aug 2025 10:29AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
All under control approaching 2b.
26 Aug 2025 10:32AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
Partner (black) going to 4b, so I expect we'll see an early rover pioneer for the pivot swap.
26 Aug 2025 10:34AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
Or a straight triple!?
26 Aug 2025 10:34AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
A Cathay A350 on the climb out to Honkers.
26 Aug 2025 10:35AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
Early rover pioneer, so no stp thoughts. Boo.
26 Aug 2025 10:36AM (Tournament); 4 Readers
The only remaining interest in this turn is the leave. I'm expecting a spread. Red and yellow are both for H1.
26 Aug 2025 10:38AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Pleasant wish, ready-made? Not entirely, resort needed. (8)
26 Aug 2025 10:40AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Any idea? Drop them in the non-existent chat.
26 Aug 2025 10:40AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
A spread coming up. Yellow and black collected at the peg.
26 Aug 2025 10:42AM (Tournament); 6 Readers
Rain looking increasingly imminent.
26 Aug 2025 10:42AM (Tournament); 6 Readers
Rover safely negotiated, so it will be 4b & peg v 1 & 1, with a normal diagonal spread.
26 Aug 2025 10:44AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
The wide ball, red, is about 1 m west of the hoops 1 & 2 line, so plenty of space to get behind it to send out the penult pioneer.
26 Aug 2025 10:47AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Mizzle starts to fall.
26 Aug 2025 10:48AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
Enough to make Maugham go back inside.
26 Aug 2025 10:48AM (Tournament); 6 Readers
He's getting a jacket, not retiring.
26 Aug 2025 10:48AM (Tournament); 6 Readers
He will lift yellow at the peg and take the short shot, which is not really shorter than the long shot.
26 Aug 2025 10:49AM (Tournament); 7 Readers
Hoop 4 is in between the two balls.
26 Aug 2025 10:49AM (Tournament); 7 Readers
Never on target, so Lines now has a standard finish from 4b & peg to make it game all.
26 Aug 2025 10:50AM (Tournament); 5 Readers
The mizzle has turned into drizzle. Lines rushes across the lawn and now has one decent croquet stroke to play followed by one good rush.
26 Aug 2025 10:52AM (Tournament); 6 Readers
Croquet is good.
26 Aug 2025 10:53AM (Tournament); 6 Readers
Rush is not.
26 Aug 2025 10:53AM (Tournament); 6 Readers
He's approaching 4b from 4 m on a 45 degree angle.
26 Aug 2025 10:53AM (Tournament); 7 Readers
This would have been nearly impossible yesterday. Lines plays it quite tentatively.
26 Aug 2025 10:54AM (Tournament); 7 Readers
But he runs the 2 m angled hoop like he was straight in front. He should finsh now.
26 Aug 2025 10:55AM (Tournament); 8 Readers
A good croquet getting to the penult pioneer would help.
26 Aug 2025 10:55AM (Tournament); 8 Readers
The penult pioneer is 2 m west of penult and he is playing the croquet from near 4b.
26 Aug 2025 10:56AM (Tournament); 10 Readers
It goes a bit average. 7 out of 10, I'll say. The rover pioneer is due east of the peg, but he got the rush to penult, which was the main thing.
26 Aug 2025 10:57AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
He's too close to penult to get a forward rush, but he should still be ok.
26 Aug 2025 10:58AM (Tournament); 11 Readers
He's chosen to leave partner next to penult, which may make the peg out tricky.
26 Aug 2025 10:58AM (Tournament); 11 Readers
He got a good straight rush on red (the rover pioneer), but shanked the rush and is now approaching rover from 4 m straight.
26 Aug 2025 10:59AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
He plays a stop approach sending red deep and leaving a 1 m straight hoop.
26 Aug 2025 10:59AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Which he clobbers through to the south boundary. Now he needs a rush to partner at penult, which might be tricky.
26 Aug 2025 11:00AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
He's hit the red and rushed it to SW of the peg. Partner is so close to penul that there is a high probability of cross wiring or having the hoop hamper the rush to peg, so he tries taking off to yellow, which is near the east boundary.
26 Aug 2025 11:01AM (Tournament); 11 Readers
He doesn't get the rush to blue, so now he has a 12 m take off to it, perpendicular to the rush line.
26 Aug 2025 11:02AM (Tournament); 11 Readers
With penult very much in play.
26 Aug 2025 11:02AM (Tournament); 11 Readers
It's short!
26 Aug 2025 11:02AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
No rush to peg.
26 Aug 2025 11:02AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
He will just have to attempt the 5 m peg out. He missed one against me yesterday on the same lawn, although 90° rotated.
