Morning once again, this time from a distinctly sunny Roehampton, for Day 4 of the Australia USA test. After an outstandingly competitive singles day yesterday the teams remain all tied up at 6 six matches each. The story of yesterday's play was the USA eeking out a two match lead at 6-4 and within touching distance of winning the singles 4-2, only for the Aussies to come storming back to win the last to and re-establish parity. This fight back was typified no more than by than by Kevin Bead's win over Jim Bast. Despite going game down and break down in both the second and third games, he hit critical shots and ran clinical tps to save the day.

So now the 21 match long form test has effectively been reduced to an old style, short format nine match affair. The prevailing wisdom in those days (essentially abandoned after 1986, but making a brief, round robin, re-appearance in 1992) was that carrying a 2-1 doubles lead into the singles was vital, and I don't see any reason to disagree. And thus today is likely to be the pivotal one.

GAME 1

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And we're off

1 Y 15 yd narrow supershot

2 K misses Y dribbling to long Duffer tice position

3 R hits trickle at K

Doug now has complete control of the break as R approaches 1b from a yd.

In these (easy) conditions, you might have thought it worthwile having a DL rather than the 3 Ducks, there being the chance that oppo won't get going if they centre ball the long lift. But there seems to be a slavish devotion to the Ducks by both teams here

3 Ducks it is. Lovely bit of aggro as the Aussies object to Ben Rothman using his hat as an artificial aid to indicate to Doug where K should go

4 U misses from A baulk into C2

5 Y approaches 1 to a ft in front from 2 yds W and has a standard tp

Excellent roll from 1 putting R to 2 yds short of 3 and laning 2 yds short of U in C2 himself

4b peel goes 5 yds through after 3, but good rush after 4 means it's collected to 6 with ease before 5

Speaking of aggro, did you all notice the overnight posting to the Aussie blog describing Eagleton, the proud American bald eagle mascot, as a chicken? There may well be repercussions form that. At least we're all hoping so

It has just been pointed out that Y started this turn form 1, Y not having done a straight nontuple peel on partner as my last graphic may have implied

Penult peel jawsed after 6. Leaves himself a 3 ydr on it after 1b and it only goes 3 yds through. Rolls it down to rover going to 2b. Excellent shot

Rover peel goes 6" through going to 3b, but has to be ignored after as the 4b pioneer is 4 yds N of the H

No, R was in the jaws of rover, making it all the more imperative it was ignored after 3b.

Finishes

Forster & Clarke M. lost to Rothman & Grimsley -26tp(R)

Test Score
	6	6

Match Score
	0	1

GAME 2

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1 K 16 byd narrow supershot

2 Y to maximum point on E boundary

3 U misses Y from A baulk leaving some sort of target

4 R hits Y from A baulk, cunningly cannoning U a bit N. Sends Y to 2 yds S 4b and rushes U towards the peg. U to 2 getting a slightly hampered rush on K to 1. Plays a good shot and approaches 1 from 2yds behind. Runs for a 4 ball break

Setting up a spread, but has to take off from the peg to a 3b pioneer 4 yds W of the hoop. Runs 3b but with no rush. Rolls U to 5 yds SW of 2 and bumps into K. Now has to croquet it 2 yds to cross pegged position but it drops perfectly into position for a good leave

5 Stephen lifts K and nisses long lift into C4

6 Gets lots of wire and grovels through 1 to leave 4 yd hampered shot on U. Vigorous sweep means solid contact is made and now has three ball break with partner at 2 and K in C4 still

K sent to 5 going to 4 with U left behind at 4b. No chance of peel after rushing back after 4, but puts R into perfrct peeling position, before cannoning it away again by rushing U into it

No rush after 5, and gets stymied from peelee after subsequent roll. Rushes peelee to 6 and russhes back to 4/5 yd peeling position after

Jawses peel

Rushes to E boundary level with 4b after 1b. Croquet stroke gets K to 3yds N 3b and leaves 3 ydr on peelee. Peelee is slightly to one side of central position, could be embarassing if this doesn't go through. But it does and is left behind in favour of take off to 2b pioneer 5 yds short of hoop

Rushes back to N boundary after 2b and plays well to set up accurately for penult peel going to 4b

Penult peel goes 2 ft through

Peelee croqueted to 1 yd NE of rover from penult

Irishes rover peel 4yds through. Poor rush leaves a 5 yd peg out. Copes

Forster & Clarke M. lost to Rothman & Grimsley -26tp(R) -26tp(R)

Test Score
	6	7

Match Score
	0	2