Good morning from a sunny Nottingham with blue skies. There is even a hint of warmth from the sun. Unfortunately, I've forgotten my power cable, so I'll probably only make it until just before lunch today.

On lawn 2 we have Alison Sharpe who was already practicing when we arrived against Miranda Chapman. This should be an all Australia match, but apparently there were some people in Australia who refused to select Miranda, so she's now English. This should be a very close match. Alison is slightly more solid, Miranda has slightly more flair. It could easily end up with any score, but I'm going to have a punt at 3-2 Miranda.
On lawn 1, we have Jenny Clarke v Gabrielle Higgins. Jenny seems to have been on lawn 1 most of the tournament! Jenny has been solid throughout the event and is clear favourite. Gabrielle has mixed patches of rubbish with patches of fabulous play. Her delayed triples have been particularly impressive and she seems to be a rhythm player. I think she is likely to be the first player to take a game off Jenny in this event and I'm going to have a guess at 3-1 to Jenny for the score.
I believe the hoops are set to 0.8 to 0.9mm clearance. I was told yesterday that the gap for the final would probably be lower since the lawn wouldn't have to be used for lower quality matches afterwards. The lawns are once again beautifully cut as they have been every day during this event.

Today's matches are best of 5 and the following time limits have been imposed 3/5/7/9/11
Personally, I'd prefer no time limits, so let's hope that they don't affect play. Miranda and Gabrielle are both fairly quick players, Alison is slightly faster than average and Jenny is average, so the only reason for time becoming an issue is if we have a pegged out ending.

We've seen lots of c2 openings from these players - will we see anything different in the semis? I've been disappointed with the lack of Duffer Tice openings, particularly given the fact that many of the players here are good shots and few are good at going round 3rd turn.

Jenny has just run h2 from 3 yards 30 degrees as if the hoop wasn't there!! Alison is practicing split peels, Gabrielle is approaching h1 and Miranda is approachi9ng h2 from c2.

There will be an attempt to live stream the openings. If this works, it will be found at
http://ustream.tv/channel/paddy1nz

Alison is still practicing and has just sailed through h2 from 2y. Miranda is practicing short lifts, Jenny is shooting and Gabrielle has just hit her balls off the lawn in preparation for the start

Miranda finishes practice as does Jenny

Alison finishes what was at least a 25 minute practice session and all the players are ready. I remember when no practice was allowed and you had to use your skill to judge the pace of the lawn at the start of the day. Then we had 5 minutes practice and now we have 15 minutes practice for this event.

t1 Jen plays 9y N of C4
T2 Gab lays a Duffer!!!! It's a bit long - maybe a yard SE of h6
t3 Jen shoots at partner from c3.............misses to c4
t4 Gab shoots at the Duffer...........hits, takes off to the ball in c4 finishing 8y short...............hits

t1 Mir plays 9y N of c4
t2 Ali lays a standard tice about 12 yards long.
t3. Mir hits the tice in the middle, but fails to take croquet from partner leaving Ali two balls in contact to shoot at
t4 Ali takes her double from A-baulk...............misses

Sorry – internet went down
t4 (cont.) Gab approaches h1 from the E boundary sending J to h2..............gets 2 foot 10 degree position and runs it by 4 yards hardly touching the sides. Hits her 6 yard return roquet in the middle and has a 4 ball break. No, leaves partner behind in c1.
Takes a lot of wire at h5 but copes

t5 Mir has picked up a break

Apparently the live streaming worked, so hopefully that can be enhanced for future

Both players are on 4 ball breaks at 2-b

Gab is looking to make an NSL using the "all the balls at 3-b" method
Mir is making a spread

t5 Mir reaches 4-b first with a good spread laid up level with h5
t6 Ali lifts the ball at the peg and takes the long lift.............misses to c4

t4 Great 4th turn ball round from Gab who has an NSL laid up level with h5

t5 Jen lifts the ball at h4 and takes the long lift.................misses narrowly

t7 Miranda only gets a cut-rush to h1 but plays it well to 4ft W . Approaches to 5" straight

T6 Gab also gets a cut-rush to h1 and takes it to 3ft E. Makes h1.

