This will be played on lawn 3, to the right hand side of the pavilion.It is best of 5 and very much a tortoise v hare match

Reg is a member at Roehampton and will have strong support as the day progresses and spectators arrive. The lawns are in excellent condition. I would guess their speed has reduced from 13.5 to 13. The grass quality is phenomenal. Unfortunately. at first sight, it looks like the hoops are in the old hoop holes. They were unfailable yesterday afternoon.

Play starts at 9.38
1. Reg U 15y very narrow supershot
2. James R mid E boundary
3. Reg K shoots at R from C3..................misses on the left to C4
4. James shoots Y at R from A-Baulk..........hits to applause. Only about a dozen spectators so far, but they are making themselves heard

4. James goes to 1-b

5. Reg shoots at his 30 yarder.................misses

Sorry, turn numbering not working on site at present

James peels 1-b after h2.

Peels 2-b before h4........good start to the turn. Rushes 4 feet S of h4 and needs a backward take-off...........easy.

Excellent croquet stroke after h4 gains a round of applause. James sends a ball to h6 after h4, obtaining a tight rush on peelee behind 2-b to 3-b. Rushes it in front and jawses 3-b before h5. Grovels through h5 and doesn't have a rush South, so rushes it up towards 4-B and now needs a think take-off back South of 3-b.................no he's just sent out a 1-b pioneer and gone to his h6 pioneer. Clearly happy that he's well ahead of normal tempo with the peeling

After h6, rushes back to S boundary and croquets his 2-b pioneer to 4-b - really good shot. His rush through 3-b finishes 3 yards off the E boundary which isn't ideal

Makes 1-b with a good rush East.

Peels 4-b and rushes to 2-b - finishes 3 yards S of 2-b..............good thick backward take-off...............3 foot hoop.......smashed off the lawn and has a rush NNE - ideal. Should finish providing he makes 3-b.

James makes 3-b with perfect control and has a rush to penult for his delayed double

Jawses penult before 4-b ..........Gets good rush to 4-b, but plays it poorly leaving sidey approach..........no problem. Just a straight double left now

Opts to rush peel penult by a yard before penult and croquets it 3yards N of rover. Makes penult and is setting up for his rover peel.

James' side escape ball is N of rover. He's peeling from 2 feet..........jawsed.

Full jump through rover.......good shot

That side escape ball is now in a good position for the bombard through rover

Bombarding from 1 foot. The crowd applaud. He has a 3 foot rush to the peg with some stuff in the way.

Rushes it 1 foot through hoop 5 - that could cost him the game............he's lining up the peg out and will be striking through h5 - I'm not sure his mallet head is long enough

Manages to hit the shot hard.............misses sending front ball off lawn. Back ball finishes 3y W of the peg

The next turn won't be that fast.

In fact, it still hasn't started

Reg is standing in the middle of the lawn with his arms crossed.

Unsurprisingly, Reg eventually picks up his ball furthest from h1 and gies to B-baulk to rush James' ball to h2. This will be a basic ball to 1-b I expect

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Reg has reached 1-b and made his leave. Sensibly, he's trying to get his 1-b tight behind h3 as a bit more insurance of James hits. Nice to see Reg thinking

James shoots................misses

Reg peels 1-b after h2 all the way down to 2-b. Should get the 2-b before h4 now

Reg sends h4 pioneer down to 2-b, but it's a bit short, so he'll have to peel 2-b from further away than ideal.

Gets slightly angled h3 - no problem

Reg peeling 2-b from 8 feet.......front of jaws

Reg trying the 3-b on his way to h6.............peels well, but over-runs his h6 pionner, so needs to approach from 3.5 yards............almsot sends front ball off the lawn, but he's ok

Reg peels 4-b before 2-b

Reg is under full control now - delayed double

Straight rover peel left

Reg wins the first +2sxp

Game 2

1. James 15y narrow supershot
2. Reg mid E boundary
3. James shoots from C3...............misses to C4
4. Reg shoots at partner from A-Baulk.................hits

