CROQUET

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 114, 11 February 1928, Page 10

CROQUET

DOMINION CHAMIONSHIPS DUPRE AND MISS STEEL WIN DOUBLES STRATTON BEATS SIR FRANCIS WEMYSS Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, February 10. Perfect weather again prevailed tor the fifth day of the Dominion croquet championships at Palmerston North. The morning only was devoted to championship play, the test matches against the English team occupying the afternoon. .... , Finality was reached tn the championship doubles, Colonel Du Pre and Miss Steel enjoying victory over Archdeacon Meredith and Mrs. Smith. The semi-final of champion doubles, between Archdeacon Creed Meredith and Mrs. Smith against W. Robertson and Mrs Petrie was resumed from the previous day, and when blue and red tried the fourth hoop, in succession. It was found that neither ball could make it, the hoop being tighter than the regulation size. After it and the sixth hoop had been readjusted, play was resumed, the scores being 16—9 in Archdeacon Meredith and Mrs. E. A. Smith’s favour. The latter player got in and made four points, which took the black ball to the pe", leaving her partner three points to make Yellow missed. Mrs. Smith set the rush for her partner, and he made the rover and pegged out. 26—9. In the game in the open singles between Sir Francis Wemyss and H. Stratton (Hawke’s Bay), the latter won the rubber, and has the honour of being the only New Zealander to defeat one of the English team in a rubber. At a critical stage in the second game Sir Francis Wemyss tried to crosswire at tho rover hoop, but failed, and let Stratton in, and he pegged out, winning the game and rubber. The final in the champion doubles was played between Col. Du Pre and Miss Steel against Archdeacon Creed Meredith and Mrs. E. A. Smith. Col Du Pre opened scoring with a pretty break of nine with red, but under-rolled the tenth hoop, leaving blue and yellow together in the middle of the green. Archdeacon Meredith played blue, driving red to the first hoop, but baulked, leaving blue open to red. Col. Du Pro played, took both balls to his hoop and laid for the next turn. Mrs. Smith missed. Col. Du Pre made the hoop, then went boundary near their opponents. Blue played and baulked at the first hoop, letting Col. Du Pre in again. He reached the penultimate hoop in the turn. Black missed. Miss Steel took the turn with yellow, and made a fine round of nine hoops, then tailed position at four back, fired at the double and missed. Blue missed. Miss Steel played again and reached the peg, then wired red and yellow behind the rover hoop from blue. Black missed, Col. Du Pre took the turn, made the two last points, and pegged cut. 26—0. The English players were on their game from the start, and their opponents had few chances. Mrs. Smith hail only two shots, one at the opening and one while the game was in progress. ” DETAILED RESULTS LADIES’ CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES. First Life. Second Round.—Mrs. Gardner beat Mrs. Lawrie, 26—14; Mrs. Lowery beat Mrs. Bock, 26—11;. Miss Hesketh won by default from Miss Retailack. Second Life. Third Round.—Mrs .Rhodes-Williams beat Mrs. Jarvie, 26—24. Second Round.—Mrs. Henderson beat Mrs. Murray. 26—5; Miss Hesketh beat Miss Retailack bv default; Mrs. Walker boat Mrs. Manngli. 26-17; Mrs. Pitcaithley beat Mrs. Moeller, 26 —1. CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES. Semi-final.--Archdeacon Meredith and Mrs. Smith beat Robertson and Miss Petrie, 26—9. Final.—Colonel Du Pre and Miss Steel beat Archdeacon Meredith and Miss Petrie, 26—6. HANDICAP SINGLES B. First Round.—Mrs. Bartlett beat Mrs. Leech by default; Mrs. Cole beat Mrs. Hallidav, 26—13; Mrs. Spring beat Mrs. Gunderson. 26—21; Mrs. Dowling beat Miss Retailack by default; Mrs. Lowery beat Mrs. Hogan by default; Mrs. Caughley beat Mrs. Mnuagh by default; Mrs. Jteikle beat Mrs. Scott by default; Mrs. Watkins beat Mrs. Rhodes Williams. 26—25; Miss Steel heat Managh by default; Mr. Boocock beat Mrs. Acheson, 26—20. Third Round—Mrs. Griffiths beat Mrs. Honore, 26—10; Mrs. Gilbert beat Mrs. Bradley, 26—11. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES.’ Second Round.—Mrs. Tiffin beat Mrs. Horn, 26-12, 26—21. . m H. Stratton beat Sir Francis Wemyss. TEST MATCHES A VICTORY FOR NEW ZEALAND THE PLAY DESCRIBED Palmerston North, February 10. Test matches were played this afternoon. MISS RETALLACK V. ARCHDEACON MEREDITH. The test match between Miss Retallack (England) and Archdeacon Creed Meredith (New Zealand) was of four hours’ duration, but throughout the entire game there was no brilliant play whatsoever Miss Retallack, playing blue and black, was let in, but failed to pick up the break. In taking croquet, red rolled off from between the opponent’s balls but failed to make his hoop. Blue got in and laid out a break, but failed at the sixth hoop, letting his opponent in. Miss Retallack left an easy double, ot which Archdeacon Meredith made the most by hitting in with a good long shot and making 2 points. This put him 5 points in the lead. There was much uneventful play until a wired ball played by Archdeacon Meredith let Miss Retallack in at the fourth hoop with an easy break, but Miss Ratalhick, after making two hoops, failed to make the third. Soon after Archdeacon Meredith made the rover hoop with black ami blue and pegged out, thus ending a long and uneventful game. Both players seemed out of form, although Archdeacon Meredith played steadily from the first. CAUGHLEY V. COLONEL DU PRE.

