CROQUET CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21258, 12 February 1931, Page 4

CROQUET CHAMPIONSHIPS.

TOURNAMENT CONCLUDED. The South Island croquet tournament was concluded yesterday in good, weather. On the whole, the play during the meeting was not up to the standard usually seen on Otago and, Southland lawns, andthis was probably due to a combination of circumstances. At the commencement of the tournament .the weather was cold and showery, and, as croquet is essentially a fine weather game, this had a disheartening effect on the players. The lawns were heavy and the games were slow. The competitors seemed to attach a greater importance than usual to the events, no doubt because it was the first South Island tournament held under the auspices of the New Zealand Croquet Council. Hitherto there have been only local tournaments in the South Island. Nevertheless, the games were sufficiently interesting to attract a large number of spectators each day. The championship and handicap doubles were very evenly contested throughout, the scoring in each game proving the equality of all the competitors in. these events. The winners deserved their success. Mrs 1 Horn (Punga) and Mrs Macdonald (Invercargill) 'won the championship doubles, and Mrs Macdonald, partnered by Mrs Quinn (Invercargill) were the successful pair in the handicap doubles, so that the honours went to Invercargill in both events. Mrs Macdonald played consistently all through the tournament, and she won two events, was run-ner-up in the ladies’ championship, and came well up in the open championship. In the handicap singles both Mrs Horn and Mrs Corbet (each of them champion players) were put out quite early in the contest, Mrs Christopher and Mrs O’Donnell (both of St. Clair) coming out to the final, when Mrs O’Donnell won after a well-fought game. Mrs Christopher has improved in her play considerably since last year, and she is particularly clever at wiring her opponent at the end of her own turn and laying up for the next turn, but she has still something to learn about finishing tactics. With a little more confidence, this player should do well in croquet. One of the quickest and best games in the tourney was played in this event, Mrs Telfer (Gore) going round in two turns, one of them 11 and tne other 15 points, thus finishing the game before her opponent had any chance to get in. This game lasted only half an hour. LADIES’ CHAMPIONSHIP, Final. Mrs Corbet (Punga) beat Mr Macdonald (Invercargill),22B,6 —8,26 —11. In the first game .Mrs Corbet made a break of 11 with blue at her first turn and gave Mrs Macdonald a long shot, which she missed. Mrs Corbet hit in and broke down at the second hoop. Mrs Macdonald got in again, but failed to make a point, and in layiug up for her next turn gave Mrs Corbet a baulk ball, which she did not use to any advantage, making. only one hoop. After a good deal of in-and-out play, Mrs Corbet got in and, making a break of eight, went round to the peg with black, and pegged out. In the second game Mrs Macdonald had the start, but did not make good. Mrs Corbet picked up with her fourth ball and made a break of 11 hoops. Mrs Macdonald took the left, and separated her opponent, but in her next turn missed a short shot, and play was uninteresting for a time until Mrs Corbet reached the peg, the score being 26 —11. Mrs Corbet played good open croquet all through both games and deserved her win. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP. Semi-final. Mrs Horn (Punga) beat Mrs Telfer (Gore), 26—13, 18—26, 26—13. Final. 1 Mrs Horn beat Mrs Corbet (Punga), 12—26, 26—19, 26—19. The early stages of play in the Open Championship were scarcely up to championship standard, but play improved considerably towards the end, when three closely contested games resulted in Mrs Horn (Punga) being acclaimed South Island champion. When the first two games" in the final had been played and Mrs Horn and Mrs Corbet each had one win, the position became an extremely interesting one, and the final game was closely watched by a crowd of interested spectators. PRESENTATION TO WINNER. At the conclusion of the last game, a trophy, in the form of a silver fruit bowl, presented by Mr and Mrs R. W. M'Creath (Gore) for annual competition, was handed to Mrs Horn by the president of the Otago Croquet Association (Mrs Bridgman), who referred to the pleasure with which the games had been watched. Mrs Horn suitably replied.