CROQUET

Evening Star, Issue 21630, 27 January 1934, Page 20

CROQUET

It is intended to devote some spsce in each Saturday’s issue to items of interest to croquet players. The secretaries of the various clubs are asked to send in notes to “ Diana ” not later than Wednesday in each week. Correspondence is invited and inquiries as to fine points of the game or other matters connected with croquet will be answered as far as possible. Southland Tournament. The fact of this tournament following so close on the heels of the South Island and dominion events has curtailed the chance of outside entries. So far the only Dunedin players who have entered are: Mrs Saxton and Mrs Gillanders, from the Watea Club, and these two should have a very happy time, as Southland is noted for its hospitality. Mrs M'Donald is going down for the opening, but is not joining in the play. Saturday Matches. Last Saturday’s match between teams from Opoho (1) and Watea resulted in a win for Opoho of 5 to 1. The draw for to-day is Opoho (2) v. Dalmore (2), to he played on the as-, sociation’s lawns. Association Lawns. The association lawns at Logan Park are proving popular, and have already been booked for some days ahead. The lawns can be reserved for either morning or afternoon at the cost of 2s per lawn, application to be made to the secretary, Mrs J. M'Donald. For members of crowded clubs, this is an excellent way to entertain visitors, and is also a good arrangement for- giving players practice on full-sized lawns, iri preparation for the Otago tournament. Dominion Championship Tournament. A visit to the tournament held in Christchurch proved full of interest and instruction. As far as one could judge, the best players from the south were quite equal to their northern opponents in shooting and in break laying, but often lost the game in a tight corner, or when any imusual situation arose, by the superior tactics and finish of their opponents. Visits to championship tournaments will quickly rectify this, and southern players will then prove very hard to beat. —lnteresting Games.— Some most interesting games were seen, far too many to attempt to describe. Play was in the main very careful, and no risks were taken, so that once a player was able to bring all the balls into play there was little hope for the opponent. It was unfor.tunate that handicap play was put on first, as those who • were only able to stay for the first week missed the best play, which should be seen in the finals of championship events. —Unique Position.— When addressing the gathering at the official opening, the deputy-mayor, the Rev. J. K. Archer, voiced his somewhat humorous conception of the game as it appeared to a non-player. He remarked that apparently the most important or objective was not so milch the winning of the game as the matter of preventing the other fellow from doing so. This statement would appear to bear a semblance of truth if the match between -Mrs Caldow and Mrs Hndfield on Saturday evening may be taken as a criterion. Mrs Caldow, who had for the greater part of the game, been shooting badly, finally struck form, and, after succeeding in recovering a big lead gained by her opponent, proceeded to peg out Mrs Hadfield’s forward ball, when, much to the mixed feelings of consternation and amusement, of all, her own ball rolled on to the stick also. —“ Cat and Mouse Tactics.”— A large crowd of interested onlookers ivero then treated to a veritable display of “ cat and mouse ” tactics, each player endeavouring to deny the other a shot by continuously wiring each ball at the rover loop, which had with difficulty been reached by both. After much repetition of identical strokes, which showed that neither player intended to risk coming into the open, the referee (having perceived a deadlock) called on the manager to exercise her right of imposing the orthodox, though exceptional, time limit of half an hour on a game which has been in progress not less than two hours, ft was apparent to all that the game might go on indefinitely. As both players signified their intention of retaining their position without making further strokes, the manager, without waiting for the specified time to elapse, declared the match a draw. The game caused a great deal of controversy, and the matter will probably not be allowed to drop, but- will be referred to the English, Council. A prominent player stated that it was to be hoped that tactics such as these wquld not often be employed in championship games, as their effect could not he calculated in any way to enhance, but rather had the effect of detracting from the skilful-game, which was fast becoming known as billiards on the grass. The game, it was pointed out, was unique in that while other games had had time limits imposed on them, it was believed that never before had the points made by each .opponent constituted a draw. —Brilliant Play by A. G. F. Ross.— In his game against A. J. Gibbs (Patea) in the men’s championship, A. G. F. Ross (Christchurch) produced true championship form. Ross missed the tice, but Gibbs did not get further that the first hoop. Ross hit in with a medium shot, made eight hoops, and went to three back, where his ball lodged in the hoop, after Ross had cross-wired his opponent at two back. Gibbs shot at blue but missed, whereupon Ross proceeded first to peel , the black through the three back. In a perfectly-executed break he went right to the" stick, having successfully engineered a quadruple peel, including two perfect partial jumps at the penuh timate and the rover. Some idea of the skill required for this achievement can be gauged'’from the fact that in tliis last turn 13 points were scored with one ball and 5 points with the other, giving him 18 of the 26 required for game. In another game against a southern player Ross hit in when his opponent had made only 1 hoop, and finished the turn with his clip on the 4 back and the opponent balls cross-wired. at the first hoop. His opponent failed to hit the only ball open (in the third corner) and Ross proceeded to the peg in a splendid all-round break, ending with a triple peel and peg-out. The second game was a repetition of the first, with the exception that the opponent declined the open shot, preferring to retire to the corner, and Ross completed the round, winning the rubber with the loss of three points. A Close Match.— A large crowd of spectators gathered to witness an extremely close open championship match between F. L. Hartnell (New Plymouth) and Mrs Corbet (Dunedin). Mrs Corbet, who has played particularly well throughout the" tournament, and whose long hitting has always been a feature of her game, opened. She started with a good break and went to the rover

