Some interest already on Lawn One.  Chapman and Westerby are Red and Yellow.  Paddy plays a supershot ball, level with Hoop 5.  Oppo declines and shoots just out of Corner 2.  Aaron joins up with it, and oppo misses.  Westerby takes the one footer, and is now going round.

Meanwhile there's a delay in the start on Lawn 3, as Hoop 1 is reset.  Elsewhere, Michael Wright (NZ) is going round on the first break with Red.

Lawn 3 (Fletcher/Dumergue v Clarke/Bryant) is underway.  Jenny (Blue) has put a supershot ball two yards short of the peg.  Ian (Red) shot into corner 2, which Greg has missed.  Robert hits with Yellow, and it looks like an early initiative for Australia.

It's difficult to see how anyone will put down a break with an unforced error.  The subsoil here is sandy, so the hoops should have more give than at the other four test venues.  The surface is near perfect - flat and very uniform - but the recent heavy rain has slowed them right down, from perilously fast to easy.

 

From where I sit in the clubhouse, it appears not to be raining right now.  2010 has been the driest year on record, but the last fortnight has been the wettest.  A month ago, these lawns would have been running at 13+ Plummers.  Depending on the time of day, they could be running at any pace at all.  As for the weather, it looks like a waterproofs on / waterproofs off kinda day.  Maybe it'll improve over the weekend - the latest prediction is that Sunday will be the driest day, but there's 48 hours of drizzle to come before then.

Aaron's just finishing off his diagonal spread, with a quick onlawn consultation with Paddy.  Blue's on the boundary, Black's a foot from the peg, and they're just laying up for the next turn.

Paddy's just dug out the Blue ball, which has been sat in corner 4 since the start of the turn.  Black is an early escape ball for 4-back, as he makes Hoop 4 off partner.  Plan seems to be to get the first peel in before Hoop 6.

Paddy peels from three yards, and Yellow drops dead onto the right wire.  After Hoop 6, there's another big discussion with Aaron, and he nudges Yellow through 4-back.  That leaves him with Black, as his 2-back pioneer, placed 2 yards left of 4-back.  He rushes down, and recovers.

A three yard peg out, and it's one nil to the Kiwis.

It's all change, with the initiative passing to the Australians.  Martin Clarke hits the duffer tice on the third turn, stuffs Red out to the peg, and leaves a rush from mid east boundary.  Aaron misses with Yellow, and Clarke (Blue) takes the rush to Hoop 1.

 

Meanwhile, here in the clubhouse, the scoreboard has just fallen on the floor, scattering magnetic name tags across the room.  It's a mystery now as to which game is which.

Forster and Clarke are having some discussion about a leave.  Red (Chapman) has now been deliberately parked on the left wire of 2-back.  Clarke (Blue) makes 3-back, and sends Yellow towards Hoop 2-ish.

 

I guess that's a forcing leave - Chapman takes the lift, and misses into Corner 4.

Forster has to roll up to Hoop 1 from the West boundary, gets a four foot, slightly angled hoops.  No problem, and he takes the rush towards corner 4 to collect Red.

 

And then goes off.

 

Paddy has a six inch roquet, with Yellow six yards away, and Blue four inches in front of Hoop 2.

Ha ha. Paddy gives the Australians the same leave.  This time, Black's hoopbound at 4.  Clarke misses, and Aaron's off and running.

So far it all looks easy for the NZ captain.  The first peel is done, and he's approaching Hoop 6 off his partner.  Food is being laid out in the clubhouse, but it looks like eight of the players could be ready for a very long lunch break.

Red sails through Penult, right down to Rover, and Aaron's eyeing up the prospect of a final peel after 2-back.

Hey, what do I know? Four hoops later, and Aaron's doing the Rover peel straight. A clinical result for the NZ captain on what I've just been told is his 36th birthday. NZ win +26TP(Chapman), +16TP(Westerby)