CROQUET NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 75, 29 March 1934, Page 14

CROQUET NOTES

THHGF

Pollock Stars. ; The last round for the stars was played last Tuesday, when Mesdames Caldbw and Manton, representing Wellington Club, defeated the challengers, Mesdames Watkin and Chetw'in, representing .'Kelburn Club. The .Wellington Club players were both playing well, especially Mrs. Manton, who, despite .sodden lawns and drizzling rain, made a break of 10, and the game was over in a little over an hour, the score being 20-4. The Wellington Club has resisted ,all challenges during the season, and some excellent games have been witnessed in the competition. There are still two challenges on the list, but as the competition, closes on March 31, these will be' held over until the. season commences next 2\ovember. Champion of Champions. The champion of champions competition;held under the auspices of the Wellington Association was recommenced last Thursday, after being held over a few icjTs until'the return of the competitors Horn the-gold medal contests. There were, however, only a few A grade matches.'to* be got off,'and these proved most interesting. ~In: the, game between Mrs. Manton and Mrs. Cleland, although the former made a^substantial break of 11, Mrs. Cleland, ,-with consistently good shooting and excellent judgment, won the first game, 26-24. The second game was keenly; contested,: Mrs. Mantou winning by a small margin.' ; m the last game Mrs. Cleland again gave an exhibition of marvellous long shooting, and ultimately won the rubber. In the next round, Mrs. Cleland met' Mrs. Thomas (Hataitai ;ehauipipn) 'and.repeated: her previous performance. She gave Mrs. Thomas few chances to score, and won two straight-out games.' ihis brought. Mrs. Cleland to the finals of the event her opponent being Mrs. Mouat. ol the Waimaiie Club. In the second round of .the event Mrs. Mouat met -Mrsl Robinson . .(Eastbourne). The latter p.ayer, however, was uot at hore>4 on the keen lawn, and with a stiff- j*C*her!y ■ wmd blowing, found conditions "very disconcerting. -With the aid of several'boim: clary balls Mrs. Mouat soon established a lead which was.steadily increased, and- she won both games.by-a good.l margin, "lv the next,-round Mrs. Mouat- met Mrs. Allan, (Seatoun). i In the! firsts game both flayers were fairly even throughout; and it was not yntil the finish of the game tliat Mrs. Moifat's experience stood lief, in good stead. With, an excellent finish, t she won 26-23. In the second .game Mrs.: Allan put up a good performance, but was not equal to.'Mrs. Jtlouat-'s- excellent all-r.ouud play, the:score being 26-lSi •_ In v the'-finals-.of the evenrbetweeu Mrs. Cleland and -Mrs. Monat good croquet was played, particularly 'by the,latter player. Despite the. fact, that her opponent was shooting well,' Mrs. 'Mouat, by consistently laying out the balls to advantage and using good judgment,-won by a fair.margin. In the second.igame Mrsv Mouat also played superior croquet, again using all four balls advantageously-and losing no opportunity, to-score.- In this.game Mrs Cleland1 had/yefy/few. chances, and Mrs. Mouat won the game and the championship. Mrs. Mouat has. already won the ' Wellington open championship, and it was fitting that an: even- more: solid event, that of the champion of champions, should fall to this player. The Woburn player, as run-ner-up, showed excellent promise of be- .-' coming a* low, bisque player. Her long shooting was a features of all her games, her judgment was excellent, and with more tournament experience and knowledge of, tactics, she should become one of Wellington's leading players. .' McKenzie Cups. —— The Kelburii" Club, represented by- Meßdames Kane and Donovan, who have held the cups all the season, was again successful this week in defeating the challengers from.Karori Club, Mesdames Harper and Mahoney. The Kelburn players were playing to form, and although the long shooting by Mrs. Harper was excellent, her opponents kept up a substantial lead throughout, the score being 26-12. As the competition lias now closed, the Kel-burn-Club, will hold the cupa until the challenges , recommence next season.. New Laws and Regulations. .-.•; Word-has-been: received-from;-England j

