ok, we're off again. The state of play...

Giraud is essentially one-all with Steve Jones. Giraud is in play. I believe John-Paul Moberly will be taking up the commentary for that one, and I have very little idea what's giong on. Will try to get an update later.

Nelson Morrow is essentially one up against Jarrod Coutts. Jarrod seems to have a ball around and is on the lawn.

I've chosen to camp by team mate Chris Shilling's lawn as he takes on Brian Cumming. Shilling lost a tight game with Aussie Stephen Richards this morning, so he's one down in a best of three against Brian Cumming.

We pick up the action with Chris in a break against Brian. Chris on 4back and break, Brian's clips parked at 1 and 1.

Chris runs 6... lots of wire.. he can't see his reception ball! Shooting at partner at 1back... misses! And his clip goes onto 1back.

Brian shoots yellow at red - it's about a 9 yarder...misses by 8 inches.

Chris has a 7 yarder from near corner 2 to continue his break. Hits!

After soem commentary speculation about where he can croquet blue to - he puts it to 5 yards from going to yellow on the east boundary. Won't take much effort to get a rush to 1back, and he can finish this break off.

We're here at Paraparaumu for the playoffs courtesy of Michael Wright who has almost single-handedly solved the transport problem. Players were told 'just get the train', but at $25 round trip, and $20 a day catering, that adds up somewhat! Michael has a people mover and has been generously moving people all over the Wellington region the last few days. Today he has brought me, Callum and JP in for the playoffs, and did a quick lunchtime run to the foodcourt.

Chris gets a rush to 1back... it's bad... he's taking off from about 5 yards SE... gets long position and runs it about halfway between blue (wayward 2back pioneer), and red (erstwhile 1b reception ball).

Has about a 9 yarder on red. "it's within his comfortable range". Good god that man has a huge comfortable range!

Yup - very comfortably hits red in the middle.

Needs a decent croquet stroke getting red from the north boundary north of hoop 2 to 3back and a rush on yellow to tidy up at 2b. The lawns are very easily paced here.

He's over the croquet stroke, looks very well balanced. Michael gives him 8/10 on this... no - black is a 9.5 -he has a rush to blue. red is about 3-4 yards from 3b, and he has the option of sending yellow to keep it company.

Rushes yellow SSW of 3back, that's a bit messier, but he'll cope - putting it back to the middle and rolling up to blue.

Rushes to 2b.. rolls in - has full control - but pokes black through and doesn't have a rush north. All good though

Nelson is on lawn 4, and has been there for a wee while now.

Chooses to ignore yellow, sends blue short of 4b, but has a good rush on red to 3b. That's the shot that led to me parking at 4b and 4b against Nick Chapman. Nearly got punished for it!

Rushes red well to in front of 3b.

Remember if Chris wins this he has to go another round with Brian

We had lunch with a very relieved and happy Jose Riva. Fantastic support for him at home. We got a little more detail on his match also:

Early in the game Jose missed a long shot by a yard, got another shot, that he missed by a yard. Then Edmund went around to 4b. Then Jose missed his lift by a yard. And Edmund went to the peg with no peels.

Then Jose centred-balled, which is where the morning commentary starts. He really did look a class player in his 4-peel sextuple attempt

While we've been praising Edmund's nerve, and tactics through the pegged out game, Jose has pointed out that one of the shots we thought was cornering - was in fact a shot at penult from the north boundary, at an angle, that clipped the hoop!

Meanwhile Chris Shilling is now up to 4back. He approaches off partner from a bit of distance. Has a one yarder with a bit of angle. Big backswing - swings through - clunks just through the hoop, and he stalks this next roquet back to south of the peg! "He's having a mental health moment"

He's back... hits blue. He has a decent penult pioneer, and yellow nearby also. I expect this to end up at the peg with a spread. Brian still 1 and 1.

Check out the commentary by JP and hopefully some updates from Nelson's match as it's on an adjacent lawn to Alain, which is the commentary focus. Nelson seems to be in play still though.

Chris is now in front of penult - runs the hoop smoothly - it's all there. There is some duff ground near rover, but he should be ok. Rolls red to the peg going to partner. yellow is on the blade of grass you'd choose for a rover pioneer.

Rushes blue into rover - that was a bit careless - was tryingto put it south to croquet it back up. Sends it back to the peg, but it's a bit narrow.

