CROQUET NEWS:  When the Crunch Comes He's There

6 March 2007
Marewa Croquet Club, Napier, New Zealand
by Shane Hurndell in Hawke's Bay Today, Hastings, New Zealand
photo by photographer

Nelson Morrow plays a jump shot during his unbeaten run at the NZ Croquet Council's English Silver and Bronze Medal tournament.

Like so many croquet visitors to Hawke's Bay, Aucklander Nelson Morrow doesn't run short of apples.

Morrow, who spends half the year based at his Warkworth home and the other half in London, is staying with Haumoana orchardists and Bay croquet stalwarts Colleen and Tony Stephens.

"There's lots of apples ... definitely a key to my success so far," said Morrow, who was the top performer going into today's second to last day of play in the New Zealand Croquet Council's five-day English Silver and Bronze Medal tournament at Napier's Marewa club.

Morrow, 57, has had just one loss in his 11 games to date, 26-14 against Wanganui's Jean McIntyre.

Yesterday he won all five of his games beating South Taranaki's Elizabeth Bent 26-4, Eileen Judd 26-7, Maya Stutz 26-6, Hawke's Bay's Don Reyland from the Te Mata club 26-23 and Manawatu's John Wall 26-11.

"My nearest rivals have lost three games so hopefully my two-game buffer will be enough," said Morrow, who is on his third visit to the Bay.

The 1973 New Zealand junior champion started playing 36 years ago and played for three years before having a 19-year break.

Like many of his fellow croquet players Morrow has also taken a liking to golf croquet and last year finished ninth in the Egypt Open, a tournament which included six former world champions. He has also won national singles and doubles golf croquet titles in England.

Reyland had two wins and two losses yesterday while fellow Bay player Noel Charteris, of the host club, had one win and three losses.

Manawatu's top seed Wall, a former Colenso High School principal, had three losses yesterday.