Good morning from Surbiton.

This match will be on lawn 7.

G1T1  Bryant Black supershot

G1T2  Bast Yellow couple of yards off E bdry peg high

G1T3  Clarke Blue misses Yellow into 4th corner.

G1T4  Huneycutt Red misses Black.

G1T5  Black misses Blue

G1T6  Yellow misses Black and Blue

G1T7  Clarke Blue underapproaches 1 off partner, fails hoop.

G1T8  Bast Yellow misses Red on N bdry (20y)

Blue looks to be on wire at 1,  Black can't see much of it (he's about 5y away).

G1T9  Bryant Black misses Blue, bouncing off hoop to S bdry.

G1T10 Huneycutt Red rushes Yellow toward 2, takes-off 8y short of Black.  Doesn't fancy it, has Blue instead.  Croquets Blue toward 4, roquets Black.  Rolling up to hoop from S bdry.  1y hoop.  Runs it, should be away now.

G1T10  Huneycutt Red to 4-back .  Spread with Black 6y S of 2, Blue at peg.  Blue may not be perfect.

G1T11  Bryant lifts Black to end of A-baulk, shooting at Red 8y N of 1st corner.  Misses

G1T12  Bast: Yellow's rush on the maybe imperfect Blue hits peg, ending up 3y N of hoop 5.  Rolls up to 1, makes it.  Red is at 2, Black at 4.  Rolls Blue 3y E of hoop 6, makes 2 off partner.  Clips return "rush", but may as well try to roll Red into posi for 4-back.  Red is short, but Yellow is good.  TP will have to be delayed.

G1T12ctd  Bast: Yellow, looks like he might have had optimistic angled peel attempt after 3.  Now making 5.  Hoop 6 pioneer is 4y W of 4-back.

G1T12ctd  Bast: Yellow doesn't get 4-back peel before 6, but it looks rush-peelable.  Yes, rush-peeled before 1-back.  Sensibly Red is croqueted to 2-back.

G1T12ctd  Bast: Yellow round to 3-back, setting up for penult peel before 4-back.  No rush after 3-back though.

G1T12ctd  Bast: Yellow gets penult peel before 4-back.  Straight rover peel coming up...

G1T12ctd  Bast: Yellow finishes

USA game up +26tp(B)

Just to let you know that CC's battery has run out, so apologies for interruption of service on lawn 5.  Skinley appears to be on a break.  Yes, he's setting up for delayed TP.

Players on lawn 7 are pausing.

G2T1  Blue 2y SW peg.  Dunno who Blue is, but I think he's American.

G2T2  Bryant Red just S of 2nd corner.

Of the 12 players in this match, only Bryant and Chapman wearing long trousers.  As is your commentator.  Overcast at the moment - I thought we were meant to be getting hot sunshine.

G1T3  Bast Black hits Red.

G1T3  Bast Black rolls out of 2nd corner short of Blue.  Is approaching 1 from 2y SW of 5.  Thick take-off goes well.  Red is 2y SW of hoop 6.  Roquets Blue.  Croquet stroke looks good.  He has 3-ball break.

G1T3  Bast Black has reached hoop 4 in control.

Skinley fans: he's setting up for penult peel before 4-back.

G2T3  Bast Black has reached 3-back and they're discussing the leave.  No Heffalump today!

CC is back live from lawn 5.

G2T3  Bast Black to 4-back.  Leaves Blue 7y N of 4th corner with 5' rush on Red to Black on the West boundary.

G2T4  Clarke Yellow shoots at Blue from A-baulk.  Misses.  Blue was 2' in lawn.

G2T5  Huneycutt Blue stops Yellow to hoop 4,  rushes Red 1yS of Black.  Cut rush to hoop 1 is 10' short.  Good take-off.  Makes it, should now get position for standard TP.

G2T5  Huneycutt Blue fails hoop 2.

G2T6  Bryant Red hits Blue (5y maybe).  Takes off to Black near 3.  Good cut rush to Yellow.

G2T6  Bryant Red picks up break.  TPO is there if he wants it.

G2T6ctd  Bryant Red peels Black thru 4-back after 3.  He's now reached 5 and it's looking OK.

G2T6ctd  Bryant Red peels Black thru penult (by maybe 1') after 6.

G2T6ctd  Bryant Red attempting to peel Black thru rover before 3-back.  Peel goes through.

G2T6ctd  Bryant Red pegs out Black.  Leaves Yellow in 4th corner, Red in 3rd corner.

Reminder that Huneycutt's Blue clip is on 2, Clarke's Yellow clip is on 1.

G2T7  Huneycutt Blue takes contact off Yellow, thick take-off to Red, 6y short, hits it.  Roll to hoop 2 well short.  Takes posi (7y from red, almost completely open).

G2T8  Bryant Red looks at joining partner, but takes on shot at Red.  Hits it, off W bdry.  Thick take-off to Yellow.  Having leave near 4th corner.  Which i can't see from here.

It looks like Yellow has rush to hoop 1.

G2T9  Blue to 3rd corner

G2T10  Yellow rushes toward 1, leaves wired rush.

G2T11  Blue to 4th corner.

G2T12  Clarke Yellow makes 1 and 2 off Red.  Consultation.

G2T12  Clarke aggressively going for hoop 3.  Makes it.  Rushes Red 6y NNE of hoop 4.  Rolls Red SSW of 4 going to Blue. 

