Good morning from a brighter Nottingham. The sun is creeping through the clouds and we should be set for a reasonable day with only a small chance of showers.

The players are just starting their 15 minute hit-up. I'll be covering some of the action on lawns 1 and 2

On lawn 1, we have Beatrice v Gabrielle and Jenny v Kathie (I would have double banked games that play each other in the next round to help lawn make lawn allocations as fair as possible)
On lawn 2 we have the all Australian clash of Alison Sharpe v Sue Beattie and Rosey Landrebe v Nina Mayard Husson (NZ). These 2 do play in the QFs.

Last night we had clog dancing followed by a BBQ followed by the draw. This was all good apart from the draw which lacked transparency.
Surprisingly, the Plate is being played as a best of 3 K.O. with 20 players rather than 4 blocks of 5 with best of 3 thereafter. This means that some of the weaker players will be eliminated with 3 days to play and only have Shield games left and also gives a K.O. draw where sections are likely to be 6+ hours behind other sections.

The lawns have been prepared really well. I can't remember the grass quality being this good before. They handled the rain well and are running around 9.5 to 10 seconds now. Charlie, the groundsman has been cutting them every day with his new 11 reel handmower and they look splendid

Before the K.O. starts, I want to highlight one of the players who didn't qualify who impressed me. Janice Duguid from Scotland plays with a compact style and sound technique and providing she can find sufficient competition should be able to continue improving. Pat Long was also a player who played some good strokes but lacked experience as to what to do in certain situations.
The Kiwis are delighted to have all 4 of their players make the K.O. and the Aussies have done pretty well also, particularly given the injuries to Wendy Dickson and Virginia Arney both of whom have foot issues. I do think it is a shame that they haven't managed to keep Miranda Chapman in the green and gold - she is one of the top 3 players in this event.

I think that Jenny, Alison and Miranda are the best players I have seen so far. Jenny has yet to drop a game in this event, but is playing Kathie Grant today and Kathie won their last game at United.

Nina v Rosey starts with Nina playing 9y N of C4, Rosey to C2 and Nina shooting at partner from A-Baulk, hitting

Time limits are 4/7/10

Nina lays a rush to the ball in c2 and Rosey shoots down from c3................misses
On alwn 1 Gabrielle and Beatrice have played the same opening, but Gabrielle didn't hit 3rd turn. Beatrice is shooting from A-Baulk......misses

Nina rushes 4y S of c2 and will have to play a good touch shot to get a rush. Doesn't get a rush and makes a leave. Rosey shoots from h1 to c4............hits. She now needs to take off to Nina in C2
Gabrielle rushes 5 yards short of h1, rolls up short and guards the shot from oppos ball on the E boundary, leaving a free shot for the ball in c2, which Beatrice takes..............misses

Gabrielle taps partner to just N of h1 and takes off the lawn going to Beatrice's ball near c1 giving a break away.
Apparently, the lawns have been measured at 11 seconds this morning and they do seem to be running very well

Alison and Sue have also played a c2 opening (way too many of these imo). Alison missed partner 3rd turn and Sue is shooting at partner from B-Baulk - I really don't like this as an opening...........hits

Rosey needs to approach h1 from 5y SE - gets a 1 yard hoop which she runs confidently. Both Rosey and Beatrice have breaks

Kathie and Jenny have also played a C2 opening with Kathie missing 3rd turn. Jenny shoots from A-Baulk..........misses

Sue has taken off the lawn going to Alison

Yes, the lawns are definitely faster today - most players are overhitting their shots. Alsion rushes 5 yards W of h1 and overhots her approach, then returns to partner

Kathie makes h1 with good control and has a short rush to h2 that she could cut to c2
Sue plays the ball at h1 to c3

Kathie opts to rush to h2, biut then rolls the ball N of h2 and plays for a drive approach to the hoop sending the c2 ball to h3.......................
Alison needs to approach h1 from 12y N of c1 for a break, plays a roll instead of a thick take-off...............runs 2-b to give herself a 8" hoop and a break

Kathie doesn't get in front and retires to partner near c4. She sent jenny's ball 5 yards SE of h3 and Jenny has been left a shortish double which she takes............misses. This gives Kathie a good chance for a 4-ball break

Alison runs into her h3 pioneer and needs to approach from 3.5y to the side. Plays a good shot and runs the hoop by 10 yards with no wire, then hits a 7 yard return roquet. She's an attractive player to watch, as is the case with so many left handers

Kathie seems to have failed to get going and laid up. I guess Jenny has just hit from h2 to c4

Beatrice breaks down at 3-b and Gabrielle is in

A tidy break from Rosey sees her be the first player with a clip on 4-b. She has made an OSL where the Easterly ball is further N than usual and both balls are further E than normal (it was meant to be a spread)
On lawn 1, both Jenny and Gabrielle have made h1 and have breaks

It looks to me as though Alison has developed more power than she had in this event last time. i know she has played some GC, so maybe that has helped. She has made 1-b and it looks like she'll be trying for an NSL

Nina lifts the Westerly ball and takes the short lift rather than the shooting gallery....................misses. I remember asking her how often she hits that shot and being told 9/10. To date, I haven't found any player who hits it that often!!!