Both players with delayed tps ahead of them

t7(cont.) Mir overapproaches h2 - it looks impossible...........returns to partner near the N boundary

t8 Ali shoots from h3 at Mir......................misses

t6(cont.) Great rush back after h4 gives Gab a chance to peel 4-b from 3y 10 degrees with a straight stop shot/drive................looks like it finishes on the left hand wire

t9 Miranda makes h2 and plays a top quality croquet stroke to give herself the chance of a 3-ball break. Underapproaches h3 and clangs, possibly cross wiring herself????

t10 Ali takes an 11 yarder at Mir's 4-b ball.................misses.
t11 Mir can hit partner with her 4-b and does so, so it will be a leave from here I guess

t6(cont.) Gab has just lost a bit of control, but still jawses 4-b before h6

T6(cont) Gab rush peels 4-b and will now have to send peelee to 2-b going to a Westerly 1-b pioneer - a big croquet stroke

t6 (cont.) Gab sends her 2-b pioneer 5 yards too fsr and is now approaching 1-b with a 5 ft backward take-off....copes

t12 Ali takes a 17 yarder at partner in c4 - misses. That was an aggressive shot. She had one ball in C4, one SW of the peg and Mir was near C3 with a rush to h3

Ian Plummer comes to watch a slightly hampered stroke for Gabrielle. It is worth noting that both players in this match learnt from Ian at Oxford

t13 Mir makes h3 and gets a cannon in c4

t6(cont.) Gab will need a delayed double to finish

t13(cont.) Miranda gets angled position at h4...........takes lots of wire but it's through by 4 feet

t13(cont.) Miranda's h6 pioneer is almost on the N boundary. It doesn't seem to be stopping her trying her 4-b peel though. I'd be setting up to peel 4-b going to 1-b.
Peels 4-b and gets a rush to c2................good cut leaves her 5ft W of h6. Makes h6

t6(cont.) Gab peels penult before 4-b. This is a different start to yesterday when she scored 5 hoops in the first 3 hours!!
Overcuts her rush to 4-b and needs to approach from 3 yards......straightish 3 footer..............smoothly through

t13(cont.) Miranda attempting a death roll to peel penult going to a 2-b pioneer that is 8ft NE of 2-b..................peel goes through to the peg and she gets a 5ft rush to 2-b - good shot

t6(cont.) Gab sends peelee 9" SW of rover and should finish from here

t6(cont.) Gab playing an irish rover peel from 1 ft 10 degrees................both balls smoothly through. +26tp

t13(cont.) Mir has to approaach 3-b from 3-4 yards.....no problem, runs 3-b by 13 yards and hits her 4-b pioneer. Makes 4-b with the other 2 balls south of the peg

t13(cont.) Mir starting to get in trouble. She's got a rush to penult, but it's partner which she wants to peel through rover. Opts to roll it to rover trying to get a rush on the last oppo ball 8y south of her. Excellent peelee - reasonable rush to penult which she plays well to 2 feet SW

T13(cont.) Mir peeling rover from 1 ft straight with no deep ball, so it will definitely be an irish peel.................both balls through +26tp.

G2T1 Gab 9y N of c4
g2t2 Jen just S of c2
g2t3 Gab shoots at partner from A-Baulk..............might just have joined up since it missed by a few balls on the left.
g2t4 Jen shoots from A-Baulk - the shot from B-baulk is equally atractive.............misses

g2t5 Gab underapproaches h1 to a line that is 16y E of C1 from an angular perspective. Takes on the 50 degree hoop.....bounces off to the W boundary.
g2t6 Jen shoots from c2 down the boundary................misses
g2t7 Gab hits partner on the boundary and plays for a stoppo approach from c1..............short - about 5 foot 15 degrees...............runs it trivially.

g2t1 Ali 8y N of c4
g2t2 Mir to just S of c2
g2t3 Ali hits partner from A-Baulk, makes a DL

G2T4 Mir shoots from c3 - might have a decent target..............through the middle

g2t7 Both Gabrielle's h3 and h4 pioneers are half-way to the boundary

g2t7 (cont.) Gab tidies up her break well

g2t5 Ali has a 3-ball break

g2t7 Gab ends up with a 35 degree hoop 4 which she runs easily

g2t7 Gab reaches 4-b and has again made an NSL using the 4 balls at 3-b method. Lays up just S of level with h5

g2t5 Ali grovels through 3-b and reaches 4-b with a defensive NSL (Westerly ball on boundary) - that's the leave I would be making here. Lays up 4feet S of level with h5

g2t8 Jenny lifts the ball at h4 and takes the short lift...........hits

g2t6 Miranda is looking at a 6 yarder with the ball at h4.........that would be enormously careless from Ali who had a full choice of where to lay up.....................it's completely open - no ref needed - hits in the middle

