CROQUET

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 28, 3 February 1930, Page 17

CROQUET

XOUTII ISLAND TOURNEY

■■ To-day will -sue the conclusion of tho twelfth annual-North Island. Croquet tournament, and all are agreed that it has been a .most enjoyable one. ;■- The weather lias been wonderful, for only a few hours have been lost.on that account. .:."> -; •. ' ' ' . ■'■'. i :"■'_-., - ■

■ The-fiuaL ofthe.open championship on Saturday between Mr,:" 'Windsor-Bich-urds and Mrs. Caldow 'attracted every. Wellington'croquet •. player^ who. could attend, and there was a keen demand for spats and, points of vantage.; Mr. Windsor-ll;cliards, who : has., .been a liaiialist in 'an All-England championship, is handicapped•'-' minus" : half a bisque, and lie gave a Championship exhibition of croquet in.,tho first game of the rubber.; Mrs. Caldow had one turn only, and the gariio,'lasted less than half an hour. , In the.; second game Mrs. Caldow won'," 26-24,. and ..save for balking at a hoop, which others, had found troublesome, she,would probably have dono as' her opponent did in..the-first game. As it was Mrs. Caldow pluckily pegged out tana of, Mr. Windsor-Bich-ards's balls, and in her next turn pegged out her own. She received applause, as it-Was only tho second" gamo the visitor-had lost in tho whole tournament. For_J:he third of the rubber, Mr. Windsor-Richards repeated his wprk of the first, and-Mrs: Galdow did not get an opportunity to score a'point. The winner complimented' Mrs. Caldow. on her play in the second game,- and said no player in England Or anywhere else could, lay out y, break better or pi ay- it better. . He had seen many players in'the tournament set .out their break very nicely, but almost immediately use a ball in the.wrong way, and Mrs. Caklow's. play had been a.revelation to him.- ■ ■■.': '-. .'-.''' ...

lii me labt games of the second life 01' Hie liidies>' championship, Mrs. Jar■vie beat Mrs. M'llroy, 26-10; Mrs. Mouat beat' His. Cald'ow, 2G-15; and in the final of the Jitc Mrs. Jarvie beat Mrs. Mouut, U(j-2j. This last was a. iittin^ conclusion to a big croquet day, ior .Mrs. Jarvic gavo a wonderful exhibition of cliampion temperament. Mrs. Moual played biillianlly and kept Mrs. Jarvie out, and when sho hud both clips on the peg Mis. Jarvie had only scored eight points. Mis. Mouat attempted to peg out one ball and reach Mrs. Jarvio'a balfs with the other, but as'so often happens the shot failed, and the second ball jubt reached a missing distance. Mrs. Mount pluokily> hit for the balls, but niisscd, and from then on Mrs. Jarvic,' who hud "several mishaps, fought doggedly, and after'an exciting incident at tho peg finished a winner by one point. Mis. Gambrill," winner of the first life, played Mrs. Jarvie today for the ladies'"ciiampionship. The final of tho handicap singles between Mr. Windsor-Richards and Miss M'Farlanc (Palmerston North) was very di&appointing'from'tho spectators' point of view. Miss M'Farlana was decidedly off her game, anfl in an cndoavour to set a start sho' quickly used her thrco bisques and had then ouly scored two points. From then oo her opponent did not appear to tako things very seriously, and when pegging out ono of Miss M'Farlanc Ja balls he sportingly put his own'out-too, although ho had rover to make with the other. This ho quickly did, and added yet another win to his already full list.