By Casey O'Connor
There was a good turnout for the Gateball games on Friday in Stanthorpe. In the first two games, Grace Howard, Jenny Tunbridge and Sharyn Roser played the red balls against the White ball team of John Colman, Les Williams and Joy Newman.
The opening game went down to the wire with the win in the balance until the last play when Tunbridge scored the Agari for the Red team to give her team a 14-14 win.
Grace Howard played very accurately in this game and the White team also scored an Agari during the game.
In the next game Whites got away to a good lead as the Red team found some difficulty putting balls into play.
Their fortunes turned when Roser put four white balls out of play. It left with no balls to play as their remaining ball was already off the court.
Reds took control of the gates and went on to score two Agaris on their way to a convincing 17 – 12 win.
In game three Howard, Tunbridge and Roser played the white balls; Colman, Williams and Newman swapped to red.
Colman played some very damaging and accurate long shots and Newman sent a few balls out of play handing Reds a narrow lead.
Some accurate shooting by Tunbridge sent three red balls off the court in one shot.
The tables were turned and after scoring two ‘Agaris’ late in the game Whites went on to score a 14-9 victory.
The final game was the closest of the day.
With three games under their belts the players from both teams were playing accurately.
The Shot of the Day belonged to Joy Newman who managed to score gate two, put two white balls off the court and then score gate three across the court at a very acute angle.
It was a fantastic piece of play.
Howard got a gate-and-touch at gate two.
A gate and touch is scored when the ball in play goes through the hoop and touches another ball in the same stroke.
It gives the player two more shots and is a great advantage.
When the time clock said game over the scores were tied at 10-all and a playoff was necessary to determine the winner.
After 14 accurate shots, reds missed.
Whites came away with the win after a great day of croquet.
