CROQUET

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 55, 28 November 1929, Page 7

CROQUET

(By

“Rover.”)

Coming Events. Canterbury Association Tournament. December 26. Test matches. Palmerston North. December 27 Dominion Tournament, Palmerston North. January 8. . North Island Tournament, Lower Hutt. January 23. . Rotorua Tournament, February 10. Wellington Tournament, Lower Hutt, February 18.

A Captain’s Duties. The question has recently been raised in England regarding the propriety or otherwise of a club captain giving advice to a side in an interclub match. It may happen that one pair may have its captain available as mentor-iri-chief, while in the case of the opposing pair the captain may be playing on a distant court and his knowledge is not available to his club mates. There may be some players also who hold the opinion that croquet, being so largely a “tactical” game, ought in all cases to be left for the players to work out their own salvation. In the Longman Cup, which is a handicap event, it is allowable for the captain of each club to give advice to the players, and it is in ’the tactical rather than the executive department of the game that such advice is sanctioned and often given by club captains in team matches.

Roquets. An accurate roquet is often the factor in winning or losing a game. For roquets, short or long, the following advice in the English “Croquet Gazette” is worth following: There are two golden rules: (1) Keep as still as po:>:ible throughout the stroke; sufficient movement of the arms is, of course, essential, but no movement whatever of feet, body, shoulders or head. If it seems natural for the eyes to follow the course of the stroke this can still be done without raising the head. Strike, your own ball in its exact centre with the centre of the face of your mallet, and follow well through. Even with the longest of shots you should be able to remain in perfect poise at the finish of the stroke. (2) Swing slowly back ; the slower your backward swing the better will your aim be controlled. Some experts swing back very little indeed, their shorter roquets being scarcely more than pokes. On fast lawns very little swing back is necessary. In extent, curtail the backward swing to the" minimum consistent with the strength of shot required; in pace one can hardly reduce it too much. Make up your mind that all roquets are easy, since confidence usually gets them. Don’t forget these two golden dules : Keep still! Slow back !

Teg-out in Handicap Flay. _Some players are apt to forget rule 45. which reads: “Unless an adversary’s ball has already been pegged on; :■ may not peg out his own ball hr” partner’ ball has hr- • amusing incident occurred recently in a handicap doubles. , u .„<• , . both sides were level, Yellow and Blue being rovers; Red and Black for the

penultimate hoop. Yellow ball .was in play and proceeded to hit the peg and knock the balk away, only to be told by the manager to replace it and go on, as it was not pegged out. Blue then shot in and proceeded to do exactly the same thing amid roars of laughter.

Another rule which many players are not familiar with is 4G (“Points for partner’s ball in handicap doubles”), which reads as follows: “A player may not make more than four points for his partner’s ball.” Many players seem to fail to grasp the fact that this rule applies only to handicap doubles, and quite recently a local player taking part in an interclub game refrained from peeling a ball for the fourth time, because she thought it would not have been in order. As all interclub games are level play and not handicaps this player undoubtedly lost the game through not knowing the rules thoroughly. •

Referees and Umpires. The following paragraphs have been added to the instructions for the guidance of referees and umpires:—

When a foul is committed by removing an opponent’s ball, lying against a wire or peg in the backward move of the mallet when making a stroke, the striker’s opponent has, of course, the option of leaving the ball where it lies or of replacing tt against the wire or peg. If he decides to have it replaced, the ball is to be considered for the purposes of Law 29 (c) as not having been moved as the result of a stroke by an adversary. Law 29 (c) reads as follows:—At the commencement of a turn, if either of the balls of a striker’s side be declared, by the decision of an umpire or on the admis sion of the adversary, wired from all other balls, its position being directly or indirectly the result of the stroke of an adversary, the striker, should he decide to play the turn with. that ball, may lift it, and play it from either baulk-line. I aragraph 16 in the Instructions to Referees, deals with Law 45 (“Peg out in handicap play”), and reads: “Should a player peg his ball out unlawfully and remove it from the court, and the game proceed, without such ball, all strokes subsequent to such removal are to be considered and void. The provisions of Law (c) shall apply whenever the error is discovered, provided that the players have not left the court in the belief that the game.has been concluded.” Law 42 (c) quoted, reads: “Should a ball at rest be moved accidentally or inadvert- . striker (except in striking or in taking aim), or by an adversary, it shall be replaced without penalty to the satisfaction of the other side.”

A NoVico’s Performance. I J 1 a district not far from Wellington, a resident joined a croquet club and received her first lesson on a Monday. She practised shots on the two succeeding days, and on the Thursday played in the inter-club matches, and was first on the rover hoop, her approach and stop shots being little short of marvellous. Her club members are convinced that they have amongst them a budding Miss D. D. Steel. Association Ferns. Haeremai Club, represented by Mesdames Austin and Colley, played Wai marie Club (.Mesdames Savage and Kelly) for the Association Ferns on Friday. The holders, M aimarie Club, wore successful in retaining them. Inter-Club Play. The draw for to-day’s inter-club play Is as follows :-rA Grade (Home and Away).—Haeremai v. Kelburn (2) ; Wellington v. Waiinaric; Kelburn (1) v. Hataitai; St. Augustine v. Karori. Intermediate Grade (Home and Away).— Ngaroma v. Hataitai II; Wellington v. Hataitai I; Waimarle v. Kelburn II; Hutt

wiu by default from Lyall Bay; Eastbourne win by default from Woburn; Kelburn I, a bye. B Grade (Home and Away).—Karori v. Johnsonville; Lyall Bay v. Island Bay; Ngaroma v. Hataitai; Seatoun v. Eastbourne; Wellington v. Kelburn; Waimarle v. Mt. Victoria; Upper Hutt win by default from St. Augustine. The results of the fourth round of Interclub matches are as follow:—

A Grade.—Hataitai, 52; Kelburn 11, 52; Waimarle, 52; Haeremai, 50; Wellington, 47; Kelburn I, 44; Karori, 35; St. Augustine, 29. Intermediate Grade.—Eastbourne, 52; Hutt, 52; Wellington, 52; Kelburn I, 52, by default; Hataitai I, 52, by default; Hataitai 11. 40; Kelburn 11, 34; Ngaroma, 32. B Grade: —Island Bay, 52; Lyall Bay, 52; Waimarle, 52, by default; Upper Hutt, 52; Wellington, 52; Karori, 49; Hataitai, 38; Eastbourne, 30: Kelburn, 32; Mt. Victoria, 30; Seatoun, 30; Ngaroma, 27; Johnsonville, 22.

Postponed Gaines. —B grade: Kelburn, 40;.LvaIl Bay. 42. A grade: Hataitai, 26; Kelburn 11, 17. The following are In the lead In the aggregate of the inter-club games:— A Grade.—Hataitai, 203; Kelburn 11, 191; Haeremai, 181; Kelburn I, 177. Intermediate Grade.—Hataitai I, 100; Kelburn I, 186; Hutt, 172; Eastbourne, 160. B Grade.—Upper Hutt, 199; Wellington, 190; Island Bay, 193; Karori, 191. New Zealand Council Meeting.

The annual meeting of croquet players will be held in Palmerston North on Thursday, January 9, 1930, at 7.45 p.m. This will be followed by the annual meeting of the New Zealand Croquet Council delegates. If necessary the delegates’ meeting will be continued on Friday.

A Test Match Player. Mrs. Waters (Nelson) is playing excellent croquet at present, and will be one of the competitors in the Test matches. Mrs. Waters Is a oue-tbiaque player.