hat the regulations governing and. dcnu-ing.-the amateur status of croquet players have been amplified'-with, a-view to clearing up certain anomalies that at 'present exist. These regulations -will be considered at the coming annual meeting of the English Croquet Association, together with a code of laws governing golf croquet, and,'it' confirmed by that body, -will appear : in the next New Zealand Croquet Annual. J Karori Club, t Members of the Karori Club were enter- 1 tamed recently at an afternoon by the 1 president, Mrs. S. Joljiison; Although "the .weather, conditions were not too good, < the various competitions were keenly eon- < tested and thoroughly enjoyed. The fol- < lowingis the list of winners:—Mrs. (Svviuey "* peg, Mrs;' Harper angles,1 Mrs., Iten'rney • ,ladder, Mrs. Rastall french, Mrs.. Steele take off, Mrs. Flint, golf. Mrs.■.•Me- ' Gowan;t on behalf of the members, thanked i Mrs. Johnson i'or her hospitality.- ' > ; Another afternoon thoroughly enjoyed ' by the members was that given by the ' beginners.of theclub, who showed their ' appreciation,of the help given to them in, ' a practical form.. The Karori Club is for- ' tunate in having two excellent lawns at its ' disposal, and a situation that is ideal, ■ and it is only the fact that tliey are rather remote from, a. thickly-populated ; .area • that keeps the club's -membership ' from overflowing. ' ; New: Lawns at Lyall Bay. ' j TheLyall Bay .ladies have put' in an application to the City Council to have at'.least'':two. kiwns "put down on the reserve in closje proinixity to the present' club, lawnis.'.'at' the,Bay..There is -at pre- | sent a 1 'waiting list of ■' forty - members, j and >if three, lawns were, granted '-this i, would" most 'certainly relieve"-the' congestion os lawns in the surrounding district. The ground- has Already been levelled and 'would' only-'require' to'p;dressiug in order to/be ready for next playing season. -It is hoped... therefore, j that's .the : Cit.v, Couucil will -see its/way clear to .grant the" request. It is understood' that, a substaii: tial amount has. been olTered -to the council . with a 'view to' assisting the project. ■~, :_ :. . .". ; ■■■■ ' , ■ Closing of Lawns. .. .- . . If- is .understood ■• that - players in the Wellington area:.are .to.,be allowed '.the use of the municipal lawns until April 7, and in some, cases probably longer. Several of the' city lawn's axe in a very bad condition on account of the continued spell of dry weather and. lack of watering facilities, and on this account had tcTbe withdrawn" from use during"the recent champion of champions contest. Closing of Season. The usual official closing .of-the season by the1 Wellington- Association : will take place .on: April .19.-;. It has: hot yet been decided where the !l unction will. be ■ held, but' : clubsvwill,:.be; aidyjsed as soon .as possible." V"' '■"V.\.'■.'"?;'' .' X£-i.'^'-.. Double Tapping.. ' . Quite a lot of controversy hus taken place over this foul, and it may be as well to mention when this may or may not occur. When a player is. about to run a hoop and the ball strikes the upright and rebounds on the mallet, this is constituted a foul. The-same applies to a ball in play i-ebounding from a piece of turf or irregularity on the lawn and hitting the mallet the second time. In regard to roquets of more than the width of the striker's ball away, even though this ball rebounds on to the mallet, this does not constitute a foul, as the ball is in hand, and not in play, when hitting the mallet the second time. This is a very important point, and one that should: be remembered in connection with . double tapping. As, long ac the striker's ball has roqueted the ball in question it does not matter in the least if it rebounds. Personal. ■" Miss Sauhders (Karori), who has been! indisposed for some time, has now sulHcienty recovered to be able to return to her'home. Mrs.-Billing'(Wellington) has left on a visit to Timaru. .'.'•■ . . .....'.- .■■; Mrs.i G. A.. Sto'iie - (Wellington) ■is -at pre-

sent in Dunedin, and on her return will be paying a visit to her daughter at To Puke. Mrs. Winehcomb (Island Day) is leaving this.week on a visit to Xapier. Mrs. Caldow (Wellington) is speudiug the Easter holidays at Masterton. Mrs. Tucker (Karori) is leaving by the Sydney boat on Saturday on a visit to ) Australia. ' .