Championship of Surrey

Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to the final of the Championship of Surrey. We are currently watching Game 1, best of 3.

Apologies, I'm back again.

Currently in Game 1, 1 hour left on the clock. Mark Suter is in play.

Clip positions, Maugham Blue for 1, Black for 4b. Suter in play on a break with Red, in break at Rover. Yellow is for 4b.

For those of you with facebook. there is a live stream here ->> https://croquetscores.com/2018/ac/championship-of-surrey/commentaries/13541

Sorry, wrong link, try this https://www.facebook.com/AlisonJonesCroquet/videos/699101043757816

And for those without facebook, here is a link to the live webcam on Surbiton CC website ->> https://www.ipcamlive.com/5ad9f39609cc5

Maugham shot with 4b ball from where it lay, missed. Suter is now back in play and has rushed blue to 4b, with Yellow.

The lawn speed is currently somewhere between 12 and 16 plummers

Oops, Suter just failed 4b with Yellow.

Maugham is now in play with Blue. He is now for hoop 2, black is 4b. Red is somewhere north of Penult, Yellow is 7 yards south of 3.

Made h2, rushed black across to east boundary, croquet black to h4. Rushing yellow to the middle of the lawn and will approach 3 with red.

Maugham is through hoop 4 with blue, black is being sent as a pioneer to h6. Looks like a 4 ball break to me.

Red is a pioneer for 2 back, yellow is pioneer for 1 back and he's just gone through hoop 6, hits 2 yard return roquet.

Okay, black is now a tight pioneer for 2b, red rushed up to 1b, now this is definitely a 4 ball break. I'm off for a glass of wine.... it's only the first of the day too.

We think there may be a little hole... Maugham has just walked over to find some dirt.

Yep, the ground has been sufficiently flattened and the gloves are going back on.

I am back with a glass of wine, but a glass of water at the ready too... it's very hot here.

Maugham has completed his 4 ball break to the peg, and pegged off red. So... we now have (Suter) yellow for 4b, Maugham for 4b and peg.

Maugham's leave.... Black in corner 2, blue 10 yards south of corner 2.

Suter is shooting yellow at blue.

Hits...

By the way, there is 18 minutes left on the clock.

Blue is croqueted near north boundary, north of hoop 6. Big shot out of the corner with black coming up..

Black 3 yards north of south boundary.

Yellow well short of 4 back, he has a bash...

Missed.

Maugham hits black to blue, takes croquet from south boundary. Get's a rush to 4 back with yellow, blue is 1 yard off north boundary.

Yellow runs on a little, backward take off to 4 back. oohhh

It's rolled back...

Awkward angle... It's through.

Ohhs and ahhhs from the crowd are entertaining though.

8 Minutes to go

Maugham now has the balls in control, just ran penult.

Maugham has run rover to an awkward spot. Can't hit yellow on south boundary, hampered by the hoop. Can't see blue near the peg. Black is now in corner 2.

Maugham is Peg & Peg, v Suter who is box and 4 back. Yellow (4 back) has been lifted and he's shooting at...

Black

Hits

Good hit and applause from the crowd. A few good strokes to come.

Taking croquet from black in corner 2.

Not a bad shot, black is south west of rover. He's tonked blue so it's now north of 4 back, 3 yards out of the corner.

Rolling up to 4 back..... it's rolled on, a little long.

And that's time!

Ohh, pressure shot coming up for Suter.

Nails it.

Suter in play, has a rush to Penult with blue. Black and Blue both for peg.

He's rushed it 2 yards NNE of Penult. Get's 2 ft in front.

Sails through. Now equal distance between blue and black. Return roquet to blue is 4 ish yards.

Hits, now a take off to black from just north of penult.

Black is just south of Rover

He hit the peg on the take off.

Is he wired from black??

We think he's wired. We can't see from here.

He's shooting at something...

Nooo...

He was shooting at the hoop, he hit the wire and bounced back.

They are level.

Maugham needs to hit something. Peg or ball.

He missed the peg.

I can't watch.

Suter shooting for the game..

