CROQUET

Evening Star, Issue 21974, 9 March 1935, Page 19

CROQUET

It is intended to devote some space 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. Shield Matches. —Draw for Next Tuesday.— Senior Grade.—Punga I. v. Watea 11., at Punga; Punga 11. v. St. Clair, at St. Clair; Leith v. Opoho, at Leith. Junior Grade.—Watea v. Opoho, at Watea. —Results of This Week’s Matches.— Senior.—Punga 4, Leith 2; Watea I. 5, Punga 11. 1; Opoho 6, Watea 11. 0; Watea I. 3, St. Clair 3. ' Junior.—Watea 6, St. Clair 3. Fern Matches. Opoho had a good win from Punga on Saturday last, winning by five games to one. To-day Opoho plays Watea in. the final of the second life, the hill club having already come out the winner in the first life. Visit to Balclutha. On Saturday Mesdames Haigh, Currie, M'Pheat, and Miss Watt, of the Taieri Club, paid a visit to Balclutha to play a match with the local club. A set of doubles was played in the morning, and singles in the afternoon. The games were enjoyed by both teams, honours being about even at the end of the day. The Balclutha ladies entertained the visitors hospitably. A return match will be played on the Taieri lawns at an early date. Leith and Balmacewen Clubs. Recently a social game between the Leith ami Balmacewen Croquet Clubs was played on the Balmacewen lawns in ideal weather. Two teams from each club participated. The teams were very evenly matched, and at one time all players wore on the stick at one and the same time. At the conclusion of the afternoon’s play the visitors expressed their pleasure with the giimes and with the club’s hospitality, and expressed the hope that those matches between the adjacent clubs might become an annual event. The following ladies participated :—Mesdames Stewart, M'lntosh, Walker, and Miss Steven (Leith), and Mesdames Melville, Moss, M'lntosh, and Swann (Bnlmacewen). Au Ravoir to Mrs Jonathan Rhodes. Members’of the Leith Club gathered in largo numbers this afternoon to say farewell to one of their number, Mrs Jonathan' Rhodes, who has acted as deputy-captain for the past season, and who is leaving with her husband on a trip to England. A delicious afternoon tea was served iu the pavilion, which was charmingly decorated by Mrs Withers iu the i-lub colours—brown and gold—the autumn blooms fitting in well with this colour scheme. Airs Adamson (president), in a happy little speech, referred to the great help given to the club by Mrs Rhodes at all times, and handed her a little gift from the members. The captain, Mrs H. Munro, also gave Airs Rhodes a small gift that would prove useful to her on the voyage. Airs Rhodes, on rising to thank members, was greeted with applause. During the afternoon competitions were held on the lawns, the trophies being presented by Airs M'lntosh, a member who has just returned from a visit to the Centenary tournament in Alelbourne. Farewell Luncheon. Australian, New Zealand, and Tasmanian croquet players who were the guests of the Croquet (England) and members df the English team (Colonel W. Du Pre, Sir Francis Colchester-Wemyss, and Messrs E. Ward Petley and H. R. Poulter) at a farewell luncheon party at Scott s Hotel, Melbourne, were present at one of the most interesting fixtures of the croquet Centenary celebrations. The luncheon, which was given in honour of the Victorian Croquet Association, was served in the private dining room at a long table, where low crvstal bowls were filled with great' spikes of pale and dark blue delphiniums. The menu was planned by Sir Francis Colchester-Wemyss, of the English team, who is a noted authority on cookery, and who drew most amusing sketches on each menu card. “ Croquet is a Man’s Game.” “ I went to sec what I always understood was a woman’s game. I came away convinced that it is a man’s game —one that takes nerve, skill, and brain,” says a writer in a Alelbourne paper. “Col. Du Pre, captain of the English team himself declares that it is a man’s game—a middle-aged man’s. “ I think I can say I’m one,” he said. “ I’ve been a soldier and a member of Parliament; and I think 1 am entitled to play croquet without being called an old woman.” “Brains count as much as technique iu croquet, the Colonel assured mo. Neither is much good without the other, and when you have both, well, brains win. It is all a matter of tactics. That is providing you have nerve. Airs W. E. Caldow, of New Zealand, has it, and so has Air Reginald Poulter, of England, her opponent in the game I saw. Alone in a sea of green, Airs Caldow went about the business of roquet, croquet, rush, and peel—these aro croquet terms, if you know the game—with splendid indifference to her isolation and the munnurings of an admiring crowd. An Exacting Science. A croquet player is a precise player, but how much more precise is a croquet referee. Sir Francis Colchester-Wemyss, a veteran member of the visiting English team, gave further proof on Saturday of his completeness of technique. Ho was referee in the test match between Australia and New Zealand, played, at the Warloigh Club, North Brighton. . Protecting himself from the sun with a tent-like scarlet umbrella and darkglasses, he allowed his monocle to dangle off duty, but lest some minute detail of the play on the far side of the green should escape him ho carried a pair of field glasses. It was whispered that a microscope