G2T12  Clarke Yellow croquets Blue near end of B-baulk, getting position at 4.  Runs it, not cleanly, so no rush to 5.  Now rolling up to 5.  My expert doesn't approve.  Goodish approach sending Red to peg.  Fails hoop, bouncing to side.

G2T13  Huneycutt Blue shoots at Red, misses (15y).

G2T14  Clarke Yellow hits Red (8y), rushing it 4y W of 6.  There's a wired spot 4' away.  I think she's found it.

G2T15  My expert would be getting his golf swing out here.  Huneycutt goes to 4th corner instead.

G2T16  Clarke Yellow rushes Red 10' in front of 5.  Makes it.  Cuts Red to 6.  Grovels thru 6, can't hit Red.  On comes partner.

G2T16  Red is 6y East of 2 (Huneycutt's hoop).  Blue is in 4th corner.  Yellow goes to 3rd corner.

G2T17 Huneycutt Blue shoots at Red.  Misses to 7y E of 2nd corner.

G2T18 Bryant Red to 3y N of 1st corner

My expert recommends Huneycutt go 2y S of peg, to obtain shorter shot next turn.

G2T19  Huneycutt shoots at Red, misses into 1st corner.

G2T20  Bryant Red ignores Black, goes 8' W of Yellow.

G2T21  Huneycutt shoots at Yellow - presumably the peg is in play.  Misses into contact with Yellow.

G2T22  Clarke Yellow taps Blue into lawn, rushes Red 4y NE 1-back.  Approaches to 1y.  Runs hoop, is perhaps 3y N of Red.  V. good rush to 2-back.  Now has 2y rush to 3-back.  It goes 5' past hoop.  Makes hoop, has rush pointing NW.  Undercuts it to 4y E of hoop 2.  Lift pending.

G2T22 ctd  Clarke taking off to Blue.  Too aggressive for my expert.  Now rolling to hoop from 5y E.  Good stroke.  One good croquet stroke required here for the finish.

G2T22ctd  Clarke's croquet stroke no better than 7/10.  Now taking off to penult from 2y NE.  Blue is at peg.  Runs penult.

G2T22ctd  Clarke finishes

Game 2 NZ +12tpo(B)

Match 1-1

Lunch.

G3T1  Bryant Black 2y SW peg.

G3T2  Bast Yellow 11yE peg.

G3T3  Clarke Blue shooting at Yellow, missing into 4th corner.

G3T4  Huneycutt Red misses Black to 10y E of 3rd corner.

This is the same opening as G1.

G3T5  Bryant Black misses Blue.

G3T6  Bast Yellow misses Red.

G3T7  Clarke Blue takes off to Red / Yellow.  Hits Yellow.

G3T7 ctd  Clarke rushes Red 8y ESE of hoop 1.  Very good approach.  Red is peg-high.  Runs hoop to E of Red.  Rushes it off W bdry.  Consultation.

G3T7 ctd  Clarke decides to roll up to 2, playing Red 3y E of 2nd corner.  Red is croqueted off the lawn.  Blue has 5' position, maybe wired from Red?

G3T8  Huneycutt Red shoots at Yellow (14y).  Hits.

G3T8  Huneycutt Red fails to approach 1 from some distance North.  Blus is 4y SW of hoop 1.  Red and Yellow joining up behind 2.

G3T9  Clarke Blue misses Black (24y).

G3T10  Huneycutt Red rushes Yellow 4y SE of hoop 2, takes off to Blue / Black.  Thick wafer cannon.  Overapproaches hoop 1 off Blue from 5y SE.  Black is 4y E of hoop 4.

G3T10  Huneycutt retires to 1' E of 1st corner.

G3T11  Clarke Blue hits Black (17y).  Good roll gives chance of 3-ball break.

G3T11ctd  Clarke Blue goes to fish Red out of 1st corner before 5.  Hits sweaty 4-yarder.  Now has 4-ball break.

G3T11ctd  Clarke Blue to 4-back.  All other clips on 1.

Goes for NSL, but NSL ball doesn't look great from here.  Discussion.

G3T11ctd  Clarke Blue croquets Balck near 4th corner.  Scatters Yellow to middle of E bdry.  Blue is maybe 4y E of hoop 4.  Red is nr W bdry level with hoop 6.

G3T12  Huneycutt lifts Red.  Goes to B-baulk, changes mind, end of A-baulk.  Shooting at Blue (13y).  Hits it.

G3T12ctd  Huneycutt Red takes off for rush on Black to Yellow.  Doesn't get rush on Yellow to hoop 1.  He's rolling from near hoop 6.  Has leave to West of 1.

Blue is 7yN of 4th corner, Black7yS of 3rd corner.

G3T13  Bryant shoots Black at Blue (19y).  Hits.

G3T13  Bryant croquets Blue to 2, going to Red /Yellow.  Can he get posi for standard TP?  Yellow is croqueted N of 2 - that should help.  After 2, Blue croqueting Yellow toward 4 getting rush on Blue.  Croqueting Blue from 2y W of 6 - looks good. Yellow is 5y N of 4, but that shouldn't be a problem.

G3T13ctd  Bryant Black peels Blue thru 4-back after 3.

G3T13ctd  Bryant Black peels Blue well thru penult after 6.

G3T13ctd  Bryant Black tries to peel Blue thru rover before 3-back.  I think it's jawsed.

Westerby has just been overtaken by Bryant on 7.  No he's fought back.  They've spotted each other.  Simultaneous short peg-outs.

NZ wins both matches 2-1.  They lead Test match 10-2.  And i thought it was going to be close...