Wow.... Suter wins the game. Plus 1 on time!

Second Game started. Mark Suter is 1 game up in the best of 3 final.

Maugham is red and yellow, Suter black & blue.

Suter hit's forth turn with red, get's a rush with yellow to hoop 1. Blue in corner 2.

Rushes yellow to near corner 1. has a slightly angled hoop 1 from 3 ft.

Straight through the hoop to the north boundary. Shoting at blue in corner 2... hits.

Croquet stroke from corner 2 sends blue middle of north boundary, black to 7 yards south of yellow. He hits it.... he hits everything!

It's a 5 yard roll approach to hoop 2 from the east.

It's gone a bit wrong.... black is 4 yards south and angled, so Suter is sending black to corner 3.

So, all clips bar yellow is on hoop 1. Yellow (Maugham) is shooting at red. Yellow north of hop 2, red just off east boundary.. misses.

Black is near corner 3, sorry, got it wrong earlier. Blue still middle of the north boundary.

Suter is thinking... looks like he's shooting black at yellow down the boundary.

Ohh, he missed one.

Black in corner 4, yellow has a rush on red to blue on the north boundary.

Maugham is now in play. He has in fact rushed red to blue, and rushed blue to the south boundary behind hoop 1. Will this be the start of another 4 ball break?

Hmm.... a stop shot sending blue peg high, and yellow 4 yards from the hoop.

Missed.

Suter shoots Blue at Yellow, 7yards, misses to south boundary.

Yellow shoots at Red on the north boundary... misses.

Did I mention this is super advanced? Well, it is. Just to make sure we have a good interactive game ;)

Blue is banished to corner 3.

Yellow to play. It's a 2 yard hit in. Rolling red to hoop 1. No where near, so laying up at hoop 1.

Suter shoots black from corner 4 at red and yellow, laid up next to hoop 1. It was a good target... but missed.

Maugham has made hoop 1. I missed it because I was chatting... oops.

Anyway, yellow is now in break and has just gone through hoop 2. Has a rush to red with black, black will be sent to hoop 4, to get a rush on red to ...

Hoop 3. I wasn't sure if he would go and collect blue from the corner.

Maugham is now through hoop 4, made hoop 4 with black, will send black to hoop 6 with blue waiting at hoop 5. Red is just out of corner 3.

I must admit, I never thought I would be required to provide commentary on a Maugham 4 ball break, but these conditions are proving interesting.

Meanwhile, Lara, the lovely Borzoi is trying to befriend me, as I have cake on my desk.

Yellow is now through 1 back, so this will be a contact leave. Croquets red to 3 back, has a rush on blue in the middle of the court toward black at hoop 1.

He's through 2 back, didn't make it to the boundary, to no extra yard for the return.

Hits black though, easy peasy.

Sends black 6 yards sound of corner 3. Gets a rush on blue to red at 3 back.

Send blue south of 3 back, easy approach to 3 back with red.

Red is in it's final contact leave position, 2 yards out of corner 4 on the south boundary. Blue is 10 yards north of corner 1 on the west boundary. Black 6 yards south of corner 3 on west boundary and yellow is now in corner 3. Job done!

So we now have, Suter (Blue & Black). Blue for hoop 1, black for hoop 2. Maugham is Red & Yellow, Yellow for 4 back and Red for 1.

Suter lifts blue, rushes yellow just out of corner 3.

Takes off to black, is short, but hit's the 10 yarder anyway.

Blue takes off to hoop 1, ends up just within the yard line on the south boundary.

Yellow is now 2 yards south of peg high, north of hoop 1.

Blue goes back to black.... just out of corner 2.

Quick reminder, Yellow in the middle of the lawn, red just out of corner 4. Blue and black joined up near hoop 2 on west boundary.

Yellow shooting at red... misses, almost hits me.

There is 1 hour and 8 minutes to go for game 2.

Suter rushes black with blue to south boundary behind hoop 1.

Croquet stroke sending black just north of hoop 2, blue two feet from yellow and red.