Both Miranda and Jenny are playing 4 ball breaks

g2t6 Mir reaches 4-b with a spread. Ali's 4-b ball is at the peg. Lays up 8y N of c4
g2t7 Ali lifts her backward ball and takes the short lift...........misses

g2t8 Jen reaches 4-b with an NSL with the 4-b ball in the front of the jaws of h4. Lays up 1y N of level with h5

g2t9 Gab lifts her backward ball and takes the long lift................hits

g2t8 Mir get a 35 degree h1 and runs it easily

g2t9 Gabrielle tries to rush bombard partner out of h4 - fails, then tries to bombard it out from an unpromising position 5ft SW of 3-b.................gets the bombard but hits the croqueted ball meaning her rush to h1 is a cut-rush..............finishes 8ft NNW of h1...........good thick take-off approach. Should be a standard tp if she can rush to h2 from 17 yards away.

g2t8 Mir fails to peel 4-b after h3 - it will be delayed now.

g2t9 Gabrielle's rush to h2 finishes on the end of B-Baulk.............rolls up to 3yard straight................takes it on off Jenny's h1 ball...............hits the outside of the wire and bounces 17y E of c2 - lucky result
g2t10 Jen shoots from h2 at Gabrielle's 4-b ball - misses the 5 yarder

g2t8 Mir jawses 4-b before h6 and she'll be rush peeling after h6 and playing for the death roll again

that should say 15 yarder

g2t11 Gab takes 8 yarder with her 4-b ball at partner...............misses
g2t12 Jen takes 15 yarder at oppo ........hits in the middle

g2t8(cont.) Mir doesn't get the position to death roll

g2t12(cont.) Jen makes h1 and should get a standard tp from here

g2t8(cont.) Mir peels penult before 4-b

g2t8(cont.) Mir croquets peelee 7feet in front of rover before penult

The weather continues to be very pleasant. The flags flutter gently.

g2t8(cont.) Mir rushes peelee 18" straight in front with no deep ball, so it'll be another irish. Both balls go through. +17tp to take a 2-0 lead

g2t12(cont.) Jen peels 4-b after h3

g2t12 Jen fails penult peel after h6.

g3 t1 Mir 9y N of c4
g3t2 Ali 16y standard tice
g3t3 Mir shoots at partner from A-Baulk...............hits in the middle.............makes a DL

G2T12(cont.) Jenny will need a delayed double to finish and peelee will be 3y NE of penult, so far from ideal

g3t4 Ali shoots down from c3.....................misses

g2t12(cont.) Jen rushes south of penult, so a straight double needed now

g3t5 Mir gets 8feet 40 degrees at h1 and bounces off the near wire off the W boundary.
g3t6 Ali shoots from h1 to partner in c4...............hits. Runs hoop 1 from 8 feet 15 degrees all the way to her h2 pioneer, makes h2 and rushes back to c4. Needs to rush to h3 from h1 for a break

g2t12(cont.) Jen irish peels penult but it bounces off the peg and finishes 8 feet ESE of the peg. Jen puts out a good deep ball after penult and gets a rush to peelee. Stops out a decent side ball and rushes to 10" 20 degrees. Should be able to irish from there. Peeel goes through -by 8". Needs to run the hoop by less than that - does so. Plays a good bombard and wins +16tp to equalise

g3t6 (cont.) Ali runs a 3 foot 15 degree h3 easily and has a break

g3t1 Jen to c2
g3t2 Gab lays 15-16 yard B-Baulk tice
g3t3 Jen shoots from a couple of feet W of c3......................misses to 8y N of c4.
g3t4 Gab shoots at double..................rushes partner 3y SW of Jenny's ball. Takes off, but only gets a rush North. and it will be a leave now

g3t6 (cont.) Ali has reached 4-b having tried to make an NSL. It looked to me as if the ball at h4 was open from A-Baulk, but Miranda has lifted it to B-Baulk and is taking the long lift...................hits

g2t7 (cont.) having hit the lift, Miranda doesn't get a rush and ends up missing a 6 yarder at partner.
g2t8 Ali shoots from h1 at partner at h3................missing

g3t5 Jenhy shoots from h1 to c4.............misses

My battery is lasting better in the warmer weather, so I should make it for another hour or so.

