A broad, well-manicured playing surface was the reward for CS croquet enthusiasts as players went the extra mile -- or quarter-mile, at least -- to set up posts and wickets at Playfields Park in Davis today at a little past noon. Soon the breeze fell away and the temperature began to climb. But when the match was over, Dave Kraus fans were chanting "No Fluke! No Fluke!" as Kraus (playing black) celebrated his second-in-two victory. The deciding play of the game was certainly Kraus's 7-sroke turn off the midway stake that carried him through four wickets and within three of his eventual win before he surprised everyone by muffing an easy shot. Karl Krist, playing red and attired in a smart sun-hat, played his best, but there was no 7-stroke turn in his mallet today and he finished a distant second. Coming in third was Linda Ribera (playing green), who finessed several tight-angle wickets to overcome a one-time five-wicket deficit against fourth-place Jim Coats (playing blue). Rounding out the fivesome was first-timer Leigh Dragoon (playing yellow), who made her final wicket-and-post shot to the general applause of all present.

THE RESULTS: 1ST: Krause (black) 2ND: Krist (red) 3RD: Ribera (green) 4TH: Coats (blue) 5TH: Dragoon (yellow) Game Time: approx. 30 minutes

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