Good morning from Nottingham.

A fascinating days play here yesterday. The NZ team played, in my opinion, better yesterday than the USA played on any day at Bowdon. Clearly, the conditions were easier, but I thought it was a fine performance. It felt on many occasions as if I would be sitting here now writing about how GB needed to come back from a 0-3 start. However, GB did something yesterday that they failed to do at Bowdon - they took advantage of their opponents errors.

A 2-1 lead to GB overnight was a massive result.

Today, I'll be covering this match, so I might actually be able to get some video taken if it finishes quickly. As I said in my match preview, I believe it is critical for the NZ top pair to remain unbeaten. They were excellent yesterday.

NZ will be hoping to be level by the end of the day, whilst today is GBs opportunity to create clear blue water.

Speaking of clear blue water, it looks like we'll be seeing some more of that from above today. It's grey and cold and as I sit outside underneath the open sided gazebo, I'm wondering why I didn't bring a coat to England.

Yesterday saw the first use of a defensive opening by a GB pair. What will we see today?

So much to look forward to and an exciting match at Roehampton where whispering Phil will be looking after you again today.

Sit back and enjoy.

This game is rather surprisingly on lawn 1 following a random draw which was the decision taken for the lawn allocation following the movement of one of the matches yesterday.

The players are out practicing. It is raining lightly

The manager has changed the lawn allocations, so I'm switching to the new lawn 4 game Fulford/Lines v Bryant/Clarke. Enjoy Diggers commentary on this one

Lucky day getting the big match.  I think Aiton and Mulliner can win this they were good yesterday I think it is likely to just be a shooting contest with very few errors.

Mulliner (yellow) supershot to 2 yards NW of 5

Paddy (Black) to just out of corner 2

Aiton (Red) hits black from B baulk

Rolls balck to 1 going to yellow rushes to 4 yds SW of 1 approaches to just over 2 yards runs it gets a 4 yard forward roget for the break - stance slightly hampered

Hits it

All going fine for Keith on hoop 4

Keith is cross wired from his 2 back pioneer but looks like it is hittable through the hoop.

Hits it

3 ducks leave from Aiton

Aaron hits yellow centre ball from B baulk

They have a discussion immediately and Aaron makes hoop 1 off partner with yellow the hoop 2 pioneer and red as the pivot.

Rushes peelee into the jaws of 2 after 1 whihc wont help the TPO

Will they switch to a 1back leave - discussing it now

The peelee is going to hoop 4 so no TPO

So making hoop 4 off red  aaron has yellow at hoop 1 (POPing?) and black at hoop 5

Jawses yellow going to hoop 5

Its only going to be one POP

He is going to be making 3 back off yellow the hoop 2 ball.

Hes going to try and get the 4back ball in hoop 1 after 2 back

The attempt at placing it from 18" hills doesnt hit the hoop - it will need to be moved.

After 3back Aaron rushes yellow to the S boundary and plays it up to hoop 2 going to the ball by the hoop

Rushes the red to a perfect spot just needs to play a shaker going to the escape ball which is 4 yards away.

That goes to plan

Rolls to 10 yards N of corner 4 and leaves a rush to yellow

Red is perfect it doesnt rush to hoop 2.  I think they will move it

Actually yellow at red from where they lie is pretty attractive its 19 yards

I want them to play yellow - Chris wants them to play red

They seem to be favouring shooting at red from corner 1.

This match has been perfect so far, it is likely to remain so in my view.  You hit with yellow and finish

It is yellow to shoot from corner 1 - no umpire!

Perfect shot hits it half ball - now hes just got to finish

Didnt see where Stephen had to approach form but he ran a 4' slightly angled hoop and that should be that

All going fine after hoop 4 one peel done.

