2016 Golf Croquet World Team Championship Tier 1

Hello from an overcast Surbiton. The first round of morning matches have already begun finishing. The New Zealanders have maintained their lead in the final this morning (now 5-3 in matches), with the singles being shared. Meanwhile, Wales and South Africa are playing to avoid relegation. Their matches have only just started- Judith took the first game against John Evans but is now trailing in the second.

I'm going to have a go at monitoring the 3 matches from South Africa/Wales, whilst concentrating more on the NZ Egy doubles

Scrap that--- the doubles has just finished. Hami ran a good 11 to seal the second 7-4. This puts the final at NZ 5-4 Egypt

The Wales / SA match is quite finely poised at the moment. 3-3 in matches over all in the test. Reg and Victor are leading 2-0 in the first game of the doubles, but with red in the jaws of 3 and blue near hoop 1, it looks set to be 2-2 soon.

Meanwhile, John is leading Judith 6-2 in the second singles game, so will likely be going to a third game.

I'm sat watching Burridge vs Louw. It's been a bit of a slow start. Burridge rush peeled William through Hoop 1, and a long battle in front of hoop 2 seems to be going William's way

Erm- I looked away for a moment from Reg's doubles game to hear loud applause. Somehow he's turned things around, jumped the hoop and SA are now 3-0 up and in command of 4

John has beaten Judith in the second 7-2, taking that match to the third

A few good clearances by Ian Burridge has brought him back into Hoop 2.

But an underhit position shot by Ian has now put him back into hot water

Ian tries a block but fails. William runs a smooth Hoop 2, to take the game to William 2-0 Ian

Score: First Game
William Louw (SA) 2 - 0 Ian Burridge (Wal)

Both William and Ian took positions at 3. Ian clears William, who misses the return clearance. Ian has a 1 yarder for Hoop 3

Ian runs by a couple of yards

Score: First Game
William Louw (SA) 2 - 1 Ian Burridge (Wal)

William runs another smooth hoop after a missed clearance by Ian at 4

Score: First Game
William Louw (SA) 3 - 1 Ian Burridge (Wal)

Good first position by Ian was gently cleared by William. Second ball in is also good, but probably not wired

A second very good, gentle clearance by William has given him command of Hoop 5. Both Ian's balls were cleared 4 yards, with William's second ball bouncing off Hoop 5 to 6inches to the side

Ian plays another good position, hiding from clearance behind William's other ball

William plays in, but bounces off the hoop to very angled position

Clearance by Ian takes William's Red ball to Corner 4, with Ian's Black 1 foot in front of 5

Doubles Update

Score: First Game
(SA) 4 - 0 (Wal)

Another cracking clearance by William nudges Ian a few yards past 5. He's more fortunate with the richochet this time, and red ends up just out side the jaws

Ian takes two goes at the clearance, the second seeming to hill off just before contact.

With both Ian's balls on the E and W boundaries, William tries to better the jaws

Ian attempts a clear. Good pace, just off from perfect line. Doesn't budge William out

William puts his second 1 foot in front of 5, as Ian is lining up a second clearance from West of H1

Misses to Eastern penalty spot

William runs 5 from the jaws to 3 yards in front of 6

Score: First Game
William Louw (SA) 4 - 1 Ian Burridge (Wal)

Sorry sorry

Internet issues. Now tethering.

Ian ran 6, but then blobbed a shortish 7. William then took a lot of wire on his hoop 7 (tight hoop?) to end up a few inches through.

Score: First Game
William Louw (SA) 5 - 2 Ian Burridge (Wal)

Meanwhile in the doubles, Wales took their first hoop at hoop5, only to be jumped by Victor at 6. It looks like SA got hoop 7 too, so South Africa has a commanding lead in game 1 of the doubles

2 good positions by Ian, a missed clearance by William and a very hampered approach by William's second ball has given Ian an angled 1 yarder at 8

He runs by 1 yard

Score: First Game
William Louw (SA) 5 - 3 Ian Burridge (Wal)

Williams first approach is short, second approach is long. Ian's first is bang in front, but his second rolls a yard further giving angled position

William misses a 2 yarder clearance, allowing Ian a hoop shot at 9 from 1 yard

South Africa took the first Doubles game 7-1

Ian runs 9 to about halfway

Score: First Game
William Louw (SA) 5 - 4 Ian Burridge (Wal)

William's first approach sneaks past the hoop. Ian plays close to the hoop, maybe half blocked by the wire. William's second ball in is cleared at distance by Ian

Another internet issue. Ian gets hoop 10

Score: First Game
William Louw (SA) 5 - 5 Ian Burridge (Wal)

William's first approach was shot at by Ian. Ian snicked the left edge taking Ian's ball to peg and nudging William out of position.

