Morning all, and welcome back to Surbiton for Day 3 of the final MacRo tests. I shall be covering the GB v. Australia singles. specifically Aiton v. Beard and Lines v. Clarke first thing. Conditions overcast and, depending on what forecast you believe, carrying on like that or sunny periods. It will be warm with a max. of 25. Wind southerly, 15mph. Rain forecast later, but not until ten tonight.

A disappointing day yesterday for GB, as they were pegged back to 3-3 after the second round of doubles. The Australians' shooting was apparently on song, as they hit a number of 30+ ydrs to save the day. GB will be hoping for the law of averages to kick in in their favour today.

Chris Farthing, our hoopsetter-in-chief, has told me that there has been no overnight rain and that he detected some signs of the ground firming up. So he's hopeful that the hoops may start fighting back today.

GAME 1

======

1 U to E boundary 11 yds N of C4

2 Y to C4

3 K hits U from A baulk. Takes off and digs Y out of C2. U&K look to have rushes along the E boundary

4 R hits 15 ydr at Y from A baulk

Thick take off to U&K puts Y to 2 and he's approaching hoop 1 from less than 3 ft dead in front

Has a 4 ball break as he approaches 3 from 2ft dead in front

Heading for a spread as he approaches 2b

Keith duly arrives at 4b with a spread

5 K, the peg ball, lifted and centre balls long lift

Has to approach 2 with a backward take off from the N boundary, and clangs difficult hoop springing clear to the side

6 Y hits K from N boundary. Fails to get a rush on anything, so attempts to approach hoop 1 from E boundary off partner. Fails position so leaves a rush for next turn. K is by hoop 2, U on E boundary level with 3

7 K to C4

It was true that any shot was long and left a trivial tp if missed, but nothing more satisfying than going out after your opponent has cornered. Let's see if Keith can deliver the killer psychological blow

8 Good start as he makes 1 off partner and rushes into C4 for a cannon

Runs hoop 2 from a ft and rushes to middle of S boundary. Rolls U to 4 getting a 4ft rush on partner to 4b. Unintentionally cuts it to E boundary level with 5. Rolls it to 4yds S of 4b.

No chance of peel after 3, so is now doing it going to 6

Peel goes through. No rush after 6 so peelee is sent out as 2b pioneer

Rush to penult after 2b is pointin at 3b, so sets up for the peel going to 4b

Peelee is not in very good position at penult, but gets a forward rush after 3b so should be Ok

Peelee jawsed after 3b. U is right by penult, so choice of rush peeling down to rover and taking of back, Irishing down to rover from within the jaws, or tap it through, stop it down to rover and pick off 3 yd return on pioneer

Goes for latter option , but R only goes through by 3", so now croquet shot to send it to rover is awkward. Barely makes peg high in fact

Runs penult by 6" only himself, and now has a hampered continuation shot. From a good position a few shots ago, he's making hard work of this

Hits hampered shot with a sweep, sends U out as dep ball at rover. Now has a 2ft rush on peelee, which goes to 4ft peeling position at a slight angle. Peel goes 9" through, so Y must jump through from a ft

Jump goes through, but not enough height so clips peelee and must take croquet from it now

R being sent pegward. Shot being umpired so must be open. Misses to 3 yds N. No real chance of combo peg out, so I imagine we'll be having 1 off

K on E boundary 10 yds N of C4, U on W boundary 15 yds N of C1.

9 U misses K from end of A baulk. Longer shot than at R from where it lies, but joining up in case R's 3ydr at the peg is missed

10 But it doesn't

Aiton beat Beard +25

Test Score
	3	3

Match Score
	1	0

The eponymous Mr. Plummer is hoop fettling, back soon...

GAME 2

======

1 U supershot

2 R to maximum position on E boundary

3 K hits R from A baulk. Rolls R to W boundary, misses cut rush on U to 1 to S boundary 5 yds E of end of A baulk

4 Y hits 5 ydr, and is approaching 1 from within the jaws with a laid 3 ball break

Goes off the S boundary taking off from the peg trying to pick up K which was a yard off the boundary. Big reprieve for Keith

5 K is approaching hoop 1 from 6yds with R&Y joined up 6yds SE of 2. Crashes through longish hoop roqueting partner in the process, thus avoiding 5 yd return. Laid break now, with Y on 4 might fancy some pops on R

R never in danger of being anywhere near hoop 1, so will just be a ball to 4b, hopefully with some sort of forcing leave

3b pioneer has been clubbed to within a yd fo the S boundary, so might be difficult to get a good leave now. Still had a chance of an NSL with the hoop 1 ball on hoop 4, but seems to be going for a spread instead

Hampered after 3b, so has to hit 12 ydr at ball by the peg. Looking like an OSL now! Y 3yds E of middle of W boundary, R middle of E boundary, U&K in C4

6 Y hits short lift. Rushes K to E boundary 3 yds S of R. K punted towards 3 and gets a good rush on R to 1

Well, actually, it was a cut rush to 4, which he makes cleanly but just nicks 5 yd return after. Rolls up to 5 from 4yds SE. Runs it and rushes R to E boundary level with 3. Square croquet stroke sends R to 6 and gets a rush on K there too. Rushes to 4 yds due S and approaches the hoop sending K to 1b. Runs hoop 6 so has a 3b break with U a ft out of C4

Out of nowhere Y sticks in 2b

7 U hits 5 yd lift shot from A baulk. Standard tp as he approaches hoop 3

Jawses 4b peel after 3

Completes 4b peel after 6 and sets up for Wylie method after

Runs penult, roquets deep ball and sends it to 2b getting a rush on the peelee

Peel goes through 6" and has a 2ft brush on R to 1b

Rushes peelee to niddlr of W boundary after 1b. Sends it to rover but doesn't get a rush on 2b pioneer S of the hoop. Safely negotiates 2 yd backward take off approach

Rover peeled going to 3b. Finishes

With some fist.

Aiton beat Beard +25 +18tp

Test Score
	5	3

Match Score
	2	0