Blimey, that was hard work yesterday.  Thanks to Barry Keen, the manager at Heaton Park, who fed me with clip positions and cups of coffee as I attempted simultaneous commentary on four matches.

Back at Bowdon this morning, where I’ve resumed position at my rooftop media centre.  I’m being battered by the Bowdon Croquet Club flag, as it wafts in my face in the breeze.

Up on Lawn 3, we’re just underway.  Lines (Blue) has put a supershot just beyond Hoop 5.  Bast (Yellow) put a tice ball well away from the boundary south of Hoop 3.  Fulford (Black) has hit Blue towards Hoop 2, and got no position at Hoop 1 off Yellow.  His ball is level with the first hoop, and Yellow and Blue spaced between the first two hoops.  He and Lines are discussing where to drop the Black.

Good old Microsoft.  I was expecting Vista not to remember my password for the Bowdon wifi network, but I’m now online, and ready to switch into real time mode.

In the time it's taken me to connect, Lines and Fulford have only just reached a decision.  Black goes to Corner 4.

Huneycutt (Red) hits Yellow - I assume he was making a double target with Blue.  He's got a straight full roll from peggish position, and he gets Yellow to 2 and a straight rush on Blue to Hoop 1.

Tidy break taking place for Huneycutt.  He's just at the point where action disappears behind the roof of the tent.  I can hear the sounds of Black being picked up after Hoop 4.

Secretly, I'm hoping that the American pair pick up at least one game today.

1) After three busy days, I'll feel bereft if it's a quick 2-0 to the Brits, and

2) I've yet to make use of my "USA wins" graphic, which took literally hours to produce.

Danny's doing just fine.  He's through Hoop 6, and he's collecting Blue, his pivot ball that's midway between Hoops 3 and 4.

Observation from Lawn 1 - Mulliner's just taken a bisque.  No, wait.  It was just a corner flag.

As sure as eggs is eggs, this looks like an inevitable diagonal spread.  Blue and Black are at 2-back and 3-back, and Yellow is to the right of the peg.

Three spectators in the Lawn 3 grandstand, and one of them in short sleeves.  That's very optimistic, as I feel the first speck of rain.  Time for me to flee downstairs to the comfort of the marquee.

A quick unknotting of cables, and I'm downstairs.

Not the best of spreads - Blue lies south of the Peg, and Black isn't too far distant.  Linesy's Blue smacks it in the middle - more of a long rush than a short hit-in, and he's taking off to Red and Yellow over to the east.

Not a bad turnout, bearing in mind it's 10.40 on a Monday morning.  I'm sitting with a claque of spectators from Penrith and Middlesbrough.  It's quite a non-trivial drive fromeach venue, particularly through weekday rush hour, so it's nice to see so wide a spread of visitors.

Ian is through the first, but he's no ball at Hoop 2.  He's taking off from Yellow to Rob's Black in the midwest boundary.  Good effort - he has the rush.

Yellow is NW of Hoop 1, Red (for 4-back) is a couple of yards on the Lines-side of 4-back.  Ian's spanking the Blue through Hoop 2, and he has a pseudorush point back at the Yellow.

Will he take it?

Black's back midwest boundary.  Ooh, that's a cracking roll.  Black is a foot dead in front of Hoop 4, and he's got some sort of rush on Yellow.  He can only get it as far as west-of-Hoop 2-ish, so he leaves it there. 

Of course, if it was me, I'd treat Yellow as an escape ball for the peel on Red.

I'd always assumed I was a tactical genius, but it's increasingly clear that I'm on the Idiot Cusp.

No joy for the spectators, as Linesy's storming ahead with a common or garden four ball break.

He's making Hoop 6 off Black, with Red at 1-back, and Yellow a close pivot.  Fulford is on the lawn - lots of pointing at things.  Rob's indicating positions around Hoop 2 with his foot, and Ian's scratching his head.

This could be what's now know as a Heaton Park Standard Leave, or, for those who weren't paying attention yesterday, an NSL.

There you go.  Bish bash bosh - a New Standard Leave.  Yellow's SW of Hoop 2, and almost on the boundary; Red's an couple of inches off the left wire of Hoop 4, Black has a rush on Blue from the east boundary, hampered from Red.

The clippage:

Red and Blue (Huneycutt and Lines) for 4-back;

Yellow and Black (Bast and Fulford) for Hoop 1.

Bast places Yellow on the end of A-baulk, eyes it up, and then pick up the ball and heads northwards...

... and back again.  It's the A-baulk shot he fancies after all, and he clips the very edge of Red.  I guess that was a monster double target.  If so, a dangerous shot to play, as it sounded like he just scraped the right edge of the wire.  Any further leftwards, and that would have been a terminal error.

He confidently trundles his Yellow ball after the rushed Blue as he proceeds towards Hoop 1.  And there's a big rejection, as Yellow curls back around the right wire.  Linesy to play.

Ian's taking croquet from the boundary in front of Hoop 1; Black is just off the east boundary, more or less where it started after the leave; Red is about eight yards NNW from there, in the direction of 4-back.  Lines takes off to Red and rushes it towards the north boundary behind Hoop 2.

