CNZ AC Open Championship

We've lunched and credit to Felix for his amazing memory to give a blow by blow summary of the end of game 2

1) Bryant U supershot
2) Freeth Y just out of c2
3) Bryant misses K to c2 leaving big double
4) Freeth hits! He'll be relieved to have a relatively straight forward way back into this match.

Has made hoop 2 and is loading 3 going to a ball NE of 2 with a reasonable pioneer at 3. Looking under control

While Josh potters round were tucking into a lovely afternoon tea courtesy of the Mount club members

There's the odd spit of rain here but it's still bright enough for my Scottish skin to need another spf application

A spread will be Josh's leave.
U in the line of 1 and 2.
K a foot SE of peg.
R&Y on the E boundary approx max distance.
Freeth puts his R clip on 4b with all other clips on 1

No hesitation from Bryant in lifting U to b baulk

It's a miss! By about a ball

Freeth has upgraded from a paper towel to a proper towel and wipes his hands and his mallet handle before setting off on his turn

Slightly underhit his approach to 1 and had an angled hoop which he coped well with. We've heard from Bryant that the hoops are nice and tight today

Freeth rolls from E of 1, loading 3 and going to 2. Comes up slightly short and has a 4y at the pioneer
Tickles it! Which is nice because he didn't want to move it far

No rush out of 2 so plays his croquet stroke from near the hoop. Sends partner deep (2.5y out of c4 where U is)

After 3, takes off from K 7y in front of 4b to Y in c4

Thinking from the stands here is "finish the break Josh!"

Managed to stop U out to 1y SE of hoop 4. Rushes partner to 2y in front of 4. Takes off to close in front of the hoop

Makes the hoop and knocks U a couple yards towards c4

He croquets U to escape ball position at 4b

Rolling R in peeling position and trying to get a rush on K (which is 7y S of 4b)

Has a rush in vaguely the direction of 5

And he's rushed it really well. Approaching 5 from 1y SE of hoop

Testament to the critical nature of that sequence of turns, the paper towel comes out to wipe the hands before the approach

Has a forward rush out of 5

Peeling 4b from a yard, 1ft W of straight in front

U (escape ball) is 3y W of 4b and slightly N so a bit of pull on this

U (escape ball) is 3y W of 4b and slightly N so a bit of pull on this

Nestles R in the jaws but has a 2y rush to 6

Snicks it to level with 4b so takes off to 6

Nice position and runs it cleanly

Hits most of his 5y shot at the ball he took off from (U)

Croquets U vaguely towards 1b and rush peels R from a couple of feet

Send R to 2b and makes 1b off K

After 1b, rushes K off N boundary, slight W of line of hoops 3 & 4

After 1b, rushes K off N boundary, slightly W of line of hoops 3 & 4

After 1b, rushes K off N boundary, slightly W of line of hoops 3 & 4

Croquets K further S of 3b than would have liked and must have mishit the croquet stroke as had a 6y roquet on U

Hits it well and takes off to 2b pioneer

Makes 2b rolls R to 1ft E of penult and rushes U to 6y S and 3y W of 4b

Towel count is now up to 4

Take off to K at 3b hills/pulls substantially to the E of the pioneer so he approaches from 4-5y

Over cooks it!

Flaming Nora. That's a shame. But I don't think that's unexpected, that turn involved a lot of big shots and that had to take it's toll at some point

Attempts the jump from a foot but it doesn't work. So Y for 3b, R for penult. U&K for 1

Bryant plays K onto U. K ricochets onto R ( penult peelee) and rushes it to 2

Croquets U to 2 but doesn't get a useful rush on R to 1

Rushes R off w boundary level with rover

Takes off to 2.5y 30degrees and opts to retire towards hoop 2. K is in lawn by 4y, 3y e of hoop 2. U 1y in front of 2

Josh shooting R at U

It's good! Half balls U to 4y N of penult

Takes off to 1y N of K and cuts K to half way between hoop 4 and c4

Y at this stage is just off the E wire of 3b

Croquets black to rover. Has a 1y rush on Y pointing more N than NW as he would have liked

Cuts it short. 3.5y E and 1y S of penult

Takes off in front of penult and runs it to 1y N of peg

Hits the return at partner
Thinking about his leave...

He's made rover and here is the leave...

K 1y E of 3b.
U 2y NE of 4b
Y and R 1.5y apart on N boundary. Y 2y in from c2, R 3.5y in

In Freeths semi there was a similar situation where he made a spread, not realising he hadn't gone through a lift hoop and conceded a wiring lift. Pleased he's not made the same error here

Bryant is shooting K from 3b. Long old shot here

Misses! Seemed to almost die away and curl off lawn as it neared Y

Taps K, send it in lawn. Rushes R to U at 4b

Has a rush to 3b pointing at 5. Concern from the stands is that this will be hard to get the power behind...

But what do we know as he's hit it past 3b and is approaching 4y straight in front

Horn sounds from a cruise liner..

1y straight, reception ball peg high

Towel comes out

Strokes her through and it's too clean

Ends up 3y from R at 4b and 6y from his reception ball (U)

Ignores U and makes 4b off partner

Rushes back to U nicely

Leaves R approx line of 3b and 4b and takes off to behind U

Behind as in a rush pointing at penult.freeth chooses to rush it off the N boundary getting behind K

Cracking rush to penult has him approaching from a matter of feet

Penult is made

Josh is now 3y S of 4b croqueting U to level with rover. He gets a 1y rush on R pointing at rover. That was nice. He thought about the take off to R but played a nice clutch shot

Rushes well and approaches from 1y

Doesn't delay running the hoop (just as I won't delay getting a pint after this is done) and roquets U

Takes off behind R to have a 1y rush pointing at the peg

Rushes it to a yard

No dramas on the peg out

##Freeth wins the 3rd: 26-0##