g3t9 Mir plays a great rush from h3 to 2feet in front of h1. Still needs a few reasonable shoots to pick up a break. Does so and has a break

g3t6 Gab grovels through h1 but can rush the ball to near h3. Her h2 pioneer is nearer the N boundary than the hoop. Plays a perfect take-off and has the first break

g3t6 Gab only hits her rush to h4 quarter ball, but has no trouble with the 5 foot backward take-off

g3t6(cont.) Strangely, Gabrielle seems to have decided to make a spread rather than an NSL this game.

g3t9(cont.) Miranda makes an MSL with the 4-b ball at h4.

g3t9(cont.) Miranda's ball at h4 will only ruhs about 4 yards N of h1. She puts partner off the lawn in her croquet stroke meaning her rush points at the peg and is long.

g3t10 Ali lifts her backward ball and takes the short lift - that's very aggressive......................has she got a bit of the ball at h4 poking out as well???
Shoots..................misses narrowly

g3t7 Jen lifts the ball at the poeg and takes the long lift.......................misses the in lawn ball on the wrong side

I'm off for lunch now

G3T11 Mir picks up a break and should have a standard tp for a place in the final

g3t11(cont.) a couple of poor strokes leave Miranda approaching h3 form 6yards West......decent shot ....clubs through the hoop by 12 yards getting a 2 yard rush on peelee back to 4-b - handy.
Declines the 4-b peel and focusses on tidying up her break

g3t8 Gabrielle has a delayed tp ahead of her and has just made h3

The ladies have made delayed triples look very easy today which says a lot about the playing conditions.

g3t11(cont.) Miranda fails to get an attempt at the 4-b peel before h6 and then doesn't get a rush out of h6, so this might be abandoned completely now. No, plays a very good wide angle split from the middle of the E boundary and is now trying an angled roll-peel going to 1-b......................jawses the peel

g3t11(cont.) After 1-b, Miranda fails to get on the right side of peelee and does well to hit it. She now needs to take-off to 2-b from a ball in the jaws of 4-b......copes

g3t8(cont.) Gab peels 4-b before h6 and is now sending partner to 2-b before 1-b

It's going to have be a ladies stp for Miranda

G3t11(cont.) Miranda turns down the stp in favour of just the 4-b peel and will be ending the turn on penult and peg v Ali on 1+4-b

g3t11(cont.) Mir is making rover off partner which is never ideal. Reaches peg with an OSL with Ali's 4-b ball in the middle. Miranda is laid up 8y N of c4.

g3t8(cont.) Gab peels penult before 4-b.

g3t12 It's last shot time for Ali...............lifts her 4-b ball and takes the short lift..............hits

g3t8(cont.) Gabrielle overhits peelee sending it to rover and it finishes 5 feet SE of the hoop. She has a slighly hampered shot after penult............no problem.

g3t8(cont.) Gab rushes to 18" straight position. Her side ball is poor. She plays a firm irish peel, the strikers ball jawses and her peelee finishes on the lawn by a foot. Takes game 3 +26tp

g3t12(cont.) Ali makes a leave
g3t13 Miranda takes a 20 yarder at partner with her peg ball..............misses badly

g3t14 Ali gets in front of h1 but for some reason runs it by 13 yards and takes a 6 yarder at partner at h2 rather than a 7yard return roquet for a standard tp. Hits partner, makes h2 and is now trying to pick up a break again

g3t14(cont) Ali fails h3 off Miranda's penult ball. Miranda hits and has two balls down by h4 to try and finish from. Takes off to the one on the boundary and goes into it, which is handy since strikers ball was travelling. Sends partner to rover and get a a 2 yard cut-rush to penult which finishes 4yards East. Takes off for the hoop.............3 foot 45 degrees................nowhere near. That gives Ali the innings with her 4-b ball

G3T15 Once again, no attempt to make hoops with her 4-b ball. I fancied a ball to rover. Ali has made a leave forcing oppo's penult ball to play

g3t16 Miranda has a 20 yarder for the match...................hits

g3t16 (cont.) Miranda makes penult by 9 yards.............is she pegged ??? Nope, hits half ball and now needs to make rover and peg out. Rushes partner to rover from near h4................finishes 3.5 yards north of rover. Takes off to the hoop -15" 20 degrees............rusn it easily. Just needs to hit a 3 yarder and it's all over. +15. Congratulations to Miranda on being the first to the final. What a shame Australia didn't select her.

The match on lawn 1 has broken for lunch after game 3.
That's all from me today.