Lorna's just brought me a cup of coffee and a plate of biscuits.  As the rain strengthens, one of my fellow spectators shifts his chair backwards, and knocks a custard cream onto the floor.  I refuse to waste it, and eat it anyway.  I'm not proud.

That's the leave - Yellow / Red are boundaried in front of / behind each of Hoop 1 / Hoop 2.

Bast appears, with a short-sleeved black showerproof jacket, and takes Yellow at oppo, missing.

Rob's through Hoop 1 with partner, which he rushes behind Hoop 2, a couple of yards left of Red.  He stops Blue to Hoop 3, getting a close rush on Red to 2.

Rob rushes towards Corner 4, where Ian advises him on the local knowledge of the treacherous slope down here.  Good result - Red is now midway between the corner and the fourth hoop; Blue, Black and Yellow are up at Hoop 3.

Rob's collecting a second clip, as the TP gets in motion.

That's as much of a mistake as I'm expecting to see - Fulford gets no rush out of Hoop 5, and has to roll Yellow up to 1-back.

As he makes the Penult peel from a foot in front, there's a spontaneous round of applause.  Turns out that everyone's watching Keith's 40-yard hit-in on Lawn 1.

Danny's sitting in the hut by Lawn 4, and Jim's in the Players' Room (formerly the tea room of the clubhouse).  Unusually, Lines is sat here with us.

Jim reappears, and ambles from the pavilion, meandering up towards his partner.

This Rover peel hasn't been as forthcoming for Rob as he'd like.  He's now got the four-ball pile-up around Rover, where he's doing it straight.  Not that that's much of a disaster - it's through and it all looks good.

Fulford and Lines bt Huneycutt and Bast +17TP.

... and the heavens open, right on cue for the referees to go out in the rain for some hoop attention.

How strange.  I could have sworn Bast was wearing white golf gloves earlier.  He's now got black ones, to match his waterproof top.  Lines is fully waterproofed, with hood up.  Rob seems to be impervious to all weather conditions.

Game Two

A supershot ball from Danny's Blue, and Ian's Yellow goes into Corner 2.  Jim misses Yellow with Black.  Rob shoots through the Blue, and misses into the middle of the north boundary.

A clear error from Jim, who should have missed Yellow on the side where he'd have got a decent rush.  He cuts it away from the corner, and takes off very thickly indeed, sending it four yards in, and mid way between the first two hoops.

He gets Red out nicely to Hoop 3, and rushes Blue to Hoop 1.

The rain redoubles in vigour, and then dies back.

The bit is now between Jim Bast's teeth, as he gets things into the shape of a standard break.  He's now made it to 1-back, and it looks like he's not putting this break down.

The other three players sit together in the hut at the far end of the lawn.

Bast has finished with what I would call a "textbook" diagonal spread.  Red's on the peg, and he leaves the rush for Blue.

Cries of "Oh dear" from the crowd, as visibility drops to zero.  Suddenly it's very heavy rain, and puddles are forming under the eaves of the marquee.

Rob lifts Red, and shoots from B-baulk.  A thud of ball on wood, as he misses into the ball barrier.  Red is cornerbound, and Danny takes the rush on Black up towards Yellow.

No rush out of Hoop 1 for Huneycutt, and he heaves the Yellow towards Hoop 3, going to Black.  Yellow is well short of the hoop, but he gets the rush out of 2, so I guess the advantage stays with the Americans.

Some shenanigans in Corner 4 (my blind spot) where all four balls lie.  Eventually, balls appear into view - Red to Hoop 5, Yellow between Hoops 6 and 4-back, and Blue and Black to Hoop 4.

Danny makes Hoop 5, and gets Black rushed into peeling position.

The clip is off, but Black looks to be still in the jaws.  Maybe a trick of perspective, but I don't think it'll be rushable anywhere.

Well, he gets a bit of a rush - a couple of yards - which is enough to give him the angle to split it down to 2-back.  He makes 1-back off Red, and Yellow is wide of Penult, on the 4-back side.

Black's been rushed up to Penult, and Yellow's been brought down to 3-back.  Danny has all the balls in place for a delayed double.

Jim is pacing to and from the clubhouse in the rain.  He's wearing what my optician describes as aviator sunglasses - I guess he's being ironic.

Erv Peterson, the US manager, is out there in the rain, in another pair of shades.  Clearly, the USA players refuse to be intimidated by the British weather we've organised for them.

Black's through Penult, and sits nicely in place at Rover as Danny comes through Penult.

An excellent chance for my red white and blue US graphic.

An elegant Rover peel, in which Blue went 90% through.  That's let him run it at an angle, and sort out the other balls.

Bast and Huneycutt bt Fulford and Lines +26TP (Huneycutt)

That only just snicked the peg, but a win's a win.  And a nicely played one.

I may dash in for lunch, as the decider gets going.

Excellent.  The players have kindly taken this moment to have their own lunch break.  All is peaceful here, as we enjoy the sport on Lawn 1.