William's second ball was good, and was also shot at. Ian's blue missed to West boundary.

William lags his ball back into position. A solid clearance by black clears yellow, but black disappears to corner 3

William lags yellow back in. Gets tangled up with red. Looks like William's red doesn't have much on, and Ian lags blue into decent position. Red can't clear blue it seems

William's red doesn't seem to have any option other than blocking blue's hoop run. Ian is lining up clearance on yellow---good chance for a double clearance

Good double clearance. Yellow scattered toward peg (doesn't seem wired from blue). Similarly, red goes toward peg

Yellow puts in a very good block 6-12inches from 11

Ian's pondering whether to jump or clear. With his record in clearing balls near hoops this tournament, the clearance has got to be a little nervy

Maybe wasn't blocking. In off attempt centres yellow to hoop 4, but fails to find the jaws. Looks like red is mostly open after red goes to tight position

black lags in

yellow lags in

good clearance by Ian's blue takes red to north boundary

big shot in the context of relegation here....

red slides down the left hand side of black. Black's lining up the shot

Ian runs black straight through, to the south boundary

Score: First Game
William Louw (SA) 5 - 6 Ian Burridge (Wal)

SA leading the second doubles game 2-0. Reports are that Judith is leading John, and is currently sat in the jaws of 7

William's yellow 4 yards in front of 12. Ian's blue angled 1 yard from 12. Red gets cracking position at 12, 1 yard in front. I doubt Ian's black can see very much of yellow or red...

....black aiming at something

crashes into the back of the hoop, and bounces off eastward, pass the penalty point

yellow clears blue to south boundary. looks like it should be wired from Red

seems not. Blue scatter red to hoop 3, blue bounces to hoop 2

SA doubles are in control of 3

Red decent position. Black attempts close position, drifts inches to the side of hoop. Yellow fails to get hoop running position

big 20 yarder for blue now....

watching it.....

centres it! even bashes red into yellow. Red on South boundary, blue and yellow scattered toward 4

red takes cannon fodder position in front of 12.... a good stop would be decisive here

centre ball-ish, but not enough stop to hold for a hoop running position. Yellow lags in

blue gets good close position. Black is maybe 5 yards from yelllow

very good block from distance by red blocks black's clearance at yellow. Quite straight and near to yellow though, so double clearance quite likely...

snicks red to unrunnable position but yellow is unharmed.

yellow declines hoop in favour of a stunning stopshot (pun intended)

blue lags back in and hides from red behind the hoop / yellow

don't think red has blocked black's clearance here.... shooting from west boundary level with H1

misses to just south of Eastern penalty point

Yellow runs to south boundary

Score: First Game
William Louw (SA) 6-6 Ian Burridge (Wal)

Good first position by blue at 13.

William's position with red hills

magnificent position by Ian's second ball at 13. Blue has the option of clearing or running the hoop here....

yellow's clearance just misses. Blue takes on the clearance. With half the lawn available to wire behind the hoop, looks like it's actually the blue ball itself that's protecting black

red misses closely to C3

Ian's not liking this hoop shot somehow. Look's quite straightforward

Big swing takes an awful lot of wire.

but ends up what seems like 3/4 through

speculative jump shot from 7 yards coming up....

not a bad effort- bounces nicely. Crashes into hoop and knocks black through

IAN TAKES FIRST GAME 7-6

In the rest of Wales SA-
SA lead the doubles 1 game to 0, and are 2-1 up in the second.

John has recovered game 3 to 5-5 in what could prove to be a very important game

I'm going to take the opportunity to eat and get some charge into my laptop. Will probably be back with Egy vs NZ

Back from Lunch. Switching over to a new commentary for the afternoon play