Good morning from Nottingham. Another good day for GB yesterday saw them move to brink of victory against NZ and take a 10-5 lead. At long last the Chapman & Westerby pairing made some errors and these were seized gratefully by Fulford and Lines.

Maugham and Rutger played well yesterday but were beaten by a magnificent performance from Bryant and Clarke with Greg in particular looking very strong.

James thinks Mulliner v Skinley will be first to finish. I'll go with Fulford v Chapman.

Looking back at the matches so far, I think it could easily have been 8-7 now had Westerby finished against Fulford and the Kiwi top doubles pair played better yesterday. That would have set up a great last day.

But, it's still not over, and as always, I'll be happy when GB secure their 11th win.

It's cold here today - 13 degrees. The forecast is promising and I hope to see the sun soon since I'm covering the far lawns today and am freezing.

Perhaps the more interesting match today is at Roehampton where the USA won all three doubles on day 4, just as they did at Bowdon, to take a 9-6 lead.

I'm predicting plenty more whooping today as the USA seek their first win over Aus since 2000, and possibly their most convincing win ever against Aus if they can share todays singles.

News from Surbiton is that they have suffered two heavy thunderstorms and the lawns were only running at 10.5 seconds at last count. This will obviously have some effect on the hoops as well. I'm disappointed by the English weather which hasn't allowed for the top players here to be fully tested.

Mulliner started his practice at 9.41 today. Paul is wandering down to the lawn with some hand gestures shaking his head.

Apparently, the teams were told that there would be a presentation this morning - nobody told me.

So, we have just had a brief break for a presentation to Charlie the groundsman - many thanks to him for all his work and congrats on becoming a new father last week.

It was slightly disappointing that the GB Captain wasn't there, but perhaps he didn't know about it.

Jenny has just read my comment and asked "Was Rob not there?"

That was quite funny.

T1 K 10y N of C4

T2 R Duffer tice

T3 U at R from C3.............misses

... to 15y N of C1

T4 Y shoots at U from C1................misses

T5 U joins 2y S of K

T6 R shoots at U................misses

U has made hoop 1 and is still picking up a break

Paul has made hoop 2 and has a break

Paul has made a diagonal spread with R at the peg

R has lifted and is shooting at K from A-baulk..............misses

Surprising to see the short lift being taken against Skinley

K has made hoop 1 and should get a standard TP

Skinley refused to roll U to hoop 3 going to his hoop 2 pioneer and now needs a good shot to get U into peeling position

Paul has made hoop 3 and now has a delayed TP.

I've been quite excited this morning because David Miller and Rupert Thorpe have turned up. They both stopped playing shortly before the 1974 MacRobertson Shield. Their book was published in 1966.

I've been trying to explain what Paddy and Rob are doing on lawn 1, but it's all new to them.

Lovely to see them here.

Paul peels 4-b before hoop 6

Paul has rushed the peelee 8 feet in front of penult after 2-b....good shot

It's through nicely

Straight rover peel coming up for Skinley

It's a lovely sunny day here now

Game 2

T1 R 13y supershot

T2 K dribbles at R from near C1..........misses

T3 Y shoots at K from end of B-Baulk.........missing to about 3y W of C4

T4 U shoots at R/K from near C1..............hits K.

Misses 3 to 4 yard rush to hoop 1

R shoots at Y.................hits

Takes off to U in C1, finishes short and goes back to Y

This is mind-blowingly aggressive.

U shoots at Y........................misses

The GB Captain has arrived

Stephen  makes hoop 1, but is hampered

Looking at a left handed sweep through the hoop. It's off partner

No, he's now playing it standing up..................hits

Stephen has reached hoop 4 on his break

NSL with K at hoop 4

Skinley lifts K to B-baulk and shoots at R............misses

Stephens makes hoop 1 with R, but is hampered after running hoop 2 off partner.

He's looking at not taking a shot and is guarding U's shot from 3 to 2

Mulliner, Vincent and Skinley are now all in the middle of the lawn

Mulliner is asking for R to be checked in the hoop

Vincent is testing R in the hoop.

I have to assume that Stephen has agreed that he won't be shooting at Y or U

R plays to the W boundary level with hoop 2

That's 9 times I've seen Stephen ask for a hoop to be tested, and they have all been ok.

U (at hoop 3) shoots at K in C4........................misses narrowly

R take on 7 yarder at Y...............hits

Stephen is for hoop 3 and has a cannon in C4

He's made hoop 3, but still has a bit more to do for a break

Stephen has a 4 foot straight hoop 4 for a break.............looks really uncomfortable over it.

..............centre wire

Skinley has a 6+ yarder K at R...............hits

Lawns just starting to dry out a bit

If it was 8-7, instead of 10-5, I'd be extremely worried now.

Skinley has picked up a 4-ball break

The lawns are looking very black

K is hampered after 3-b.....................hits and has a fist

The leave doesn't look great. He's taking croquet off partner after 3-b with Y near hoop 1 and R 2y NE of the peg.

It could turn into anything

U is 20y N of C1 and probably not on the boundary.

Y is at the peg

R is croqueted off the lawn 5y N of C4

Y has a 5yarder.

Y snicks 5 yarder

Rolls K N of hoop 2 and U S of hoop1 before retiring to R

U shoots at R..........................it's for the match..............

........................misses

Stephen is setting up for a delayed TP

He's going to try rushing over after hoop 6.

Good safe line of play from Stephen there

Rushes over and gets the peel

I'd be satisfied with pen and peg with a good leave here

Ah, I didn't know Stephen could rush U to the N boundary after 1-b....just needs a good croquet stroke and should still be finishing

Stephen is clearing acorns off the N boundary

I thought he could get U to 3-b getting behind Y, but I'm obviously wrong.

He's sent U 3y N of hoop 6 and got a rush on Y whch will now have to go to 3-b

Walks after his hoop stroke at 3-b and he's stuck

That's given U a 3 yarder for a good chance of a standard TP for the match.

This is looking dire for GB

Lunch

Annoyingly Skinley has hit the shot left to him post lunch while the commentators were having their wonderful lunch.

He has made 1 and is in front of 2 with a standard TP all set up.

Think he had hoop and roquet on escape ball, peelee has gone to 5, no peel yet

Has 1yd 40degree peel attempt having rushed up after 5, fails the peel, break under control though.

Rush peel after 6.

Peelee is sent to 2back. No it's not, it's halfway to the corner

Has made 2back and is rebuilding for the delayed double.

Paul has made 3back and has a 5yard forward rush, with the hoop in his stance

makes a roquet, no rush

Peeling penult before 4back from 5ft straight.  Penult pioneer is 8ft N of the hoop and off straight

Peel fails but 4back is under control

Straight peel from 1inch in front

Peels penult to 8ft N of rover

Thanks to James for covering for me during lunch.

Skinley has a 15inch straight rover peel

Skinley wins +26TP +7TP