Slight cut to get red short of hoop 1. Yellow left 5 yards our of corner 4, just off south boundary.

Split sending red middle of the lawn, leaving angled hoop 1 for blue...

Through the hoop and midway between red and black. He's shooting back at red, 6 yards.

Hits red, sends red 3 ft north of hoop 3, gets a rush with black to hoop 2. 2 ft hoop 2 coming up.

He's through hoop 2, and he's off.

Suter is still in break with blue, for hoop 5 and with everything in control.

In other news, lawn 2 has the Plate Final, with Dominic Nunns and Samir Patel.

Suter has now made 3 back with blue and is setting a contact leave. Yellow is 8 ish yards south of corner 3 on the east boundary. Black has been rushed to corner 4...

Take off to red which is just west of hoop 1

Red is now on the west boundary 7 ish yards north of corner 1. Blue is in corner 2.

Clip update, Yellow for 4 back, Red for 1, black for 3 and blue for 4 back.

There is 40 minutes left on the clock for this game.

Maugham lifts red, takes croquet from blue in corner 2. Takes off to red, east boundary south of corner 3. Big roll shot sending yellow south of hoop 1 near the corner.

Send red off just north of corner 1, has a rush to hoop 1. Will Suter hit again?

Suter is shooting black at red...

Misses.

36 Mins to go and Maugham has a relatively easy start to take the second game.

Maugham rushed black from corner 1, to blue near corner 2. Then rushed blue back to corner 1, will get behind yellow for a rush to 1.

He's through hoop 1 and now making hoop 2 with black. Very easy hoop approach, blue and yellow in the lawn toward hoop 3. Will this be a TP attempt?

Sends black to hoop 4 after 2, takes off from blue near hoop 6 to get a perfect rush to hoop 3 with yellow. This looks a lot like a 4 ball break to the peg to me.

It's a straight approach to hoop 3, but red is short and slightly angled...

Bounce, onto the wire. Oops.

Mark is conscious of time, he;s just asked... it's 28 mins to go.

So Suter has a 13 yarder with black at blue for the break.

Suter choses to hit with blue, the 4 back ball. Black is for 3. Suter hits yellow.

Croquet stroke sends yellow toward hoop 4, leaving red on the wire at hoop 3.

So the clips are 4 back and 3, v 4 back and 3. There is 22 minutes to go.

Suter looking at red very carefully before lining up his croquet stroke to complete his leave.

He rolls both balls to corner 1, black goes off in the stroke. Black just out of corner 1, blue 2 yards east on the south boundary.

Red behind the wire of hoop 3 and yellow open at hoop 4, midways between hoop and east boundary.

Maugham sends red to corner 2

19 Minutes to go

Black cute blue by mistake, doesn't get blue to near yellow. Oops.

Cute = Cuts, sorry

Rolls blue and black toward yellow. Blue is behind hoop 4, 2 yards off the south boundary. Hits black and...

Sorry, hits yellow I mean...

Sends yellow 4 yards east of hoop 3, and will join up with partner on the south boundary behind 4.

Leave done.

Maugham now walking over to Yellow. This is a shot to hit!

Shooting at Red just out of corner 2.

Hits.

On the nose!

There is 14 minutes to go, this will definitely be a 4 ball break attempt, no peeling in this turn.

Take off to blue and black, near corner 4

Hits blue to just outside of corner 4, needs to get behind black on the south boundary. Doesn't make it, so this will be a leave.

Leave: black is between hoop 3 and east boundary, blue is south of hoop 4 half way to south boundary, red and yellow are joined up in corner.

Corner 2 sorry.

Suter shooting black at red and yellow...

He hits yellow.

9 Minutes to go, Suter leaves yellow in corner 2, rushes red to blue.

Black has a rush to hoop 3 with blue. Cuts it, it pings off hoop 6 but not far. 7 yard roll approach to hoop 3.

Short

Sets up a rush to hoop 3 for black. Yellow in corner 2, red next to hoop 4.

Maugham shooting red at yellow...

Missed to the left.

