Good morning from Hurlingham. Sorry am bit late.

Lawn 3, Reg Bamford v Mark Avery
Bamford to E bdry
Avery just S of 2nd corner
Bamford misses partner from A-baulk
Avery misses
Bamford makes 1, has probable break

Error!, Bamford with 4 or 5 yard take-off to ball near 2nd corner, goes off.
Good chance of break for Avery.

Lawn 2 Stephen Mulliner v Robert Fulford

2 Fulford won toss, went in. E bdry
Mulliner 2nd corner ish
Fulford hits, takes off to 2nd corner, rolls ball near mid W bdry, lags back to partner, too long.
Mulliner has target from B-baulk, hits. Picks up break.

3 Avery on break, has reached hoop 5

Fair crowd at the Spoon this morning, including Richard Hilditch. Richard managed this event (and many others) for years, and I certainly try to follow his example when Mangling. (Richard was also a better player than I was, Chairman's Salver level.

Both breaks continuing. Avery will be conceding contact. I'd have thought a POP on Bamford thru 1 was in order, though I'd need to check with my expert summariser. He is currently watching the rugby in nearby pub.

Error! Avery has failed 2-back.

2 Mulliner will be making 6 hoops and a diagonal spread.

3 Bamford thinking.

2 the balls were roughly Black (for 2) in 2nd corner, Blue (for 1) just out of A-baulk, Yellow at 3-back, Red near 5.

Bamford lifts Black, takes contact from Yellow.

Fulford lifts peg ball to B-baulk, misses to in or near 4th corner.

Bamford has a referee on (Jeff Dawson). He has rushed a ball into 4-back, and needs to approach 3 from it. Can he position ball to N of ball so he can run hoop? Yes.

Mulliner has made 1, plays ball to 3 going to ball in 4th corner. Hogan roll. Lands nicely for his pioneer, but the croqueted ball is a bit deep.

2 Mulliner going for 1-back peel after 2, there'll be some pull, gets it, Red wasn't as badly placed as I thought.

Bamford will be making 5 hoops (clips on 1-back and 1) with a spread.

2 Mulliner has a conventional hoop 4 pioneer. Rushes peelee off E bdry in order to croquet it to 2-back. Gets 2-back peel before 5.

3 Bamford is leaving Yellow (for 1) at the peg, Red (for 2-back) 3 yards in from W bdry.
Avery lifts Yellow to A-baulk for long "short" shot. Misses.

2 Mulliner's 6 and 1-back pioneers are some yards South of their hoops, which I guess is where you want them. Att empts 3-back peel going to 6 (I think, the ball is v close to hoop, maybe in jaws). After 6 rushes to E bdry 5yN of 4th corner.. Peelee not quite in jaws, but Mulliner does rush-peel it.

3 Bamford has just made 2 with all the balls where you'd want them.

2 Mulliner will be having 3-back pioneer at 4-back.

3 Bamford peels 1-back after 2, peelee ends up within 2' of 2-back. Hoop 4 pioneer at 2-back.

Minor excitement last evening as I caught a train on platform zero (at King's Cross). Not as exciting as 9 3/4, but still...

2 Mulliner jawses 4-back peel before 3-back. Gets forward rush after 3-back.

3 Bamford peels 2-back before 5. Other ball is 3y N of end of A-baulk.

2 Another rush-peel from Mulliner. Will need straight double to finish. Balls well placed.

3 Bamford hoping for 3-back peel before 6.

2 Mulliner's Irish peel of penult goes well. Peelee about a yard from rover.

3 Bamford peels 3-back before 6.

Please note that in my commentary all distances are a guess,some more than others. Also prone to confuse East and West, and occasionally North and South. Surprised that I found my way here, given that I had to choose East or West on the tube. One day I'll end up in Cockfosters. [Insert music hall joke here.]

Mulliner completes sextuple to lead 1-0 (best-of-5).

Bamford trying 4-back peel before 2-back.

DKO takes picture of my Newport Croquet Club shirt. "For my article. About Wales." er... this Newport's in Essex.

Having had quick squint, Bamford's 4-back peel looks to be through, but still in jaws. Definitely through now, taking off from 1yN of 4-back to pioneer at 3-back.

2 Mulliner Blue 13y N of 4th corner.
Fulford Red 1y W of 6 (I do mean West!)
Mulliner Black shoots at Red from near 3rd corner. Misses
Fulford Yellow misses Red to near 1st corner.
Mulliner has 3-yard wide join.
Fulford Red shoots at Blue, misses.

