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Fletcher (Aus) v Rothman (USA)

Submitted by Admin on Fri, 13/08/2010 - 18:44 +0100

Please use this link to get to the end of the commentary.

Submitted by Jeff Dawson on Sat, 14/08/2010 - 09:51 +0100.

This match is going onto Lawn 4, which is the far side of the main clubhouse from here, and a bit of a trek around the building site which has been a feature of this test.  Tony Hall is over there acting as referee, and has promised to call through the salient details.  I'll update this as I get any news.

Submitted by Jeff Dawson on Sat, 14/08/2010 - 10:13 +0100.

Emailed from Tony: 

At 9:45 am its beautifully peaceful in this walled garden
with only the aircraft gliding down to Heathrow disturbing
the tranquility.  Ths small shelter shed has power, tea and
coffee, a refrigerator, a telephone, two fire extinguishers
and a "Cookham" garden croquet set made in England by Riley.

Ben Rothman and Robert Fletcher are warming up and Steve
Jones has arrived with an Australian flag to support Robert,
together with his doubles partner, Ian Dumergue
Submitted by Jeff Dawson on Sat, 14/08/2010 - 10:16 +0100.

We now have three more spectators, two Australian and one
unidentified.

    Rothman
    Fletcher
The Opening
1.  U supershot to 3 yards WSW of the peg.
2.  R to 12 inches S of II.
3.  K shoots at R, misses.
4.  Y hits R, puts it 2 ft out, rushes K to 4 yards E of 6,
puts K to 2, gets good rush to 1 and is away on the first
break.
Submitted by Jeff Dawson on Sat, 14/08/2010 - 10:29 +0100.

Ben continues his first break on turn 4.

His approach to 1 was off centre but not particularly
difficult.  He took off to R near II and sent it to 3.  The
short rush to 2 sent the pioneer into the jaws of 2. He
rushed to near I, sent N to 4, rushed U to boundary N of 3
and sent it level with the peg.
After 3, R goes to 5 and U goes to 4 yards ESE of 1
(presumably for a peel or a 1-back leave).  After 4, N is
rushed to S of 1 and he misses the peel from 2 1/2 yards,
leaving K on the right-hand wire. U goes to 6 and, after 5,
R is rushed to 3 yards NW of 1.  He puts R to 1 yard NNE of
2b, rushes U to N of 4, puts it to 3 yards E of 1b, makes 6,
puts U to 3 yards W of the peg, makes 1b off N, puts N to
3b, leaves U 1 yard W of the peg, makes 2b and leaves R at
peg with U.
Submitted by Jeff Dawson on Sat, 14/08/2010 - 10:32 +0100.

Ben's leave at end of T4:
K 2 yards E of maximum position from baulks on W boundary. U
1 foot E of peg wired from K.  R and Y on E boundary in
prolongation of line from end of A baulk to 4, with rush for
R to other balls (diagonal spread).

T5.  Robert lifts R to III, shoots at R and goes off 1 ft S
of R.
Submitted by Jeff Dawson on Sat, 14/08/2010 - 10:49 +0100.

T6.  Ben plays R, and despite a good position to rush K, he
rushes it to S boundary and over-rolls 1 with partner at 2.
He retreats to send R to 3 yards from III directly towards
3.

T7.  Robert fails to hit U with K.
T8.  Ben hits Y with R to 3 yards E of 6 and takes off
out-of-bounds near K.
T9.  Robert plays N, puts R to the peg, U to 5 yards E of 2
and rushes Y to 4 yards N of I.  He mis-approaches 1 to 6 ft
at 20 degrees and bounces off, with Y midway between 1 and
2.
T10. Ben plays R at Y and hits.  With K as pioneer at 1 he
should be able to finish with a standard triple.
It is now raining gently and we have another three
spectators, one American.  I'm delighted that one spectator
who was obscuring my vision with his umbrella has moved.
Submitted by Jeff Dawson on Sat, 14/08/2010 - 11:11 +0100.

Ben continues T10 with R.

He peels Y through 4b after making 3, with a good rush S.  U
is 6 yards WNW of 4 but no problem.  After 4, U goes to 4
yards E of 6 and Y to 2 yards S of 6.  After 5, K goes to 5
yards ESE of 1b, U to 1 yard NW of 6 and Y to a good
position for the peel.  The peel goes just through penult by
a foot and U to 4 yards NNE of 2b.  He runs 1b to 6 or 7
yards beyond K, but hits it and puts K to 3b, getting a rush
on Y which goes only a yard or two.  He then puts Y to 2
yards N of rover and rushes U to 2b.  After 2b he puts U to
4b, rushes U to 1 yard N of rover and fails to peel it on
the way to K for 3b. Y is left 4 inches W of rover.
After 3b he sends K to penult and roquets Y.  The take-off
to U for 4b leaves Y 1 ft in front of rover, slightly to the
E.  After 4b U goes to 4 yards SE of the peg.  Making penult
off K he has no forward rush but rolls K to halfway to the S
bondary from rover.  Leaving U 3 ft W of rover he peels Y
and finishes.
Submitted by Jeff Dawson on Sat, 14/08/2010 - 11:12 +0100.
Test Score
AUS 3 3 USA
Match Score
AUS 0 1 USA
Submitted by Jeff Dawson on Sat, 14/08/2010 - 11:26 +0100.

I'm told by Doug who has just returned from Lawn 4 that Ben is running a break 3rd turn.  Haven't got the detail from Tony yet.

Submitted by Jeff Dawson on Sat, 14/08/2010 - 11:31 +0100.

Where was I?  I just lost the last ten minutes when
something happened and the message disappeared.

T3. Ben made nine hoops , the first six with poor control
but he tightened up from 1b with better pioneers.  His leave
is only 18 yards N of the S boundary, U on the W boundary, Y
5 ft E and R a further 3 ft towards the peg.
Submitted by Jeff Dawson on Sat, 14/08/2010 - 12:04 +0100.

T4.  Robert plays R from directly in front of 1 at Y, misses
1 ft to the left to II.

T5.  Ben plays Y, picks up R after 1 and is set for a
standard triple.
He makes 3 but before peeling after 3 he removes his jacket
as the sun is now shining brightly.  R goes just through.
After 4 he rushes U to the middle of the E boundary -
obviously a slight mis-hit.  Sending U to 6 he has a five
yard shot at Y, slightly obscured by 4-b.  He hits it to 7
yards N of 6 and aims to peel it but the peel misses the
hoop completely and R is now 2 yards WSW of the peg.
After 5 he re-gains control, does the penult peel after 6
but is badly hampered after 1b.  Although K is only 3 ft
away he chooses to shoot at R near 6 and hits a very
difficult stroke as he could not get the centre of his
mallet onto the centre of the ball.  He peels rover on the
way to 3b and finishes.
We now have eight spectators, including Ian Dumergue,
waiting to use the court.
Ben Rothman, USA beats Robert Fletcher, Australia 26tp,
26tp.
Submitted by Jeff Dawson on Sat, 14/08/2010 - 12:07 +0100.
Test Score
AUS 3 4 USA
Match Score
AUS 0 2 USA