Game Three

Disappointment.  I thought the players were waiting for Lawn 1 to finish.  I'm trying to watch the peg out, but we've started already.

Lines (Blue) has gone to supershot position, Yellow has gone a bit in from the east boundary, level with Hoop 5, Rob's Black has shot at Blue unsuccessfully to just east of Corner 2.  Danny (Red) has joined.

Ian has shot Blue at Yellow and missed.  Three balls over on the east boundary.

Applause, as the US take a 2-0 win on the next lawn.

Danny is in play, and Ian and Rob are together in the hut.  Red squidges into Hoop 1, and Danny has called the ref on to check the clearance.

Brian Storey is out with the resetting bucket, but it's a genuine blobbing, so the big hammer doesn't come into use.  Storey resumes his seat.

Lines shoots through Yellow and Red, and comes to rest a yard north of corner 1.

All the clips are off, as Storey waits to umpire the shot Yellow at Red.

N.I.D. - Never In Doubt.

Jim rushes back with Red, and gets the rush on Blue.  Not a great one, as Blue doesn't get much north of the first hoop.

I can't see this Jim pegging out his forward ball on this turn.  Red's more or less in corner 1, he's approaching 2 from Corner 2, and Blue is in no man's land between Hoops 3 & 6.

He runs the hoop to the boundary, and hits the 10 yard return roquet to Black.

I'll be eating my words if he gives contact.

A nine yard rush attempt at Blue fails.  I don't even think he was trying to cut it.

Lines misses Blue (Hoop 3ish) at Black (Hoop 4ish).

Neither team has the innings.

Danny shoots Red (out of corner 1) at Black (three yards north of 4), and hits.  The pair are standing up by Hoop 6, and puzzling about what on earth to do.

Nothing is west of the line between Hoops 3 and 4, and Blue and Yellow are on opposite boundaries.  I can't even work out if there's a leave that's possible here.

Danny bungs the Black down to Hoop 1, and gets dead level.  He tries to dribble Blue into wired position by Hoop 4, and doesn't get it.  He takes a five yard wide join on the north boundary out of corner 3.

Rob shoots Black at Blue and misses.  Jim's on the march again, and comes through Hoop 3 with Yellow.  Blue and Black are at his next hoop.

Bast has been wearing his stars and stripes baseball cap all day.  When he plays a roll, he reverses it to avoid nutting his mallet shaft.

All the balls are out, and he's heading fivewards.

It's getting a bit blowy, and the wind's been trying to lift the marquee off its footings.  A few spots of rain again, which are more irritating than disruptive.

Jim's making Hoop 6 with Yellow off Blue.  Red's at 1-back and Black's at 2-back.

Bast is still pre-3-back, but has already put Black dead on the peg for a diagonal spread.  After 3-back, he's had to knock it out of position, and then back into place.  Good final result, and Black is six inches off the peg.

Fulford picks up the Black at the peg as is off to Corner 3 for the long lift.  He misses into Corner 4.

I've been surprised at the large number of missed lifts in both of these first two tests.  Maybe I'm just focusing on the misses and forgetting the good shots.

...it's been suggested by one of my companions today that missing is the result of lightheadedness due to the high altitude.

Black remains near Corner 4, and Danny is away.  Red is through the first hoop, and he has the three ball break.  The Brits remain on Hoop 1, and Bast is on 4-back.  Could this be another US win?

The sun has got his hat on.

Danny has many balls around Hoop 6, and is hoping to rush Yellow into peeling position at 4-back.

His rush to 1-back wasn't great, but it should be runnable.  A bad approach, but he smashes through.  Some ill-deserved applause, and he rushes back towards 4-back.  The peel is jawsed, and his escape ball is his 2-back pioneer.  He rushes into good position at 2-back.  Everything is salvaged.

One perceptive spectator wonders why we applaud a well-run but badly approached hoop, but don't applaud good rushes like that one to 2-back on Blue.

Nothing doing on Lawn 1 now, so Mulliner, Grimsley, Erv Peterson and Chris Clarke are lined up in the sunshine watching what might turn out as a clever straight double finish.

Danny tries to promote Yellow with the Blue, but the croquet stroke dies on him, and Yellow remains a foot to the side.  He finally rushes Yellow into very good position, and gets the straight Irish peel through Penult.

Applause from the crowd, as it swerves the peg by an inch, and lands in excellent position at Rover.

His hat is off as he lines up the Rover peel.  All looks reasonably possible.  Everyone's watching now.

Yellow through gently, and a good jump over it to the boundary.  Bit of a return roquet towards Blue.

...which hits.

Huneycutt and Bast beat Fulford and Lines -17TP (Fulford), +26TP (Huneycutt), 26TP (Huneycutt)

Lovely stuff.

Early finish for me today.  The hope among the Brits was for a 3-0 scoreline, which would leave them over the finishing line with one day to play.  As it is, they've gone 2-0 down so far.  All to play for on Day Five.

I'll be back then, when we've got six games of singles.  For the first time while I've been on duty here, that'll bring Lawn 4 into play.  If that's not exciting, then I don't know what is.