3 Bamford fails penult peel before 4-back.

2 Yellow was just N of 1st corner. Mulliner Black rushes Blue into 1st corner, makes 1 off Yellow.

3 Bamford's peelee is 8' W of rover. Key rush coming up...

2 Yellow is now 4 or 5 y W of 1, Mulliner makes 2 off Blue. Red near middle of E bdry.

3 Bamford's rover peel dies in front of jaws. The hat is off. Jumps clean through rover, roqueting deep ball in that stroke. Other ball 2yE of rover.

2 Mulliner has some good rushes to pick up break.

3 Bamford has to negotiate the promotion of Black through hoop.

Promotion goes pretty well, though croqueted ball means Bamford can rush only to about 10' from peg.

Bamford completes sextuple to lead 1-0.

3 Game 2 opening
Avery Red 10y N of 4th corner.
Bamford Blue 9" short of 2nd corner
Avery yellow at Red from A-baulk, missing. Looks like it might be a double from A-baulk.
Bamford Black from A-baulk,hits both balls.

2 Mulliner 6 hoops and a spread.

3 Sorry, Blue is South of 2nd corner, not short. That is a new confusion.

2 Fulford lifts ball not at peg to B-baulk. Misses to just W of 4th corner.

3 Bamford has break.

2 Mulliner Blue makes 1 off Red. Another Hogan roll coming up. Hoop 2 pioneer is 2y W of 6.

Eeuurghh! Some bird has just shat all over my laptop. I know my commentary isn't to everyone's taste, but even so...

2 Mulliner's 1-back peel went deep toward A-baulk. Will be hoping for 2-back peel before 5.

3 Bamford has made 6 hoops and is having a spread.

2 Mulliner peels 2-back before 5.

3 Avery lifts ball not at peg to A-baulk for another long "short" shot. Maybe he doesn't trust E bdry. Misses.

2 Mulliner continues. Hoop and roquet at 5 means 1-back pioneer (Red) is halfway between hoops 1 and 2. After 6, croquets Yellow to 4-back (?!). What if this squirty 3-back peel doesn't get through? Hoop 5 is in play for this stroke. Peel goes 3y through. Striker's ball goes well too far. Now has 10y take-off approach to 1-back.

3 Bamford peels 1-back after 2 with all the balls where you'd want.

2 Mulliner's approach to 1-back hits the wire. Csn only hit off W bdry. Fulford has lift (if he remembers it's SuperAdvanced), with 6-yarder at Yellow (by 4-back).

2 Fulford lifts Red, hits 6-yarder. Takes off to Black getting longish rush to 1. Poor rush, needs 7-yard roll-up. Average approach. Not tempted by hoop, joins up.

3 Bamford peels 2-back before 4.

3 Mulliner shoots Blue at Black (16y?). Misses.

Commentary error, Mulliner is of course on lawn 2.

2 Fulford makes his first hoop of the day. Should pick up break.

The Mangler declares that Maugham has made 724 TPs this week. Computers, eh?

3 Bamford peels 3-back before 6

3 Bamford's 1-back pioneer is 1y N of peg. After 6 has big roll from nr W bdry, Yellow to 4-back, Blue to Black (2yN of 3-back). Another roll: Black to 4-back, reasonable rush to 1-back.

2 Fulford is through 4.

3 Bamford peels 4-back before 2-back. 3-back pioneer is at 4-back (just in case earlier peel failed)

2 Fulford has put Black (Mulliner's 4-back ball) in back of hoop 1. (This is after hoop 5.) After 6,Blue (for 1-back) is somewhere near the W bdry (can't see from here because of the terracing). Leaves rush for hoop 1 ball to Blue.

Apparently I have 18 readers. Hello! akgregory#talk21.com with any observations / queries.

2 Mulliner lifts Black to B-baulk, misses to just W of 4th corner.

3 Bamford has penult peel before 4-back.

The early cloud cover has been burnt off, it's another lovely day.

2 Fulford rushes Red to Blue, Blue to 1. After 1 has rush pointing NE, rushes it 2yE of 6. Does Fulford do Hogan rolls? Yep, he's taking off to Black

3 Bamford in full control. Straight rover peel to do.

2 Fulford plays the big roll. Black to 3, crowd out of their seats to see if Yellow is wired from Red by 6. No, he's OK.. Another sextuple attempt coming up.