26 Aug 2025 11:03AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
He's down at ground level, lining it up.
26 Aug 2025 11:04AM (Tournament); 11 Readers
The crowd numbers have reduced to four.
26 Aug 2025 11:04AM (Tournament); 11 Readers
He's ready for the peg out...
26 Aug 2025 11:04AM (Tournament); 11 Readers
And nails it!
26 Aug 2025 11:05AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
So LInes takes game 2, +26.
26 Aug 2025 11:05AM (Tournament); 14 Readers
The rain has stopped and game 3 will start shortly.
26 Aug 2025 11:05AM (Tournament); 14 Readers
We are underway in game 3. Line had the choice and it all went as expected.
26 Aug 2025 11:15AM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Black to east boundary, yellow to just south of C2.
26 Aug 2025 11:15AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Then Lines hit black with blue and took off to yellow. The take off landed inside the west yard line, close to yellow, which he hit.
26 Aug 2025 11:16AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
The big pass roll out of the corner has pushed yellow to midcourt, about 5 m in from the west boundary.
26 Aug 2025 11:17AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Lines might not be able to hit blue off the lawn near black without leaving blue and black too close together.
26 Aug 2025 11:18AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
He's found a good spot, so Maugham will take the short shot at blue or black --- there is about 50 cm between them.
26 Aug 2025 11:19AM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Shanked another one. He hasn't got the centre of the mallet on the centre of the ball for any of his shots yet today.
26 Aug 2025 11:20AM (Tournament); 13 Readers
I guess we're about to witness yet another 4-ball break to to 4b.
26 Aug 2025 11:21AM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Good croquet after the rush across to the west boundary and a good rush to 1 m SE of H1.
26 Aug 2025 11:25AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
H1 made with a forward rush and a good H2 pioneer.
26 Aug 2025 11:26AM (Tournament); 13 Readers
H3 pioneer is pretty good. This is all looking very tidy already.
26 Aug 2025 11:27AM (Tournament); 11 Readers
The crossword answer was DAYDREAM. An anagram of ready-made minus the E.
26 Aug 2025 11:28AM (Tournament); 10 Readers
Lines has rushed back to the east boundary after H2.
26 Aug 2025 11:29AM (Tournament); 10 Readers
It's a shame the rains came last night. The croquet was very entertaining/tortuous this weekend because anyway was liable to break down at any point. The rain is good for keeping the grass alive, but it would have been better if it came a day later.
26 Aug 2025 11:31AM (Tournament); 7 Readers
Perfect 4-ball break now. I'll get back to you when he's putting the clip on 4b. I'm predicting a spread --- Lines isn't really known for NSLs.
26 Aug 2025 11:32AM (Tournament); 9 Readers
Hold the phone. Lines has just rushed the H4 pioneer to due south of H4. The take off back to the hoop would have been unplayable yesterday, but it should be ok today. We'll see soon...
26 Aug 2025 11:36AM (Tournament); 11 Readers
Yeah, no problem. I think he was overdoing the situation for the crowd.
26 Aug 2025 11:37AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
So minor crisis averted and normal 4-ball break service has resumed.
26 Aug 2025 11:38AM (Tournament); 11 Readers
No early 2b, so I think he wants partner at 2b. Partner is currently the H6 pioneer.
26 Aug 2025 11:41AM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Partner to 2b, so maybe we will see an NSL.
26 Aug 2025 11:43AM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Nope. No NSL. So it must be a spread but with partner as the 2b pioneer.
26 Aug 2025 11:44AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Up to 3b with a spread imminent. A slightly dodgy take off required from the peg ball to a 3b pioneer 2 m SE of H4, but I'm sure he'll cope.
26 Aug 2025 11:50AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
The spectator numbers have swelled to 5! (exclamation mark, not factorial)
26 Aug 2025 11:51AM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Take off landed to wrong side of the pioneer, so a 2 m hoop approach, which would have been very difficult yesterday.
26 Aug 2025 11:51AM (Tournament); 11 Readers
Today: easy.
26 Aug 2025 11:51AM (Tournament); 11 Readers
It's been dry for this whole game so far, although a dark cloud looms ominously overhead.
26 Aug 2025 11:53AM (Tournament); 10 Readers
Not a CB though, so EGCC departures will be unaffected.
26 Aug 2025 11:54AM (Tournament); 9 Readers
The spread is now set, so the situation is 1 & 1 v 1 & 4b. Maugham better hit something.
26 Aug 2025 11:55AM (Tournament); 9 Readers
6 spectators now and 9 readers of the commentary.
