CNZ AC Open Championship

We've got our first overcast day at the Mount. Quite likely the first time the players haven't seen the sun this week. It'll be a relief to most people who have spent some long fatiguing days out on the lawns

Bryant has arrived at the lawn looking resplendent in his NZ blazer and dressed head to toe in black

Freeth has arrived with not a moment to spare (wearing grey tee and black shorts) to join Bryant for a warm-up

As you'd expect they're on the show lawn - lawn 1

I'm joined in the commentary box by Mr F. Webby who promises to bring expert analysis mingled with classy banter

Exhibit A: Webby reckons despite the cloud, it'll be a good day though

Bryant: U & K
Freeth: R & Y

1) Bryant U to Max distance
2) Freeth to just out of c2
3) Bryant shooting at partner down e boundary... Misses by approx half a ball to the left, into c4
4) Freeth shooting R at partner in c2... misses just S

Bryant shooting K from c4 at U. Hits to approx peg high e boundary

Takes off to 3y from RY in c2 - hits - not quite a cannon

Gets behind Y to rush to 1... It's good. Approaching 1 from 1.5y SE of hoop

K's rush out of 1 is pointing at c3... He rushes Y to middle of N boundary

Takes off to U which is 2y in lawn peg high. Comes in hot and comes to rest 1ft in from boundary

Rushes beautifully, off the N boundary behind hoop 2

Taking off to R which is 1ft out of c2. Judges it well, particularly given there's a slight slope towards the corner flag there

Rushes R to 2y SE of hoop 2... Takes off to in front of hoop and slams through to the N boundary

Expert analysis from Webby suggests this should be the first break. I'm glad he's here

Whilst Bryant trundles around, we can let you know that Logan McCorkindale is playing John Christie in the plate final. Best of 3 for them.
In the Bronze Medal final it's is Dennis Bulloch vs Anthony Ritchie

Webby's eagle eyes have spotted some impending poppage from Bryant

Indeed it is - Bryant has POP'd R through 1 by 4y going to 5

Full disclosure, our speculation about the leave has been off the mark as Bryant leaves Y (for 1) on the back of hoop 1 after making 2b. Setting up a ?Bryant leave?

Red is nuzzled nicely at hoop 4. Greg's rush is 2y south of peg on e boundary, pointing at peg

So end of the turn: U for 1, K for 4b. Y for 1, R for 2

Freeth lifts R from hoop 4, takes it to a baulk and... Hits half of U, the boundary ball

No what we wonder?

Croquets, U towards hoop 3. Rushes S of 1 and takes off to right in front of hoop 1 and runs 1 to rush Y 1y N of hoop 2

Takes off in front of 2 and runs it a bit cleanly, off the N boundary

Hits partner back through hoop 2 to peg high. Webby "do you reckon he played for that?"

Takes off behind K at 1. Rushes it 2y N of U. Undrhits the croquet shot loading 4 so has to play quite a fine cut towards 3

Fine take off from 2y SW of hoop. A bit too hard and has an angled hoop which on a different occasion you'd think twice about taking on. But the hoop offers little resistance and he should be away

Really tight break happening now. Should have mentioned earlier that Bryant's break was exceptionally tight. This is exciting for the rest of the match

We're more confident, with what Freeth'leave is going to be. He's made 1b and put U (hoop 1 ball) 5y SW of hoop 2 and is making 2b off partner. So an NSL with K (for 4b) at hoop 4?

We were nearly correct... K hasn't ended up in the ideal position at 4, it's 3 quarters open from a baulk. Josh has responded to this by laying up with a rush on the e boundary 11y South of c3

Bryant has lifted U and taken it to b baulk...

Didn't sound like the cleanest strike and he snicks Y off the e boundary, remaining close to R
We don't think that lift shot would have hit were Freeth more South

Over to Webby who's been running the numbers and digging through the stats to opine that "this should be game 1 to Bryant"

K must not rush to 1 because Greg is rushing R to 1... He's given it plenty and is approaching 1 from 5y w of 1

Has a 20 degree hoop from a couple of feet.

