The players are practicing.

With this match starting after 10.30, it is entirely possible it may not finish today.

Turn 1 Johnston 15y N of C4

Turn 2 Maugham to C2

Turn 3 Andy misses from C3 to C4

Turn 4 Dave shoots at Andys first ball from A-Baulk.............misses

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Turn 5 Andy has put Dave to near h1 and near h2 and joined up near C4

Maugham shoots from W of h1 to C4. Seems to be a horrible stroke - the ball bounces on these pristine lawns..................hits the ball in C4. That should be the first break

Maugham to 4-b. I won't bother mentioning what leave he's made.

Andy lifts ball at h4 and takes long lift (not very flat on that lawn)...............misses to C4

Dave has picked up a break and is setting up a delayed tp

Not quite sure how Dave has got where he is - which is a rolling partner to penult before h6 on a standard tp.

Jawses penult after h6. Rush-peels it by 18" after 1-b

Dave trying long angled peel before 3-b............fails. Straight rover peel needed now

Peg out attempt from 10 feet, wins first 26tp

1. Andrew U to peg high on E boundary
2. Beast Y to C2
3. Andrew misses U from C3 to C4
4. Beast hits Y in C2

Fails to get going, lays up in C2 with oppo balls @ H1 and peg high E boundary

5. Andrew misses balls in C2 from H1.

6. Beast plays C2 cannon, clangs H1

7. Andrew misses H2 into C1

8. Beast misses half ball target at Y to S boundary

9. Andrew hits 7 ydr from C1, going round

Pops Y goinbg to H5

Slow old ball to 4b, two pops, NSL, H1 ball on H4

I take that back,, when I say NSL, obviously I mean OSL

10. Beast lifts peg ball misses long lift into C4
11. Andrew hits 5yd pick up

JStandard tp, awses 4b peel after 3.. Off to lunch myself, back in an hour to report the pegout :-)

But no! Andrew has had some trouble with a tight angled hoop after an attempt at a tight angled straight peel and has clanged leaving Dave all the balls

12. Dave going round...

to 4b, NSL (sic)

13. Andrew lifts ball for rover by W boundary, hits long lift from C3, finishes

Johnston beats Maugham +17
Johnston 1 Maugham 0

GAME 2

Just to clarify, it is now game 3 - Maugham won the first +26tp, so this is the third

1. Johnston to East boundary
2. Maugham just south of corner 2
3. Johnston hits partner, takes off to corner 2 - plays a big split - Dave's ball has gone too far and is only a few yards north of hoop 5.
4. Dave hits, poor first croquet stroke leaving himself a 6 yarder, gets a 5 yard backward takeoff, fails hoop 1 off Andrew's ball, giving Andrew a break

5. Andrew having a leisurely ball around. Looks to want a POP on red before hoop 5.

Andrew around to 4back with all other clips still on hoop 1..... Slow, but very accurate, diagonal spread in the final stages of construction.

Dave misses the long lift and Andrew has failed to rush the ball at the peg anywhere near hoop 1 and has a very long takeoff from a couple of yards north of hoop 5 which has left him a long hoop 1 which has has smoothed through.

Rushes to peg after 1, rolls ball to H4 going to ball in C4, Hogan roll going to H2

Puts escape ball well S for 4b peel, and misses it after doing peel

8. Maugham misses 6ydr at ball on S boundary from H4

9. Andrew cunningly rolls ball into 5 going to balls at 4b, approaches H4 from 3yds, easy dp for game 3

Penult peel after H6

Straight, Irish rover peel sails through, +26sxp

Oops. Last comment was from Bamford v. Death obviously

4b pioneer is 2yds N of 4b, takes off almost to C3 to get behind it, but is making 4b from 1ft dead in front

Straight rover peel, Johnston wins +26

Johnston 2 Maugham 1

GAME 4

1. Andrew K to optimum point on E boundary
2. Dave Y to 6" S of C2
3. Andrew U centre balls K into C4 from C3. Rolls K to peg high on E boundary getting within 3yds of K in C2. As you do. Rolls Y to peg high W boundary returning to partner. An awfullot of good strokes for a flattish DL.
4. Dave R misses U into C4 from C3

5. Andrew rushes across to Y, sends K 5yds SSW of H2 and rushes Y close enough to C4 to get a cannon. Overhits it and has to approach H1 from W boundary level with hoop. Good approach but sticks

6. U is over half way through H1, so Dave hits it from about 4yds at 45deg. Laid break...

...but failsto get rush on H2 pioneer and mis-approaches from 3yds. B class join by peg

7. Andrew centre balls 15 ydr with H2 ball, with a ball by the peg and a pioneer 1yd off the N boundary behind the hoop

Rushes ball by peg to N boundary behind H3, elects to croquet it back to the middle of the lawn and fails to get a rush on the pioneer. Take off for a rush looked like a better option to me.But copes with 6yd backward take-off and crashes through, so what do I know?

