Morning all and welcome to Nottingham on a grey and overcast morning for what could be a pivotal 3rd day of this test.  NZ really need to win the singles at least 4-2 to get a realistic shot at winning this test.  3-3 has to be an absolute minimum to stay in touch.  I will be with you for the next 3 days all the way to the end of this test. 

The lawns were running at 11.5 seconds this morning.

Chris will be commentating lawns 1+2 this morning and I have lawns  4+5.  

Players are out and practicing

And we're off

Keith plays U to peg high E boundary

R is a short duffer 5ft short of 6

K shoots at U from corner 3 and.......

..... centre balls it to 3 yds N of IV

Keith rolls to 2 and R, 1 yd short, rushes to peg high between 1 and 2. Stops to think about the backward take off

Keith declines take off and rolls them off, R peg high E boundary, K level with 4 on the boundary

Michael shoots at U which is 5ft W of 6 from B baulk and hits centre ball rushing it 8 yds N of 1

Y took off to R, hit 4 yarder and has a 3 yard take off for a rush to 1.  Gets the rush but leaves it 8ft short.  Good approach and has good chance of a break.

Has a 3 ball break with R on E boundary, gets hampered after 3 and Martin French has the first call of the morning, plays the shot straight but missed.

Keith has a choice of 6-8 yarders, playing U from near 4 at R on E boundary, misses the 8 yarder.

Michael RY

Keith KU

Michael playing R has made 1 and has a 4 ball break in front of him

Crowds up to 35-40 already and the rain has started.

Michael has run 2back by nothing and Y is  2 yds SE of the hoop, hampered shot is trivial, looks like a spread coming

Michael didn't get a rush out of 3back and now it looks like a reverse spread

Michael has the reverse spread but K at the peg is open on U 9 yds N of corner 4.

R & Y 12 yds S of corner 2.

Keith lifts U and is shooting from corner 1 at Y missing through the hole

Y 4

R 4back

K 1

U 1

Michael makes 4 with a 3 ball break and U just outside corner 2.

Michael dug U out before 1 back, no sign of any peels yet

Rain has stopped and the sun is trying to break through, some shadows have been sighted.

Michael has no peels done and has just made penult.

Y is having a horizontal spread with K 2yds N and 10yds W of peg, U 2inches E of peg and R&Y maximum distance E boundary rush pointing at the peg. 

R 4back

Y peg

K 1

U 1 

Keith lifts U from the peg and is taking short lift at K from B baulk, misses badly with an ugly swing.

Michael makes 4back, should finish

Michael finishes +26

Sunshine is making a rare full appearance

Hoops are being inspected by Martin

Match score 1-0 NZ

Test Score 4-2 GB

Michael U to 8yds N of corner 4

R to 8 inches S of corner 2

K shoots at U from corner 3missing to N of corner 4

Y hits K half ball from A baulk.  Stops K in lawn and rushes U to 3 yds E of corner 2.  Clubs takeoff rush pointing N of 6, cuts it to peg high between 1 and 2

Rolls to 1 putting R towards the corner, Y finishes in the jaws, dribbles 4 yds through

Michael UK

Keith RY

U shoots at K, watches all the way but misses just right.

Red nicks Y, rolls to short of 2 and K. Rushes K to U and cuts U to 8ft E of 1, Approaches and makes 1, should go round

Keith is playing quicker and looks much more solid now.

Keith is round to 4back with a diagonal spread, Y is 11 yds N of corner 4.

R 4back

Y 1

K 1

U 1

Michael lifted K from the peg and missed the short lift from A baulk.

Keith gets going with Y, standard TP in front of him.

Jawsed first peel after 3

Keith misapproached 5 and has 6inch 45 degree hoop.  Needs the hoop shot watched

Keith fails hoop leaving R and U together at 4back (Correction peel failed after 3)

Y 5

R 4back

K 1

U 1

Michael picks up break for U, makes 1 and should go round

Michael is making 1back

Michael is round to 4back with an NSL. R for 4back on 4.

Keith lifts Y and is taking the short lift for a delayed TP.  Misses K.

U 4back

K 1

R 4back

Y 5 

Crowd up to about 50 and the sun is shining again. Clouds breaking up, could be nice this afternoon.

Y when sending it to 2 glued on the peg, good rush to 1.  U 7 yds N of 4 and Y close to peg,  needs a rush to 2.

Gets a 3 ft rush on Y pointing due N, cuts it well to hoop 2.  Should have a TP from here.

Gazebo by lawn 4 is trying to blow away.  Pete Trimmer is currently stood on a chair holding a roof pole in place.

Up to hoop 5 and no peels done, not even looking at them.

Correction, I should be watching more closely.  Two peels done after 6 all under control.

Michael is up to penult, straight peel to do, peelee 6inches in front.

Peel is good, peg out is from 1yard

Michael wins +26 +14tp

Test Score GB 5-4 NZ