Yellow sent to halfway between hoops 1 and 2, and he seems to have rushed red into wired position. Taking off very narrowly, but doesn't get a rush on blue. Taps it... looks like red and yellow might be open!!! - rolls the balls off - blue a yard north of corner 1 and black peg high.

So it's black on the peg, blue on 4back. red and yellow on 1 and 1.

Brian has a 7 yarder.. turns the peg extension around so the clip on it isn't in the way, and he's playing from the peg at yellow.

Misses.

Chris shooting up from corner 4 at partner... hits most of it, but it is cut off the lawn peg high ish. Should finish from here.

Time for an afternoon snack - Whittaker's milk chocolate with hazelnuts and a wee Heineken

Chris Shilling takes off across the lawn. Nice pace, and he has a 2-3 yarder on red, which he hits well. This is very much like a standard 'missed last lift' position - he can croquet this to penult, rush to 4back and at some point drag partner off the east boundary.

I can finally see a bit of lawn 4 - Nelson with a difficult approach to 3b. He has nailed that. Can he run this straight hoop ...stays remarkably still through the stroke. That's enough spoilers on that lawn.

Chris sends red to a couple of yards WSW of penult, and has a 4 yard approach to 4back after underhitting the rush a little.

If he gets there Chris gets.... another game!!

Approaches 4b - he's a bit short, but yellow is a good deep ball to run to. (Edmund will be ruing leaving brown short on his roll up to 4back off the contact - Still - he has played really well in this tournament and can count himself incredibly unlucky to be in the plate. I expect it won't be too long until we seem him sporting an AC worlds medal.)

Anyways, it's Chris Shilling's moment now... long 4back..

Runs it well to the boundary. Rushes yellow west of penult, and can easily put this to rover getting a rush to penult.

Good yellow, has a small cut to in front of penult. I'm getting attacked by flies here. Cmon and win Chris - these flies appear to be trying to eat me!

Rushes red very close to penult. Bit disappointing as he'd like to rush to rover. Might play for hoop and roquet and have red and yellow both at rover.

Yellow is quite straight on rover, so a roll in with black after penult wouldn't be too risky

Goes for hoop and roquet, and hits it well. Rushes red down to yellow. He'll put that south of the hoop and have all the balls in the world to organise a rush to black.

Nelson's standing near penult in tea-pot pose (one hand on hip)

Approaching rover from near, off yellow. He'll hit red after the hoop, and yellow's placed to get a rush to black.

Has a crouch to check out the ball-height view of rover. Not the full Mullineresque press-up.

Runs rover into red. Wasn't going very far past.

Croquets red up the lawn - and doesn't get a rush to black!!!

Cuts yellow down a perfect line, but it's pretty find, so he doesn't get the distance. Has a 3 yard takeoff to a potentially scary boundary, and it's hand on hip as he comes up short.

The rush is pointing at corner 3. Michael fancies a ball off, I'm interested in balls in corner 2.... but he plays another huge angle cut and has a 6 yard pegout. Not a single referee at the venue is looking like gettng up to watch this pegout - Michael is sideline to cover that.

More like 7-8 yard pegout. Heading towards red.

Mallet up, Michael is on, the refs belatedly try to get onto the lawn, surrender....

They needed to be a bit more proactive there.

"Missed by two inches" is the verdict and Chris plays a rolly sort of drive

Black is 3 yards off the west boundary, but it's a 7 yarder for a dejected looking red and yellow. Blue shoots into corner 4

Brian lining up his 7 yarder as Paddy Chapman and Greg Bryant arrive to watch the kiwi matchup. Paddy looking somewhat English with white legs sticking out from his black shorts.

Brian shoots - hits. One and one vs Peg and Peg is a little daunting, and it's hard to see Brian putting full heart into this one, with a backup game to play, but lets see what he can do.

Sweaty takeoff to blue in corner 4 - looked like it was screaming off, then slowing up, then ended up well into the yardline area.

Plays a big split, and plays it very well - but the striker ball hills a mile towards the east boundary. Stays on, but his rush isn't pointing anywhere interesting. Brian is rolling back to corner 4 after the rush comes up midway between 1 and 2.

Leaves a rush towards corner 2...

Chris shooting from 1 to 2 at partner... Nails it!!

Takes off to red and yellow. That was a little wimpy, and he has a 3 yarder... maybe 2.5. Smacks it.

