You have the office junior reporting: the senior reporters, Chris and Ian, having gone.

I'm sitting in front of the Surbiton pavilion, with Andrew Johnston playing Robert Fletcher in front of me on Lawn 2, and Reg Bamford playing Paddy Chapman on Lawn 1 to the right.

There is a fair amount of cloud cover, with some brigter spells, though rain is threatened for later in the day. The lawns are a mixed light green/straw colour and any early dew seems to have gone. The hoops are set to 1/64th in new holes.

Lawn 2: Andrew Johnston has Blue and Black and has just failed an angled hoop 1, with Red wired from it. Red is shooting at Yellow in the 4th corner.

Lawn 1: Reg has Red and Yellow, and has scored hoop 1 with Red..

Lawn 2: Andrew has scored hoop 1 with Blue and has just rolled out of corner 2 to the balls in 4th corner. He ended up hampered from them just south of hoop 4.. Looking at a sweep. Brian Boutel is referring the 9 yrd sweep shot. Clean, but misses, leaving Blue in contact with red and yellow very close but not touching.

Lawn 1: Reg has stuck in hoop 3 with red. Black is on North boundary, Blue about 2 yards south of the hoop. Ian Pliummer is watching Blue at Red: hits.

Lawn 1: Paddy is appraching hoop 1 with Blue off yellow and runs it. Red is by H3, Black near 4th corner.
Lawn 2: Robert doesn't try for a cannon, just rushes Blue to the North boundary, to get a rush on Black to hoop 1.

Lasn 2: Robert rushed balck to a foot in front of hoop 1,, ran it, rushing Black north in that stroke. Blue is between 6 and 2, Red still near 4th corner.
Lawn 1: Paddy has just run H3 on a tidy break.

Lawn 2 Robert has a break with Yellow approaching hoop 3.

Lawn 1: Paddy continuing his break with Blue.

There are about 100 spectators, in front of hte pavilion, along the N boundary of Lawn2 and the E boundary of Lawn 1. The lawns here have the traditional orientation,with hoop 1 nearest the pavilion.

Lawn 1: Paddy has got to 4-B with Blue, leaving Red by hoop 4, Yellow SW of hoop 2, and his balls on the East Boundary, so that Eed is hampered from hitting them.
Lawn 2: Yellow has stuck in 1-Back. A test reveals that the ball cannot touch both wires. Andrews with have an easy breadk with Black.

Lawn 1: Reg is looking to see if Red has a shot and hits Blue, to the E boundary about 7 yards North of Black. Gets a rush on it to yellow, and rushes yellow to Hoop 3. Runs it this time.
Lawn 2: Andrew has run hoo p 1 with Black.

10:30 Lawn 1: Game 1: Reg Red 4 and yellow 1: Paddy Blue 4-B and Black 1
Lawn 2: Game 1: Andrew Black 4 and Blue 2; Robert Red 1 and Yellow 1-Back.

Lawn 1: Reg has a break with Red and is for hoop 5.
Lawn 2: Andrew has a break with Black and is for hoop 4.

Lawn 1: Reg has stuck in 6 with Red. Both the hoop and ball were checked but found to be acceptable. Paddy hit Red with Black, which was by the peg, and peeled Red to 1-Back.

Lawn 2: Andrew failed hoop 6 with Black. Robert has hit Red with Yellow, which is for 1-back. Blue is near 2-Back, and Black doesn't look to rush to 1-Back, but might to Blue.

Lawn 1: Paddy has run hoop 1 with Black off partner and sent it to 4-Back, with a triple in prospect.

Lawn 3 is being held back for the final. On the bottom lawns (the ground slopes away to the left of the pavilion), the plate and bowl semi-finals are in progress. 16 players are contesting the Shield at Roehampton.

Lawn 1: Paddy has jawsed the first peel of a standard triple.
Lawn 2: Robert has rushed Blue from 2-Back to 1-Back and is approaching the hoop with Yellow.

Lawn 1: Paddy has rush-peeled 4-Back before hoop 5.
Lawn 2: Robert is laying an NSL, for 1 and 4-back. Blue is iby H4, and he is just moving black.