Alison reaches 4-b with an NSL. The ball at h4 is a fair way off the hoop, but should be ok

Rosey tries for a cannon but fails. She started off very slowly in this event, but has improved over the past 48 hours. She rushes partner to h1 and has a good chance of a standard tp

Rosey runs h1 too hard and doesn't get a useful rush

Rosey sends partner to h3 and needs to take off from 4y N of C4 to get a rush to h2 on a ball 5y S of h3.

Sue lifts the ball at h4 and takes the long lift.............misses

Rosey's take-off is pretty good - her rush points at the middle of the W boundary, but is short...........cuts it to 4y SSE of hoop 2 which should be good enough in these conditions. Approaches to 2.5 feet and smashes it through. If she can centre ball her return roquet, she'll have a standard tp. Only half-balls it. Instead of playing 2 big rolls, Rosey looks like she's accepting that the ball 4y NNW of c4 is good enough as a h4 pioneer.
Jenny reaches 4-b with an NSL. Kathie lifts the ball at h4 and takes the long lift.........misses

Alison has taken off the lawn, so Sue now has the innings

Rosey peels 4-b after h3 - will this h4 pioneer be good enough??

Gabrielle has reached 4-b with an NSL. I'm pleased to see some of the ladies using this leave.
Rosey gets hampered on her escape ball after the 4-b peel and now needs a big roll to her dodgy h4 pioneer

Rosey's croquet stroke seems to come off the bevel and she goes well off the lawn next to oppos ball

Good chance for Nina to get a break and have a dpo

Jenny has picked up a break and will be setting up for a delayed tp

Two good shots from Nina give her a perfect break

But she then runs h1 with no wire and has to leave partner behind.
Alison hits a 19 yarder with what looks to be her backward ball

But she then runs h1 with no wire and has to leave partner behind.
Alison hits a 19 yarder with what looks to be her backward ball

Nina approaches h2 from the jaws, only moves the front ball slightly and then plays hoop and roquet, but the striker's ball stops dead in the jaws - slightly unlucky
Rosey takes her 6 yarder at the ball in the jaws............centre ball.............good chance to finish

Alison has a 4 ball break, but won't have a standard tp.
Gabrielle has a break with a possible delayed tp.
Jenny is starting a delayed tp - peels 4-b before h6
Rosey rushes slightly shortl to h4 and needs a double peel to win. Approaching 4h from 4y - good shot - strokes it into the boundary boards and should finish

Alison gets in a spot of trouble and doesn't have a h6 pioneer. That'll be the end of the peeling attempt.Recovers the break well

Rosey has to approach h5 with a 3y backward take-off........1 yard hoop...................good shot.

Rosey still hasn't got the break under control and won't be able to peel penult after h6

Gabrielle peels 4-b before h6

Rosey now has control of her break after another backward take-off to h6 and return roquet.

Jenny peels penult before 4-b

Rosey and Gabrielle both setting up for delayed doubles.
Alison has reached peg and 4-b, Sue is still on 1+1. Alison has made a spread. Sue lifts the ball at the peg and takes the long lift................misses
Jenny irish peels rover and despite having a good side ball has to take the 5 yarder at her deep ball..................hits...........wins +25tp

Rosey peels penult before 4-b
Gabrielle jawses penult before 4-b

Both players have their penult pioneers in the correct place, which is good to see

Rosey sends peelee 5 feet SE of rover - not ideal
Gabrielle sensibly plays to irish peel penult, but has sent yellow 9" in front of rover when it should be much further north

Gabrielle irishes penult 4 feet NW of rover and has a forward rush to come and get yellow out of the way. Pee;ling from 18" 15 degrees - plays a stop shot peel (didn't have a good side ball). Tough short range jump after peelee jawses - excellent half jump. Wins +18tp
Rosey rushes well and should get a dolly rush on peelee. Rushes peelee to 1foot 10 degrees. Should irish from here. Does it well. Rushes onto the peg. Clips 1+2 v peg. Even if Nina doesn't win this game, the extra play she may get could be important to enhancing her chances in game 2.
Alison wins +26

Nina makes h2 and lays up near c3.
Rosey shoots at the peg from 4y SE of h1...............misses. If Nina wants to hit that. it'll be a 9 yarder. Could play for a stoppo approach