Reg to 1b

5. James nails 35 yarder at ball in C3. Rapturous, adoring applause.

Goes to 1b, two pops, cross wire @ H2, lays up in C4

6. Reg misses 35 ydr with 1b ball (sic)

7. James roquets partner, ref required to determine whether he has a cannon or not

He has.. Makes H1, sxp ahead

1b peel after H2, , 2b jawsed before H4

3b peel going to H6

James overapproaches H6, scatters

8. Reg misses 8 ydr along N boundary. Have to say that was predicted by many of the pundits in the commentary box here

9. James cuts 7 ydr down to ball @ H4. Rushes to W boundary, rolls partner to 3yds off middle of N boundary going to ball in C2. Approaches 6 from C2 sending other ball to 2B

Walters off 7ft 30deg H6

10. Reg misses 19ydr with 1b ball at partner just off E boundary by 2b

11. James makes H6 with 4 ball break and triple to do

Goes to peg, 1 peel

H3 ball on penult, other ball on E boundary 9yds out of C4, lays up in optimal position on W boundary

12. Reg misses lift
13 James finishes from penult, wins +18

One game all, lunch

GAME 3

1. Reg K to E boundary 10yds N C4
2. James R 1ft S C2
3. U misses K from A baulk
4. James misses double into C4 from B baulk

5. Reg goes to 1b

6. James misses 35ydr, leaving H1 pioneer about 1yd off S boundary

7. Reg puts ball to H2 and rushes to C4. Gets good rush with croquet stroke, but peelee is very deep: 2yds ouyt of C2

2b peel directly in front of hoop going to H4

Rush peel after 4, puts it bang in front of 3b going to 5

3b peel going to H6

4b peel before 2b

Penult peel going to 4b

Straight, Irish rover peel. +26sxp to Reg

Game 4
James 13 yard narrow supershot
Reg mid E boundary
James shoots from C3............hits

James blobs hoop 1 from 4 yards

Reg misses all 3 balls. It looks like he didn't shoot at the ball in h1 and made adouble of the other 2. Not sure whether he just missed or whether it was a Hogan double

James around to 4back, popping yellow through hoop 1 and leaving red tight on the peg so that it doesn't rush to 2.
Reg lifts his hoop 2 ball, hits the short shot... bit unlucky, he has cut black well up the boundary.

Reg has had to roll up to hoop 2 from east of hoop 6, possibly with hoop 6 slightly in play. Doesn't look at running the hoop. Yellow off into corner 2. Black might have a bit of a target.
James has certainly got some value out of this leave.

James hacks down from near hoop 3 with his 4back ball at partner which is just off A baulk - misses badly

Reg playing his hoop 2 ball, rushes partner to 3. On his way to 1-back again.

(James reports that the balls were "technically wired" - but admits he missed by "enough")

Bit of a roll up to hoop 2, copes well. Some hands on hips planning this turn.

Crosswire at 1back has the hoop 1 ball towards corner 1...he looks happy with the wiring, rushing up to corner 3... looks like he has left James something very long, and maybe with hoop 3 psychologically in play.

Mallet in the air asking for a wiring lift!! - no pressure for Chris Irwin here...

Spectator referees abound.... Fulford, C.Clarke, Trimmer, Tony Hall, David Openshaw, Colin Irwin, Keith Aiton, many, many others. Clarke: "it's open"

Fulford: "it's open"

Christine Irwin.... test balls out. Danny Johnston having a look... looks like Graham Gale on the line also. We really need a video feed of the players swarming over. Stuart Lawrence and Paddy Chapman over for a peek now.

Dave Maugham having a mid-game gander - Christine getting a second opinion from Colin...

Chris Clarke reckons it's open by about half an inch. Miranda Chapman, Malcolm Fletcher, Gavin Carter - am I the only person in this tournament who hasn't had a look? - spectator vote anyone?

Verdict... it's open .... James now asking the spectators to disperse. Malcolm Fletcher "it would have been more dramatic if they'd given it". (!)

...misses with the hoop 1 ball at the very long shot. 1 for 3 on his tea ladies now. Reg 92% to finish according to the bookie!

Making hoop 1 under control. Chris and I are off on our next adventure now. Phil to continue.

1b peel before H2

2b peel before H4

3b peel going to H6

2b pioneer goes to 4b, 4b peel done before 2b

As James contemplates at what point to play his stopping bisque Reg wrists off his rush to 6yds E of 2b. Approaches to 2yds dead in front, crashes through to S boundary

Declines death roll penult peel going to 3b, Does it before 4b

Time is getting short James, better get it played...

Straight, Irish rover peel sails through, +26sxp

Bamford beats Death +2sxp, -18, +26sxp, +26sxp