Lunch looks like it will be after Game 3.

So, same start as Game 1.
Sharpe plays Yellow to standard Sharpe position (1y N of H4) on EB.
Clarke's Blue to C2.
Sharpe at partner from A-baulk - hits and takes off to Clarke in C2.
Rolls Blue to 2y South of H6 height just off West Boundary. Hits Red back off the WB very close to Yellow... but with a rush towards H6. Clarke will have a double from B-baulk if she wishes.

She wishes.
Plays it from close to C3 down the line at Sharpe, and hits the backward ball, cutting it in towards H4. Will have a 4 yard takeoff up hill to get a rush to 1 or Blue.
Doesn't make it up the hill and only gets a rush to H3 instead.
Rushes it to H3, and will be taking off to try and get a rush behind Blue near West Boundary.
Plays it well, and has a 4ft cut rush towards 1.
Plays that well too, and has a 5yard sideways hoop approach.

Plays a tactically defensive takeoff (given that oppo balls are at 3 and East of 4).
Falls short. Retreats to partner leaving a rush to 1.

Sharpe is doing a tour of the lawn, and looks like she'll be playing Yellow from H3 to H4.
Does so, and just misses to near C4.

Makes 1, croquets partner to 2 going to opponent near C4. Good shot.
Croquets opponent yellow to H4, and gets a rush on Red towards H2.
Plays the rush well, but overly straight, and will be approaching H2 from 6 yards South.
Good approach, and good 4ft hoop. Break coming up.

For those of you who haven't been in touch with the goings on at Cairnlea in the last few days, this final is a Best of 5.
Semis were also scheduled to be Best of 5, but due to numerous slow matches in earlier rounds, a Best of 3 was all that was fitted in (although Semis did start at about 11a.m. - normal play began at 8).

All X,Y,Z,W etc. are also Best of 3 all the way through.

Clarke creeps through H7, but, luckily for her, she had 2 receivers level with the hoop, so hit happily and carried on.
Now approaching H9.

Sands takes Game 2 against Chapman
Newcombe looks like he will do the same against Bassett in 3 or 4 hoops time.
Grant fails rover on a finish in a 2v1 game against Baum (Grant was the 1...) and Baum is on 2back and peg with balls now spread.
Johnston is break up against Organ in Game 2, but Organ is in play.

Clarke sets a short-lift leave.
Sharpe's Yellow is just of WB just South of 6.
Sharpe's Red is on EB just South of Peg.
Clarke is in C4, with an 18in rush North.

Old-style defensive leave.

Sharpe transports Red to the end of A-baulk, and takes short shot at Clarke.
Bisects the 18in double, and ends up atwixt them.

Clarke taps Red (I think she should have tried for a cannon - at least that way partner could be manipulated to 4back), gets a rush behind partner, rushes this to WB, croquets it to 2 getting a rush on Yellow to 1, makes 1, puts yellow to 3 (3 yards short), makes 2 off partner, and will most likely be planning to take Blue to the peg without peels.

Clarke has made a speculative attempt to put partner up near peeling position after 4, and should be able to get an escape ball up there, but we'll see how confident she's feeling when she comes through 5.

Ball to the peg is definitely the plan - having not managed to hold a rush after 5.

Hampered after 3back (caught a lot of wire on the way through on a straight forward 2ft hoop with partner as receiver 3y north...

Referee in attendance, but looks quite confident, and middles it at dead weight + 1 foot.

Clarke is on the peg.

Leave is:
Sharpe's Yellow is 1y off WB, 3y N of peg.
Red is 2ft E of peg, possibly slightly open from Yellow, but certainly not full ball.
Clarke set up 1y in lawn from EB, 3y S of peg.

Sharpe picks up Red from the peg, takes it to A-Baulk, and fires at Clarke.

She stalks...
She swings...
She strikes...
The ball travels...

and goes between Clarke's two.

3 hoops and two balls into the peg is all Clarke needs to make it 2 Games to 1.

Ignores red 5ft away, and takes rush to Yellow near WB.
Loads partner 7/8 of the way to penult, and gets a cut rush on Yellow towards 4back.
Cuts it to 6y North of penult...

Defensive rolls Yellow down past 4, going to Red on EB.
Attempts the 11 yard roll to 4back, but over hits it.

Red is just of the North Boundary, 3y E of 3, and black has done a 5y join mid-court near Blue, west of Penult...
Hmm.

Sharpe fires Red at Clarke's Blue, and misses to the middle of the West Boundary.
4.5 yard rush for Clarke to 4back looks promising.

Hits it reasonably well and has a 2y hoop approach.
Runs hoop and has a cut rush back to penult.
Plays it well and has another 2y hoop approach from the North East.

Croquet stroke sends Blue just south of the peg, and Black only runs penult by 4ft, but she middles Blue down near rover. Will be attempting to do rover and pegout with partner.

Succeeds with the rover bit, and rushes back to within 5ft of the peg.

Game 3 over.
Clarke wins 26-0, and takes the lead in this Best of 5.
2 Games to 1.

That's it from me for now, as I will have to depart soon, but I will be replaced in the commentary booth by Kevin Beard, who will take you through to the end.
I suspect it will be snack time for the ladies, so may be a few minutes before the match resumes.

Enjoy your afternoons!