In tho first game between Caughley (New Zealand) and Colonel Du Pre England), Colonel Du Pro started scoring first and made 2 points with blue and one with black, and was followed by Caughley with yellow. He made 2 points. Colonel Du Pre made a nice round with blue next turn to the rover hoop. Caughley failed to roquet, and Colonel Du Pre playing with great accuracy and wonderful judgment, got to the rover hoop, where he peeled blue, parted his opponent’s and pegged black out. Blue pegged out next turn, the game lasting 45 minutes. In the second game Caughley was the first to score with red and yellow, one point each. Du Pre got control with blue and made n break of eight before crashing. Caughley played red, and made a point, following with a threeball break with yellow, and ho scored six points. Du Pre drew ahead, and, playing with good tactics, ran out the winner by thirteen points, and won the rubber.

SIR FRANCIS WEMYSS V. H. STRATTON. In tho first game between Sir Francis Wemyss (England) and H. Stratton (New Zealand), tho English player opened the game with four, points for the blue ‘ball, and then broke. Stratton followed with a point for red. Black started, made seven, and (hen over-rolled the position. Yellow played, made three ‘points, and retired to the boundary. Black reached four back and baulked the first effort, but made it the second attempt. Playing very carefully, Sir Francis Wemyss led by a few points, then Stratton got in 1 again. Varied play followed, and meanwhile the visitor drew ahead and won the first game by 13 points. A. ROSS V. MISS STEEL. A. Ross (New Zealand) scored first in the first game with Miss Steel (England), with a break of four hoops, then lost control. Miss Steel baulked at the hoop, and let Ross in and he made a fine break of seven points, to the penultijnaie, with yellow, following by faking the red ball to the first hoop, and wiring from Miss Steel, who retired to a corner. Ross made a break of six with rod. Miss Steel hit in and made a perfect break of ten points with blue, then laid nt the second hoop for the black ball. Ross hit in a long shot, and wired from his opponent’s, giving red a rush, but he failed nt the hoop. In and out plav followed until Ross cot in a long shot with red. and got to the rover boon, peeled the yellow ball, nnd pegged out rod. However, he missed with yellow. Miss Steel got yellow with black, and made four hoops, then two more before yellow hit in, and won the game, 26—21. Ross started in the usual stvle in the second game, and made one hoop with yellow, then shot nnd missed, and red rnndo n hoop. Miss Steel ricked up the red ball, and made a hoon with blue. Ross picked up a long shot with yellow, and made the hoop. Miss Steel got a hall with black, nnd made four hoops, then failed with yellow, and made one hoop . Miss Steel played blue on black and failed. Ross played red and made a break of 4. Blue then went for red and failed. Red to yellow and failed. Blue tried the double, missed red and retired with both balls to the sideline. Black retired tti the line and then yellow played and failed, resting in the middle of the hoop. Black to blue and failed. Yellow ran the hoop and made two more. Black to red and missed. Red played, making a point. It then went hack to yellow. Blue hit in to the line. Yellow played and failed. Black to blue hit in, separated and went back to black. Red went to the Black played and then retired by blue. In and out play followed for a turn or two after blue failing, After that Miss Steel tried the second hoop four times, hit blue, made the hoop and stuck in the next. Black hit it out and retired. Ross, yellow, hit in, made a break of 6 to the rover hoop, and then retired, wiring red and yellow from blue and black. Blue failed, and red drove yellow to its hoop four back, brought red to tho rover, peeling both balls through the last hoop, mid made a perfect rush to the peg. Blue missed, and yellow got black and pegged out. Ross made a brilliant finish. 26 —6.

DETAILED RESULTS Archdeacon Creed-Meredith (New Zealand) beat Miss J. Retallnck (England). Colonel Du Pre (England) beat RCaughley (New 26—2, 26—10. Sir Francis Wemyss (England) bent H. Strattonf New Zealand). A. Ross (New Zealand) beat Miss D. D. Steel (England), 26-21, 26-6.

Destructive Winds and Forest Fires.— Southern California is threatened with serious damage as the result of wind and forest fires. Two of tho latter located in the Virdugo Hills, started when the wind blew dow nhigh power electric wires. Houses and barns were blown down in tho vicinity of Pasadena. Lack of communication with the Mount Lowe Obvervatory prevents a verification of the report that its roof was blown off.— Press Assn.