CROQUET TOURNEY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 18, 22 January 1937, Page 15

CROQUET TOURNEY

PLAY AT CHRISTCHURCH

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, January 21. The New Zealand croquet championships were advanced a further stage today. Rain fell in the late afternoon and towards the evening the cold, bad light, and sticky greens made! claying conditions unpleasant. Results:— Men's Championship. First Life.—Second round: A. J. Gibbs beat H. A. Penn. 26-9. Second Life.—Second round: H. Stratton beat J. Tannock, 2G-15; H. A. Penn beat E. J. Ross, 26-15; R. W. McCreath beat F. L. Hartnell, 26-20. Women's Championship. First Life.—First round: Mrs. S. Jones beat Mrs. E. A. Smith, 26-15; Mrs. R. Gambrill beat Mrs. W. McLennan. 26-13; Mrs. Lowery beat Mrs. D. Henderson. 26-14. Second round: Mrs. C. Watkins beat Mrs. S. Jones. 26-5; Mrs. Gambrill beat Mrs. Whibley, 26-19. Third round: Mrs. A. Frost beat Miss A. Bell, 26-22. Second Life.—First round: Miss J.Palmer beat Miss E. Morgan, 26-17; Mrs. G. Bartlett beat Mrs. Bassett 26-20. Second round: Mrs. W. Corbet beat Mrs. M. Pitcaithly, 26-7. Level Singles. Third Round.—J. Waterhouse beat Mrs. Were, 26-12; Mrs. Nettleton beat Mrs. Gillespie, 26-23; Mrs. Turner beat Mrs. Kellaway, 26-20. Open Championship. First Round.—A. G; Ross beat Miss A Bell 26-8, 26-10; A. Gibbs beat Mrs. E - O. Smith, 26-14, 26-12; Mrs. Pitcaithly beat Mrs. Cole by default; Mrs. Palmer beat Miss Washer, 26-8, 26-24. Second Round. —H. A. Penn beat F. L. Hartnell, 18-26, 26-0. 26-20. NOTES ON THE PLAY Good play is not as consistent as is often seen in the championships, the lawns being extremely keen and the hoops difficult to negotiate. One of the surprises of the day was the defeat of A. G. F. Ross and Mrs. Watkins, holders of the New Zealand championhip doubles, by Mesdames Gambrill and Pitcaithly. In the early stages all four players were giving away opportunities until Mrs. Gambrill established a 4-ball break, going to four back. Ross and his partner made a few points until Ross failed at No. 3, with Mrs. Pitcaithly's ball. The latter player, collecting the balls with excellent judgment, made an all-round break, and on the next turn Mrs. Gambrill finished with her ball, pegging out at 26-4. • ... In the game between Mesdames Gilbert and E. Smith and Mrs. S. Jones and Miss Perrin, Mrs. Smith in the early stages made a substantial break but in-and-out play was a feature throughout. Mesdames Gilbert and Smith won by 7 points. A. J. Gibbs, who is playing consistently, made substantial breaks in his game against N. Perrin in the men's championship and won by 26 to 9. Against Mrs. Sidney Jones in the women's championship, Mrs. E. A. Smith started off with a break of 9, but could not get going with the backward ball. Mrs. Jones's shooting was outstanding, and playing confidently she finished at 26-15.

Mrs. Corbet was playing well and made practically two all-round breaks, defeating Mrs. Pitcaithley, 26-7. Mrs. Bassett, who has a handicap of IJ, made a good showing against Mrs. Bartlett, whose handicap is minus At one stage the game looked as if Mrs. Bassett might finish, but in endeavouring to get a rush she went boundary, and Mrs. Bartlett, getting control, finished shortly afterwards, the score being 26-20.

In-an-out play was a feature of the game between Mrs. Henderson and Mrs. Lowery, both of Wellington. Mrs. Henderson was not playing as confidently as usual, and although she was shooting in well she was not judging the lawn with any accuracy. Mrs. Lowery was well on her game, her long shooting and hoop-running being excellent, and the game ended 26-14 in her favour.