[<<] [>>] by Phil Cordingley
21st November 2006 (The MacRobertson Shield)

In a repeat performance of Sunday, GB won all three doubles (albeit dropping a game this
time) to clinch the test 11-4 with a day to spare. The first two matches finished by 11:00 to put GB 10-4 up, with the New Zealand pairs managing just one croquet stroke between them. The Fulford & Clarke match against Lowe & Wislang was notable for the fact that Rob managed his first doubles TP of this Mac when Chris was forced to go round first after hitting a 15 yard double in game 1. Avery & Maugham also shared the TPs in their straight games win against Bryant & Davis.

Jonathan's streak of having pretty much every shot hit against him continued as Aaron and Paddy hit on the third turn and the lift respectively to go game up with a Chapman TP. An amusing incident occurred in this game when, unbeknownst to Keith due to his viewing angle, Aaron ran 2b (which he was for) cleanly in a take off from 1b. When Aaron apparently "roqueted" the ball at 1b for the second time, an ever vigilant Aiton immediately

forestalled, only to be sent back to his seat by the other three players.
Keith's streak of
going round every time he took croquet came to an end when he failed to get going from the contact after Aaron's TPO. He made no such mistake when presented with a second opportunity, finishing from 3 to tie the match up.
In the second Jonathan made amends for missing a 10 yarder on turn 3 by hitting a 20 yarder on turn 5. Aaron hit yet again and an eventful TPO looked like losing off the contact as Keith played an excellent 20 yard roll approach to 1, but then missed a 6 yarder after grovelling through 2. It was then Paddy's turn to take the glory, but he came to grief missing a 3 yard roquet on his 2b pioneer to 4 inches off A baulk, from which Keith finished assuredly.

In the decider it was the GB boys who, with the aid of 1b tactics, TPOed Aaron after he had had a fifth turn ball round. Paddy looked like he had set up the crucial winning break until he missed a 6 yarder. From this, and with the aid of a number of hoops somewhat longer than his team mates would have liked, Jonathan finished from 2b to clinch the match and with it the test.

1. Chris Clarke & Robert Fulford beat Lowe & Wislang +26tp (F), +26tp (C)

Game 1

1) Chris lays supershot ball (ss)
2) Robert L goes to optimum position on E boundary
3) Rob F misses from III to IV
4) Brian misses partner from A baulk, leaving balls almost in contact
5) Chris hits opponents from ss position, goes to 4b with NSL, hoop 2 ball on W boundary
6) Robert L misses long lift
7) Rob F finishes

Game 2

1) Robert L puts out standard E boundary ball
2) Chris goes to II
3) Brian joins with Chris on W boundary, 1 yard S of II
4) Rob F hits Brian, goes to 4b with an MSL
5) Robert L misses long lift
6) Chris finishes

Keith Aiton & Jonathan Kirby beat Paddy Chapman & Aaron Westerby -17tp(C),

1. 7otp (W),
2. 9tpo (A)

Game 1

1) Paddy lays ss.
2) Keith goes to optimum point E boundary
3) Aaron hits Keith from A baulk, fails to get rush on ss, so makes 1 with a 7 yard take off approach. After running 1b gets hampered from sending out 3b pioneer so takes off, running 2b in the process! Rushes back to W boundary by 1b, rushes partner to 2b, and rolls off 3b from there. Lays up on E boundary leaving partner a rush to opponent just off W boundary
4) Jonathan hits short lift and goes to 4b with an NSL
5) Paddy hits short lift and finishes

Game 2

1) Keith lays ss
2) Paddy hits from I, croquets Keith to 3 yards NW of 2 and goes to IV
3) Jonathan misses 10 yarder at Keith
4) Aaron hits 10 yarder, but plays poor 3 yard take off approach to one and retires to partner in IV
5) Jonathan hits 18 yarder from 1 to 2 and goes to 4b with a spread
6) Aaron hits 16 yarder at hoop 2 ball from B baulk, does 1st peel of TPO, but a poor rush after 4 means no rush on peelee, which ends up as 1b pioneer. Fails penult peel after 1b, almost getting stymied from escape ball. No forward rush after 3b, but gets penult peel going to 4b. Does straight rover peel 3 feet through, but bumps into peelee running 1-foot hoop. Hits centre peg from 8 yards. Leaves partner on E boundary 1 yard N of 4 and goes to II
7) Keith rolls off 1 from E boundary to 3 feet angled. Runs it and rushes escape ball to penult. Takes off to ball in II and approaches 2 to 2 feet straight. Grovels through by 3 inches and misses seven yarder at Paddy by penult to E boundary
8) Paddy goes to I
9) Keith misses Aaron 2 yards off N boundary by 2
10) Aaron takes off to partner in I and leaves guarded rush to 1
11) Keith misses from N boundary
12) Paddy gets going, but sending 3b pioneer out from N of 1b, leaves himself 3 yards short of 2b pioneer, which he misses to 4 inches off A baulk
13) Keith finishes from hoop 3

Game 3

1) Paddy lays ss
2) Keith goes to E boundary 1 yard S of peg
3) Aaron misses Keith from B baulk to E boundary 7 yards N of IV
4) Jonathan misses double from B baulk to just out of IV
5) Aaron hits 7 yarder in IV and goes to 4b with an NSL
6) Jonathan misses long lift
7) Paddy fails to get rush to 1 and clangs after rolling up from 12 yards
8) Jonathan hits sweaty 3 yarder at ball in hoop 1 and goes to 1b
9) Paddy misses tea lady from 2 yards SW of 1
10) Keith has the TPO, but no peels on partner, keeps three balls on. Leaves partner on E boundary with hoop 5 in way of approach to 1, and goes to II
11) Paddy rolls Jonathan to midway between 1 & 2 going to II. Takes off short to 1 and takes position
12) Jonathan goes to IV
13) Paddy runs 1 to N boundary, but leaves approach to 2 from II short and takes position
14) Keith goes to W boundary 4 feet N of I.
15) Paddy runs 2 and gets about 5 feet 40 degree position at 3
16) Jonathan goes to I
17) Paddy goes to III
18) Keith lays a wired rush to 1b just out of I
19) Paddy goes 4 inches out of III on N boundary
20) Jonathan makes 1b with no rush. Croquets Keith to just off optimum position on W boundary and goes to IV
21) Paddy lifts and hits in IV from A baulk, but leaves take off for rush to 3 short. Rolls to 9 feet fairly straight and runs 3. Approaches 4 putting escape ball 2 yards SW of 4. Runs 4 to S boundary, but misses 6 yarder at Jonathan in IV
22) Jonathan finishes from 2b

Mark Avery & David Maugham beat Greg Bryant & Shane Davis +26tp (A), +26tp (M)

Game 1

1) Mark lays ss
2) Greg hits from I, croquets Mark to just off optimum position on W boundary and goes to optimum position on E boundary
3) David centre balls opponent from A baulk, rolls to 2 going to partner on W boundary. Takes off to 2 yard slightly angled hoop 1, runs it by 16 yards and picks off partner on W boundary. Goes to 4b with defensive leave
4) Shane misses from III into IV.
5) Mark finishes

Game 2

1) Shane lays ss
2) Mark goes to optimum position on E boundary
3) Greg misses III to IV
4) David misses partner from A baulk
5) Shane misses opponents on E boundary from ss position
6) Mark goes to 4b with an NSL
7) Greg misses short lift
8) David finishes