Hello world. I'm in Rotorua today for Day 4 of qualifying.

There is an absolutely beautiful building in front of me, and 5 croquet lawns full of players.

Today we have the 1s v the 2s in the blocks, and the start of the big mini-block between 3,4,5,6, which will be critical for qualification places.
Unfortunately the scoreboards here have absolutely minute numbers - and there's often people standing in front of them, so it's a bit hard to tell what's going on.

The lawns. Are slow. Very slow if you're hitting across the grain of the really long grass (it's mowed pretty well, but there's enormously long bits of grass lying down - I did see some of this at an earlier venue, Katikati, I think, but that was outside the lawns - this covers about 70% of lawn 1).

They're also not very flat. My back was aching by 10.30 and my wrist wants a break. One more match to play here in the afternoon then I'm outta here.

My first match - v Ahmed El Mahdi. It's a priviledge to play the Egyptians - they're really nice and play a great style of game.
Despite a lead of 5-4 in game 1, a shot at hoop 12 for 6-6, and chances for a slim lead in game 2, Mahdi played better,and won in straight games. The power required to clear Egyptians sufficiently far on very slow lawns is significant, and Mahdi's shooting was excellent - right from the 15 yard hoop 2 at the start of game 1. It was fun though. Think I need to go and play in the Egyptian Open sometime soon.

As i write, Reg is finishing off game 1 against Mohamed Karem, with a 6-2 lead, I'll stop chatting with Omar and will do a full commentary on game 2.

Rachel Rowe (4 wins) had a critical game against Aussie hitter Chris McWhirter (3 wins). She looked to be doing pretty well, but her more gentle strokes were hilling badly, and her wrists didn't enjoy the big clearances which are also required against someone with Chris's accuracy. Chris wasn't shooting as well as yesterday, but managed to get up and win the 13th hoop in game 3.

In another crucial block E game, Omar Fahmy beat Terry Ericson in straight games. Terry is another soft hitter who will not do well in these conditions.

Round 2 is presently on, where we have the pleasure of the company of the likes of Josh Freeth, Reg Bamford, Hamish McIntosh, JP Moberly and Mohamed Karem.

Quick check around the lawns... Reg is giving nothing away against Karem - he is 6-2 up and hitting from everywhere - including a half-ball clearance from half the lawn away. He looks calm and focussed. I'm inclined to believe my expert commentator here who predicts Ahmed Nasr as the only person with any chance of beating Reg. Nasr has a very aggressive style, which is needed against Reg's precision.

JP Moberly is playing Judy Wembridge on lawn 1. He's on 3 wins and has a good chance of forcing a playoff. It looks like JP is 3-1 up.

Hamish is game up against Hisham Yassin in their block C match.

Josh Freeth is playing Ann Quinn - I can't see the scoreboard at all there as it's in the shelter. Josh is on 4 wins and in good position. Ann is on 3 wins as well.

Reg Bamford v Mohamed Karem - Game 2

And we're off. Marem has taken excellent position with blue.

Reg misses (!)

Karem takes position (missed that). Reg missed again.

Karem bounces back from hoop 1 (I got distracted, but am pretty sure this was the sequence)

Red takes deep position, yellow clears blue, red runs hoop 1. Reg leads 1-0.

Reg has run hoop 2 with red from distance to lead 2-0, and Karem takes good position at hoop 3 with black.

Two shots from Reg miss, blue takes position in his turn, and black has a firm shot at hoop 3. We've got a referee on to decide if black is through - noone is waving at the spectators, so I guess it's got a wee bit sticking out.

Yellow plays near halfway. Blue holds position in front of the hoop as red is kind of adjacent to hoop 3 on the east boundary. Reg takes and percentage option and plays red to half-way.

Karem plays black from the jaws to about 4 yard straight position. Reg leads 2-1

Reg has taken excellent position about a foot out from the hoop with yellow - lovely touch there. Blue plays halfway between black and yellow - not blocking anything.Reg clears with red - hit it pretty centrally, and red has rolled on - looks like a possibility red has blocked the shot at yellow!

No - Karem clears yellow to the East boundary, black is off the middle of the north boundary.

Yellow shoots at blue - about a 12 yarder - misses. Even Reg is fallible!

Blue crashes through hoop 4 2-2

Red takes good position. Black plays down from the middle of the lawn and gets good position. Yellow plays in from corner 2.

Blue tries to clear, but only snicks red.

red clears black - looks like he got a wire also. Plays back down, but bounces off the wire, and reg has a very abgled looking hoop 5 with yellow.

