To relieve pressure on Jenny I'm taking Hakes v Mulliner. Mulliner has just won Game 2 to force decider.

Sadly I'm 80 yards from game so it won't quite be as it happens.

Hakes has just come into hut. "Has anyone seen a black mallet?"

T1 Hakes Red 12y N of 4th corner.
T2 Mulliner Blue just S of 2nd corner
T3 Hakes Yellow hits Red from A-baulk. Takes off to Blue. 7y short. Hits.

T3 ??? sorry perils of operating at a distance.
The only explanation I can come up with is that Hakes deliberately left Yellow and Blue in contact in 2nd corner (both on N bdry).

T4 Mulliner misses from B-baulk, to the left, so no cannon.

T5 Hakes failed to get going, had a leave
T6 Mulliner Black to 4th corner. (Blue is just out of 2nd corner)
T7 Hakes Red makes 1.

Red clip is on 2. Sorry don't know how or why.
Mulliner is on a break. Seems very wary of the hoops. a 2'6" straight hoop 4 required 2 press-ups. Thru well enough.

Mulliner has no 2-back pioneer. The ball that was meant to go there hit 2 when it was meant to go to the N bdry. So he's going to have to rush there from ~12y

Mulliner coped and has made 9 hoops. Diagonal spread with Yellow (for 1) at peg.

Hakes lifts Yellow to 3rd corner. Waits for interloper to walk past on the path South of the lawn. Misses into 4th corner (~20y).

Mulliner fails 1.

Hakes Red hits Black. Ball waiting at 2.

These lawns are definitely quicker than Wellington. Or "less slow" says a passing expert.

Crowd discussing Patel's tactical decision on lawn 1. He's for 4-back and rover, and decides to make 1 hoop with ball for rover rather than try for an optimistic finish. Definitely what I'd do!
Sorry, not my game but at least I can see it.

Hakes still on lawn. Seems to be winkling the ball out of 4th corner.

Much discussion about attire. At the qualifier the Brits (Beatrice and I) were surprised to see oppos in various non-white clothing. Apparently the NZ regulation says "sports clothing". Ironically the story is that Brits play in white because John Solomon and others came to NZ and were impressed by the Kiwis playing in white.
WCF regulation state something like "predominantly white or national colours". Hakes (NZ) is wearing a blue t-shirt.

Hakes has reached 1-back.

Hakes Red has NSL. Black is 2y in from W bdry, 3y N of peg high.

Mulliner lifts Blue from 4 to 3rd corner, misses into 4th corner (22y)

Lawn 5 clips: Hakes Yellow 1, Red 4-back; Mulliner Black 1, Blue 4-back.

Jenny's battery has run out (for those who are following both commentaries).

Jenny is borrowing Chris's laptop. Normal service will be resumed.

Hakes taking on hoop 1. Really can't tell from here: 5', slightly angled? Makes it.

Hakes has 3-ball break approaching 2. Blue still in 4th corner.

I should make clear that Hakes is not the only player apparently flouting clothing regulations.

Hakes fails hoop 3.

No idea how much of Yellow Mulliner (Black) can see. Umpire is on. Black hits the hoop but not the ball, bouncing off 5y to the West.

Hakes Yellow runs 3, hits Black. Taking off to ball in 4th corner.

Hakes leaves himself a sweaty distance from 4th corner, copes.

Hakes' Red is hovering hopefully by 4-back, but the other balls aren't in the right place. Hakes misses a cut rush entirely. Yellow clip is on 6

Mulliner's Black has random wiring lift. Lifts Black to B-baulk, has 8- or 9- yarder at Red with Blue in the background. Rushes Red within a few yards of Blue.

The yellow ball is on the East boundary, somewhere N of peg-high, S of hoop 6, maybe.
Mulliner Black makes 1 off Blue. Has rush in vaguely useful direction.

Mulliner Black rushes Blue nr Yellow. He'll be wanting to make 2 off Red, which is NW of 5.

Good rush to 2 from Mulliner. A few good strokes here and he'll have a standard TP.

Mulliner Black peels Blue thru 4-back after 3.

A 2-game match has just finished at five past four. Best-of-5 tomorrow folks!

Mulliner has reached 6 with the balls at least approximately in the right places.

Sorry momentarily distracted by realising the bar is open.

From the position of the balls I'd guess the penult peel sailed thru after 6.

Meanwhile, 3-ball ending on lawn 3. I'm sure Jenny's telling you all about it.

Mulliner lining up rover peel before 3-back.

Rover peel successful.. That should be that, but as Mrs T-shirt prudently observed a few minutes ago, it ain't over till it's over.

It's over.
Mulliner wins game 3 +12tp, and the match 2-1.

Bye for now. Jenny and I will spend the evening negotiating about which quarters we're covering, but I'm sure there'll be something on croquet scores about 9.30am Friday.