CROQUET NOTES

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 10, 6 October 1932, Page 14

CROQUET NOTES

Heavy Inter-club Entries BUSY SEASON AHEAD (“By Rover.”) Coming Events. North Island Championships Palmerston North, January 5. Dominion Championship, Riddiford Park, Lower, Hutt, January 13. Wellington Croquet Tournament, Wellington, January 24. The croquet season for 1932-33 was ushered in last Saturday, and clubs are al. busy making arrangements for the coming season, which promises to be a particularly busy one. With the advent of the Dominion Tournament at Lower Hutt, interest in croquet locally will be stimulated, and already players are eager to commence practice, so as to be in form to meet some of the visitors worthy of their steel, from other parts of the Dominion. Association Competitions. The entries this season for the interclub matches in the “A” grade are the largest since the competition commenced in 1919, seventeen teams being entered. Of these, Hataitai, Kelburn, Waimarie, and Wellington Clubs have each entered two teams, whilst Hutt, Island Bay. Mt. Victoria, Raugamaire, Central, Eastbourne, Upper Hutt, Woburn, and Ngaroma have each entered one. team. In the Intermediate Grade, the entries are not so numerous as last seasons. Twelve.teams having entered as against sixteen last year. The Central, Kelburn, Waimarie, Hataitai, Woburn, Wellington, Ngaroma, Seatoun, Hutt, Mt. Victoria, Karori, and Eastbourne Clubs, will all be represented in this grade. The B grade finds one more team entered than last year. There being 14 clubs competing. The competitors include members of the Central, _ Eastbourne, Kelburn, Lyall Bay, Waimarie, Hataitai, Woburn, Johnsonville, Wellington, Island Bay, Ngaroma, Ngaio, Mt. Victoria, and Karori Clubs. When it is remembered that each team consists of four players, and there is an aggregate of 43 teams, it means that every week 172 players will be contesting these competitions, and it is probably the most comprehensive contest of this description. played in any part of a croquet, district in New Zealand. . The A grade teams are comprised or players of four bisques and under, the intermediate grade includes 4j to 6) bisque players, whilst the B grade is constituted of players with 7 bisques and over.

Important Draws Next Week. The Match Committee of the Wellington Association is to meet on Monday next to draw the entries for the Pollock Stars, Association Ferns, and McKenzie Cups. For the Stars, which is an A grade event, the Central, Kelburn, Eastbourne, Waimarie, Rangamaire, Hataitai, Upper Hutt, Woburn, Wellington, Island Bay, Ngaroma, Seatoun, Hutt, Mt. Victoria, and Karori Clubs have entered. In the Intermediate Grade for the Ferns, 13 teams have entered: Central, Waimarie, Kelburn, Hataitaii, Eastbourne, Upper Hutt, Woburn, Wellington, Ngaroma, Seatoun, Hutt, Mt. Victoria, Karori, Lyall Bay, having sent in challenges. In the B grade for the McKenzie Cups, the.largest entry of all has been received, seventeen teams having been entered. They comprise: Central, Hutt, Khandallah, Kelburn. Lyall Bay, Waimarie, Hataitai, Eastbourne, Woburn, Karori, Plimmerton, Johnsonville, Wellington, Island Bay, Ngaroma, Seatoun, and Mt. Victoria Clubs.

Karori Chib Opening. The opening of the Karori club, and also the celebration of their coming-of-age, was a very cheery gathering. The sister clubs were well represented, and officers of the association, Mr. Burn, patron, and Mrs. Arthur Duncan, were also,present. The presentation of a hand* some silver bowl from the relatives of the late Lady Johnston wag made to the club by Mrs. Duncan, daughter of the late Lady Johnston. This beautiful trophy will Jie competed for in handicap singles, so that all'members of the club will be eligible to take part in the competition. The president. , Mrs.- F.■ Johnson, presented the birthday cake, and it was daintily decorated in the club colours. To Mrs. Moynihan fell the honour of cutting it, site being the senior member of the club present, and also one. of. the foundation members. Competitions were arranged for the visitors. and .were keenly contested. ' A delicious afternoon tea was Served by the club members, and was very welcome, the air being rather bleak. The table decorations were most artistic, lavender primulas, stocks, and maidenhair fern being combined in a charming effect. The opening ceremony was performed bv Mrs. W.S. Austin, president of the Wellington association, and sue was the recipient of a bouquet _ of pink sweet ueas and blue grape hyacinths. Mr. B. Burn ’extended his congratulations to the members upon reaching their majority, despite the many tribulations and trials they had experienced m days ■gone by, when all the spade work had to bo • done by a few members.. several ot whom were invited to participate in tbe birthday celebrations.

Standard Settings. . .. The English. Croquet Association has arranged a series of settings for lawns which are not of the regulation size. Uns effort will be much appreciated by those clubs and private individuals who have w the past been at s disadvantage in not heing able to have the hoops and arranged in a setting which corresponds with the regulation one. The diagrams include a setting for a small court, hslfcourt, and tennis court. /In the small court setting the area provided forjs 20 yards by 25 yards. The half-court is yards by 28 yards., and the tennis court setting is of an area 12 yards by -6 yards. In all the settings tbe four outside hoops are seven yards from the baulk - lines, -but the distance from the side lines vary accordingly. In tbe tennis court-setting the rover and penultimate hoops are approximately, three yards from-the baulk lines, and the, appearance of tbe lawn is totally different to the usual setting, when they are situated 10 yards from each baulk line.

Law 44—“ The Lift.” No rule has evei; been the cause of so much discussion as the above one, and now, this season finds an alteration in it; whetlier -it is for the betterment of the game, time alone can tell. The new rule reads: —Optional lift in level play. If in level play the striker’s ball, in any turn, make four-back, at the conclusion of that turn tlie adversary shall have the option of commencing the succeeding turn, (a) by playing as the balls lie, or (b) by lifting either ball of his side, notwithstanding that it be in contact with another ball, and playing it from either baulk-line, provided that a player or the partner of a player who has pegged out a ball shall not be entitled to a lift. An instance of the "lift” being forgot ten in a match in England, caused great amusement, as the aggregate bisqueing of the team was a minus eight handicap, and included some of the best English players, and yet they forgot the "lift.”