11:00 Summary.

Lawn 1: Game 1: Paddy B&K on a TP, Reg for 1 and 1-Back.
Lawn 2 Game 1: Robert R&Y 1 and 4-Back, Andrew 2 and 6.

Lawn 2: Andrew taking long lift with Blue. Misses.into 4th corner
Lawn 1: Paddy has two peels done and is for 2-Back.

Danny Johnson tells me that he is doing a less technical commentaryon Twitter at @DannyJohnston2

Lawn 1: Paddy is for 4-B with the peelee in front of Rover.
Lawn 2: Robert has just run hoop 1 with Red off Black, with Y at hoop 2 and Blue in corner 4, which he is ignoring for now.

A slight contrast in dress, with the wind picking up. Paddy has a white jacket and long black trousers; Robert is in white shorts and tee shirt.

Lawn 1: Paddy about to attempt straight rover peel.
Lawn 2: Robert in control at hoop 3.

Lawn 1: Paddy beat Reg +20tp in game 1.

Lawn 1: The hoops are being checked between games.
Lawn 2; Robert is senting partner to 4-Back from sourth of hoop 5, with the other balls in position for a delayed TP.

Lawn 1: Game 2. Reg Yellow to E boundary, Paddy lays Duffer tice with Black, Red missed Black to South boundary.

Lawn 2: Robert has jawsed the 4-Back peel before 6.
Lawn 1: Paddy hit Red with Blue in the 4th turn and has run hoop 1. Still a bit of work to do for a break.

Lawn 2: Robert has peeled 4-Back and is doing a pass roll to send Yellow to penult and Red to Blue, which is just NW of 1-Back.
Lawn 1: Paddy has run hoop 2 and now has a break with Blue. The other clips are all still on one.

Lawn 2: Robert idanced for 2 minutes before failing to peel penult going to 2-Back, but got close to the pioneer.
Lawn 1: Paddy now at H6 on the first break, with Blue.

Lawn 2: Robert having another go at the Penult peel before 4-back, but can only jaws it.
Lawn 1: Paddy has got Reg's Yellow a bit too far East to be wired from B-Baulk at hoop 2. He has just run 2-Back and has Red at 3-Back, so is weighing uphis options.

Lawn 2:Robert doing tight irish peel at penult., with blue 2 yards SE and black 3 yards NE of the peg. Yellow hilled round the peg to land 2 feet in front of Rover.
Lawn 1: Paddy left Yellow alond and lays up with NSL; Yellow by 2, Red by 4, Black on E yard-line, with a rush on Blue to peg.

Lawn 1: Reg lifts Yellow for long lift.
Lawn 2: Red runs onto wire in straight Irish rover peel. Looks nasty.

Lawn 1 Reg now looking at short lift with Yellow.
Lawn 2 Robert still looking at the crash.

Lawn 1: Reg misses
Lawn 2: Robert played Red to West Boundary, leaving both Andrew's balls and Yellow by Rover. No need for a lift"

Lawn 1: Paddy rushes the hoop 4 ball so that it bounces off the wire closer to Blue, and takes off behind Blue to get a good rush to hoop 1. Sticks in it from 2 feet in front.
Lawn 2: Andrew playing Black, his hoop 6 ball.

Lawn 1: Reg shoot with Yellow from hoop 2 and hits Blue near 1, for a break.
Lawn 6 Andrew approaching 6 witth Black. Sticks.

Correction; Lawn 6 should read Lawn 2 in previous entry. I don't know how to edit it!

Lawn 1: Reg has a break with Yellow and is for hoop 3.
Lawn 2; Robert missed a 15 yard shot with Red (near W boundary0 at Yellow (3 yards SW of peg) , rather than Yellow at the balls at 5.

Lawn 2; Andrew is approaching 1-Back with Black. Runs it, with Blue at 2-back and Red on East Boundary.
Lawn 1: Reg, about to pop Black through 1 on his way to 5.