Nina just makes h3 off partner and tries to roll up to h4.......finishes short and lays a rush to h4. Looks like if Rosey shoots, Nina will have a 7 yarder at Rosey's ball.
Rosey plays to just S of the middle of the W boundary

Nina makes h4, but without control. Misses 4 yard cut? after the hoop

Rosey could have a couple of shots at the peg or simply lag to the peg

Rosey lags...........hits centre peg +22

I hope that's given a taste of the standard of play in these 4 matches. I'll just give occasional clip updates from now, unless one of the matches goes to a 3rd game

In the second games, Jenny is the first to reach 4-b with an NSL. Kathie lifts the h4 ball and hits the long lift
Gabrielle has first break.
Rosey has just hit in with 2 balls at her hoop.
Alison is just starting

Gabrielle reaches 4-b with a spread
Alison going round
Nina going round
Kathie going round

Nothing to differentiate players who have a break

Nina misses 4 yarder after 1-b. Rosey misses 7 yarder leaving Nina a laid break for her 2-b ball if she hits a 4 yarder or a laid break with her h1 ball if she hits a 6yarder. Takes the 6 yarder........hits
Alison reaches 4-b with a defensive NSL
Gabrielle on 2nd break
Kathie still on equalising break

Gabrielle does well to turn a delayed tp into a standard tp.
Kathie reaches 4-b with a possibly open spread (1+4-b v 1+4-b)
Nina pottering round on a break that should get her to 2-b and peg v 1+1
Alison picking up her 2nd break v 1+1

Jenny was wired. Lifts her h1 to A-baulk and shoots at oppo near c4...............hits

Quality turn from Gabrielle - all the peels before 3-b from a delayed position

Jenny misapproaches h1, but runs it anyway. Hampered shot after though......hits
Alison misses hampered shot after h1 joining up. Sue has a free 12 yarder........hits
Gabrielle takes the match +18tp +25tp. She plays the winner of Sarah and Alison Robinson (Sarah currently game up)

Nina 2-b+peg v 1+1
Alison 2+4-b v 1+1 (with innings)
Jenny 4+4-b v break +4-b

Nina finishes +26 to send the match to a deciding game. Lunch is taken
Sue has reached 4-b
Kathie reaches peg+4-b

Jenny's clips are pen and 4, not 4-b+4. She lifts her penult ball at the peg and shoots from B-Baulk at Kathie's peg ball which is near c2, 9 yards away from her 4-b ball which is in-lawn..............centre ball. We'll probably see a Riggall from here, although cross-wiring at h4 is also a sound option

Plays the sort of hoop stroke at penult that probably wouldn't go an Atkins and gets a nice forward rush. Expect a Riggall with Kathie near c2 and Jenny guarding c4

Alison takes an aggressive shortish lift............misses

Jenny only has room to croquet the 4-b ball 3y W of the peg. Pegs white out and returns to 8y away from partner attempting to get the h5 wire from pink on the South boundary

Jenny gets the wire
Kathie takes long angled position at 4-b.
Jenny hits her 8 yarder with her h4 ball and now has various options to try and finish or make a leave

Opts for just a leave and moves pink near c2 and returns to partner which is on the S boundary

Kathie takes very long angled position at 4-b

Sue has picked up her 2nd break

Jenny fails to cut partner in-lawn and plays the same turn as last time

Clip recap
Jenny 4+peg game up v Kathie 4-b+box
Alison 2+4-b game up v Sue break + 4-b
Rosey v Nina game all - lunching

Kathie takes 2 yard straight position at 4-b

This time, Jenny manages to cut partner 2 feet in-lawn, takes off to Kathie, almost rush-peels her, but croquets her 12y N of h1 and returns to partner

Kathie takes 4 foot straight position at 4-b

Jenny will improve her leave again, hopefully sending Kathie nearer c2

Takes off 4 yards short, but hits it in the middle. Sends Pink to the middle of the W boundary - can she leave a rush this time?

Yes - this time leaves a rush pointing at the middle of the E boundary. That gives attacking options.
Kathie takes 3 foot position at 4-b.

Jenny opts to make another leave, but now partner is 5 yards in-lawn

Pink is once again sent to middle of the W boundary and her rush points at h4,
Kathie takes 5 foot angles position at 4-b.
This has been excellent patience from Jenny. Can she now finish?

Makes h4 with a controlled rush to h5

Gives herself plenty of room for a forward rush out of h5 - good approach. Gets her rush to East of Pink and should finish

Jenny wins +25tp +4
Sue reaches peg peeling partner to penult v 2+4-b
Nina v Rosey starts and it's another C2 opening with Nina hitting partner 3rd turn. Lays a rush to h1. Rosey shoots from c3................misses - she can't believe it.