Takes position wired from yellow and to the side where clearing black should still leave a wire. Blue will need to shoot from the side boundary.

Today is still technically summer - but it is cold. Cold, cold, cold. There's a bit of wind which is just cooling things, probably not enough to bother players. We started in light rain too. There was sun for a wee while - we went and got sushi in town. We? - me and Hemi McLaren - birthday boy today - the now-17 year old celebrated with a straight-games win this morning against Mike McClure.

Meanwhile, back at lawn 5. Blue shot and missed to corner 4. red must have cleared black, as Black cleared yellow from the side boundary - nice shot

yellow plays back - but to very angled position, possibly also blocking red. blue plays in. Reg is having a go with red - this looks very difficult. Bounces off the outside of the near wire!

Will have a similar shot with yellow as blue is too far back to jump easily. No -he's clearing blue. Black has meanwhile played back into position.

Best we can tell from Josh's match is that apparently Ann reckons she's playing "very poorly", so we'll assume it's 1-0 to Josh. Can't see the scoreboard, so no other news.

yellow clears black, blue clears yellow

red's now in front of the jaws, but black has an easy half-ball clearance - hits it at gentle pace and replaces it in the jaws - nice shot. Yellow is up by the peg, so this should be Karem's point from here.

Reg lining up the shot through the hoop. Gets most of the jaws, but it spins and bounces harmlessly away. Blue has a northwards clearance on red.

Lines up a 4 yarder - and misses. Not sure red can see much.. lining it up confidently though...

half-balls black to the middle of the west boundary.

I guess that's as much as he could see - definitely like Reg's confidence here.

Black plays back in. Yellow plays into the jaws. I think it was an attempt at running the hoop - got distracted by work emails.

blue is shooting from the north boundary at yellow in the jaws - misses left.

Black is a couple of yards back and angled, doesn't look nice to jump.

Reg hits his 8 yard clearance.

*bit of an issue here, if anyone is reading and can tell the management... there has been a swap around of two blocks B? and E (mine). This is to avoid country-people playing each other - however.. half block E was supposed to be at Katikati and half at Mt Maunganui. My understanding was that i was to be at Katikati, and Hemi reckoned he was at the Mount. Now Hemi and I are playing each other - virtual croquet?? - so just a little chaos of noone being sure what venue they're at. Definitive answers by email please :) *

Reg eventually won hoop 5, and leads 3-2. He's in front of 6, and has cleared blue to somewhere that looks approximately wired, putting yellow towards hoop 7 (Mahdi did that brilliantly, and repeatedly, in our match!)

Karem bounces harmlessly off hoop 6, and red is through to the boundary 4-2 to Reg

Karem plays black to 6.5 yards back. Yellow plays short, and pulls up angled, red has a 6 yarder on black, and I expect him to clear that to the west boundary

Blue takes 2 yard position. Still slightly angled, but easy enough

Red plays into position - not sure if black is still open on the hoop, but red is now glued behind blue.

Karem is taking a long time - not sure what he can see.

Had the hoop but bounces out of it.

Takes a long hard look.

35 degree hoop - Reg restalks as the wind gusts... runs it with a firm stroke which goes through by about a foot.

blue plays to stay in front of red

I don't think Reg will be risking another warning today. Checking that the balls are touching - this will be a big croquet stroke.

Plays across it and red ends up 8 yards north and quite west of hoop 1, blue off the south boundary.

black plays down, yellow is played with hands far down the mallet and its a good shot a yard or two back from hoop 8. Reg leads 5-2. Good think I'm keeping up - the wee numbers are beyond me!

think... thing. tsk.

Blue clears yellow, red plays a controlled clearance on black staying very close to the hoop.

Black comes back to about 5 yards north of red - easy pickings, and yellow takes good position from near hoop 4.

Reg isn't letting these conditions bother him.

Blue clears yellow - nice stroke

red takes tight position. Black will either have to go over, or might have been left a chance to skim past red as it has gone a bit far.

Umpire is on banging down the hoop ... and he's going on the ground - that was a poor shot with red.

Karem fails hoop 8, nudging red back a bit, probably still runnable, but open on blue from the south boundary

yellow plays to the side of the hoop, wired from black

blue clears red - into the front of the jaws of hoop 2! - a wry smile is extracted from Reg.

Ref watches a safe shot through hoop 2, down to 3 yard position.

Rotorua Duck sightseeing tour bus quacks past - I kid you not!

Reg has just bounced out of a very angled hoop 8, and there are now lots of balls back near 8. Karem clearing with black, Blue quite close to the hoop (well, 3 yards...)

