Good morning from Nottingham. Today is playoff day to decide the remaining qualifier places for the knockout. As it turns out, there is only one block that requires a playoff (Block B) but this playoff is between 3 players: Nina Mayard-Husson (NZ), Annabel McDiarmid (Eng) and Sue Beattie (Aus).
The game I am covering is between Nina and Annabel - winner qualifies; loser plays Sue in what is effectively a best-of-three with Sue 1-0 ahead. The reason for this is that Sue defeated both Annabel and Nina during block play and is therefore the player in the most advantageous position.

Annabel has hit third-turn and made hoop 1. I didn't see the position of the balls, but she then made a dream leave, laying up for the H2 ball.
Nina took the long shot down the East boundary at Annabel's balls and missed into C4. Annabel is now on a break.

Annabel's first rush of the turn left her without enough room to have a H3 pioneer (it got as far as about H6). After running H2, she failed to get a rush on that ball to H3 and has just approached the hoop from near H6. She obtains 5ft position and runs the hoop with a nice stroke. Taking off to the ball in C4 with a pioneer at H4 now - this should be the last difficult stroke of the turn

Plays it well

I was about to say that the break was under full control approaching H5, however it appears Annabel has just misapproached H5 from relatively close. Jump stroke coming up...

Fails - hits near wire and wicks off several yards South-East. Nina has a 7yd at Annabel's H5 ball or a 8yd at partner near H6. The fourth ball is SE of 4-back.

Nina hits her 7yd and takes off to the ball near 4b. Loads H2 and gets a cut-rush to H1

Rush ends up on West boundary, 6yd North of H1.

Take-off to H1 goes 4-yards past and she retreats back to partner on the West boundary

I think Annabel took a shot with her H1 ball through Nina's two near the West boundary, missed and ended in C1. Nina is now going all-out for a break, lining up a load-and-hold stroke ('stoppo approach' for English readers)

Nina plays it well and now has a 4-ball break.

Nina is still on a 4-ball break and is now for H4

Still on a 4-ball break approaching 1-back.

Nina makes 3-back without a rush and both the other balls are north of the peg. Plays a big croquet stroke putting a ball near the West boundary but comes up a bit short of the other opponent ball. Clubs it over to the West boundary and croquets it back East, peg-high and a few yards in from the boundary. Rolls both balls off near C4; the 4-back ball is approx. 5 yards North of C4 and the H1 ball is in C4.

Annabel takes the shortest shot, lifting her H1 ball and shooting at Nina's H1 ball in C4 - misses.

RECAP:
- Nina H1 and 4-back
- Annabel H1 and H5

Nina now in play with H1 ball.

Nina plays a fantastic rush to H1, runs it and now has a 4-ball break.

She has a standard TP attempt if she wants it - now approaching H2 off partner, with 2 balls near H3

Runs H2 cleanly to an inch in from the North boundary

Just snicks the return roquet. I think we'll see partner going to H4 now.

And so it does - partner goes to H4. Nina sensibly opting to maintain control of the break.

The H4 pioneer is 2yd south of the hoop and her take-off to it grazed the wire of H4. We are going to see a backward takeoff now

Which she plays well to get an 18" hoop

Slightly awkward little backward takeoff coming up at H6...

'Copes', as they say.

Still under full control, approaching 2b

The lawns look to be playing at around 9.5-10sec (although I didn't get around to measuring them this morning). They are in great condition, despite the incredibly heavy rain we have had here in the last few days. The ground-staff are mowing every morning, and if the sun would decide to make an appearance the lawns could speed up quite drastically.

Nina still in control, having made penultimate and setting up for a DSL

Nina's leave is a (rather diagonal) diagonal spread. Annabel's H1 ball is at the peg and H5 ball near H2. The ball from H2 can see the middle of the ball near the peg, but vice versa I think they are wired.

Annabel is taking the long shot with her H1 ball. Hits in the middle.

Rather unluckily clubs the ball to the South boundary so still needs to play a decent croquet stroke here...

Good croquet stroke but I looked away for a moment and see Annabel is now taking croquet from awkwardly-close to H6 (possibly her rush hit the hoop).
Takes off from H6 to try and gain a rush to H1 on partner (near H2) and falls short. The take-off popped Nina's peg ball through penultimate by an inch, so it is possible Nina doesn't have a shot on anything.