Just returned from lunch and I'm told Alison won the match 2-0.
Nina appears to be break up in the decider and Rosey has just hit the lift.

Rosey blobs h1 off Nina's 4-b ball. Not a lot of it poking ot for Nina to hit.............it's a 4 yarder..................hits

Nina makes a leave, but both oppo balls are very close to boundaries

Rosey plays to c4

Nina's rush finishes 4y N of h1. Perfect take-off leaves an 18" hoop, but she fails to get a rush out of it

Big croquet stroke loading h3 going to oppo on the N boundary behind h2......partner hits the peg and she finishes 7y short of oppo...........hits

Nina takes off back to h2.......gets a 5 foot hoop.............runs it without wire off the lawn

Has a short yardline rush to h3 which she rushes 4 feet in front of h3.

Makes h3 but without control. Now needs to load h5 and rush the ball at the peg to h4 for a break

Rush finishes 5y SSW of h4. Rolls partner towards C4 going to oppo in c4, but partner goes off the lawn giving Rosey an easy chance

Recap
3rd game
Nina 4+4-b
Rosey 1+1

Rosey has picked up a 4 ball break

Rosey reaches 4-b with a spread. Nina's 4-b ball is at the peg.
On lawn 4 it looks like Alison has equalised against Sarah and they are just starting the decider. Kiwis fighting back well.

Rosey lays up about 5y N of C4, with a 2y join, so maybe the peg ball is open

I expect Nina to play her h4 ball and take the short lift

That's her 90% shot

Nope, she's open on the ball at the peg and is taking an 11 yarder from where her h4 ball lies......................hits

She now got all 4 balls East of h4 - not a difficult pick up but not a trivial one either.

Makes h4, but hasn't done much to improve the other balls.

Sends her h6 pioneer 3y E of h6 and now needs to rush partner to h5 from 12y away. Gets a rush pointing at c1 - not great.
Rushes 6y in front of h5

Approaches to 5ft straight..............big shot.................runs it with plenty of wire getting a forward rush which declines and takes off back to blue

Should get to peg now

Nina reaches peg and 4-b despite taking a lot of wire at penult, against Rosey on 1+4-b.
Nina has failed to make a cross-peg, so it's now a sort of reverse OSL with a reverse rush with a ball at the peg that may not rush to 4-b.

Rosey lifts her ball at the peg which is for 4-b and goes to A-Baulk to shoot at partner................misses.
Tough finishing turn coming up for Nina

Nina takes off from c2 to c4.........partner almost goes off the N bundary, but it's ok and she finishes a yard away from oppo.

She's going to need to 2-ball 4-b and penult from a rush near c4 and then get a rush somewhere useful after penult - not easy

Croquets black 4t NW of c4 getting a rush on blue to 4-b, Rush finishes 4-5y short. Approaches to 2y almost straight....................grovels through, but I'm not sure she can hit anything???
Calls for a ref fairly quicker, so she's got a hittable shot

Yellow tries to hit blue and does so comfortably. There's no option but to approach penult from 9 yards away now

Nina rolls to penult...............

7 foot straight hoop..........

Runs it smoothly with control to get a rush to rover!!!!!

Approaching rover from 1 foot - a bit short and angled............runs it and has a rush pointing at the peg. Partner is 5feet E of c2

Taps blue, takes off to try and get a rush on black..................it's pointing in exactly the right direction, but it's a 7 footer................smashes the rush which she cuts half-ball through 3-b.
Croquets black back towards c4. Can she dribble back to near c2 and leave a good rush for partner - tough shot...........nope, just plays 8y S of c2
Recap
Rosey 1+4-b
Nina peg+peg

Rosey lifts her h1 ball at the peg and shoots at partner near c4..................misses

Nina takes her 8 yarder................misses
Rosey now has a rush N with her 4-b ball

Turns it down and plays her h1 ball. Takes off from c4 to c2. I thought making 2 hoops with her 4-b ball looked sound then

Has a 5 yarder at 2 balls in contact..............hits, but it isn't easy to pick up a break from here.

On lawn 5, Kathleen has had a lot of play against Rachel

Rosey rushes 5y S of h1 with the other 2 balls just out of c2 and c4

very good approach and she's got a rush to c2

Excellent rush - there's a decent chance of a break now

Takes a lot of wire at h2 but it reaches the boundary

It looks like Sarah is in control of the match on lawn 4

Rosey's rush to h3 finishes 2y NE of the peg. Dare she approach leaving red and yellow joined up near the peg? Yes - this is a very aggressive line of play.

Take off finishes short. She now needs to hit partner near c4........................misses.
Nina has a 4 yarder and if she hits gently, she will win

Hits, but on the wrong side leaving a 4 yard pegout......................wins +15

That's all from me today