Good morning and welcome to the 2022 NZ Open Final from the Park Croquet Club featuring Paddy Chapman and Felix Webby

Best of 5 games, accumulative time limits, 3,3,2,2,2

We're tuning into the match part way through game 1.
Chapman playing Bl & Bk, Webby R&Y

Game 1 summary to now:
Webby had the innings early,

made 1 but over approached hoop 2, retired to C4. Chapman shot at partner on east boundary, missed.
Webby shot from C4 at oppo on east boundary, missed to C3
Chapman reset, R at H2, Y at H1, laid with partner on east boundary, peg high.
Webby shot at Bk & Bl from hoop 1 and hit. Played rush to H1 with 2yrd approach, failed hoop from 2ft.
Chapman played Bk from H2, shooting at red at H1 and hit, break to 4b, popping Y to H2.
Set leave NSL with Y on H2 leg, from a failed H2 pop attempt.
Clippage: R&Y H2
Bk 4b, Bl H1
Webby lifted R @ H4 for long lift down the line, missed to C4
Chapman rushed partner to within a foot of H1 and is proceeding with a std tp, currently approaching 2b, 4b & penult peeled

2b made, peelee rushed to 1ft straight for rover. 3b pioneer 1ft nth of hoop

Rover peel made and has good control of this, looks like a G1 finish from here

Following the rain leading up to and during the first two days, lawns are running at approximately 9 seconds. There's some showers north of the mountain but it is currently clear here with a northerly breeze building

Chapman runs Rover and pegging out from 2ft for 26t

Game 1 to Chapman, 26tp/2

Hoops are checked by referee Janet Boutel, observed by husband RoT Brian from the comfort of his chair in the newly renovated clubrooms with full glass frontage. Scene is set for game 2.

On the adjacent lawn 1, the bo3 Plate final featuring Bonnie Johnston against tournament #3 seed Steve Clarke. Steve currently leading G1, 4b and 3. Bonnie has a controlled 4-ball break approaching hoop 6 with a clip on hoop 2

GAME 2: CHapman v Webby

Webby puts in a super shot midway between 5 and peg, 1 yrd west

Chapman is eyeing C2 from the end of B balk

A change of thought, and heads back to A baulk, plays Bk to East boundary, peg high

Webby playing Y from C3 down the line at Bk, slips by, hitting the corner peg in H4

C4 :)

Chapman shooting at partner from A Baulk, misses

Webby shooting Y from C4 at oppo balls, misses to C3

Chapman rushes partner to 1yrd West of C3, taking off for a rush south on Webby's yellow. Rushes to 2ft north of Red and has a straight 2ft rush on Red to H1

Makes H1, plays a perfect roll loading H3 and a 3ft almost straight rush on Yellow to H2

slightly overdone, approaching from 2 yrds West of the hoop, plays it well. Attempts to hit through the hoop to north boundary. Gets a nasty reject and roquets his foot. Webby ops for the ball to remain where it is, 3 yrds south of H2. Shoots with yellow from just short of north boundary behind H2 and misses to C1

Chapman shooting with Bl from C3 at the red H3 pioneer. Misses, hitting the hoop , glancing off to 5 yrds West of the hoop.

Webby has an easy pickup on Chapmans missed shot, rushes it into C2

Over rolls for a rush on Bk still at H2 and cuts it to peg high West boundary. Still live on Chapman's Yellow in C1

Sorry, his partner ball yellow in C1

Has oppo balls South of H4 and 2yrds West of H6, rolling up to H1 from corner 1. Excellent roll, has a 2 ft hoop, fails!

RoT advises hoops set to about 1/64th and firm. They're sounding different to the settings we've had during the week (firmer and tighter)

Chapman shooting from H2 pioneer at oppo @ H1, middles the northward ball rushing it to sth boundary for an easy start to 1st break.

Rushes nicely to C4, loads H4, rushes Bk west of H2 pioneer but only gets H3 pioneers to h6, nicks h2 pioneer, approaches and has a 2ft H2, running it cleanly this time to Nth boundary.

picks up a rush nicely on the loose H3 pioneer and is now settled into a 4 ball break

Paddy completes the break to 4b, setting a diagonal spread (partner clip on H2)

Webby lifts the west ball (R) and ops for the short lift at oppo from A baulk

Misses

Well controlled start to the break and 1st opportunity to go 2-nill up with a std tp ahead of him

It's fair to say (IMO) that the lack of play here in the last few season's has nobody in match-fit condition. The error rates in the knockout stages of this Open have been high and I think it will be the main factor in this final as well. Expert spectators have determined the lawns to day as trivial, no scary bits, consistent grass coverage and just approaching an easy pace. The hoops are probably about as good as they could be in still damp ground but are non threatening, inviting in fact.

Chapman is looking comfortable now. Approaching 2b with a close to ideal std tp unfolding. Rover peel being played from 1ft, 5 degrees west and an easy 3b pioneer. Peelee refuses to run but remains handy. He over runs reception ball after 3b but plays a perfect takeoff from peelee to 4b pioneer. Straight Rover being the only thing now between him and a 2-nill lead

Side escape ball is a bit deep, nearly square behind the hoop but he copes with just enough room for full mallet face on strikers ball after a straight rover peel.