Lawn 2: Andrew stuck in 2-Back, leaving Robert a 5.5 yard lift shot at Blue .. which Robert hits..
Lawn 1: Regnow for 6, with the other balls at 2-Back rather than 1-Back. Just ran 6 and may be hampered from Black.

Lawn 1: Yellow hits Black, with ian Plummer in attendence.
Lawn 2: Robert approaching Rover with Red off Yellow. Ran it hard to the South Boundary, with Blue nearby. Should be all over ... after more than 2.5 hours for +18.

Lawn 1: Reg has left a cross-wire at 1, and laid for a sextuple, with his balls fairly tight in corner 3.
Lawn 2: hoop checking.

Lawn 1:Paddy takes clip off hoop 1, so may be about to jump. Does so and hits to loud applause.

Lawn 2: Robert now has Blue and plays it to short of East Boundary. Andrew plays Red to S,. of corner 2. Robert shoots at Blue with Yellow from S boundary ... misses. Andrew hits partner in corner 2.
Lawn 1: Paddy rolled to balls in corner 3, ended 7 yards short and missed, leaving Reg three balls near C3 and Blue a yard SW of hoop 3.

Lawn 2: Andrew rolls form corner 2, getting Red to between peg and 6, and Yellow 4 yards from Black on E boundary. Rushes Blue to hoop 1 and runs it.

Lawn 1: Reg approaching 1 with peelee 3 yards E of 2.

Lawn 1: Reg peels Paddy through 4-Back, so may be going for TPO as well as a Sextuple. he has now peeled 1-Back.
Lawn 2: Andrew gets 2 yard rush on partner to hoop 2, but it goes rather south of the hoop, leaving a 4 yard approach. 30 degree hoop which he runs hard to North Boundary.

Lawn 1: Reg now for 4 with Red, about to attempt 2-Back peel on Yellow from 2-yards.
Lawn 2: Andrew has first break with Yellow and is for hoop 4.

Lawn 1: 2-Back peel bounces to the side, but Reg can have another go having run hoop 4.

Lawn 1: Reg has aborted his sextuple, but can still do the TPO. He is now for 6, with Blue (for penult) behind it.
Lawn 2: Andrew has just run 1-Back.

The lunch queue is now out of the pavilion door. Smells good!

Lawn 1: The penult peel failed, ending probably in front but just out of the jaws.
Lawn 2: Andrew suck in 2-Back, just as he did near the end of the first game, though the other clips are on hoop 1 this time.

Lawn 1: Reg attempting death roll peel going to 2-Back... gets it
Lawn 2; Robert has laid break with Blue and is approaching hoop 1, baving peeled Yellow though 2-Back.

Lawn 1: Reg failed to get position for Rover peel before 3-Back.
Lawn 2: Robert in control and for 4.

Lawn 1: Red approaching 4-Back with Blue in front of Rover.

Lawn 1: Red now also for Rover.

Lawn 1: Irish peel at rover from a few inches. Reg lifted Blue and querying this.Paddy has gone onto the lawn. He has retreated again.

Lawn 1: Peel goes throgh by several yards.

Lawn 2: Robert gets to 4-Back but separates, having left Yellow open at hoop 4. Black on East Boundary, Blue in corner 2, Red Peg high near West Boundary. Yellow is for 3-Back, Red and Black still for 1.

Lawn 1: I'm told that Reg called Paddy on to the court, presumably to get permission to pick up Blue. He has completed the TPO and pegged out his own ball, levaing Paddy's Black on 2 and his Yellow on 2-Back.

Lawn 2: Andrew hit Black with Yellow, but run into the peg when taking off to Blue.

Lawn 1: Paddy failed to roll up to 2 from the contact, retired to corner 1. Reg shooting at it from level with hoop 2, after waning spectators. Hits.

Lawn 2: Andrew hit partner and laid up near hoop 1.

Lawn 1: Reg appraches well short.
Lawn 2: Andrew accidentally kicked one of the balls after laying up in a wired position. Robert agrees replacement position.

Lawn 1: Reg goes to C4, Paddy misses him there.