3 Bamford finishes second sextuple to lead 2-0.

3 Lunch

2 Fulford peels 1-back by about 15 yards after 2. Hoop 4 pioneer is at hoop 4.

2 Fulford jawses 2-back peel before 4, rush-peels before 5. The hoop 6 pioneer is 5y NW of 3-back.

Keith Aiton is only player with both lives in the Plate.

2 Fulford's 1-back pioneer is 2y SE of 6. 3-back peel before 6 goes well through (16y?). Rushes Blue 3y SW of 6. Power hoop off N bdry.

Death and Riva starting Z game on 4. Should be entertaining.

2 Fulford jawses 4-back peel before 2-back. 3-back pioneer at 3-back.

2 Fulford rush-peels after 2-back, takes off to 3-back. 4-back pioneer is 5yS of 4-back.

Hi Jenny, glad to know you're following!

2 Fulford gets forward rush after 3-back. Attempting 4 or 5' penult peel before 4-back, peelee bounces off to side. Another power hoop at 4-back.

There was a rumour that this event would be capped at 32 entries. I nearly entered so I could complain when I was excluded. Though Mangler might have excluded a 41st entry, as an odd number of players playing an odd number of pre-drawn rounds is difficult to arrange. (Think about it!)

2 Fulford in good shape, straight rover peel ahead.

Death complaining that Riva not setting up nontuple.

2 Fulford's irish peel at rover goes well.

Fulford completes sextuple to tie match at 1-1.

I am told that the top 8 ranked players based in the UK are at the venue..

Mangler wants to know the record number of sextuples in the Open semis. If anyone out there can help... (Statto is here.)

I presume lawn 2 is lunching

Death is eyeing up a dectuple, though he needs to hit lift. Ladies' dectuple mind.

Mangler reckons we had 3 SXPs in the semis in 2011 (Surbiton) and 2013 (Hurlingham). We have 4 already today.

Death missed lift, so we have a Riva sextuple attempt to entertain the crowd while semis are at lunch.

State of the Plate
Both semis of the Draw in play: Giraud v Aiton, Higgins v Polhill
Process: semi: Cordingley v Brown will be on this afternoon.
quarter: Aiton v Dawson being delayed as Dawson is in Management Committee meeting, so later this afternoon. Winner to play Hopgood in semi.

Most SXPs in a day: 11/7/14 Opens QFs eight. Though can't work out if any in the Z (was that day of Wilkinson's SXPO v P. Trimmer?)

Riva misses return roquet after 4 with 1 peel done. Crowd wants Death to do octuple on opponent.

Bamford and Avery resuming shortly.

Death having ladies dectuple leave. Oppo crosswired at 4.

Riva hits to huge booing from crowd.

Bamford and Avery not exactly desperate to play. Unclear who's waiting for whom.
.

Finally Bamford and Avery are informed each is waiting for the other.

Bamford Black 13y N of 4th corner
Avery Yellow to just S of 2nd corner.
Bamford Blue at Black from A-baulk. Misses to 1'N of Black
Avery really doesn't like East boundary. Shooting from A-baulk. Misses.

More research has been done on 11/7/14 at Cheltenham. Looking back at the commentary (by me!) we think that the first of Fulford's recorded sextuples was in fact only a quadruple. (We think Rob agrees.) But it was the day of Wilkinson's SXPO, so we think current daily record is 8 SXPs.

3 Bamford Blue makes 1 off Black. Rushes Red near Yellow. Should be away.

Oops they've started on 2. Off to see what's happening.

So the most likely interpretation of the current state of lawn 2 is that Fulford went first, Mulliner to near 2nd corner, Fulford missed, Mulliner missed, Fulford going round 5th turn.

A rare take-off approach from Bamford at 3. Copes. Hoop 4 pioneer is near peg, shouldn't be a problem. Isn't.

Riva trying quintuple starting at 5.
It's come down to a straight quad.

Riva doesn't understand the game. First he hits Jimbo's dectuple leave, then he rush-peels 3 and puts the clip on 4. Not going to get all 4 clips with that attitude.

Bamford doing the usual 6 hoops and spread.

2 Fulford not POPping, looks like 6 hoops and a spread. Hang on, what do we call this? Reverse horizontal spread, I guess. ie Mulliner cross-pegged, Fulford with rush in from West boundary.