5 Minutes remaining and Suter has a rush to hoop 3, red and yellow joined up in corner 2.

Found a little hill so has an angled hoop...

Gets through and gets a rush to red and yellow... sneaky.

Rush went wrong. Croquet stroke with blue from near hoop 6. Sends blue toward hoop 1 ish. Hits red in corner 2, needs a good rush with yellow from corner 2 to hoop 4.

Doesn't get a good rush, it will need to be a cut.

Gets a rush to SSW of hoop 4, it's a backward take off.

Tome has just been called. This is a pressure shot.

He gets in front.

Black is through hoop 4.

So this is Suter's last break, Maugham will get another shot.

Suter's rush to hoop 5 with yellow has ended up NE of hoop 5 by 3 yards. Blue is just south of peg high north of hoop 1.

Doesn't get the rush on blue to hoop 5, this will be a good cut if he makes it.

Gets a great cut rush to 3 ft in front of 5. Slightly angled hoop 5, but I'm sure he will cope.

I'm sure the dog barking in the background is not helping.

Runs hoop 5 by 11 yards, may have managed to wire himself on his blue ball.

Okay, this is interesting. Time has been called. Suter is 3 hoops ahead and is giving away a lift, after cross wiring himself at the peg after running 5.

Maugham has one shot. Yellow is 5 yards north of the south boundary on the west boudary. Red is in corner 2. Black level ish with hoop 4 on east boundary, blue... middle of the lawn.

Maugham lifts red, walking down to yellow.

Not sure I can watch this....

Okay.. here we go.

Maugham hits yellow, is rolling over to blue.

Rushes blue to black.

Maugham has a dolly rush to hoop 3...

It's still not easy. He's 3 ish yards from hoop 3...

Good shot, he's in front.

He's through hoop 3. Has a rush to 6 with black, with blue on the east boundary by hoop 4, yellow between hoop 4 and hoop 5.

Take off from black at hoop 6 to blye, hits blue.

I hope he appreciates how stressful this is for me to commentate.

Roll shot sending blue toward 5, rushes yellow toward hoop 4.

Slight angle hoop 4, through to the boundary.

2 more hoops to win the second game.

Rushes yellow to black at 6.

Rushes black back to blue at hoop 5.

6 inch approach to hoop 5 with blue

He's made hoop 5 and is approaching hoop 6 from 2 inches with yellow.

1 inch hoop for the win

He's through 6.

Well done David Maugham, who wins the second game.

Onto a third game, David is making a little bit of a habit of taking his opponents to third game.

Maugham decided to not complete the fishing turn, assuming he wants to go home before dark. So the third and final game will begin soon.

And we're off... game 3 is starting with 1hr 45 mins on the clock. Play well chaps!

Maugham is black and blue, Suter is Red and Yellow.

Maugham goes in first, 13 yards north of corner 4. Yellow to corner 2.

Blue misses black.

Red shooting at blue and black... misses.

Maugham is now in play. Sent red to hoop 3, got a rush to yellow in corner 2 with black.

Not quite sure what happened, I was chatting again, sorry. But, blue is now for hoop 2 and has just bounced off to 3 ft east of hoop 2, black is on the north boundary behind hoop 2. Red is just south of hoop 3, shooting at yellow which is 2 yards off south boundary between hoop 4 and 5.

Missed.

Maugham now back in play with Black this time. Black hits blue and takes off leaving it as a perfect hoop 2 pioneer. Takes off to red on the boundary south of yellow.

Red is sent into the lawn north of hoop 4, gets a rush to hoop 1 with yellow.

Stop shot approach sends yellow almost peg high, 2 ft hoop for black. Makes it.

In other news.... Samir Patel is about to win the Plate Final.

He hit his 4 inch peg out. Well done Samir. :)

Maugham is now at hoop 2, 2 inch hoop approach with blue. And I think I can stop commentating for a while, as the is a ball at his next but one hoop, a ball at his next hoop and a ball in the middle of the lawn. ;)

Maugham has now completed his turn to 4 back with black, all other clips are for 1.