Lawn 2: Robert shotoing at Red and Yellow with black. Shot bounces, but hits. Maybe not wired after all!

Lawn 1: Reg rushes paddy's Black to near hoop 3 and takes off to get an angled 2-yard 2-Back. Runs it hard to south boundary. Plays it to 3 yards in front of 3-Back. Paddy lags to hoop 2.

Lawn 1: Reg takes closer position, as does Paddy. Reg runs 3-Back to 7 yards south of 4-Back. Attempting it ... bounces off to East Boundary.

Lawn 1: Paddy runs 2, Missed Black

Lawn 1: Reg gets position for 4-Back, sending Black down to 4. Runs it very hard. Retires to West boundary.
Lawn 2: Robert has run 2 and picked up Red from 2nd corner.

Lawn 1: Paddy plays to centre of North Boundary, ignoring or forgetting lift. Reg plays to corner 2, disturbing spectatpors and a dog.

Lawn 1: Paddy misses Yellow in C2.
Lawn 2: Robert under-approaches 3 putting parner Blue in position for 4-Back peel. Looks to be attempting it.

Lawn 1: Reg gets 3-yard angled position for Penult, decides to improve it, but over-hits. Paddy can shoot back at it to North boundary.

Lawn 1: Paddy missed.
Lawn 2: Robert gets hoop and peel.

Lawn 1: Reg plas to wired position on West boundary. Paddy plays a couple of yards along the North Boundary towards hoop 3.

Lawn 1: Reg plays Yellow to Corner 2. Paddy shooting again. Draw by repetition?

Lawn 1: No, Paddy hits this time. Splits to 4 yards north of 3, with Yellow behind 4. Bounces off hoop 3 to East Boundary.

Lawn 2: Robert rushes Blue back through 4-Back, and can now send it to penult, going to his pioneer Yellow at 5.

Lawn 1: Reg lakes 4 yard position at penult. paddy has 13 yard shot at it, Misses.

Lawn 1; Regh runs penult hard and bounces back 4.5 yards from peg. Takes 2-yard position at Rover.

Lawn 1: Paddy shoots gently byt misses. Reg sticks in Rover.

Lawn 2; Robert has tLawn 1: wo peels dones and for 1-Back.
Lawn 1: Paddy misses. Reg runs Rover but probably can't see the peg. Going to wired spot on East Boundary?

Lawn 1: Paddy plays to 4 yards south of hoop 2.

Lawn 1: Reg looks at wired position by hoop 4. Will this finish before Robert's TP? I'm hungry!

Lawn 1: Paddy misses.leaving Reg a 4 yarder. Hits, to win +11tpo and level the match.

Lawn 2: Robert has run 2-Back, and is approaching 3-back off partner.

Lawn 2: Robert has straight rover peel from about a foot.

Lawn 2: Safely through. Pegs out from 2 yards to win +18tp and go two up.

So as I break for a late lunch, Paddy and Reg are one all; Robert leads Andrew 2-0.

I had the last of the pasta bake, and the Chiswick is in excellent condition.
Lawn 1: Paddy has played Yellow to East boundary. Reg Black to south of corner 2.

Lawn 1: Paddy shot at Yellow from South Boundary and missed, leaving balls about a yard apart. Reg took same shot and missed.

Lawn 1: Paddy rushed Blue acrros to hoop 1, ran it and rushed back to East boundary. Rushed Red to 2-yards South of Black in corner 2 and gets rush to 2. Should be able to run it to the north bounday and pick up Red for the first break..

Lawn 2: Robert now has a jacket on, so both players are in green and white! Andrew plays Black to East Boundary. Robert Yellow to south of corner 2. Andrew shoot ast Black from corner 3 ... center balls it.

The wind is picking up, rustline the bunting round the pavilion and huts. There are four flags flying from the poles in the car park: the Surbiton club flag, the WCF one, the CA flag, also green and the Union flag.

A scurry of spectators as the rain starts.

Lawn 1: Paddy has a break and is for hoop 6.
Lawn 2: Andrew has left a "dream leave" ... but I'd rather have a 2 feet rather than a 3 yard rush!

