CROQUET

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 110, 7 February 1928, Page 12

CROQUET

DOMINION TOURNAMENT COMMENCES RECORD ENTRIES Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, February 6. Favoured by perfect weather and excellent lawns, the opening of the fouvteenth annual Dominion croquet championship and handicap tournamut augurs well for the succeeding days. Three clubs’ greens, Manawatu, Northern, and Takaro, are all in use, and are in excellent condition for the amount of play they will be required to stand up to. The entries constitute a new record for the meeting and include Sir Francis Wcmyss, Lieut.-Coione] Du I’re, Miss Steel who is open champi.ou of England, and Miss Retailack, of the English touring team. All that is required for an exceptionally good meeting is the continuance of the weather which has prevailed for the past two months. To-day was devoted to the handicap doubles so that competitors would get used to the greens. The lawns are absolutely devoid of colour- iit Manawatu and North Street but at Takaro there is a faint semblance of green. Consequently it has been found ncessary to impose a time limit in the handicap games, as owing to the glassy surface play is difficult and “boundary” is the order of the day. The English players drew against each other in the handicap doubles and they plaed on the North Street lawns, Col. Du Pre and Miss Steel being the. winning conple against Sir Francis Weymss and Miss Retallack. All Hie players found the utmost difficulty on securing position for scoring, and the. game was completed just on the time limit. Miss Retallack was the only one of the quartet to make a break. Interest centred in the game between A. Ross and that veteran player, Mrs. Cook, against Mesdames Bartlett and Kibblewhite, and a bank cf spectators applauded Mrs.- Cook’s long shots. The game of Mrs. Leech and R. Caughley against Miss MacFarlane and Mr. Tantrim was one of continual “out of bounds.” none of the players being able io keep on the green owing to its keenness, and as Hie balls rap along a stream of dust followed their course. Very few games were concluded in the three-hour limit.

Play to-day will commence with the championship sincles and doubles, in which all the leading players, with the exception of T. Chambers and 11. J. Williams (Sumner) will take part. HANDICAP DOUBLES.

First round: Mr. and Mrs. Pollock, Mrs. Acheson and Mrs. Sinclair, Col. Hume and Mrs. Gambrill all won by default; Col. Du Pre and Miss Steel 28 beat Sir Francis IVemyss and Miss Retallack, 15; Mrs. Rhodes Williams and Mrs. Murray 20 beat Mrs. Hamlin and Mrs. Dukes, 8; Mrs. Meikle and Mrs. Goldsbury — beat Mrs. Ilaliday and Airs. Usmar, 6; Mrs. Langford and Mrs. Bradley 17 beat Mrs. Fairbrother and. All's. Williams, 15; Mrs. Horn and Airs. Walling-Jones won by default from Airs. Aloeller and Airs. Scott; Mr. R. Caughley and Airs. Leech 22 beat Airs. Harvey and Airs. Grover, 19; Miss AlcFarlane and Tantrum 26 beat Airs. Wellings and Airs. Gunderson. 18; Airs. Bull and Airs. Bennett 19 beat Airs. Henderson and Airs. Gardner, 18; Airs. Dowling and Airs. AlcKay 15 beat Mrs. Cotts and Airs. Schneaur, 14. Second round: Ross and Mrs. Cook 20 beat. Airs. Brabant and Airs. Laurie, 18; Col. and Airs. Savile 26 beat Mrs. I’aviour Smith and Airs. Simpson, 12; Airs. Bartlett and Airs. Kibblewhite won by default from Airs. Waketey and Airs. Strand; Mesdames It. Williams and Alurray 20 beat Alesdames Hamlyn and Dukes, 8; Mesdames Bull and Bennett 19 beat Alesdames Gardner and Henderson, 18; Alesdames Alouat and Walker (20) beat Alesdames Caldow and Breghty, 9; Airs. Watkins and H. Stratton 26 beat Alesdames Lowery nad Stone, 13; Alesdames Bartlett and Kibblewhite beat Mesdame s Wakely and Straud by default; Alesdames Johnson and Jarvie 23 beat Alesdames Gilbert and Aitkin, 14; Air. Rol> ertson and Petrie 19 beat Mrs. I’indlayson and Airs. Griffiths, 12; Alesdames Honore and Jamieson 24 beat J. Alurray and Mrs. Robertson, 12; Airs. Tiffin and Aliss Blake won by default from Mrs. Penn and Mrs. Huddlestone; Alesdames Cronin and Cole 18 beat Alesdames Butchs'' and Leadbetter, 10; Alesdames Simpson and Alarg 19 beat 10; Alesdames Simpson and May 19 beat dames Pitcaithly anil Ileskets 24 beat Air. and Mrs. Managh, 8; Col. Hume and Airs. Gambrill 26 beat Alesdames Acheson and Lucus, 13; Air. and Airs. Pollock 26 beat Mesdames Hogan and Hutcheson, 18.