3 Avery lifts ball at peg, goes to B-baulk for a change, hits it relatively softly. Misses to just out of 4th corner.

2 Mulliner hits from 1st corner.

3 Bamford has angled hoop 1. Bullies it through. Hoop and roquet. Takes off to Yellow in 4th corner. Big roll coming up. (Blue 1yS of 2).

3 Bamford has excellent roll, though Black went very close to the peg.

2 Mulliner picks up break.

Riva comes to grief at rover. Death on for nontuple!

3 Bamford jawses 1-back peel after 2.

2 I'd have thought a POP or 2 was in order.

4 Death has hoop 4 peel before 1. Fails 5 peel before 2. Gets 5 peel before 3.

3 Bamford rush-peels 1-back after 3. Fails long 2-back peel before 5.

4 Death peels 6 before 4.

2 Mulliner 6 hoops, no POPs, conventional spread. Blue ( for 1-back) is at the peg.

3 Bamford peels 2-back before 6.

2 Fulford lifts Black to B-baulk. Misses to near 4th corner.

4 Death peel of 1-back before 6 is rejected. Just another straight sextuple then

3 After a good rush, Bamford can attempt 3-back peel before 1-back. Peel fails, Striker's ball goes too far.

2 Error! Mulliner short on Hogan roll, missed hoop 2 pioneer (6 or 7y).

3 Bamford take-off to 1-back. Grovels thru hoop. Ref on for hampered shot. Mallet hits hoop, roquet is missed. Fault given, but Avery wants balls as they are.

2 Fulford peeling 1-back before 2, with balls well placed.

3 Avery picks up break.

4 Death's dectuple reduced to straight quad. 5-yard angled peel fails.

Giraud and Higgins are in Plate Draw final.

2 Fulford jawses 2-back peel before 4.

3 Avery has reached hoop 5. Will he be giving contact?

4 Riva wins.

2 Fulford rush-peels 2-back before 5. Will be going for 3-back peel before 6. 6 pioneer 5y NW of 3-back.

3 Avery makes 6 hoops, having spread. Which ball will he leave rush for?

2 Fulford peels 3-back before 6.

3 Avery leaves rush for 1-back ball.

3 Bamford lifts Black (for 2-back) (not at peg) to B-baulk. Misses to near 4th corner.

2 Fulford looking to peel 4-back before 2-back.

Sorry managed to close my tab there.

2 Fulford's 4-back peel was about 2y, angled, pull-y. It bounced to side. 3-back pioneer is at 4-back. Gets 4-back peel before 3-back.

3 Avery makes 1-back, so this is first semi game without a sextuple.

3 Avery makes 3 hoops, going for NSL, Blue (for 3-back) at 4, Black (for 2-back) 6yS of hoop 2. Yellow is on 4-back, Red on 1, Avery marches to end of A-baulk to work out where to leave his rush.

2 Fulford peels penult before 4-back..

Cordingley v Brown starting on 4.

3 Bamford considering options.

2 Fulford negotiates straight rover peel. Completes sextuple to lead match 2-1.

3 Bamford lifts Black to A-baulk, but not end of A-baulk. Hits Red. Refuses straight quad to finish.

2 Game 4 opening
Mulliner Blue 11y N of 4th corner.
Fulford Yellow 1y SW of 6
Mulliner Black shoots at Yellow from 3rd corner, hits hoop 6,stopping near hoop.

2 Fulford Red has double from B-baulk. Hits Yellow.

3 Bamford has made 2-back, and is thinking. Of what we don't know. Surely just go to peg?

Giraud v Higgins starting on 1.

2 Fulford picks up break.

3 Bamford will indeed be going to peg.

4 Brown has 1st break. The game is compulsorily SuperAdvanced.

The 1987 Opens semis were Bamford v Mulliner, Avery v Openshaw.

2 Fulford making 6 hoops and spread.

3 Bamford planning leave.

2 Again Fulford leaving his balls on or near W bdry, Mulliner cross-pegged.

3 Bamford has diagonal spread, with Yellow (for 4-back) at the peg.

4 Brown to 4-back conceding contact. Usual sort of leave.

3 Avery lifts Red to A-baulk. He really doesn't like the East bdry. Quick shot, misses.

2 Mulliner lifts Blue to B-baulk, hits Black at peg.

3 Bamford failed to get 4-back pioneer for some reason, but I dare say he'll cope.

2 Mulliner has picked up break.

4 Brown is back in play. Dawson v Aiton has started, also on 4.

3 Bamford makes sure at rover by having deep ball. Doesn't need it.
Bamford beats Avery 3-0.

2 Mulliner attempts to POP Yellow thru 1 before 5.

Another email from Nick Parish

"I am breakfasting in San Francisco and looking forward to my game on the fabled Sonoma Cutrer lawns later this morning. A very nice man I have never met before called Martyn Selman is picking me up from my hotel and driving me an hour there, and lending me a mallet into the bargain. How friendly the croquet community is. (He hasn't mentioned it but I'm hoping he's also going to drive me back afterwards. Perhaps that depends who wins.)"

