CROQUET.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 43, 20 January 1936, Page 2

CROQUET.

NORTH ISLAND TITLES. MRS GAMBRILL RUNNER-UP. The North Island croquet championships were concluded at Hastings on Friday, results being as follow: Open singles. —A. G. Ross (South Island); runner-up, A. J. Gibbs (Patea). Women’s championship.—Mrs Watkins (Hastings); runner-up, Mrs Gambrill (Palmerston North). Open doubles championship.— H. P. Stratton (Hastings) # and Mrs Watkins (Hastings); runners-up, ■A. G. Ross (South Island) and Mrs Tiffen (Hastings). Handicap doubles. —A. G. Ross (South Island) and F. Bennett; run-ners-up, Mrs Bartlett (Auckland) and Mrs Poppelwell. Handicap singles.—H. P. Stratton; runner-up, Mrs 1 Caldow (Wellington). Section II: Mrs Bennett; runner-up, Mrs Grindley. Mrs Gambrill met Mrs Watkins in the final of the ladies’ championship. It w'as some time before either player settled down and Mrs Gambrill was first to make a start, but only scored one point, leaving Mrs Watkins a baulk shot with balls on A baulk. This she took advantage of and carried her clip to 2 back where she failed. Mrs Gambrill failed to get the shot on the first occasion, but eventually secured the balls going to the sixth hoop. Mrs Watkins shot in and finished m several turns, the score ending 26 —6. In the second game of the rubber Mrs Watkins played perfect croquet, building up what looked like impossible breaks. With her' opponent’s clip on No. 4 and the other on rever Mrs Watkins peeled and pegged out the forward ball, also pegging out her own, leaving her partner ball one more hoop to make. N From then on play was most exciting, both indulging in French croquet, and it was owing to the excellent judgment and long shooting of Mrs Gambrill that she succeeded in making five more points before Mrs Watkins finished the game and rubber, thus winning the North Island ladies’ championship. Commenting subsequently on the results, Captain F. L. Hartnell, president of the New Zealand Croquet Council, remarked that it was unusual for the open singles trophy to be won by a South Island player in the North Island tournament. Mr ■ Gibbs, the runner-up for this event,' had established a record by winning it twice, in addition to being the rnnner-up on two occasions. The women’s championship had been won for the second time in succession by Mrs Watkins, of Hastings. Mrs Gambrill, the run-ner-up, deserved special praise fpr her achievement. Per Press Association. HASTINGS, Jan. 18. The North Island croquet championship tournament met with success which ranks it second to none yet held by the New Zealand Croquet Council. Unfortunately weather interfered with the progress of play to a certain extent, but notwithstanding a large number of entries for games were got through in record time. / "