26 Aug 2025 11:56AM (Tournament); 9 Readers
Maugham is in no rush to go out and play what could well be his last shot if he misses it.
26 Aug 2025 11:56AM (Tournament); 9 Readers
Maugham lifts the wide ball (red) and takes the long shot. This shot hills left slightly.
26 Aug 2025 11:59AM (Tournament); 11 Readers
And he misses it on the left.
26 Aug 2025 11:59AM (Tournament); 11 Readers
If we don't see a TP attempt in this turn, I think I'm going to go home before the end.
26 Aug 2025 12:00PM (Tournament); 11 Readers
So Lines starts off in the usual fashion with the fourth ball in C4. His rush to H1 lands 1 m east of the hoop and the hoop 2 pioneer is 1 m east of H2.
26 Aug 2025 12:03PM (Tournament); 10 Readers
Well well well. From 30 cm straight in front, Lines sticks in H1 with yellow just north of the hoop!
26 Aug 2025 12:05PM (Tournament); 11 Readers
Maugham taps black back through the hoop and runs it past black. He taps black and will croquet it to H3 going up to the H2 pioneer.
26 Aug 2025 12:06PM (Tournament); 10 Readers
Black has stopped well short of H3 so he rather needs a rush out of 2, which he has gotten.
26 Aug 2025 12:07PM (Tournament); 10 Readers
He rushes from H2 to 10 cm west of C4, just missing the cannon. The H2 ball is the 4b ball, so no TPO.
26 Aug 2025 12:08PM (Tournament); 10 Readers
He has rushed the C4 ball to the H3 pioneer, so he now doesn't have a H4 pioneer. I don't think that was part of the plan, but he has guaranteed making H3 now.
26 Aug 2025 12:09PM (Tournament); 11 Readers
I suspect he'll send the H3 receiver to H5 and rush the red ball back to C4, which is where blue currently is.
26 Aug 2025 12:09PM (Tournament); 11 Readers
The croquet after H3 has gone nearly perfectly.
26 Aug 2025 12:10PM (Tournament); 11 Readers
The rush is just west of the C4 ball again, so he might still not be able to dig out the 4th ball, despite rushing right next to it twice.
26 Aug 2025 12:11PM (Tournament); 10 Readers
He has a good rush out of the corner to hoop 4. He might tap the receiver and then croquet the C4 ball approaching H5. If he makes H4...
26 Aug 2025 12:12PM (Tournament); 11 Readers
He left himself 1 m and 15°, but sailed through. He is now taking off to the pivot just north of C4.
26 Aug 2025 12:13PM (Tournament); 11 Readers
He didn't get boundary side of it, so it will be a big croquet sending it to H6 and going to the H5 pioneer, which is on the wire of H5.
26 Aug 2025 12:14PM (Tournament); 10 Readers
Striker's ball (yellow) is perfect at H5. Red has rolled 3 m past H6. The now-pivot (blue) is 1 m south of H4.
26 Aug 2025 12:15PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
He makes H5 with a rush to C4, and finally we will see the 4-ball break established.
26 Aug 2025 12:15PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
This is Maugham's first break of the day in the new conditions, so we won't see any peeling or anything heroic. He's just doing an equalising break with (probably) an NSL.
26 Aug 2025 12:17PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
H6 made off parter and sent to 2b.
26 Aug 2025 12:18PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
He's played to get the rush to 1b, so NSL coming up?
26 Aug 2025 12:19PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Nope. Pivot sent back into the middle, so a spread.
26 Aug 2025 12:19PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Huzzah. Another spread.
26 Aug 2025 12:20PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
The 3b pioneer has landed so short he needs to reassign the pivot to be a better 3b pioneer, so maybe not even a spread now.
26 Aug 2025 12:21PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
He's made 2b with a rush to the other balls. A spread or NSL are still possible.
26 Aug 2025 12:22PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
He's still trying to get a spread. An NSL would be so much easier but he's sent blue and red both to the peg.
26 Aug 2025 12:23PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
3b made. The blue ball, which needs to go on the back of the peg is currently 4 m away from it, so a good rush required.
26 Aug 2025 12:24PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
He played a great croquet after 3b, got the rush and now looks like getting a good spread.
26 Aug 2025 12:25PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
By the way, we've been playing with Fletcher balls this weekend. A nonymous donor kindly donated 8 sets to the club and this was the first weekend they were used. I found them easy enough to play with, but it was hard to decouple the difficulties with the lawns from any difficulties with the balls.
26 Aug 2025 12:27PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Spread complete, so now it's 1&4b v 1&4b.
26 Aug 2025 12:27PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Lines lifts his hoop 1 ball and takes the long shot...