Annabel rolled down the West boundary approx peg-high, so I don't think she is convinced that Nina's ball is open on anything.

Nina calls a referee

Wiring lift granted. Nina has a 12 yarder at partner from B-baulk or a 17-yd double from A-baulk. Opts to shoot at partner

Misses to C4...

Annabel has made H1 and got something of a rush eastwards. Has a slightly difficult croquet stroke to load H3, across the rushline of the other ball, but plays it well and has a rush to H2.

Decent rush finishes 6ft NE of H2

Runs H2 and has a 3-ball break. Partner on H5 remember, so I'm wondering if she might peg out Nina's peg ball.

Or if I'm using correct croquet terminology, "Nina's rover ball" (i.e. ball for the peg...)

Annabel hampered after H3 - 'copes'.

I took my eye off for a minute and there's now a clip on H5. From the position of the balls, it looks like Annabel has missed her H4 pioneer. Nina has a 5yd with her 4b ball and hits it in the middle.

EDIT: Should have said "...there's now a clip on H4..."

RECAP:

• Annabel H4 and H5
• Nina 4-back and Peg

Nina in play with 4-back ball. Not an easy finish. She is taking off from partner in C4 to a ball South of H5, to try and gain a rush to 4-back. The fourth ball is mid-lawn, 7yd East of the peg and about 2 yards South.

Nina approaching 4-back from near H5

Great effort, has a 3yd nearly-straight hoop. Retreats back to partner near C4

Annabel plays near C1. Nina plays her peg ball. We are going to see a leave here, with Nina laying up near 4-back.

Nina leaves Annabel's C1 ball in C1, punts the other ball SW of H6 and lays up at 4-back with a rush to 4-back.

Annabel shoots from SW of H6 and narrowly misses partner in C1.
If Nina can make 4-back and penult off two balls, she should finish. If she doesn't get a rush to penult, things might get a bit awkward.

Nina makes 4-back and has a 5yd return. Cuts it to 3yd directly North of Rover. Taking off to C1 where Annabel's two balls are joined.

Sorry, got that wrong - she didn't take off and leave herself a Rover pioneer, but rather split partner out to the West boundary going to C1.

Plays a good rush, and is rather unlucky to finish 2yd almost directly West of penult. It is going to make getting a rush to partner on the West boundary quite difficult

Plays a fantastic croquet stroke approach and great hoop stroke, getting a rush to partner near the WB.

Plays a defensive croquet stroke while trying to gain a rush to Rover. Rush pointing halfway between Rover and C1

Brilliant rush to C1, should get a dolly rush to Rover here. Only problem is that partner will be staying close to C1.

Nina over-hits the rush to Rover, finishing 5yd NE

Pretty good approach, 1yd angled hoop

Grovels through by 6"

Hard to tell from here, but I think she is badly hampered.

Plays into C4

Annabel has a lift and a 1-yarder with her H5 ball, plus a ball at H5.

RECAP:
- Annabel H4 and break (at H5)
- Nina Peg and Peg

Annabel has misapproached 2b

Shooting at the only live ball, Nina's ball in C4

HITS

You might say that was a pressure shot.

Although she is still in trouble - she needs to make 2b because Nina's other ball is about 4-5 yards from A-baulk and Nina has a lift.

I've just been informed that Annabel is still live on the ball near 2b but had become wired from it earlier.

So that pressure shot at the ball in C4 was even more of a pressure shot that I had realised at the time.

Anyhow, Annabel has now run 2-back

Annabel making a leave - some kind of a reverse spread by the looks of it (remember her partner is for H4)

BUT WAIT - she has just put the front ball of her croquet stroke out, giving Nina the innings

Nina took her in-lawn 2-yarder on Annabel's 4-back ball and croqueted it down near H1, very nearly getting a rush on partner (near the East boundary) to the peg. After a bit of a think, she cut partner as close to the peg as she could (between H4 and H5) and is now lining up the very long pegout.

Referee goes on to watch the peg.

Plays it hard - front ball hits

4 yarder for back ball

Hits in the middle!

Nina qualifies for the Knockout!

Annabel now faces Sue Beattie, with Sue effectively being 1-0 up in a best of 3, to decide the final qualifying place.
Sorry I won't be available to provide commentary on that game - hopefully someone else can oblige.