Clears black to the middle of the south boundary with black heading towards hoop 9

Reg misses the clearance and Karem scores hoop 8 Reg leads 5-3

Reg takes longish straight position with red Karem clearing from west of hoop 5 and near the south boundary - misses.

His shooting was awesome yesterday - the conditions today aren't so conducive.

Yellow plays in - deep but quite angled. Blue shoots from south of hoop 1 - misses. 4+ yard hoop to go 6-2 up...

bounces off. he's human yet. Yellow still has an angled version of that to have a go at.

Srry there's nothing to report from the other lawns - the scores are impossible to see.

Black takes position, but yellow runs hoop 9 off the north boundary 6-3 (ok, i got it wrong earlier when I suggseted 6-2)

Hmm, Hamish's match is over - I'll ask someone as they walk off. Mahdi on that lawn, then I'll have Reg's lawn maybe?? no - lawn 2 also free?? - no - they've gone for walkies and left their mallets - looks like it's 1-1 Anne (who does have an 'e' - sorry), v Josh Freeth.

Blue takes position, red goes half the distance. Black takes position deeper. Yellow clears blue from the north boundary. Last rites here?

Karem shooting from the middle of the east boundary to save the match, while Mahdi goes off to fetch his mallet.

misses left again.

Reg has a 4 foot hoop for the match. A few missed clearances and a couple of failed hoops, but he's firm favourite for this tournament - particularly when we get back onto the smoother lawns.

no - it's a rejection! - 4 yarder for Karem.. - I don't think he expected this chance!

This afternoon's matches see Terry v Chris in a big Aussie clash - both players still in with a chance. Me vs Sabri - fortunately I'm through already, I think Sabri might need a mathematical miracle - or more. Omar v Rachel - big advantage for Omar to play Rachel at this venue. That has come courtesy of the swap of rounds 8 and 9 to avoid countrymen (in this case, the Aussies) playing each other final round.

Karem runs a good hoop 6-4

Did yellow just play to the wrong hoop???

yup - victorious Hamish McIntosh (2-0 over hisham) has confirmed the mental error.

blue takes position, red takes position poor position, black plays in (I think, got distracted again), now red has cleared black and Karem needs to hit yellow which is angly in front of hoop 6. Not that angly it turns out. Black misses left... Reg bounces out again!!! - 5 foot hoop, reasonably straight.

Karem walks up, plays his angly hoop rather quickly, and it's a rejection.

"These lawns have a lot of character" (Hamish). Too right they do.

aah - it wasn't a hoop shot - it was a stalk then someone elses thrash at a hoop. Gets a ref as blue is very close to yellow... and it's through! I wouldn't pay thsi commentator! Reg leds 6-5

Blue is a yard past the peg. Red plays to 2 yard position, black plays in from corner 2 - excellent shot. Looks like that used to be corner 4 as it is a very battered corner there.

(1-1 in the decided of Judy and JP, Josh and Anne just starting their decider)

I'm next on, but will get Reg's lawn, so can see the exciting conclusion here.

Blue clears red to the middle of the south boundary - it must be wired from black, as he's playing it back into position.

Karem asking for the hoop to be banged down. Bit floppier here than Whakatane.

... and it's 6-6

C'mon Karem - let's have a decider!

yellow up to hoop 13 - goos position - 2 yards and not too angled.

Both Karem's balls in the middle of the south boundary

Karem has a shot with blue - misses.

Meanwhile, at Katikati??? Chris has played an impossible shot - from three inches from the wire he has apparently played a crush shot. Not happy to be faulted for that. I haven't seen someone play such a shot myself, so will be interested to see if anyone can replicate it.

red plays up to nice position - but not blocking blue.

Karem staring down his shot from the south boundary....

The sun is out - blessed warmth!!

While i remember.. big ups to Whakatane - they had the teeny numbers also - but printed out super-big numbers on paper which they blu-tacked onto the scoreboards - super easy to read.

Karem shoots - runs hoop 10!, and goes harmlessly to the boundary.

Reg has this 2+ yard shot with yellow to win the match... bounces out!!!

Karem's getting the hoop banged down - 7 yarder to force a decider...

Quite exciting this.

Oh, and hello to Margaret in Epsom-Rem, who is making typing this very much worthwhile :)

Hoop is firm. Lines it up carefully...

Here we go...

It's through!!! Mohamed Karem wins the second game 7-6

So we'll have a decider. Sorry you'll have to wait on the results to see what happens. I'm on next and want to get my back moving again.