Not for the first timeessays a pop at H1 but Walters it off. Clubs H6 pioneer into the peg, but shouldn't be a problem.

2b pioneer is 7yds short of the hoop as the untidy turn continues

Goes to 4b with a spread with Dave's H1 ball by peg rushable to both H1 & H2

8. Dave misses long lift with H2 ball into C4

9. Andrew makes H1, about to Hogan roll out of C4

Striker's ball excellent, but pioneer goes off N boundary by 4"

10. Dave misses 13ydr from N boundary at oppo balls S of H2

11. Andrew makes H2, good cut rush to 3yds W of H3, makes it, clips 4yd return roquet. Takes off to R on middle of W boundary, rolls it to H5 going to good pioneer at H4. Now has a laid delayed tp for the match.

After H5 rushes peelee from 3yds SSW of 4b to 15" dead in front of 4b

Fails to get forward rush after 3b, so pass rolls penult pioneer to 1yd S of penult getting 6ft straight rush on peelee 2yds N of penult. Peels before 4b.

Atempts straight, Irish rover peel from 3ft in front, peelee rejects, bouces back and hits strikers ball. K & U end up either side of rover, but partly open. Scatters them both to W boundary, K level with penult, U 1yd N of C1

12. Dave lifts H1 ball, rushes U north, sends it to H2 but bumps into K.

Rolls K across court, gets a kind of rush on R and is approaching H1 from 5yds, sticks running it gently

13. Andrew misses 20ydr at partner just off E boundary from H2

14. Dave rushes 20yds to H2, makes it and now has a four ball break

Goes to 4b with a reverse NSL

15. Andrew misses long lift into C4

16. Dave approaches H2 to 1yd @ 15deg. Runs it hard to 1yd through. Doesn't get a rush on H3 pioneer, so has 5yd backward take off.Runs 3yd H3 fairly gently clean as a whistle and hits 4yd return roquet

Takes off to ball in C4, Great roll, now has a 1yd straight rush on H4 pioneer 5yds from the hoop

Fails to get forward rush after H5, clubs roll and overruns peelee by 3-4 yds. Speculative peel attempt from 5yds misses the hoop, but good rush so makes H6. 1b pioneer is deep, so could have a go @ 4b peel going to it, but decides in favour of a 2b pioneer instead.

Good rush back to 4b after 2b, but straight peel attempt from 4yds bounces to side of hoop

4b peel straight but rushes to unpeelable position @ penult

Goes to peg,partner for penult, flattish spread. If Andrew lifts the W boundary ball he has a better chance of finishing, but as does Dave if he misses that shot. I'm guessing he'll figure Dave will finish even if he lifts the peg ball, so will give himself the best chance. Whether that's true or not...

17. He has indeed lifted the W boundary ball and is shooting at R&Y down the E boundary. With a screech of anguish, Andrew misses, but presumably not by much.

18. Dave rushes to penult, puts escape ball 1ft dead in front of 6, runs it hard for hoop & roquet, but misses! Hits 6yd return roquet which is partner @ rover. Rolls up, runs 1yd hoop, and has a rush pointingat middle of E boundary. But hits it well and pegs out for a very Openshawic +4

Looking like more Tension in the Twilight as it's

Johnston 2 Maugham 2

GAME 5

1. Andrew K 15yd supershot
2. Dave Y to just S of middle of E boundary
3. Andrew U misses Y into C4 from C3
4. Dave R misses Y from A baulk

5. Andrew hits Y from C4, rushes R just S of supershot ball. R to H2, rushes to 1 and he's away

U to 4b, spread with W boundary ball 1yd off

6. Dave lifts peg ball, misses long lift into C4 from C3

Makes H1, about to Hogan roll out of C4 to H3 & H2. Great shot puts H3 pioneer 1yd in front and gives 2yd rush on pioneer to H2, now approaching from 3yds straight

Rushes partner across after H2 and gets it 3yds in front of 4b for the peel. Rushes partner to 2ft dead in front after H3, does the peel and is away on a standard tp for the match.

Penu;lt peel done after H6

Has an opportunity to do the rover peel going ro 2b, but its quite angled and he's E of the hoop, so more prudent option would appear to be to have a go from better position going to a perfectly placed pioneer at 3b. Anyway have a go he does, and it sails through no problem.

Maybe he just wanted to give himself as many opportunities at it before rover bearing in mind what happened last time...

Completes break for +26tp, so:

Johnston beats Maugham -26tp, +17, +26, -4, +26tp