CROQUET

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19766, 14 February 1927, Page 8

CROQUET

WANGANUI TOURNAMENT SEVERAL FINALS DECIDED. A large number of spectators was in attendance at the Wanganui croquet tournament on Saturday. Excellent weather conditions prevailed and the finals of several of the competitions were decided. Before the day’s play, Mr. J. Murray, president of the New Zealand Croquet Council, addressed those present. He spoke appreciatively of the excellent arrangements made for the tournament, and stated that, except Rotorua, no club other than Wanganui had six fullsize greens to play on, with the prospect of seven. In Archdeacon Creed Meredith, the Wanganui Club had a great asset and the Archdeacon deserved much credit for help in the arrangements for the tournament. Mr. Murray, on behalf of the players, then presented Mrs. C. H. E. Rhodes, president of the Wanganui Club with a handsome piece of cut crystal-ware, as a mark of appreciation of her services. Results of Saturday’s play are as under:— Junior Open Championship. Semi-finals: Mrs. Fulton beat Mrs. Wybourne, 26—12; Mrs. Cowling beat Mrs. Bush, 26—21. Final: Mrs. Fulton beat Mrs. Cowling, 26 —19. Junior Handicap. Semi-finals: Mrs. Lon Bassett beat Mrs. Wybourne, —; Mrs. beat Jrs. Glenny, 26—23. Final: Mrs. Len Bassett beat Mrs. Cowling, 26—7. Handicap Doubles. Final: Mrs. Jarvie and Mrs. Glenny beat Mrs. Skeet and Miss Burgess, 26 17. Senior Handicap. Mrs. Horner beat Mrs. Bccrc, 26—12. Wanganui Open Championship. Archdeacon Meredith beat Mrs. Jarvic, Iwo games to one: 26 —15, 22 —26, 26—16. Saturday’s play, enhanced by the fine weather and the excellent condition of the courts, was very interesting ai d the public’s attention was held throughout the day. As on the previous days of he tournament, catering arrangements wore complete and wore much appreciated by those present. To-day the tournament will be completed. Mrs. Jarvie (Wanganui) will eet Mrs. Brabant (Auckland this morning in the final of the Wanganui Ladies’ Open Championship and this game is expected to prove a fitting termination to a successful tournament. Notes of Interest. In the Handicap Doubles Mrs. Jarvie aM Mrs. Glenny after a very in-and-out game defeated Mrs. Skect and Miss Burgess by 26—20. The Senior Handicap, in which Mrs. Jarvie scratched owing to her being required in no less than three finals, proved an easy thing for Mrs. Horner, of Patea, a rapidly-improving player. Mrs. Horner, having just recently won the Junior Handicap in Palmerston her promotion to senior . rank by admirable play, making two capital breaks in the against Mrs. Beere, of Wavcrlev, whom she defeated 26—12. The Junior Handicap was won by a local player—Mrs. Len. Bassett whose easy style will quickly bring her to the front rank. Her opponent in the final, Mrs. Cowling, of Waverley, was also second to Mrs. Fulton in the Junior Championship. The final of the Wanganui Open Championship created considerable interest as the finalists were Archdeacon Meredith who was runner-up this year for Doubles and Singles in the New Zealand Open Championship, and Mrs. Jarvie, whose brilliant play this year marks her as a first-rank player. Mrs. Jarvie had already defeated Miss Gambrill, this year’s runner-up for the Ladies’ Championship. In the first game Archdeacon Meredith made a few solitary hoops then, failing to separate his opponent’s balls Mrs. Jarvie made a useful break with each ball. The Archdeacon, playing safely, worked red round to the rover. In-and-out play followed, during which blue and black made a good deal of progress until an unlucky stroke left black near yellow which was for the fourth hoop. Making no mistake yellow went round with a break of ten, feeling red and begging out both balls. In the second game Mrs. Jarvie played much the stronger game, but with blue a rover and black for the rover hoop, failed with the latter ball. Red hit yellow and making the rover hoop pegged black out. Yellow had 8 points to make but broke down repeatedly and Mrs. Jarvie, hitting the long shot on two occasions, made her last hoop and the peg. The third game produced brilliant croquet. Mrs. Jarvie picking up the ball at once, made a break to back \fith blue, failing in which her opponent made an all round break off the rover hoop. Mrs. Jarvie hit a brilliant long shot and made another eight hoops finally missing the red bal] and going to yellow on the line. Yellow separated his opponent’s balls andlaid for read at the first hoop. Mrs. Jarvie missed the long shot and red making a break of 14 points went round feeling yellow but failing to peg it out, pegged out with red, and after a couple of shots hit the peg with the remaining ball. This last game was both sides a good exhibition. The following handicap reduction will be recommended to headquarters: Mrs. E. O. Horner 5 to 4J, Mrs. Beere 6 to SJ, Mrs. Fulton 6 to sj, Mrs. Cowling 7 to 6, Mrs. Len Bassett 7 to 6, Mrs. Jarvie 2 to Is, Mrs. Glenny 6j to 6, Mrs. Skeet 5£ to 5.