Doesn't come through as far as he'd like so has a 6y at R. Which he half balls towards the peg

Takes off the S of K and rushes K to 4y E of hoop 3

Croquets it into pioneer position at 3 and rushes Y from near hoop 3 to 2y S of hoop 2

Slightly underhit the approach! Bugger.

Runs the hoop and gave it plenty. I fully expected it to sail through to the boundary but he's only crawled through. Hampered on Y

Shooting across at K at 3...
Centre ball! Takes K off the e boundary

Rolling K to 4 (nestles again the hoop) but short on R near the peg (ends up with a 2y rush w)

Centre balls that peg high w boundary and takes off to Y at 2. Giving himself a 1y rush to 3

Now approaching hoop 3 from 4y straight. Runs the hoop with a 2y rush pointing at c4 (not trying to get to R)

Loading 5 with Y and now making 4 off partner

After 4 rushes to WB level with 1, sends K 2ft straight in front of 4b, will be loading 6 from boundary but should be fine

Webby desperate for it to be fine so his prediction of this being the finishing turn stays accurate

Over hits that. R was sent to 3 as the escape ball for the 4b peel but it's ended up 1y N of the hoop and 1ft W of hoop

Makes 5 and rushes to e boundary. Loading 1b he runs into peelee. Body language hints at being unimpressed

Croquets K in front of 4b and rushes R to 6
Makes 6 with a rush that he cuts to 1y E of 4b

Rush peel coming up? K appears to be half a foot in front of 4b, centre of the ball in line with r hand hoop leg

Takes off from R and...

Rush peel is successful! Little ripper

Nice croquet stroke loading 2b with K and getting to Y at 1b

Freeth stretches his arms wide and yawns. Maybe settling into the idea that this delayed tp is back under control

Logan an Christie have finished their first and it was 26TP-1 to Logan. That's Logan's first triple. Epic time to do it.

Christie arrives in the commentary box and regales us with a yarn about Freeth's first TP which was also against him... Freeth grovelled through 1 on this occasion and had to hiit through the hoop to roquet a ball at 4b to continue his turn!

Back to the match at hand. And Greg was croqueting K to penult after 2b. Unfortunately K has come to rest against the wire on the back of penult

It's going to be a straight double attempt. Webby has done some personality analysis and observes that this is much more of a Freeth TP attempt than a Bryant

After making 4b - K is 1ft E of penult

Now Y is near the peg, R is the side ball and K is going to be peeled through penult from dead in front and close

Irish peel - K 2ft past the peg but shouldn't be hampered

R is sent as a deep ball approx 7y off boundary. Y is the side ball but looks to be N of rover

Didn't seem to take his usual amount of time on the rush of peelee...

K is 1y 25 degrees

Lining up the peel anyway!

Stone the crows. Peelee has bounced out of the hoop but where has U gone?

U has hit the wire and ended up 1ft W of rover

Let with a scatter shot and he pummels Y to just out of c2 and U off the w boundary, level with rover

K is close to rover (NW by inches) and rushes to U but not to 1

Freeth has picked up Y and taken it to c1 to shoot up the line at U

We just about had to call in hot spot for that one as Josh snick Y in lawn ever so slightly
Bosh! From Webby

We just about had to call in hot spot for that one as Josh snick Y in lawn ever so slightly
Bosh! From Webby

Snicks U sorry

WiFi dropped out at an inopportune time there

Freeth did some things. Got oppos two balls near 2 and approached 1 from 5y. Had a straight 1y hoop shot which took the wire head on

Greg was able to play with K and make rover

Rushes Y after making the hoop to e boundary level with rover, takes off to U and lays up in c2 with a rush pointing at yellow. R at this point is peg high on w boundary

Peg and peg for U&K

Ignore that. Blue for rover, K for peg

Greg asking Josh to take on the shorter shot with R on his rush in c2 but R is the 4b ball

Josh it interested, he wants the finishing turn with Y and shoots across the lawn at R

Casting...

It slides past

All there for Greg now

Indeed he makes rover

And he has a peg out from a couple of feet. Within the Garrison critical distance that is

##Game 1 to Bryant 26 - 9##

That must have taken up most of the time limit. Maybe 20min to spare?

Smoko time. Hopefully Webby will have the call for the next game