CROQUET TITLES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 48, 25 January 1939, Page 10

CROQUET TITLES.

FORMER CHAMPION BEATEN. KEEN PLAY SEEN. Perfect, weather prevailed for the continuance of the Dominion croquet championships on the various local lawns to-day. With scarcely a breath of wind blowing, and keen lawns, players arc better able to execute good breaks, and double and single peeling is no uncommon sight. It was the intention of the management to put on championship doubles this morning, hut owing to there being several unfinished games from yesterday, these were unable to be started until late in the day. A. J. Gibbs, a former champion, with a minus handicap, lost in the second life of the men’s championship to H. A. I’enn. which puts him out of this event, and with A. G. F. Ross also defeated in both lives, speculation is rile as to the possible winner, and the position is most interesting. Additional results are:--OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP. Section 1. A. G. F. Ross beat Mrs Teller, 26—P2; Mrs Piteaithly heat Mrs Mouat, 2(5—4: Mrs Barrett beat Mrs Mouat. 26—21. Section 3. R. IV. McCrcath heat Mrs Palmer, 26—8: Miss Washer beat Mrs Wood, 26—14. Section 4. Mrs Watkins heat Harrison, 26—9. Section 5. Mrs Brown heat Mrs Morgan. 26—21 ; Rev. W. Tye beat, Airs Wilson, 26—16, MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP. Second Round. 11. A. Penn beat A. J. Gibbs. 26—16. RADIKS' CHAMPIONSHIP. (First Rife.) Second Round. Airs Watkins beat Airs Baker, 23 — 14. CHAAiPKINSHIP DOUBLES. Second Round. Alesdames Simpson and Wood beat E. Veitcli and Airs Gambrill, 26 —24. HANDICAP DOUBLES. Second Round. Gibbs (4) and Airs Lowery (2) beat Alesdames Owen (2-J) and Davidson (3D, 26 —IS; Alesdames Bryan (ser.) and Aloxon (5) beat Alesdames Mills (5) and King (7), 26—13; Mrs Henderson (ser.) and Alills (8) beat AlcClvmont (scr.) and Airs CJountayne (61). 26—19. F. C. Bryan and Aliss McKenzie beat Airs AleClymont and Mrs Bassett, 26—22. Third Round. Alesdames Petrie and Hill beat Alcsdauies Coles and Ashworth. 26 —23. HANDICAP SINGLES. (Section 11 —-3J bisques and over.) Otiarlor-i' null. Alls Griffon (4J) beat Airs Alills (■)). ‘iO-iO. Final. Airs H. A. lU’in, 7 (Christchurch) beat Airs Gnffen, 4-i (Alatamata), 26—18.

The following is a description ol some o) tne mauiie.s played to-day:— Handicap doubles.—.urs Henderson and Mills v- D. .tick iyniont and Airs Courtnyne: in and out play constituted the game tinoiiguout, .Hi's Henderson gaining control nvquentiy by excellent long shooting. On several occasions Aims, wJio was otherwise playing steadily, failed at the hoops, letting in lus opponents, out- noth ne and ins partner gradually drew ahead and without using llie handicap mushed the game 20—li. Handicap doubles. —Alesdamee Bryan and Aluxon v. Alesdaincu Alii Is and King: me latter pair had 3J bisques to even up idle hand.cap, and hail to iUc two o.oqiK's on one turn, scoring only two points on the advantage. All four player.-, were mooting in well and it was only when the game was well .advanced that Alls Bryan, getting in, made a nice bleak to establish a good lead on her opponents. From that time the lead was maintained. Alesdames Brvuu and Aluxon scoring a good will, 26' 13.

Open championship. —Airs .Mount v. Airs Pitcailhiy: Alls Aiuuat won tlie tons and opened with play, but Airs J’iboailliiy hit in with the iourth ball and made one point. Airs Mount joined her partner ball, when Mrs Pitcaitlily, playing a nice break of seven and. peeling her other ball at the second hoop, finished to penultimate. Airs Mount then got the play and made a point before Mrs Pitcaitlily, gathering the balls tor a second break, played carefully to go to the rover, peeling the backward ball through penultimate. With a rush set up for the next turn by Airs Pitcaitlily, her opponent hit in and made three more points, but failed at the filth hoop, leaving a baulk, thus letting in her opponent, who finished the game in the next turn, the score being 26—t. Men’s championship.—A. J. Gibbs v H. A. Penn : A former champion, Gsbbs has not been playing quite up to form in the present tournament and again this morning lie disappointed spectators by not playing with his usual judgment and precision. Penn, on the other hand, lias been playing well, and not only shot in consistently hut. was steady throughout, defeating Gibbs by the margin of 26—16. In the past Penn has met Gibbs on seven different occasions in council tournaments and this is the first occasion on which he lias had a win to his credit.

The English motorists, H. E. Symons and H. B. Browning, have arrived at Capetown after driving 10,290 miles from London in 32 days. They crossed the Sahara (2266 miles) in three days, four hours, states a cablegram.