CROQUET

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 113, 10 February 1928, Page 10

CROQUET

DOMINION TOURNEY INTERESTING GAMES Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, February 9. Playing conditions were again vcrj for the fourth day of the Do minion croquet tournament, now in progress in Palmerston North. The green* at all three clubs are standiim uj> to the largo amount of play excellently, am are in good order for to-morrow’s games between New Zealand and the English touring team. COLONEL DU PRE v. MISS RETALLACK. Colonel Du. Pre met Miss lietallack in the open singles. Miss itetalluck was the first to make a score, and in twe turns made a break of five. Colonel Du Pre broke at the first hoop with blue, red lying close. Miss Itetalluck made two points, but the blue and black lying close together, she smashed them apart. Black tried the first hoop, but laid in the centre, with yellow on the boundary. Yellow put black through, ami scored a couple of points more. Black picked up a long shot on red and yellow in tho centre of the field, laid a perfect break, and went round to the novel hoop. Black then wired red ami yellow at the second hoop, and laid the drive for blue at the first hoop. Yellow re tired to No. 4 corner. Blue started made 4 points, then missed. The con testants played a most careful game, ant gave each other no loophole to score and the game was rather prolonged After playing two hours the score was If all. Play in the next half-hour wai of an even description, and the scort was 20 all. Then Miss Rctallack madt the rover hoop, with yellow, parted tin opponents, and laid a drive for red. Colonel Du Pre hit in a beautiful roquet got a rush on red at the rover hoop made if. secured a perfect drive oh yel low, and put it on the stick. Tho scores were 23—21, two points in the lady’s favour. The strategy of the player: now was well worth watching. Colonel Di Pre retired to the boundary with black Bed rolled near to the penuultimate Blue linked up with black on the boundary. Bed rolled to a better posi tion for scoring. Colonel Du Pr< played blue off black to red and sen it 'towards the boundary, then wen“back to mother.” Bed went toward: the penultimate again. Colonel Di Pro wired blue and black from red Bed went back to the penultimate Blue drove black towards three back sent red to No. 4 boundary and re turned to black. Bed missed black Blue scored with the black, then Colone Du Pre took both up to the first hooj and hid behind it. Bed missed them Blue scored the penultimate, and then partly wired them at the rover. Rec hit in on black, took blue to the penultimate and secured position, wired iron blue. Blue sent the second corner Bed scored, hit black, rolled red t< tlie rover, wired from red. Black ft blue. Bed made the rover and roller to the boundary. Black missed blue Bed missed the peg from the boundary Blue and black rolled to the back of the rover hoop. Bed missed the peg Blue made the rover and pegged out, Colonel Du Pre winning by one point. The game was watched by a large number of spectators, who were intensely interested in the game. MISS STEEL V. B. CAUGHLEY. Miss Steel played R. Caughley in the open singles. The visitor made a nice break to the seventh hoop, but missed a short shot and let Caughley in, and lie made the first hoop with black, then missed a short shot with red, continued to score and reached the penultimate in one turn and the rover in the next. Caughley missed. Miss Steel made a brilliant finish. Lying in the rover hoop, with the balls all close, she jumped the ball in the hoop, putting yellow through and pegging out. 26—3. In tlie second game Miss Steel broke down at the first hoop and let Caughley in. He made three hoops with black, then laid in the centre of tho fourth hoop, leaving red and yellow very close. Yellow played, drove black out of the hoop, and started on her break, but crashed at the second hoop. Caughley got in again and made a. round of seven hoops, leaving yellow behind the hoop. Miss Steel fired a long shot in, then made a break to the rover hoop. Caughley scored the first hoop with blue, then missed. Miss Steel crashed at the fourth hoop with red. and blue was close, but she wired blue, tried for black and missed. Miss Steel made the hoop and laid the red in the centre of tho fifth. Caughley had plenty of opportunities to score, but did not make full use of them. Miss Steel ma< e a pretty break with red. peeled yellow at the rover and pegged out, and won the rubber, 26—3, 26—14. . The second game in the rubber in the open singles between Colonel Du Pre and Miss Retailack was played in a broiling sun. The secand game was the exact opposite of the first, the lady not putting up the fight she had previously done. She made only tour P ° int LADIES’ CHAMPIONSHIP.

In the ladies’ championship Mrs. Henderson was no match for her opponent, Mrs Johnson (Sumner), who scored two points to her opponent’s one, finishing the game thirteen points ahead. CHAMPION DOUBLES.

