CROQUET

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 86, 10 January 1928, Page 13

CROQUET

(By

“Rover.”)

COMING EVENTS. January 17—Wellington Croquet Association Tournament. January 26 —North Island Tournament (Wanganui). February 6—Dominion Tournament (Palmerston North). February 21 —Taranaki Tournament (New Plymouth). March 6—South Taranaki Tournament (Hawera). Local Tournament. The Wellington Croquet .Association’s tournament commences next Tuesday and will be played at Lower Hutt on the lawns of the Waimarie and Lower' Hutt clubs, also on Mr. Baldwin’s lawn, which ho has generously offered to the asspeiation. Judging by the amount of attention the lawns are receiving, they should be in tip-top condition. This, combined with the picturesque surroundings, should make the tournament a very enjoyable one. The Hutt Club has established a record in regard to entries, every member having entered, thus proving that the promise of local support (should the tournament be held at Lower Hutt) has been well kept-. The drawing for the tournament will take place on Wednesday afternoon. In the championship doubles, Mesdames Bock and Johnson, Ayson and Young, Feast and Scott, McDonell and Leech, Collins and Mcllroy, and Mr. and Mrs. Boocock are playing together. English Team.

The itinerary of the English team, in regard to its movements, has been rearranged. The team will arrive by the Ulimaroa at Auckland on January 24, and will stay at Cargen for two days, then leaving for Wanganui, where they will stay at Foster’s Hotel. The Test match against the North Island will probably be played on February 2. At the conclusion of the North Island championship meeting they will proceed to Palmerston North and will stay at. the Grand Hotel. The Dominion Test match is set down for February 10 and the following day. At the conclusion of the tournament the party will leave for Rotorua and Taupo, returning from there on February 28 to Wellington, leaving for the south the seme evening, to play the southern Test matches, subsequntiy returning to Wellington and leaving by the s.s. Tamaroa for England on March 14. During their stay in the South Island, if time permits, the party will visit Alt. Cook. An acquisition to croquet circles in New Zealand will be the arrival of Air. Dudley Hamilton-Miller, of Eastbourne, England. As his handicap is minus (I) be will undoubtedly be rather a formidable opponent. , Playing at Bexhill, his handicap was reduced to minus (II) and ho won the event, also the Open singles. At Horsham, he was successful, playing at minus (2) in the handicap singles, and was third in the open singles, and second in the handicap doubles, at Felixstowe. As -Miss D. D. Steel, Col. du Pre, and Mr. Windsor Richards are members of the team, the following impressions of their play will be of interest. .Miss D. D. Steel.—An admirable breakmaker with excellent split shots, and great powers of concentration. Rather apt to dwell upon the ball in hoop approaches at the opening of a break, she Jias otherwise exceptionally good touch in all croquet strokes.' Her hoop stroke is too much of a push, and too little of a swing, as a result of which she often finds herself hoop-bound. She is a particularly good player of an uphill game. .Mr. Windsor Richards.—Has an unorthodox swing, which involves considerable use of the arms, and even of the body. This is especially inappropriate to the centre style, and does not make lor precision in positional play, but this is largely compensated for, in this instance, by brilliant shooting and hoop running. An cll'cctivo break-maker whilst matters proceed on orthodox lines, he is apt to appear at a disadvantage in unusual situations. Is seen at bis best while events justify confidence that all will continue to go well. Col. Du Pro.—Excels in picking up and playing tho break, but is less consistently accurate in laying them. Apt to get into needless difficulties, he is very good at cxtipcatmg himself therefrom. An excellent hoop runner, and a good shot at all but the longest distances.

Of Air. Edgar Whitaker, a former resident of Palmerston North, and founder of tlie New Zealand Croquet Council, the following is flip criticism:—A master of the stop shot, vyhieh unusual method he also adopts with excellent effect in shooting. Very accurate ai d expeditious in the play of the break, but he does not excel in cross-wiring. lie appears to have the ideal temperament for this relentless competition, in which be is quite underswayed by an indifferent start. Store than any c ther player, lie makes the game of croquet look absurdly easy,—perhaps tl.e greatest of ill compliments that can be j aid. A rather extraordimiry incident occurred in two liandicap events played recently in Englind. A : oyice, with 12 besignes now both handicap, and on no occasion made use < f her bisques. No doubt, by this time they have been reduced. Canterbury Tournament,

The Canterbury tournament lias concluded, and the open championship was won by A. Ross, die runner-up being Mrs. E. A. Smith.

In the “A” singles, for players of three bisques and over, Mrs. McCullough and Airs. Tyers met nj the filial, and the former was successful in winning the event.

In tlie ladies’ ciiainpionsliip, Mrs. 11. A. Smith was successful in winning both lives, the runner-up in ihe first life being Mrs. Hadfield, and the second Mrs. Johnson. For tlie Unntei bury Handicap, there weio a large number of entries of players witli six bisques and under. The winner pravcd'to be a five bisques—Mrs. Lee. In the grade of over six bisques, Mr. Ragg was the victor, Mis. Cclwili being second. Ragg was also winner of tho “B” chainpinsiiip, a'’ter a ,I'enuous game against Airs. Colwill. The handicap doubles wfere won by Mesdames Ch ;, d« ami Reualdi (Kaiapoi), who dcita'ed Meslliums Gilchrist and T.'iortili n (Cashmere - in flho final.

Dii Pre, tlio former being very good s indeed.” Of his own plays he says, ( after having won tho Roeliampton han- t dican of six rounds, ‘‘lie had to give | in all 50 bisques, and in the final round | 11 bisques to a player, who made a t perfect all-round break off four bisques > f with one ball.'” Dr. Whitaker hit in | I a long shot, peeled him through the I * rover, and pegged him out, and the I t remaining seven bisques proved just not t enough to enable him to win. r t t

The Consolation Handicap v as won by Airs. Palmer Air. A. Hoss (Christchurch). winner' of the Canterbury championship, has already von Hie New Zealand Championship five times, on one occasion beating Dr. Edgar Whitaker (who. during the past season was one of the most successful croquet players in England). Air. Ross will represent the Dominion against the English team, and it will be interesting to note the quality of his play xvl.cn pited against, our overseas visitors. Test Matches. The first Test match between England and Australasia resulted in the visiting team scoring four klatches to the home team’s two. The English players were at the top of their form, with the result that at the end of the first day they were leading in the singles by three matches to one. With this substantial advantage, the two doubles games which were contested on the second day aroused the keenest interest, us their result meant either a draw or the victory to England. When the first match was won by J. C. Windsor and W. T. McCleary (Australia) from Sir Francis Wemvss and W. Richards (England), 26-18, 7-26, 26-5, the chances were in favour of a draw, and with the second match fought out to the third game the position was still the same until the last half-hour of a long day’s play, when Miss Steel and Colonel Du Pre (England) got the advantage against Mr. and Mrs. C. J; Miller (Australia) and won their match 26—0 2—20, 20—9, and decided the issue in favour of England. Upon their arrival in Sydney, the English team was entertained by members of the New South Wales Association at Mosman. The Mayor (Alderman Carter) and the Minister of Health (Dr. Arthur) were present and welcomed them to New South Wales, and hoped they would enjoy the visit to their capltnlSydney. ‘ Writing to a New Zealand friend, Dr. Edgar Whitaker says, “I think the English teain will hold their own, especially Aliss Steel and Colonel