Suter is taking a shot at hoop 1 from 3 yards south, run through to the boundary.

Yellow is just out of corner 3, blue is in corner 2, being shot at by red.

Red hits, black is middle of the lawn, just south of the peg and north of hoop 1.

Croquets blue to north of hoop 6, gets a rush on black to hoop 2.

There is 1hr 12mins to go

Suter got through hoop 2, but couldn't see black north of the hoop. So shoots at blue and hits. Takes off from Blue to black, but doesn't get a rush to hoop 3.

Croquet shot sends red toward 3, in theory could take on the hoop, but even I wouldn't do that one. He's shooting at yellow. Hits.

lack is 4 yards north of hoop 1.

He's taken off from yellow to get to hoop 3. He has a slightly angled 2 yard hoop.

He runs it to the south boundary. With wire, so it's next to yellow.

Skillz, as my nieces would say.

Blue is 2 yards south of hoop 6, but midway between hoop 6 and hoop 3. Red has rushed black back toward hoop 5 and taken off to blue.

Red has a rush to 4 with blue. Hits it poorly, gets a cut and it's short. 5 yard hoop approach with a roll.

Flops to the right, it's another angled one.

Smacks it, it sticks in the hoop.

Recap: Red for 4, Yellow for 1, Black for 4 back, Blue for 2.

Maugham now playing blue. taking a shot at red in the jaws of 4. Hits.

Yellow is just out of corner 4, black is near hoop 5.

Taking off to yellow. Leaves red 2 yards north of hoop 4.

Hits yellow, big croquet stroke coming up.

Yellow is now a good pioneer for hoop 3, but it's a cut rush on black to hoop 2.

And that wasn't a bad shot.

Approaching hoop 2 from 2 yards SSE. Now has a 4ft hoop.

It's through, horrid croquet stroke with black, short on yellow at hoop 3.

Take off approach, get's in front.

It's through. Everything has slowed down now, so life seems a little easier.

Maugham now has another 4 ball break, will be back soon if it gets interesting.

Just a reminder, you can watch this live on the Surbiton Croquet Club website, or on facebook ->> https://www.facebook.com/AlisonJonesCroquet/videos/699266540407933/

There is 54 minutes left on the clock. Maugham still plodding around with 4 balls ;)

I'm back everyone. I have finished clearing up after last nights BBQ, so all is well in the world.

Maugham is now 4b and peg, with a good spread for a leave. Suter lifted the yellow which was by the peg, shooting at black... Hits.

37 Minutes left on the clock.

Suter blobbed in 1, Maugham shot black into corner 4. Suter back in and through hoop 2. Now in break although it's not easy yet. It's also getting dark.

Suter is now for 1 back with Yellow and it really is getting dark now.

There is 21 minutes to go, will this be another pegged down game?

Suter has just made 4 back, so he's off to peg. This is definitely going to get interesting.

Suter manages to scrape through penult, very angled hoop.

15 Minutes to go

Suter is through Rover with Yellow. So, yellow is on peg, red for 4, black for 4 back and blue for peg.

Blue is pegged off, Yellow rushes red near to corner 3.

Red is in corner 4, yellow in corner 1. Black just south of hoop 5.

Maugham is taking croquet from Red with the contact leave, took off to 4 back, Didn't get in front so took position.

Suter shoots red at yellow.

Suter playing red and takes croquet with yellow out of the corner 1. Didn't get to hoop 4, so made a leave.

Maugham sits just outside of corner 2.

Suter makes hoop 4 with red, rolls up to hoop 5.

It's very dark now... no idea how he's playing in this. He's now through hoop 5.

Deve hits his lift.

Has approached 4 back... it's through.

Maugham approached penult, from 4 ft, 2 ft hoop run.

It's through, just.

Somehow yellow is 2 yards from Rover.

I think he's in front of his hoop... but I can't see.

He's through Rover. Hits Yellow which was 2 inches away on the south boundary.

He's making the most of this... he's used red to get a little closer.

David Maugham wins. 15 seconds before time is called.

Thanks for reading everyone, see you all soon. Alison xx