Lawn 2: Robert shoots from corner 3 and misses.

Lawn 1: Paddy under apprached 2-back off black just from the side, having popped blue to hoop 3. Retired to corner 2.
Lawn 2: Andrew bounced off hoop 1, with yellow 7 yards north. Robert hits.

Lawn 1: Reg lifts Blue from hoop 2 and shoots at black at hoop 1: rushes it to hoop 2. Rolls to Yellow in corner 2.
Lawn 2: Robert also bounces off hoop 1.

Lawn 2: Andrew hits his 7 yarder. Goes to Red in corner 4 and should be able to split it to 2, going to Yellow at 1.

Lawn 1: Reg has position for hoop 3, but no hoop 4 pioneer.

Lawn 2: Andrew runs hoop 1 to score the first point in the 3rd game. Runs to get his waterproof jacket.

Lawn 1: Reg has run hoop 4, but still no sign of a text-book break.

Lawn 1: Reg now for 2-Back, and finally has a pioneer within 3 yards of the hoop. Paddy will get a lfit.
Lawn 2: Andrew has run 4 and has Yellow in front of 1 if he wants a pop.

The umbrellas have all come down, but it is still overcast.
Lawn 1: Reg has left a horizontal spread, with Red, for 1, at the peg and yellow, also for 1, near West boundary.
Lawn 2: The pop bounces off.

Lawn 1: Paddy lifts Yellow to A-baulk and hits "short" lift.

Another barrel is carried out of the pavilion.
Lawn 1: Paddy run 2-back
Lawn 2: Andrew now for 1-Back. It seems a slow break, but I don't seem to see the timestamps to check on that!

Lawn 1: Paddy attempted a long cross-wire at hoop 1 after 3-back, but it may be open. Rushes partner to north boundary and takes off to adjust the ball near hoop 5. Both sides are for 1 and 4-back.

Lawn 1: Reg also attempting to jump hoop 1 ...goes over Blue after 1st bounce.

Work has started on moving lawn 3 for the final.

Lawn 2: Andrew finishes has break, leaving his balls 12 yards apart on the East boundary, Red by the peg and yellow open to it.

Lawn 1: Robert split Red to Yellow, nearly going off the North boundary, but the reward was getting it tight at 4-back. He has a standard TP position.

Sorry: for Robert read Paddy!

Lawn 1: Paddy has only just run hoop 3 and has shot hampered by the escape ball. He its and gets the 4-Back peel.

Lawn 2: Robert splitting Red to hoop 1 from corner 4, sending Black to hoop 3;. Gets 4+ yard position, but is deciding whether to go for it.,

Lawn 2: Runs it by 2 yards and hits the ball near hoop 5.
Lawn 1: Paddy for 1-Back with the penult peel jawsed.

Lawn2: Robert refused an angled hoop 2 and retired to corner 4. Andrew has a 12 yard shot with Blue (his 4-back ball) at Black in corner 3. Hits.

Lawn 1: Paddy looks as though he has done 2 peals and is for penult.

Lawn 1: Paddy has 18 inch straight rover peel. Irishes it, ending in the jaws.

Lawn 1: Paddy wins +17tp to go 2-1 up in the best of 5.
Lawn 2: Andrew leaves his balls in corner 3, with Yellow by 2 and Red just off the south yardline near 1. Yellow hits black..

On lawn 3, Edward Patel, George Noble's 5(?)-year old grandson, his helping(?) him with the hoop setting.

Lawn 2: Robert has the balls in place for a TPO if he wants it, providing he gest a rush to hoop 2.

Lawn 1: Reg played Black to anti-duffer position Paddy and Reg both missed it, but Paddy hit with Red 4th turn from A-baluk.

Lawn 2: Robert does look to be attempting a TPO. He is approaching 3 off the peelee with an escape ball nearby. Both balls have come up short, but he runs the hoop.

Lawn 1: Paddy has a break and is for hoop 4.