2 Mulliner making 6 hoops. He failed to get POP. In setting leave, seems to have left himself 5-yarder for some reason. Re-stalking, hits. Makes OK spread.

And Mark Suter is following this. Good to have you back playing well, Mark.

2 Red (for 1-back) is at peg.
Fulford lifts Yellow to B-baulk. Misses to 4th corner.

2 Mulliner's first croquet stroke does not leave a rush to 1. He manages to cut it into 4th corner. Plays thick wafer cannon, overhits it Fails difficult hoop.

Fulford plays Yellow, roquets ball in hoop to near 1st corner.

Neglected to mention that the reason Fulford didn't make semis 30 years ago was that he was knocked out by... Mark Suter.

2 Fulford takes off (thickly) to Red, rushes Red near end of B-baulk, Rush to 1 5y short, good take-off, makes hoop.
Now has sextuple for the match.

Statto is sitting next to me. Might this be first 4 sextuple match, I ask. He's looking into it.

2 Fulford peels 1-back after 2. 2-back peel before 4 is either nearly through or just through.

Now having Statto check my theory about the first 3 SXP match. It was the 1997 Men's 3rd place play-off (about the only time in my managership I've persuaded chaps to have a 3rd place play-off) Fulford beat Maugham with three sextuples.

2 Fulford looking to peel 3-back before 6.

Statto's on fire:
Fulford first player to lose match despite making 2 sextuples. 2005 Westerns v Dave Kibble.
That was year Kibble failed to be selected for Worlds, because the selection was done during the Westerns not after it.

2 Fulford has done 3 peels. 2-back pioneer at 4-back.

Brown has beaten Cordingley.
Dawson has had break to 3-back v Aiton

2 Fulford jawses 4-back peel before 2-back. 3-back pioneer is 4y N of 3-back.

2 After making 2-back, Fulford rushes near penult, rush-peels 4-back. Thick take-off slightly short, copes well. Gets rush after 3-back.

4 Aiton didn't get going from contact, Dawson missed long shot narrowly.

2 Fulford peels penult well before 4-back. Peelee close to rover.

4 Aiton fails 2, Dawson misses 8-yarder.

2 Fulford makes penult. Peelee waiting expectantly at rover.

Higgins has beaten Giraud 25tp to win the Draw half of the Plate.

2 Fulford's Irish peel inexplicably ends with balls almost in contact. But he's OK.

Fulford completes sextuple to win match 3-1.

The 2017 Open Singles final will be Reg Bamford v Robert Fulford. Place your bets.

The Doubles final will resume later. Probably on lawn 4, if the Plate game doesn't drag on. Dawson on lawn, with quadruple. Looking at death roll peel of 3-back going to 3. Peel fails, striker's ball OK.

So after 14 hours of commentary, someone's finally bought me a drink. Thank you Jimbo.

Bamford is explaining to Mulliner where he went wrong.

Dawson is approaching 3-back. looks like he needs an STP to finish.

Dawson straight 4-back peel goes through, but his own ball also just runs hoop, and he can only roquet partner.

Chatting to DKO. We're trying to come up with some scandalous reason for him being thrown out of the Singles, but apparently he withdrew to concentrate on the Doubles. Should have had TP against Bamford and Mulliner. We're harking back to 1987 again: Doubles Champions: Avery and Openshaw.

Dawson (for penult and peg) has left Aiton cross-pegged. Laying up 5y N of 4th corner.

Committee meeting has finally finished.

Aiton trying to locate mallet. Found it. Aiton shoots at Dawson's ball as they lie, too gentle, hills off. Allegedly.
Dawson finishes.

So doubles final will resume shortly on lawn 4.
Also Hopgood v Dawson on lawn 3, we hope.

More on the wooden Baillieu original yardstick (see yesterday's commentary). There is a theory it may have shrunk since the 1960's.