Yellow off the south boundary 3 yards east of corner 4

Leaves yellow there, takes off to red. has a rush pointing north of hoop 3 - will need to croquet it somewhere now. If he can rush it into corner 3 he can croquet it somewhere staying near blue.

Big rush... probably a bit of a cut... misses

Red and yellow 4 yards apart down in corner 4. Blue and black 6 yards apart mid north boundary and 6 yards ESE of it. "The good thing about this... the north boundary is far from hoop 1". Very true.

Complete separate opinions in the commentary team - MGW wanted Chris to peg a ball out, I prefer two on at this point.

Anyways, Brian takes off a bit short, but hits his roquet. Will croquet blue to hoop 2 and try to get a rush on a boundary ball to hoop 1 - it starts to turn at the end, but not far enough.

"bit tempted for a crosswire here" - the commentary team needs to commentate quietly with advice like that!

Looks like Brian has spotted the opportunity though

Leaves a probably crosswire around hoop 2, and plays back to partner.Chris is striding back to his mallet.

Joins up with yellow. Chris is stalking blue, will shoot at red/yellow (no target, just an option on which one he fances)

Black is about 4 yards south of the end of B baulk, maybe a tad west of that.

"looking good... missed by a fraction". That was blue at red. Can Brian get something going here?

Brian pops blue into the lawn, rushes red to the middle of the north boundary. Good chance to get going, but he has to rush black down to hoop 1...

oops - that rush is pointing at hoop 4. Needs a bit of cut...and a bit of power..

Plays a fabulous rush - sends black 5 feet SSW of hoop 1 - this is a great chance to apply some pressure.

Approaches 1 to leave a slightly longer hoop than ideal - and he's through. I didn't catch what he said, but clearly pleased to be on the board!

Rushes blue back to the middle of south boundary. Red is a few yards from hoop 2, and he'll want to tidy things up.

Brian sends out a loose hoop 3 pioneer and has a rush on blue pointing at the middle of the east boundary (which is quite close to where it is presently, incidentally), so he'll need a decent takeoff here...

He's short, and will now need a decent hoop approach off partner. Chips it a bit closer. He should be ok

Nervy approach sees a 3 foot 10 deg hoop... no problem at all - he's through to the boundary, and now has a 4 ball break

Seems to be growing opinion for a ball off. I disagree, and feel not missing a short rush would have been handy.

ok, as Brian takes his now-under-control 4bb around, an explanation for Steve Wardle of the MAPs and how the playoffs went.

Maps and Playoffs

Case 1: 3 players competing for 2 spots.
Here someone has a bye. The first round is the other two playing for a place in the knockout. The loser of round 1 gets another chance. However, in a 3-for-2 scenario, you can't just give them a free second go, and the chap with the bye the 50% do-or-die - that would be something like 75% 75% 50% chance to go through for the first two player, and the chap with the "unlucky bye" (in this game Brian).

So to even things up the winner of the first round is indeed through, but the loser enters a "best of three" with the chap with the bye - carrying forward their loss.

So we have the concept of MAP "Most Advantageous Position". That is resolved for AC only with reference to the matches played between the chaps tied for the last positions. In the case of McCormick, Morrow and Coutts... Dwayne had beaten both others, and Morrow had beaten Coutts, so Coutts got the unlucky bye. Sorry - I got uttely distracted by Greg arriving for a chat. ok, someone please work out the percentages and let me know - I've been useless.

3 for 1 - the bye is "lucky", gives about a 75% chance for the bye and 62.5% for the other two.
3-for 1... sees the winner get through to play the chap with the bye, and they carry that win forward.

3 for 1 - the bye is "lucky", gives about a 75% chance for the bye and 62.5% for the other two.
3-for 1... sees the winner get through to play the chap with the bye, and they carry that win forward.

back to the action - I'm awake again

Nelson and JP have joined us. Nelson the bottom ranked qualifier, but well deserved qualification, and JP third lowest but a standout performance in the block play.

Brian went around, Chris missed the lift, Brian rushed into hoop 5, and after a couple of goes at getting a break together.. Chris has hit!!!

Chris wins +17

Chris and Brian to play one more for the final spot.

sorry for the quick finish - I'm heading back to Kelburn

Right...I'm back. The byes in 3 for 1 and 2 positions

3 for 2, the bye is lucky. 62.5% 62.5% 75%

3 for 1, the bye is unlucky. 37.5% 37.5% 25%

Chris v Brian... Brian went to 4b with a poor spread, rolled into corner four, leaving a 13 yarder