CROQUET

New Zealand Times, Volume LIV, Issue 12660, 21 January 1927, Page 10

CROQUET

POLLOCK STARS INTER-CLUB MATCHES NOTES BY “ROQUET” The first in the second round for the Pollock stars was played on the lawns of the holders (Hataitai Club) against the challengers (Ngaroma Club). The latter were represented by Mesdames N. Smith and Tregear, and Mesdames Brighting and Moeller played for Hataitai. The afternoon was very sultry, and the lawns were anything but in the best condition owing to this being their first eeason, and the vagaries of the balls were at times disconcerting to the visitors ac, when expecting the nail to attain position, after a careful shot it would wander around at the back of the hoop and perhaps lie against it, in an impossible position, but notwithstanding these difficulties Ngaroma were victorious by three points. When Hataitai won from Ngaroma, the ecore was 2C—--23, and now the position is reversed, with identically the same score, so a third game between these players would be of interest. Hataitai won the toss, and Ngaroma chose the red and yellow balls. Mrs Moeller played first, and sent the blue ball to tho centre, lied (Mrs Tregear) fired for the side line. Black (Mrs Brighting) played to red. Mrs Smith, playing yellow ball, hit the double, and sending red to tho first hoop, then .laid it to score. Blue missed them. lied scored, Ngaroma 1, then eet a drive for the next turn. Blue missed black. Red endeavour to seperate, and secured an excellent position to do eo, but owing to the ball lying in a hole, red hopped over them without touching. Blue played and peeled the balls at the first hoop. (Hataitai 2, Ngaroma 1). Then took both to the next hoop. Red ®j»red off a long ©hot on to yellow (two-all/r separated and returned her partner. Hataitai ©cored steadily until the points were 5 —2, then Mrs Tregear*, who was on her long shots, commenced to increase the scores, and made three points (5 all); the play following was of a very even nature as the ©core indicates, it being 6 all, 7 all, 8 all, and 9 nil.

Mrs Brighting was the first player to make a break, and scored three hoops, before baulking, and the score was 12 —9 in Hataitai's favour. In-and-out play ensued for some time, each team scoring evenly, there being only a few points difference between them. The visiting team soon found the strength, or rather weakness of the green, and learned that with a soft shot there was no certainty of roqueting the ball, and that hard hitting was necessary to ensure it. The home team, towards the end of the match, gradually drew ahead, and the score was (Hataitai 23, Ngaroma 17), and it looked as though the stars would still remain in the holders possession, but Mrs Morton Smith, one of the steadiest of the local players, was to he reckoned with, and her partner (who was now on the rover hoop) set the drive for her and she made three points in one turn and two in the next, then wired the opponents, and the score was (Hataitai 23, Ngaroma 22). Mrs Moeller, who had been getting every long shot previously, missed at this critical stage of the game, and Ngaroma were in the lead at the end of the turn (Ngaroma 24, Hataitai 23). Blue got in a long shot on black, but missed the opponents. Yellow pegged out. (Ngaroma 26, Hataitai 23.) The game was an exhibition of long shooting, as owing to the intricacies of the lawn soft playing was out of the question. The nSxt game will be between Lower Hutt and Ngaroma, on the latter's lawn. INTER-CLUB MATCHES. intermediate Grade.—Hataitai 52, Si. Augustines 52, Kelburn (2) 52, Ngaroma 49, Wellington 47, Island Bay 14, Kelburn (1) a bye. B Grade.—Waimarie 52, Seatoun 42, Ngaroma 41, Wellington 38, Island Bay 26, Lower Hutt 26, Hataitai 11, Eastbourne 8, Lyall Bay a bye. Owing to rain falling some of the games were not completed, and will have to be replayed. In the intermediate grade, Kelburn (2) and St. Augustines have each played six matches, and the latter is leading by one point, having scored 267 to Kelburn's 266. In the B grade Waimarie is well in the lead, being only six points behind the possible.