hoop. A faulty stroke enabled her opponent to get control, but little progress was made. In and out play followed until another break saw Mrs Corbet’s other clip on the rover hoop. The lift shot brought relief to Hartnell, who hit in and completed the round, at the same time peeling Mrs Corbet’s yellow through the rover hoop and pegging it out. Mrs Corbet picked up'a long'shot but failed at her hpop. Again she picked up a long shot and finished to win 26-16. The second game opened in Mrs Corbet’s favour. In and out play followed and eventually Mrs Corbet’s two clips were placed on the stick. Hartnell hit in with the lift and went to the rover. Mrs Corbet again assumed control, and though she failed to jeg out placed one ball on the stick. Hartnell was successful with a long shot, and by careful play ran out the winner by one point. The third game was a battle of wits rather than of breaks. Mrs Corbet was again the first to complete her two rounds. A long shot enabled Hartnell to take control, and after a break of four hoops his blue clip was placed on the stick. Mrs Corbet failed with a long shot, and her opponent brought his other clip to the rover hoop. Mrs Corbet, after getting in with a long shot, succeeded in two or three difficult strokes to bring her two balls within three yards of the peg. However, she' missed the peg, and amid considerable excitement Hartnell picked up a long shot and after running to the rover hoop finished the final game with the score 26-24. —Points to be Noted.— One special thing to be noted was the fact that every player replaced the ball on. the hack line at the exact point where it crossed, and then pulled it op to the yard line. In this way it is more likely to get the position correct than when the ball is put directly on to the yard line. Otago captains would do well to instruct their players in this very important point.

—One Line-' Only Marked.— ; The bowling green at the United Chili was marked off for play by a string stretched round the outside boundary. Players measured a mallet’s length in to replace balls. This conforms with the English and Australian rules, and the writer has always hold that we in New Zealand have no ’ authority ’ for marking our lawns otherwise Meeting of Players. ' A meeting of players to suggest improvements in tournament programmes, was held on Monday evening, rtith the president (Captain F. L. Hartnell, in the chair. ■ , ■ ’ There was general approval of the suggestion,- made by .Mr A. G. F. Ross and Mrs Ehodes-Williams, that in the next championships the handicap singles event be drawn on the-X Y Z system. This, it was stated, would fill lip the empty lawns towards the end of the tournament, and would give more opportunities for play for higher bisqued players. A discussion followed as to the advisability of making handicap doubles a post entry event,- and so give players a chance of choosing their partners at the tournament. A from a northern delegate, that if larger ! trophies were offered and advertised there would be much bigger entries and tournaments would be greater successes, met with almost unanimous disapproval. The chairman spoke in no uncertain terms of the wish of players to keep croquet a pure sport, and eliminating as far as possible any suggestion of pot hunting. His remarks were greeted with applause. All suggestions put forward and approved were passed on to the Tournament Committee tef help in drawing up next season’s programmes.