World Championship - Day 5

[<<] [>>] by Jonathan Kirby
11th August 2005 (World Championship)

The main excitement yesterday happened after I'd sent my report. Two games which started at 10am, Dumergue v Openshaw and Westerby v Watson, finished late in the day with tight third games and the last game to start, Clarke v Bald provided entertainment on lawn 8 in front of the clubhouse.

Watson pegged out Westerby's red ball, and after a long time where Westerby had quite a few shots, he was laid up in corner 2 with black for hoop six, and Westerby on rover, near hoop 4. Westerby shot and narrowly missed, Watson managed to get a cannon, getting yellow down towards 2b and blue 1 foot in front of 6! From there he established a break, but was hampered after rover and could only run away. Westerby hit a short shot and finished. That was the fourth of six Australians to play yesterday, and the fourth to lose, leaving two in play.

Meanwhile on lawn 8, Ken Bald was playing high quality croquet against Chris Clarke. He made the first break in the first game, but Chris hit the lift and won the game in three turns. In the second and third games Ken hit a short lift shot and completed a triple peel, to provide the biggest upset of the tournament so far, knocking out the World number 2 and second seed who'd been playing very well.

At this point, some time after 8pm, the spectators all walked up to lawn 4 at the far end of the club to watch the end of Dumergue - Openshaw. Openshaw was on penult and peg, with Dumergue on 3b with red and in a break with yellow. He got to peg and pegged out David's blue ball, leaving yellow in corner 2 and red on the East boundary level with 4. David took position at penult, and yellow shot at black and missed. David ran rover and took position at rover. Red shot at yellow gently, missing but joining up. David ran rover and, after some deliberation, shot at yellow. He missed, and Ian finished. So David was on the wrong end of a +1 in the third for once, and presumably will now have to go to the meetings he's been missing!

Aussies Ian and Ken are now playing each other in the second round, guaranteeing one Australian in the quarter finals.