CROQUET NOTES

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 149, 20 March 1931, Page 14

CROQUET NOTES

Champion of Champions Title

(By

Rover.)

The English Gold Medal competition will be held at Palmerston North on March 19. The champion of champions competition concluded on Wednesday after six days strenuous play. The weather on the whole was very good, and the lawns excellent. During the course of the tourney 63 games were played, and in only two instances were there runaway scores, all the other games being evenly contested. It was noticeable In this year's competition how youth has come to the fore in croquet. In both the Intermediate and B grades the majority of the entrants were of the younger generation, and would a few years ago have been wielding the racket instead of the mallet. Promising I’luyer. The Central Club (Petoue) has every reason to be proud of its representatives in both grades. In Mrs. Veitch It has a stylish, graceful player, with a stance parallel to that of Mrs. C. Watkins (Hawke’s Bay), but with a swing of the mallet similar to that of Miss D. D. Steel (England). With careful practise and concentration, Mrs. Veitch should be able, ere many seasons are past, to hold her own with any of the women champions of the Dominion. Mrs. Ridley, the Central Club’s B grade representative, has also done well by playing into the final of the second life. This is the first occasion on which any of the members of the Central Club have participated in the association competitions, and the advancement they have made is no doubt due to the experience they have gained in inter-club match play. In the draw for the first life In the intermediate grade, Mrs. Veitch met and defeated Mesdamea Cleland and Bush, but lost to Mrs. Harper. In the second life she played and defeated Mesdames Cleary and Rudkin, but reversed the position by beating Mrs. Harper. During the game Mrs. Veitch played a_perfect break, scoring eight points. Wellington Club has also done well, Its senior player, Mrs. Caldow, winning the A grade event, and Miss Clark securing second place in the B grade. Kelburn Club’s representative reached the finals in the first life of the intermediate grade. Mrs. Harper has an easy, graceful style, and plays without any effort. In the first life she defeated Mesdames Lewis, Veitch, and Richards. In the second life she was successful against Mesdames Richards, Passmore, and Phillips. but herself failed against Mrs. Veitch. All through the competition the players have consistently endeavoured to practise break play, and several of them have made breaks of 5,6, 7, and upwards, so that even those of the competitors who have failed to get into the final rounds have every reason to be satisfied with the improved form they have shown. Inter-club Matches. . It is impossible at present to foretell the winner of the intermediate shield, as about ten full matches have still to be played, and over eight half matches and unfinished games are awaiting a favourable opportunity to be completed. Given a few fine days, clubs will be able to readily dispose of them, and every endeavour should be made to play them off, as, although it may not affect the playing club’s aggregate to any extent, the result of defaulting the games may bring to the top a club which had previously no chance of winning on its.own play. Further results of inter-club matches are as follow:— . Intermediate' Grade.—Haeremai 52, Woburn 52, Ngaroma 52, Upper Hutt 52, Mount Victoria 52, Wellington 52, Central 48, Hataitai 48, Seatoun 45, Island Bay 44, Kelburn II 44. Kelburn I 36, Kelburn II 33, Seatoun 26. Waimarie 22. B Grade.—Central 42, Woburn 27. Eastbourne 26, Hataitai 26, Eastbourne 16. The final of the A grade competitions went to three games, Mrs. Caldow (Wellington) winning the first and Mrs. Walker (Wai_marie) the second. The final of the intermediate grade was an exhibition of croquet of i the highest standard, both competitors, Mesdames Harper (Kelburn) and Veitch (Central) playing well. The B grade final was won by Mrs. Howatson in both lives, and it was necessary to play off for second place. The competitors were Mrs. Ridley (Central) and Miss Clark (Wellington), and the latter proved the winner by three points. The Wellington club had two members in the finals of the competition, Central had one in the final and one in the semifinal, Kelburn and Waimarie one each in the finals. , The final results are as follow: — A Grade.—Mrs. Caldow defeated Mrs. Walker. 2—l. Intermediate Grade—Mrs. Harper defeated Mrs. Veitch. 26—23. 26—25. B Grade. —Mrs. Howatson defeated Miss Clark. 26—18. 26—23 Miss Clark defeated Mrs. Ridley 26—23 for second place. Personal. Mrs. Caldow (Wellington) has gone to Palmerston for the gold medal contest. Included in the party are Mesdames Walker. D C. Hendersen, Manton. and Stewart. Mr. and Mrs. E. Boocdck (Haeremai) left for Palmerston North’ on Tuesday. Sir Francis and Lady Colchester Wemyss.are at present the guests of their Excellencies,. Lord and Lady Bledisloe, at Government House.