The doubles finalists are gathering.

Doubles Final, third and deciding game.

Death Blue 10y N of 4th corner
Bamford Yellow just S of 2nd corner
Patel Black at Blue from A-baulk. Misses, leaving double from A-baulk.
Mulliner Red from A-baulk, misses

Patel Black hits Blue, rushes Red 3y S of Yellow. Take-off looks good. Rushes Yellow almost to South boundary. Approach leaves 2y hoop. Makes it. Rushes Yellow, poor croquet stroke fails to get rush on Blue. Rolls balls over toward 2nd corner. Optional approach to 2 leaves 8' hoop. Fails 2.

Dawson v Hopgood
Dawson usual E bdry
Hopgood just out of 2nd corner.
Dawson hits partner, takes off to oppo, rolls Black 10 y up lawn,looking to leave rush.

3 Hopgood hits from A-baulk.

4 Bamford has 17-yarder, misses.

4 Patel Black hits Blue, good take-off to Red near hoop 4, rushes Red to Yellow, poor rush to 2. Rolling off from W bdry. Angled hoop, fails to near 3rd corner.

3 Hopgood has break.

4 Bamford Yellow misses 8-yarder at Blue
Death looking for advice from partner. Crowd offers less than useful suggestions.
Blue has 2y rush to 3rd corner from within B-baulk. Rushes it 1y S of Yellow.
Red is just off S bdry, maybe 6y SW of 4.
Blue rushes Black toward Red, but short. Good take-off, fair rush, makes 1.
Good rush near Yellow

3 Hopgood making 1-back

4 Death rushes Yellow to 2. Now has break.

Mangler planning the Z knock-out.

3 Hopgood making 9 hoops. Black already 2y E of 2nd corner.

4 Death's hoop 5 pioneer suggests some POPping intent.

3 Yellow 1y W of 4th corner, Red 7y N of 4th corner. Blue in 3rd corner.

4 Death no POPs yet. Making 5.

Dawson lifts Red into contact with Black. Thick take-off to Blue. Very close to boundary. Ref called. Patel comes, honestly do Manglers have to do everything. Ball is on.

Death making 1-back.

3 Dawson takes off to partner, short. Optional roll-up, leave.

4 Death leaves Black near 2nd corner. Makes 2-back off Yellow. Position of Red suggests he's not making 3-back.

4 Clips: Patel Black 2, Death Blue 3-back, Bamford & Mulliner 1 & 1.
Red and Yellow both near 4th corner, Blue in 3rd corner.

3 Hopgood hits in.

4 Mulliner lifts Red to contact with Blue, takes off to Yellow, way short, hits 6 or 7-yarder.

3 Hopgood takes off to Dawson's balls, short, misses.

4 Mulliner lays up for himself between 1st corner and hoop 1.

3 Dawson has break.

4 Patel Black shooting at Red / Yellow. Hits Red.

Don't forget that Patel is for 2. I did.
Black rushes Yellow to 2. Makes 2. Partner stops him playing wrong ball near 3rd corner. Nearly goes off lawn on small croquet stroke. Now has break, Can he do quadruple.

3 Dawson has standard TPO.

Dawson Red peels Blue through 4-back after 3.

Patel's quadruple will be delayed. He's making 4, partner ball 4y W of hoop 3.

I suppose a good rush now and Patel can do the 3-back peel before 5. Good effort, but ball hits 3-back. Thinking...

Patel calls on partner.

Dawson still going OK.

Brown awaiting winner of Hopgood v Dawson in Process final, Higgins already won the Draw.

Death and Patel have agreed to abandon quadruple. Ball to peg (is the aim). Route One croquet. Nothing wrong with that.

Dawson has done 2nd peel of TPO after 6.

The aim in the Doubles is to leave Bamford in the back of 3-back.

Dawson does 3rd peel of TPO before 3-back. Two other clips on 1.

Bamford's ball duly left at 3-back, Partner ball is 4-back pioneer.

Patel has made penult off Red. Death standing near W bdry indicating desired posi of Red. Red croqueted maybe 1 or 2y in from W bdry, 15y S of 2nd corner.
Death now indicating where he wants Blue and Black. Blue rolled within foot of boundary. Leaves Black so that Blue has 2y rush to Red.

Dawson will be completing TPO.

Bamford lifts Yellow to A-baulk, shooting at Red. Misses to near 2nd corner.

