CROQUET?

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 117, 15 February 1928, Page 12

CROQUET?

DOMINION CHAMPIONSHIPS NEARING FINAL STAGES Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, February 14. The Dominion championship croquet tournament is now drawing to a close, and only a few games have yet to be d. The weather has remained good, and, although the wind greatly interfered with the play at the end of last week, on the whole the participants in the tourney have had a most enjoyable week’s play. Results of to-day’s play are as follow: — Second Life. Third round—Aliss Hesketh beat Colonel Savile; Archdeacon Creed Aleredith 26, beat Airs. Bartlett 22. Fourth round. —Aliss Hesketh 26, beat Mrs. Wickens 15. HANDICAP DOUBLES. ' Third round—Airs. Smith and Archdeacon Creed Aleredith 26, beat Airs. Pitcaithley and Aliss Hesketh 22. Fourth round—Archdeacon Creed Meredith and Airs. Smith 23. beat Mesdames Walker and Alonatt 17. Semi-finals.—Colonel Hume and Airs. Gambrill 26, beat Ross and Airs. Cook 20; Stratton and Airs. Watkins 26. beat Alesdames Robertson and Petrie 12. LADIES’ CHAAIPIONSHIP SINGLES. First Life. Third round.—Aliss Steel 26, beat Mrs. Brabant 5. Fourth round.—Airs. Johnson 26, beat Mrs. Bennett 21; Aliss Steel 26, beat Airs. Petrie 7; Aliss Hesketh 26, beat Airs. Coutts 18. ■ Semi-final.—Mrs. Tiffin 26/ beat Aliss Steel, 10. Second Life. Second Round.—Mrs. Rhodes Williams 2(5, beat Mrs. Horn 22. . Third Round—Airs. Watkins 26, beat Airs. Gardner 13; Aliss Steel 26, beat Mrs. Pitcaithley, 4; Airs. Rhodes Williams 26, beat Airs. Caldow 22; Alias Steel 26, beat AlrS. Rhodes Williams 13. NOTES ON THE PLAY A. Ross and Airs. Cook played against Colonel Hume and Airs. Gambrill, the latter players receiving half a bisque. The veteran, Airs. Cook, made five points early in the game, and played well throughout. The generalship of Airs. Gambrill was largely responsible for the win she and her partner scored. Colonel Hume did a very fine double peel at four back, he aud his partner eventually winnings by five points. The result might have ben different had Ross not accidentally pegged himself out when putting one" of his opponent’s on the peg. Mrs. Brabant met Miss Steel in the ladies' championship. Red and black were the first to move off the hoop, played by Miss Steel and Mrs. Brabant respectively. The tactics, were of the “puss in the corner” variety, Airs. Brabant hiding behind the hoops with blue and black and Aliss Steel going to different position on the boundary widely apart. Aliss Steel hit in with a long shot on blue and black, and starting from the first hoop with yellow, made nine points and then laid in the centre ■of the next hoop. Airs. Brabant played black and misplaced yellow, making the third hoop off it, but she crashed at the next hoop with yellow close, and the lattei; ball scored another point, before she lost control near black. Varied play followed, during which Miss Steel got command and made a beautiful break of 10 points with red to the rover hoop, where she peeled yellow but over-rolled with red and went to the line. Hitting in again, she made the balance of the points and pegged out, 20 —5. Aliss Steel then met Airs. -Pitcaithly in the ladies’ championship, and the Hawke’s Bay player could not pick up the strength of the lawn and suffered defeat by a large margin of points. Aliss Steel met Mrs. Petrie in the ladies’ championship in the next round, and played a fine, steady game in the early part of it, but towards the latter end gave Airs. Petrie a number of opportunities to score. Howeisr, the Nelson player did not make the< most of them, and the English player won by nineteen points. The position in the open singles is not a very satisfactory one. Colonel Du Pre defeated in turn Aliss Retailack, Aliss Hesketh, and Airs. Tiffen, and after playing the last-named, defaulted to _ Aliss Steel in the final. In the semi-final round there were Colonel Du Pre, Airs. Tiffen, Miss Steel, and H. Stratton, and the winners were Colonel Du Pre and Miss Steel, the latter winning by default. Players still engaged in the tournament include Alisses Steel and Hesketh, Alesdanies Gambrill, Watkins, Horne, Johnson, A. E. Smith, Petrie, Brabant, Tiffen, Walker, Alouat, Archdeacon Aleredith. Colonel Hume, W. J. Robertson. A. Ross, and H. Stratton. It is hoped to finish on Wednesday evening. NEW ZEALAND COUNCIL. Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, February 14. The officers elected for the ensuing year at the annual meeting of delegates 'to the New Zealand Croquet Council, were the following:—President, Air. A. G. F. Ross (Christchurch); vice-presi-dent, the Venerable Archdeacon Creed Meredith (Wanganui); secretary and treasurer, Air. C. A. E. Ferguson (Palmerston North).