Col. Du Pre and Miss Steel met A. Ross and Mrs. Johnson. Col. Du Pre scored first three points, then lam for his partner, who followed with two points. Airs. Johnson rolled blue ami black to the first hoop, then laid a drive. Ross failed to score. Col. Du Pre scored five and then crashed. Mrs. Johnson followed on with 2 points to blue, then went boundary near their opponents. Col. Du Pre played to the penultimate hoop. Mrs. Johnson got a beautiful long shot in, laid a drive for Ross. Red linked vyith yellow on the boundary. Ross came to separate, but missed. Meanwhile Miss Steel made slow progress in scoring, her big. gest break being 6 points. At its conclusion she laid for red. Black tried the first hoop and scored it early in the game and later made it again. Col. Du Pre pegged out, winning by twenty-two points. DETAILED RESULTS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES. First round: Col. Du Pre beat Alms Hesketh, 20—2, £6—l; Miss Steel beni Mrs. Hartleet,223,6 —3,26 —15; Sir Francis Wemyss bent Mrs. Watkins, 2G—2l, 26— 17; Mr. Tiffen beat W. J. Robertson, 20 —20, 26—7; Caughley beat Archdeacon Creed Meredith. Second round: Col. Du Pre beat Miss Retallack, 26-25, 26-4; Miss Steel beat Caughley, 2(1 —4, 26—15. LADIES’ CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES. First Life: First round: Mrs. Rhodes-Williams bent Mrs. Bradley, 26—5; Mrs. Meikle beat Mrs. Walling-Jones, 26—22; Mrs. Goldsbury beat Mrs. R. Walker, 26—17; Mrs. Bnrtleef bent Airs. Wickens, 26—11; Airs. Brabant bent Airs, Afanagh, 26—7; Mi's. Harvey beat Mrs. Petrie. 26—23. Second round: Airs. Goldsbury bent Miss Alcikle, 26—25. Second Life. First Round.—Mrs. Schnauer bent Mrs. Lowry. 26—20; Miss Hesketh beat Airs. Brighting, 26—18; Mrs. Pilcaitliley beat Mrs. Gambrill, 26—22; Mrs. Johnson beat Mrs. Henderson. 26—13; Mrs. Laurie heat Mbs. Acheson. 26—24; Mrs. Kibblewhife beat Mrs. Gilbert, 26—9; Mrs. Moeller bent Mrs. Spring. 26—16; Mrs. Caldow bent Miss Blake, 26—8. Second Round.—Mrs. T’elrio won by default from Mrs. leech. HANDICAP SINGLES A. First Round.—Mrs. Fairbrother beat Mrs Goldsbury, 26—20; Mrs, Cronin beat

Mrs. Wellings, 26—16; Mrs. Caldow beat Mrs. Kibblewhite, 26—23; Airs. Bartleet wok by default from Airs. Leech: Airs. Harvey beat Aire. Hutcheson, 26—20; Afrs. Boocock bent Airs. Finlayson, 20— 19; Colonel Savile beat Airs. Brighting, 26-8. HANDICAP SINGT.ES B. Second Round.—Airs, llonoro beat Mrs. Walker, 26-23. HANDICAP DOUBLES. Second Round.—Walker and Aloualt beat Cronin and Cole, 26—13; Mesdames Spring and Corbridge beat Mesdames Wickens and Watson, 20—8. CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES. , Semi-final.—Colonel Du Pre and Aliss Steel beat Ross and Airs. Johston, 26—6.. REPRESENTATIVE TEAM Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, February 9. Mr. J. Alurrnv, president of the New Zealand Croquet Council, announces that tho following players will represent New’ Zealand against the English team ar Palmerston North this week: —Singles: A. G. F. Ross (Christchurch), R. Caughley (Wellington), H. P. Stratton (Hostings), Archdeacon Meredith (Wanganui). Doubles: Ross and Caughley, Stratton, and Archdeacon Meredith. The order of the English players is:— Singles: Miss D. D. Steel, Colonel Du Pro, Sir Francis Wemyss, ami Miss Retailack. Doubles: Colonel Du Pre and Miss Steel, Sir Francis Wemyss, and Albs Riitallnck. Disappointment is expressed "that no women players have been included. It was hoped in some quarters that either Mesdames Smith (Christchurch), Watkins (Napier), or Tiffen (Napier), would have been selected.

Government and Buses. —"So long as tho Government or any other public body is prepared to commence and carry on a service, and to increase it from time to time to copiply with increased demand, the policy winch the committee considers should govern t lie Council in dealing with applications for increased services is one of_ sympathy, said Councillor AT. F. Luckie, chairman of the By-laws Committee, to tho City Council last night.

Libraries’ Conference. —At the Libraries' Association Conference at Christchurch yesterday the following officebearers were elected: President, Aliss E. Melville; vice-presidents. Messrs. J. J. Clark (Dunedin), J. Burns (Wellington), J.. H Dolby (New Plymouth), J. F. Arnold (Timaru), L. B. Wood (Christchurch), G. R. Cooper (Invercargill), D. W. Low (Palmerston North), W. C. Leys (Auckland), Dr. Scholefield (Wei. lington), Professor Somerville (Wellington): executive committee. Misses Al. Blackett and E. Culverwell, Afessrs. J. C. Andersen. J. Barr. E. J Bell. H. B Farnall. W. B. McEwan. J. Norrie, and E. B. Ellorm. secretary and treasurer, Mr. H. Baillie—Press Assn.