CROQUET NOTES

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 144, 14 March 1931, Page 17

CROQUET NOTES

Club Activities USE OF MUNICIPAL LAWNS

(By

"Rover." )

COMING TOURNAMENTS. English Gold Medal, at Palmerston North, March 19. Champion of Champion* Tourney, at Wellington. The Wellington Croquet Association has made application to the Wellington City Council, on behalf of the Kelburn, Karorl, Island Bay, Hataltal, Wellington and Mount Victoria clubs, for an extension of the use of the municipal lawns for next month. I In the past, the season has usually concluded after Easter, but this year, Easter is very early. On account of the bad weather which has prevailed, the playing season has been very broken, and so many of the clubs responded to the call for relief work, due to the Hawke’s Bay disaster, it is felt that an extension of the tenure of the lawns would compensate in no small measure for the conditions which have dominated in croquet and other kindred sports. On Friday at 10 a.m. Mrs. Caldow will play the winner of the Chetwin-Bock match, Mrs. Bush v. Mrs. Passmore, Mrs. Ross v. Mrs. Lewis. At 1 p.m. Miss Langdon v. Mrs- Howatson, Mrs. Rudkin v. Mrs. Cleary. At 3 p.m., M™. Veitch v. winner of Bush-Cleary match, Miss Clark V Mrs. McGowan- All these matches will be plaved on Kelburn club greens. At Wellington, in the intermediate grade. Mrs. Richards will play Mrs. Harper, Mrs. Cleland will play Mrs. Roundhill, and in the B grade competition Mrs. Ridley will play Mrs. Barker. These games will commence at 10 a.m. All other players are required to report at Kelburn pavilion at noon. English Gold Medal. Next week at Palmerston North. wil commence for the English sold and silver medals, the winner receiving the gold medal, and the other finalist the sil ver one. Players’ Handicaps. The handicaps of Mesdames Walker and Savage (Waimarie Club) have been officially reduced to 3 This reduct on will make them eligible to compete in the English Gold Medal competition whichcommences at Palmerston North on March 19. Association Ferns. There was a gallery of spectators to witness the Mount Vietoria-Hataltai match for the Association Ferns. It was the first occasion on which Mount Victoria had held the terns, or challenged for them, and its defeat of Island Bay was very encourchallenging club was represented •by Mesdames Phillips and Brittain, and the home team by Mesdames Cleary and Miller. Mrs. Cleary was the only player to make a break, and she scored five points in the first one and four In the second. All the players seemed to be at a nervous tension, and did not play the game they are capable of doing. In the early stages of the game, Mount Victoria led by a points, but the Hataitai club scored steadily, and half-way through the game scoring was even, each side having made 20 points. Subsequently Hataitai drew ahead, and won by 3 points, Mrs. Miller having the rover hoo-p to make, and the peg, Mrs. Cleary having only the peg. The result of the game would probably have been revised had Mrs. Miller made the final hoop, when lying quite close, and not gone to separate the opponents first. This made a noticeable difference, as the position for scoring was

perfect, and »h» would have been »N« t* go over to the opponente to separate them, after making the hoop, and her partner would probably have been able to peg out next tarn. The weather was beautiful, and the lawn in good order, although a trills swift. Hataitai club will meet Haeremai in the next round, and that will posalbly bo the last game of the season, unless the period of play la extended, if the lawns are available. McKensie Cups.

The McKenzie Cups, which are played for by B grade players, have again changed hands, a« Mesdames Deare and Liddell were successful in bringing them to Lyall Bay, by defeating Mesdames Poole and Pilcher, of Eastbourne, by 10 points. The players across the harbour had defended their title three times before losing to Lyall Bay, and then defeat was mainly due to the straight shooting of Mrs Deare, combined with the strategy of Mrs. Liddell. The lawn was exceedingly dry (rather an unusual thing this season), but the visitors, being used to a smaller green, did not go boundary during the game. To cedebrate the winning of the cups, the Lyall Bay club entertained the winners at afternoon tea, and the president, Mr. Hallam, presented them both with a memento of the occasion. Mrs. Rudkin also showed her appreciation of her pupils’ victory, by presenting them with gifts. Mesdames Gundersen, McKenzie and Miss McKenzie were the guests of the club for the afternoon. Pollock Stars. The Hataitai club played its fourth challenge in the A grade section, for the Pollock Stars, on Tuesday, when it met the Haeremai representatives in friendly rivalry. Mesdames Moeller and Scott represented the home team, and E. Boocock and Sirs. Boocock the visitors. Hataitai players maintained the lead throughout, and played sterling croquet; the adversaries not being given any opportunity to benefit by their opponents failure, and the game concluded in Hatai; tai’s favour by eighteen points. This will conclude the A grade challenges, as no more clubs have entered. ' The Hataitai club now holds both the Pollock Stars and the Association Ferns. Gift to Mrs, Rhodes-Williams. At the close of the meeting of delegates to the association, which was held last Thursday, the opportunity was taken to present to Mrs. Rhodes-Williams a parting gift, she having left Wellington to reside in Christchurch. The presentation was made by the president, Mrs. W. S. Austin, and took the form of a crocodile handbag and suit case. Lyall Bay Sports Day. Members “sports day” at Lyall Bay club was an enjoyable one, there being a good attendance. The competitions were the subject of keen contest, the winners being: Quoits, Mrs. Deare; golf, Mrs. Stanford; peg, Mrs. Liddell; and break, Mrs. Rudkin. Afternoon tea was served by the members. Inter-club Games.

The following are the results of the inter-club games:— , , „ A grade: Waimarie II 39, Waimarie I 52, Hataitai I 43. Intermediate grade: Central, 52; Woburn, 52; Kelburn 11, 52; Central, 52; Karorl, 52; Upper Hutt, 49; Haeremai, 47; Wellington, 44: Seatoun, 44: Kelburn, 44; Hutt, 43: Mount Victoria, 43; Island Bay, 20; and Waimarie, 22. B grade: Woburn, 50; Kelburn, 44; Central, 33; Central, 31; Eastbourne, 26; Hataitai, 23. In this grade several games still remain unplayed, and the final scores are not yet available. Kelburn, Ngaroma, Waimarie, Wellington and Hataitai, all, being in ths “500” figures.