CROQUET

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 84, 3 January 1930, Page 5

CROQUET

PLAY AT PALMERSTON

(By

“Rover.”)

Coming Events. ' Dominion Championship, Palmerston North, January 8. South Taranaki, Hawera, February 4. Rotorua Tournament, February 10. North Island Championship, Lower Hutt, January 23. Wellington Tournament, Lower Hutt, February 18. The Test Matches. The test matches now concluded at Palmerston North have provided the spectators with some thrilling games. There have been many surprises, and reversals of form, some players being unable to strike form during the whole of the competitions, and other players from whom not so much was expected have played with exceptional brilliance. It was remarkable wliat a number of times the lift shot was forgotten, sometimes with disastrous results. The weather conditions were most unpleasant, high winds with heavy rain occasionally not being conducive to good break play. It was the general opinion amongst spectators and croquet players that a chart should have been available at all the grounds where play was in progress to enable those interested in the competition to follow the results of competitors play. Practically every club in the Dominion bad shown their interest in the contest by subscribing as liberally as circumstances permitted, and it was felt that the management should have made some effort to supply the results of the games as play progressed. The players themselves were also unaware how many wins and losses their lellow-players had scored. > Mrs. Smith and E. Horner are the only players who have the distinction of scoring a triple peel. The games did not go off as quickly as was expected, only 32 being played the first day, when it was hoped about 50 would have been got through, but heavy rain setting in about 4.30 caused the delay. On the second day 38 games were played. The exhibition game between A- Ross (Christchurch) and Windsor Richards (England) was an interesting one, though not spectacular. The toss was won by Richards, who went to the fourth corner with yellow. Ross sent black along about a third of the left line. Richards aimed at black with red, missed, and laid in No. 2 corner. Ross missed with blue. Ross was the first to score, making three in the turn before crashing. Richards made 6 in hi? next turn, and three in the subsequent turn, reaching 4 back with red. In and out played ensued for some time, each player making but a few points at a time, Ross eventually pegging red out, and he Avon the game by 4 points. An incident which rather amused the spectators was Rocs forgetting the lift when the red ball was on the line at B baulk. Some Interesting Games. , The game between A. Ross and Airs. Cole was followed, with deep interest by the spectators. The Auckland lady had not had one loss and Ross had had one ' defeat. At the outset of the game Airs. Cole played magnificently, and had she followed the line of play as advocated by Richards, she would undoubtedly have won. Mrs. Cole nia'de the error of not stopping at 4 back, but played on to the rover hoop, with red, then wired the blue and black at the peg. She made 3 points with yellow, and at the conclusion of an hour’s play the score was 14 —0. Ross then made a break to 4 back, and play was not so one-sided. At the conclusion of a three-hours’ game the score was: Ross 26, Airs. Cole 23. Airs. Johnson (Hutt) met Airs.’ Tiffen in her first game in the draw. Both players were steady throughout the game. Airs. Tiffen opened the scoring, when she brought the balls into play from two difficult corners, and ran up an 11 point break, but crashed badly in the next turn, when blue went boundary and black rolled to within a few inches of red. Airs. Johnson responded with a break of 9. The next turn Airs. Tiffen made ten points with blue, then missed an easy ball. Airs. Johnson hit in again, and made another break of ten. peeling at four back. She then took a risky shot at four back. She Tailed, and Airs. Tiffen finished. It was a very fine game, both players shooting well. The Hawke’s Bay representative, Stratton, did not play up to form when he met Penn, in his first game of the contest, and gave his opponent little opposition. Penn played excellently, and early in the game reached four back with yellow, following with red soon after, and allowing Stratton to make only a few points. . The game lasted about an hour. Mrs. Johnson played Stratton, and he showed much improved form. Soon after starting Airs. Johnson made a break of nine, and soon reached the rover hoop with one bail, but the blue ball lagged behind. Stratton also made 9 with the yellow, and gradually drew ahead with red, eventually reaching the peg first. In the game between Airs. Tiffen and Penn Airs. Tiffen played fine croquet, the game lasting only an hour. In her second turn she reached the rover hooj with one ball. Penn took the lift, but foiled to roquet, and Airs. Tiffen proceeded to the peg. Airs. Johnson played Penn, and scored her first Win in the contest. She played in fine style,land showed good judgment in securing position for scorirus, and ran out a winner by a few points. Airs. Cole played Caughley, who has since withdrawn from tile matches, and beat him by three points. Canghley pegged Airs. Cole’s ball out aud hit the peg himself, leaving her with six points to make and three for himself. Airs. Cole showed good strategy, and ran out a winner by three points. A game which had rather a surprising result was the one between Stratton ami Robertson. The former’s clips were on the peg and penultimate, and Robertson was nil. Stratton broke down at the penultimate and let his opponent into the play, and the local player made an excellent break of 12; Stratton missed, and Robertson, playing the game of his life, made another complete break and pegged out.

A most interesting game was the one between Mesdames Gambrill and Watkins. Both players made full use of their knowledge of tactics, all four balls reaching the peg, where Mrs. Gambrill pegged out one of her opponent’s balls, then laid for the final turn, leaving Mrs. Watkins only one ball to sight. This she hit, pegged out. and won by two points. A very fine game was played between Mrs. Bartlett and Hk-Penn, both players being in form. Mrs. Bartlett reached the peg first, but Penn did not give her the opportunity to get near enough to peg out and he eventually won by two points. One of the best games of the tourney was that played between A. Gibbs and W. ■T. Robertson. Gibbs made two perfect breaks, and during the whole of the game missed only one shot. The gane concluded 26—0. The members of the New Zealand team to go to Australia have been elected hon. members of the Warleigh Croquet Club, 1 Melbourne. Personal.

Mesdames Caldow (Wellington) and Kibblcwhite (Hamilton) are playing together in the doubles in the Dominion tournament.

Mrs. Lowery and Mr. Caughley (Wellington) are partners in the champion doubles, and Mrs. Lowery and Miss Saunders in the handierp doubles in the Dominion tournament

Richards and Miss Mncfarlane will play together in the North Island tournament nt Lower Hutt. Mesdames Pitcaithly and Gambrill are playing together in the open doubles in the Dominion tournament.-

CHANGE IN NEW ZEALAND TEAM. Mrs. Tiffen, Napier, who was announced ns one of tlie New Zealand croquet team to visit Australia, Ims intimated that she will not be able to make the trip and 11. P. Stratton, of Hastings, lias been selected to take her place.