James Hopgood v Alain Giraud in the Bowl semi-final is apparently game all, both lunch and tea being taken during the 2nd game! There is a rumour that it might turn into the final due to players in the other half having booked flights for tomorrow.

Lawn 1: Paddy has poped Black through 1.
Lawn 2: Robert has only just rund hoop 5, having done one peel. Has hampered shot at Red which he hits.

Lawn 1: Paddy has popped Black through 2 as well, and is now for 2-back.
Lawn 2: Robert for 6, withj the peelee for penutl.

Ssorry for break in transmission. Had to reset the club's wifi router.

Lawn 1: Reg snicked long lift with hoop 3 ball and has just made 3; Paddy for 1 and 4-back and 2-1 up..
Lawn 2: Robert for 4-back with 2(?) peels done.

Lawn 2: Robert about to try straight Rover peel.
Lawn 1: Reg stopping after 6, to leave the same position as in the 2nd game.

Lawn 2: Robert gets peel, rushes partner to East boundary, comes back to get a rush on Andrew's Blue to the peg.
Lawn 1:Paddy is taking the tea lady shot, rather than attempting a jump this time. Misses.

Lawn 2: Robert plays Yellow to corner 2, leaving him for 2 and peg against 1. Andrew takes contact from Yellow. Rolls Yellow to near 6, hits Red, and is about to attempt roll to hoop 1.

I've just spotted Pete Trimmer#'s sweat shirt, which as a picture of a playing card, with a tiger in the centre and the caption "A wild card".

Lawn 2: Andrew's roll goes just too far.
Lawn 1: Reg has run hoop 1 and looks to be attempting a TPO.

Lawn 2: Andrew plays off the South boundary in front of 1, leaving a rough squeeze.

Lawn 2: Robert hits Yelow with Red, his hoop 2 ball. Rolls to lay up in 3rd corner.
Lawn 1: Reg is attempting the first peel, having just run 3. Bounces back from the hoop.

Lawn 2: Andrew bounces off hs 6 yard hoop 1.
Lawn 2: Reg rush peels 4-Back before 5.

Lawn 1: Reg has just staggered through 5, thought the hampered shot looks straightforward. He hit it.

Lawn 2: Robert has run 2, rushed it south, and has got a rush on Black to 3 with Yellow near 4. This could be a finishing turn if he gets a backwards take-off for position at 3. He does.

Lawn 1; Reg looks to have done 2 peels on his TPO and is for 1-back.

Lawn 1: Reg has run 2-back with Paddy's ball in the jaws of Rover.
Lawn 2: Robert is for 6 on his 3-ball break.

Lawn 1: reg seems to have stopped in 3-back and is calling a referee.

Lawn 1: Reg puts his clipon and retires. Blue is in 3-back, Black a yard or so north of it, Red, the peg ball, level with the peg on the line between 3 and 4; Yellow level with penult on that line.

Lawn 1: Paddy hits Red with Yellow, which is for hoop 1. (I'm told he deliberately forewent his lift in the pegged out ending in the 2nd game.)

Lawn 2: Robert now for 4-back: just three hoops from the final.
Lawn 1: Paddy has good position for hoop 1, but it has turned gusty again However, he runs it.

Lawn 1: Paddy is on a break to win and for hoop 3.
Lawn 2:Robert's croquet stroke after penult is hampered, so he is having to take off to partner at Rover.

Lawn 2: Robert waits for the wind before attempting a slightly angled Rover. Runs it to get a good rush to the peg, to win +13 tpo, taking the match 3-0..

Lawn 1: Paddy now for hoop 5 with everything under control. Reg can only watch and hope for an error.

Lawn 1: Paddy has 4 hoops to go to reach the final.

Lawn 2: Being cleared!

Lawn 1: Paddy hampered after 4-Back.

Lawn 1: But just a courtesy call for the referee.

Lawn 1: Paddy runs rover, with Red 4 yards from the peg.

Lawn 1: Paddy wins +12 to take the match 3-1 to play Robert in the fina.

The final is scheduled for 9:30 tomorrow. Over and out.