Rush to the peg is good and it's a 26tp/0 for a 2-0 lead in this B05 final

The players have escaped to the nearby bakery for a famous Hawera-made Andersons pie.

We've now got increasing cloud cover, and a few spots of very light rain falling. It doesn't look very threatening at this stage but the chances of any lawn speed improvements look slim.

Game 1 of the Plate final on the adjacent lawn is nearing the closing stages, Steve Clarke is approaching penult and a clip on the peg. Bonnie still on 4b and 2

John Christie has just returned to HQ from Hawera CC with a victorious smile, having defeated his doubles partner Nelson Morrow in the Bronze match for those eliminated from the earlier KO rounds. John will be pleased with his tournament, also as runner-up with Nelson in the Doubles event yesterday against Chapman/Bryant.

CHAPMAN / WEBBY GAME 3:

Chapman 1st ball to East boundary, 5 yrds north of H4

Webby plays Bl to 3 inches south of cnr 2

Chapman shoots at partner from A Baulk, hits

Takes off to oppo in C2, almost putting partner out! finishes 2 years from Bl

rolls Bl to 2 yrds SE of the peg and returns to partner and a rush infield

Webby shooting at oppo from A baulk, Hits, at last!

Lines in yellow 12 yards north of red and takes off back to red with a rush to the mid-lawn blue

rushes Bl 1yrd north of H1 and takes off for hoop position

dribbles through H1 and quickly establishes 4-ball break approaching H2

He really needs this break to get himself into this match. It'll be a long way back if an error denies him a clip on 4b after this turn

Oh dear

Webby under-hits 1b from under 2ft of Yellow. Chapman hits his 3 yarder at Black sitting in the the Jaws of 1b with a gifted 4-ball break. Devastating moment for the defending champion

Chapman attempts a H1 pop on Blue, fails, then rushes Red escape ball into the upright of H2. No H3 pioneer here

Keeps it handy, Gets H2 escape West the hoop and copes with the rush to H3

H4 pioneer is peg high on the line between 3 & 4. Rolls having made hoop 3 and rushes to 2 years short of H4

crunches a 2 ft 10 degree hoop 4 though and rushes escape to the end of A baulk. Hoop 5 pioneer sits on the non-playing side of 5, plays a split loading H6 going to failed pop ball at H1. Rules out any pop attempt and settles for a simple break

rouquet on the H5 pioneer sitting on north side of the upright is a bit ugly but ends with just enough room to take off for position. Copes

Correction - Chapman rush peeled Webby's Blue through Hi earlier. Has now popped hoop 2 after 1b.

Has everything in place for a diagonal spread approaching 3b to a 2 ft straight.

Hmmmm, Yellow clip is placed on 3b handing Webby a world of options

Clippage:
Webby Bk 1b, Bl H3
Chapman Yellow 3b & 1

Webby chooses to play Bl, for an easy pickup - rush from H4 to 3 pending....

No ideal, 3 yards north and south of the hoop

Rolls up, it's good

lol, north and east

smooths it through 3... all the way to yellow at H4

Felix has peeled yellow through 3b, sent it to 4b in the process of rebuilding this break.... very positive thinking here by the young fella choosing a QPO option in this critical game

Has peelee and escape ball nicely placed at H3 with a nice approach to H5

Picks up a useful eastward rush after 5

plays the 4b peel well with a nice rush to 6

sprayed that to the east a bit but plays a nice approach

sorry... operator error.... 2b now made off peelee, 3b pioneer 3 yrds north of 3b. Sending peelee back to penult and establishing escape/4b pioneer

escape ball is not ideal, ended 2 yards Northwest of 6 having loaded it from east of H4 to ensure a rush on the naughty northward 3b pioneer

Fails to run 3b

Chapman now has a simple pickup for a double peel finish and match winning turn.

Hoops 1 and 2 made. Leaves peelee adjacent to hoop 6 , loading H4 and obtaining a rush on Blue to H3, 6 yards south of the hoop

Hoop 3 made, break in order.

Loads 5, takes off from peelee at H6 to H4 pioneer nicely.

Hoops 4 and 5 made, here comes the penult peel...

peeing from 1 inch but escape ball is to the side where he wont get a rush northward without crossing the peelee line of travel. Experience comes to the fore... jaws peelee for a rush to C2 on escape ball

Makes 1b. Pioneer at 3b is short. Rush peels Penult and double loads 3b

3b made off peelee, sent to 1 yard in front of Rover on the way to what should be his last visit to the northern regions of lawn 2

4b run from 6 inches

rushes to peelee, improves it's position for rover peel, taking off back to penult pioneer

1 foot approach

runs penult.

Peeling rover from 1ft in front

Peelee through, strikers ball stops nicely in the jaws

gets himself a nice rush back to the peg...

1 yard to the side.

and the 2010 NZ Open Champion celebrates his return to NZ with his 2nd title.
26TP-2. 26TP-0, 26-14

Congratulations Paddy Chapman