Although it is a club day I am at home escaping the baking 25 degree heat and resting from days of corporate events, the last ending at 10:30 pm when I had to ask them to leave so I could get home.

This means I am able to follow the results of the first of the Golf Croquet Trans-Tasman test series.

The Trans-Tasman is a team event with four women and four men.
The New Zealand team is Jenny Clarke, Dallas Cooke, Erica Stephens, Phyllis Young, Chris Clarke, Jared Keeman, Duncan Dixon and Phillip Drew. Jenny, Chris, Jared and and Duncan are all members of United.

The series consists of three two-day tests held in Nelson from Monday 30 November to Saturday 5 December.
Each test has 24 matches, each best-of-three 13-point games. There are four mixed doubles matches followed by eight singles, then same-sex doubles and a further eight singles.

New Zealand won the first test 15-9 and Australia won the second 14-10. Last night, after the first day of the final test, New Zealand was ahead 8-4. Today, Australia won three of the four doubles to bring the score to a closer 9-7, so the test is still open. If New Zealand win four or more matches, they will win the final test and the series. If they win three games the third test will be a draw. However, New Zealand will be ahead on matches 37-35 and will still win the series.

I am still waiting for the first of the singles results to be posted.

Full results are on Croquet Scores.

Update 4:10pm
Jenny has lost her match to Wendy Dickson in three games. The match score for the last test is now 9-8. Erica is one game up and Phyllis is one game down.
NZ still need another three matches.

It’s a pity there are no commentaries.

Update 5:37pm
Back from planting scarlet runners and parsley
It’s getting close.
Erica and Rosemary are one-each.
Dallas and Anne are one-each.
Phyllis lost her match to Alison
Chris Clarke in one down to Chris McWhirter.
Jared is one up against Kevin.
Which makes the match score 9-9

Update 5:48pm
Erica has lost her match to Rosemary
Match score is now 9-10. Aussies ahead.

Update 7:23pm
Back from The Laboratory (our local pub)
Erica lost
Dallas lost
Chris lost
Jared won
Duncan and Peter one each
Phillip one game up
Match score 10-12 to Australia
Both Duncan and Phillip must win their matches for NZ to win

Update 7:48pm
Phillip won his match
Match score 11-12 to Australia
Down to the last game of Duncan against Peter Landrebe
(one game out of 63 games in the third test)

Update 8:45pm
Jenny started a commentary on the last game.
Duncan won on the 13th hoop of the last game.
That means the third test is a draw at 12 games each and New Zealand wins the series 37 matches to 35.
That was close!!

Correction
Croquet Scores shows NZ winning the final test.
The match score is 12-12, but the game score is 35-28 to NZ.
I have not seen the rules for the GC Trans-Tasman so presume the Croquet Scores result is correct.
That does change the fact that NZ wins the series.