2nd peel after 6

Stephen decides not to attempt a peel going to 3back

Has to apporach 4back from 3 yards straight, does and runs it after a restalk

The peelee is no more than 6" from rover at a sligt angle should be trivial

Mulliner & Aiton +17tp

That is a cracking win.  What are the NZ boys made of, pretty sure they still have two errorless games in them

Paddy (Black ) supershot 2 yards W and 1 yard N of hoop 5

Aiton shoot at black from A baulk missing to 5 yards W of hoop 6

Aarons shot in the first game was immaculate - he needs this one

Aaron is shooting from 10 yds W of corner 3 - this cant be right

After discussion they are now taking the double from A baullk - not sure itis a real double Keith missed on the left

Hits the black to 6 yards W of red

Aaron is away

At hoop 4 with a 2yd backward take off

Its raining quite hard now

Good control again at hoop 6

Stephen has our lift, hes been good so far.  Bit dribbly for my liking they can certainly hill off here the speed he is shooting at

Westerby's really concentrating well, every stroke has his full attention

Update from Statto

Looks very wet on the rain radar and more to come from the north

I can confirm it is very wet

Mulliner is on in full waterproofs - cant be good

It eases off he is going to shoot from b baulk.  I quite fancy him to hit this.

Hills off

Conditions are just unpleasant for Paddy now as opposed to downright awful

First peel will be from less than a foot after hoop 3 - the equaliser is inevitable

Horribel rushed rush after hoop 4 goes off miles too far S and he has a shout at himself

Fails hoop 6 peel after penult

Death roll peel is through by a few inches and he doesnt got to it until after 3back

Peelee 12" straight in front of rover as he comes to it

Perfect Irish peel

Thanks to Digger for his commentary. He's offered the decider to me.

I have to say that the standard of play has been excellent this morning. With the slower lawns, conditions are really easy (much easier than either Manchester venue).

I've been delighted with the GB tactics this morning - it has been a fine performance so far, but we could still lose the dasy due to excellent stuff from NZ. This is a really good test match.

I think lunch is being taken before the third. Yes - that's been confirmed

They're back and this is a crucial game - particularly for the Kiwis

Mulliner Y

Aiton R

Chapman K

Westerby U

T1 Y 13 yard narrow suershot

T2 K dribbles at Y from 1 y E of C1..............hits in the middle

Croquets Y 5 yards short of C2. K goes 1 ft N of C4

T3...................

GB still thinking

T3 R shoots at Y from B-Baulk.........................hits in the middle

takes off to K leaving Y on the W boundary. Looks like it'll be a defensive dream leave..........or will Keith try and approach hoop 1?

More discussion

I think Stephen's encouraging the aggressive line of play

Stephen is standing 7y W of the peg indicating a spot

R rols K towards the indicated spot, trying to get in front of hoop 1. Both balls finish 18 inches away from perfection - good effort, but he'll have to retire to Y

Dribbles back towards Y finishing 4 yards short. This might be a double from the end of A-Baulk.

No, it's got 3 balls in the middle and Aaron is off to B-Baulk and is shooting at Y............

Fantastic shot hits centre ball. This has been a mighty fine performance by these two Kiwis so far

Thoughts now start moving to what the GB pair will do if they hit the lift........should that be thoughts or nightmares??

Looking on the bright side, conditions are much easier than Bowdon

and their opponents are much better

Aaron is on hoop 6 on his 4-ball break. No popping this turn

Aaron is on 4-b and has a diagonal spread with R at the peg. He is laid up 8 yards N of C4.

Short lift looks compulsory to me

R lifts and is shooting at K from A-baulk

Massive shot, come on Keith!!

Poor shot misses by 2 balls on the right.

That's a shame because everyone had been so good and this match deserved a TPO ending

I would have rushed partner directly to hoop 1 there, but Paddy is opting to get a better hoop 2 pioneer and rush peelee over to 3 after hoop 2

1 yard backward take-off needed to hoop 1

Perfect take-off. Runs hoop hitting Y

Croquets Y short of hoop 3 leaving a 4 yards on R......snicks it

This is somewhat untiday at the moment

untidy

Peelee is through 4-b after hoop 3. He might not be able to send Y all the way to hoop 5 maintaining a rush to hoop 4 though....... 3 yards short - should be fine

GB need a gold-plated tree trunk of a stopping bisque from here if they're to get another turn

U is peeled through penult after hoop 6

Paddy finishes.

NZ win -17TP(M) +26TP(C) +26TP(C)

Test score GB 3 NZ 2

A magnificent performance from the NZ number 1 pair. Fine effort from GB as well. A quality match

I'd be confident that's the best doubles match by a non-GB pair ever in the Mac