CROQUET

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 122, 21 February 1928, Page 5

CROQUET

(By

“Rover.”)

Coming Events. Taranaki tournament (New Plymouth), February 21. ~ South Taranaki tournament (Hawera), Association (Palmerston Noith), March. . ... . Southern Hawke's Bay (Pannettrke), Alarch W. „ Otago Championships, February 22. Honours to English Visitors. The test matches played at Palmerston North during the Dominion tournament were won by the English team in the aggregate, they having scored three matches and six games, to one match and tour games. Visitors were present from all parts of the Dominion, and took the greatest interest m all the games, Play generally was not as good as at Wanganui, the lawns being very ary and therefore keener. A leature ofthe tournament was the number ot games defaulted, the entrants preferring to watch the play of the Eng isli team to playing themselves. In the handicap singles alcne, m the first two rounds, there were ten defaults. A Lot to Learn. The Dominion and North Island tournaments have come and gone, amt it is certainly tho impression that New Zealanders generally have a lot to learn in crouuct, not only m the game itself, but in the finished methods employed by our visitors from abroad. Thev play croquet as though it were a game of chess; every movement is studied. Before a shot is taken, they review the position and know the ultimate result, if the ball is hit in the right spot, and every care is taken to see that it is done. They do not play in the hurried manner which prevails among the majority of players in the Dominion, whose style and methods are far too slap-dash and whose one aim seems to be to hit something, it does not matter where, but hit. The only New Zealanders to win a game from the English players were Mcsdanies A. B. (Smith (Christchurch), F. Till'en (Napier), and A. Ross (Christchurch). and although these players actually won, their style was not masterly or skilful as that of their opponentsSouth Island Tests.

The South Island test matches will be played on March 2 in Christchurch, and the South Island test team will probably include Mrs. A. E. Smith, T. F. Chambers, A. Ross, and 11. J. Williams. The location of the next tournaments was decided at the New Zealand Croquet Councils’ annual meeting. New llymouth applied to have the North Island tournament held there, and the application was granted. Although it is doubtful if many players front South will find their way to New Plymouth, it is ouito convenient for Auckland and W atkato players to get there, a daily service car supplying the means of transport. The lawns are all that a croquet player can desire, although not adjoining each other as in Wanganui, which town has been selected as the location for the 1929 Dominion tournament. ’lhe situation of the lawns in Wanganui lends them admirably to the successful running of a tournament. There are eight lawns adjoining a large pavilion, replete with all conveniences, and an excellent bus\service runs to the grounds at frequent intervals. The lawns for the recent tournament were net in the ■best condition, and this was due to the lack of rain, and two of the greens were laid down only last autumn, but. given another twelve months, they) should be much improved by the date for the Dominion tournament. Suggested Improvements.

Sir Francis Wemyss and Colonel Du Pre each gave a short address on croquet during their stay in Palmerston North. Sir Francis Wemyss referred to the conditions of the Macßobertson Shield, which has been presented by Air. MaoUobertson for competition between England, Australia, and New Zealand, and which trophy will in future take the same place in croquet circles as tho Davis Cup does in the tennis world. Each New Zealand Association is to be supplied with a copy of the rules drawn up to govern competition for this trophy. In reference to the rules, Sir Francis Wemyss specially mentioned the one referring to the toss, as there seemed to be some misconception in the matter which had caused trouble. lie would like to point out that the winner of the toss had either the choice of playing first, or the choice of the balls, so that if a player chose the balls, the loser cffiild say whether he would play first or not, as obviously the one player could not decide Io have the balls, and also decide when to play. The speaker said that the hard ground was the cause of players breaking down at the hoops, as when the ball was struck it did not revolve on a hard piece of ground, but skidded, and when it struck the wire it would stop, whereas a spinning ball would get through, provided it was hit fairly high and to ascertain what really happened he hoped, in the near future, to have some slow motion pictures taken of these shot# when the bulls were run ning the hoops. (Sir Francis Wemyss suggested several improvement to the New Zealand lawns, one of tho fust things that should be done was to have a low fence around each lawn to keep the balls from running on to the adjacent lawn. Wire netting six inches wide was the usual thing at Home, and this hal an attachment for being driven into the ground. Another thing mentioned was tho fact of the yard' line, which tended to make litle channels, along which the balls would run. In England only the boundary line was marked, and the player had the threefoot distance marked on tho handle of the mallet, and when a ball went over the boundary' the mallet was laid on the ground and the ball placed opposite the mark on the handle.

Colonel Du Pre spoke of + he -tiquette of the game, and in the course of his remarks said how surprised thev were at the number of spectators who had attended the test matches, and further, the fact that they paid to see these matches was also amazing. In England no one paid to see croquet played. Colonel du Pre also spoke of the habit some people had of walking alongside the 'awn, lust as the players were 'liking aim. This should not be permitted, «s it was very disconcerting to the player.

Handicap Carnes. Experience has proved that the shortened game, with the Handicap reduced accordingly, is much to oe preferred to the time limit in handicap games. In the time limit game, the low bisqued player is unable to play his ordinary game, while the high bisquer holds on to the bisques till towards the end of the game in the hope of using them either to peg out himself or neg bis opponent cut, and instances have occurred where a player being ahead by a few points has deliberately wasted time in frequent consultations with the partner so as to prevent the opponents getting in a shot before the time limit expired. In the shortened game this 's impossible, as each side is ixious to hit the peg as soon as possible.