26 Aug 2025 12:28PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
His hoop 1 ball, black was the wide ball, which is the ball most people would choose to lift anyway.
26 Aug 2025 12:29PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
He shoots...
26 Aug 2025 12:29PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
and...
26 Aug 2025 12:29PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
...shanks it. It went off the lawn before it reached hoop 4.
26 Aug 2025 12:30PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
Maugham now has a finishing turn to win the northerns for the umpteenth time.
26 Aug 2025 12:31PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
He's starting by tapping partner and taking off 5 m south to get the black. His take off comes up well short, so he now has a massive half roll to get to the peg ball.
26 Aug 2025 12:32PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
He got a dolly rush on the peg ball. Unbelievable croquet stroke.
26 Aug 2025 12:34PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Another great croquet stroke after H1 to go over to yellow (partner) near the east boundary. He rushes yellow to near the peg and croquets it to H3 going to his pioneer at H2. This is now a standard TP.
26 Aug 2025 12:36PM (Tournament); 20 Readers
We think this will be the 15th time David Maugham has won the northern championships, which has been running since 1979.
26 Aug 2025 12:37PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
He still has some work to do, obviously. Peeling turns with the Fletcher balls are not as easy as Dawsons.
26 Aug 2025 12:38PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
The sun is back out now. Cloud cover is broken.
26 Aug 2025 12:39PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
4b is peeled cleanly, nearly off the lawn.
26 Aug 2025 12:39PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
After H4 Maugham has rushed black to 5 m north of H6. He leaves black there and gets a south rush on partner.
26 Aug 2025 12:42PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
He plays that rush well and can send peelee to H6 approaching the H5 pioneer.
26 Aug 2025 12:42PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Hoop 5 is run with a backwards rush, so he'll have to play a couple of big rolls to reorganise things.
26 Aug 2025 12:44PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
The 1b pioneer is perfect, but he's well short of black. Black gets trickled at and he rolls it south of H6 getting to peelee as H6 pioneer.
26 Aug 2025 12:45PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Good shot.
26 Aug 2025 12:45PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
He then rushes yellow in front of H6, which isn't great.
26 Aug 2025 12:46PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Croquet deep enough. He has a slightly angled peel that he can play straight.
26 Aug 2025 12:46PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Peelee bounces off the left wire but we think it is rush peelable.
26 Aug 2025 12:47PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
The escape ball is rushed to the north boundary near H2 and croqueted to 5 m north of 2b.
26 Aug 2025 12:48PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Now, is yellow rush-peelable??
26 Aug 2025 12:49PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Luckily for Maugham, he's rather good at croquet strokes, so he should be able to get close to it.
26 Aug 2025 12:49PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
He hasn't got close to it at all.
26 Aug 2025 12:49PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
He tried to rush peel it from almost side on to the hoop and it bounced off into death rolling position. A bit lucky.
26 Aug 2025 12:50PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Lining up the death roll to 2b...
26 Aug 2025 12:51PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Peelee didn't touch the sides and rolled nicely down to rover.
26 Aug 2025 12:52PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
This is definitely finishing now.
26 Aug 2025 12:52PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
He's got quite an angled peel attempt at rover going to 3b.
26 Aug 2025 12:54PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
It almost 45° this peel.
26 Aug 2025 12:54PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
Rejected off the far wire, so it will be a straight rover peel for the match.
26 Aug 2025 12:54PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Black at 4b is 1 m NE of 4b, so he is having to play a take off from rover to past 4b.
26 Aug 2025 12:56PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Take off played perfectly.
26 Aug 2025 12:57PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
The penult pioneer is 2 m west of penult, but won't be a problem. The peelee is still right next to rover.
26 Aug 2025 12:57PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
4b made.
26 Aug 2025 12:58PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
All the balls lined up down the middle as he approaches penult.
26 Aug 2025 12:58PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Penult made.
26 Aug 2025 12:59PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
The peelee is so close to rover, it's hard to imagine anything going wrong there.
26 Aug 2025 12:59PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
Deep ball and side ball accurately placed.
26 Aug 2025 1:00PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
Peelee 5 cm directly in front of rover.
26 Aug 2025 1:01PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Rover peel successfully completed, peelee is well through, so unlikely to be any mistakes.
26 Aug 2025 1:02PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
He rushes to just next to the peg and David Maugham pegs out to win game 3 +17tp and with it the northern championship for the 15th time.
26 Aug 2025 1:03PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Well done to Dave and thank you to everyone for another successful northern champs. If you haven't played here before or for a while, come to this event next year.
26 Aug 2025 1:04PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
And now it's goodbye from me. See you again next year.
26 Aug 2025 1:05PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
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