Dawson leaves Yellow on E bdry in usual sort of place. Red in 2nd corner.

Death Blue rushes Black to 7y N of Red. Takes off to Yellow (which is just S of 2nd corner), good shot. Rushes Yellow near Red. Yellow croqueted near penult. Rush to 3-back is just N of hoop. Runs 3-back without rush.

Hopgood takes off from Red in 2nd corner to Yellow. Just shy of getting good rush. Rolling off 1 from near 4. Short, taps in front of 1.

Death is finishing.

Dawson plays Yellow to 4th corner.

Dawson looks up from placing Yellow in corner. Finds that Black has bounced off hoop 1 to within 5y.
Dawson misses 5-yarder.

James Death and Samir Patel are the 2017 Open Doubles champions.

Hopgood taking long shot at Red (Dawson's peg ball) near 2nd corner. Misses. Yellow is near 1st corner.

Hopgood Black is 10yW of 3rd corner. Dawson's balls 3y apart on S bdry.
Black to 4th corner.
Dawson Yellow makes 1, misses partner.

Bamford practising on 2.

Hopgood Black to 5y N of 1st corner.

Dawson Red has 7-yarder at partner. Hits. Rolls toward 3rd corner.
Black to near 1st corner.

Bamford gathering many balls. Practising shooting on lawn 1.

Dawson sets up wired rush.
Hopgood adjusts Black. Waiting for his lifts.

Dawson rushes to 2 well. Makes 2. Nice rush to 3. Makes 3. Has rush to Black if he wants it.

Dawson rushes into 1st corner, hitting Black. Has corner cannon.

Red is croqueted near hoop 2. Black good line, maybe 3 yards short of 4. Take-off approach. Overhits badly. Yellow to 2nd corner.

Hopgood Black to 5y E of 1st corner. My expert liked a triangle of terror instead.
Dawson Red at Yellow (9y), misses into contact.

Hopgood going for hoop 1. Runs it to North boundary! Applause from under the oak tree. Umpire on to see which ball hit. Red is hit. More applause, ironic this time. No cannon.

Hopgood rushes Yellow 3y S of 2. Poking Yellow toward 3. Runs 2. Has 5 / 6-yarder at Red. Snicks it helpfully South. Yellow is 7y W of 3. One good croquet stroke... yes. Should finish now.

Hopgood does not get rush after 3. Big roll goes well. Can he hold his nerve?

Mangler not around, so don't know if the Process final will be starting tonight should this finish. Would be nice to have best-of-3 Plate play-off.

Hopgood through 6, in control.

2-back pioneer is overhit. Nearer South boundary than hoop. Needing forward rush, overhits 1-back approach. Ball on wire? Referee called, so not as bad as it looks. Copes, and has 7' rush.

Hopgood rushes well to near 1st corner. Back on track. ish.

Hopgood has forward rush after 3-back. Random shots being applauded.

Hopgood finishes.

Mangler approaching. Negotiating with players. Process final will be starting soon on lawn 4. Crowd delighted.

I'll do the opening, can't promise to stay till end!

Hopgood Black to east boundary.
Brown Yellow duffer tice, 4' SE of 6.
Blue shoots at Black from B-baulk, missing to 1' W of 4th corner.
Brown Red hits Yellow, rushing it near 4.

Brown takes off to Blue, rushes it to Black. Makes 1, should get break now.

Hmm, Brown now approaching 2 from N bdry. Not sure what went wrong. Has severely angled hoop, fails it.
Balls all over the place, none especially near another.

Hopgood has 5y wide join on S bdry,
Brown hits 16-yarder.

Commentator error, Hopgood's balls on North bdry.
Brown in with hoop 2 ball. Croquet stroke Christs off Blue. Rolls 1 to 5yW of 1 going to Yellow near 4. (Black is 2y N of hoop 2). Lays up near 4th corner, with rush for Yellow (for 1) toward 1.

Mangler still trying to construct a Z knock-out. Some players may get in despite having played no Z games. One year someone got in to the Z as they had played more games and had better percentage. Yes, 0/8 is better than 0/6.

Hopgood thinking.
Black at Blue is the verdict. Misses to near 1st corner.

7 SXPs today: Fulford 3, Bamford 2, Mulliner 1, Riva 1 (in the Z)

Robin Brown now has 4-ball break. I'm going to leave him to it.

The final starts at 10am tomorrow. I aim to be here.

Bye for now.