Rutger and Skinley will be going onto lawn 2 after an early lunch

No, the manager has changed his mind. Aaron and Robert will be on 2 and Rutger and Paul on 5 if Stephen finishes.

Rutger and Paul are now going on 4 as Michael has also finished and started knocking up.

The match starts in glorious sunshine but the breeze is getting up and blowing across the lawns

Paul RY

Rutger KU

Paul starts with R East boundary 11 yds N of corner 4

K goes 9 sinches S of corner 2

Y shoots at R from corner 3 missing to corner 4, after a fire engine screams by.

B shoots at K from B baulk after numerous swings and hits half ball

Takes off from corner 2 and gets within 2 yds of yellow in corner 4

Takes off behind R and has a rush to 1, 11ft past hoop 1.  Approach is good. Rushes to 5 yds N of Y in corner 4 with K 1 yd E of corner 2.

Plays good takeoff into the corner but the rush hits hoop 4 and finishes 2yds  S of 5.  Rolls Y to 3 leaving 6 yarder at K, misses K

Y has a perfect double from hoop 3 to just short of corner 2....

Paul hits

Paul gets the break going

Makes 2 but misses ball in corner after.

Rutger gets his break back and is now in full control

Rutger fails to POP R both before 5 and before 6, has 3 yard approach to 6.  Makes 6 to the boundary.

U 1back and in play

K 1

R 1

Y 3

Rutger having had a long think at 1 back reaches 4 back with Y in MSL position on 2, hit a 12 yard return roquet after 3back.  Leaves a rush to 1 on E  boundary 12 yards N of 4 with R 5 yds NW of 5

Paul declines the lift and R hits U as they lay.

R 1

Y 3

U 1

K 4back

Paul makes 1 and now has a break

Considered TPO but needed big cut rush on K to corner 2 so he could send it to 4back, rush climbed over K finishing short of Y,  gave up on TPO and is having ball round.

Sorry had K and U the wrong way round, Paul has now POPed K through 1 on the way to 5

R 5 and in midbreak

Y 3

K 2

U 4 back

To go with the new Hopewell hoops in use, we also have brand new shiny pegs with extensions in gold, very kindly made and donated by Dr Bowen who is here spectating today along with another 60 people.

Paul does the second POP after 2back and has now made 3back.  The leave is a B spread, K 9yds S of corner 2 and 1 yd inlawn, U is 5ft SE of the peg, Y 9yds N of corner 4 with a 3ft rush on R pointing at U 

U 4 back

K 3

R 4 back

Y 3

Rutger lifts U and is taking the long lift at Y ....

Swinging

Still swinging

Refuses before swinging some more

2nd Refusal, Goacher looks quick in comparison

Centre balls Y. SHOT!!

Rutger is having a leave, Y between 4 and the corner, R end of B baulk and a yd in, K & U W boundary 15 yds N of corner 1.

Paul shot with R at K and U missing through the middle

Rutger approached 3 off partner and ran the hoop to the S boundary, hits Y and takes off to R up by hoop 2.  U is now the hoop 4 pioneer only 16yds N of the hoop!!!

The heavens have just opened. Rutger took off to hoop 4 from 7 yards, approached to 2 feet and has now stopped to shelter.

Rain has died down again but the sky has definitely filled in

Both players seem to be waiting for the current weather to pass

Rutger resumes after a break for the rain which is still falling but not as heavy.  Attempts a 3 yard cut rush peel before 6 missing the hoop !!??!! Is now trying 4back peel going to 1back

Peels 4back to the yardline, break goes well peeling penult before 4back, just a straight rover peel left

Peelee yard in front of rover as he makes penult.  Peels to 2 yds off boundary, promotes it to yardline with R, leaves cutrush pointing at mid E boundary, cuts to 4yds NE of peg....

Pegout is from more like 6 yards for +15tp

Match score

GB 1-0 NZ

Test Score

GB 6-4 NZ

Hoops getting checked again before the restart

Game 2

Rutger Y 6 inches S of corner 2

K 18 inches N or corner 4

R from the end of B baulk shoots at K missing into corner 4

U shoots from A baulk at R missing to the left of R, comes back on between R and K

R promotes K up the lawn with U, puts U in lawn and rushes K to corner 2.  He's picking this up well with one good rush to hoop 1

Perfect rush to 2 feet SE of 1

Has 2yd backward take off to 3 for the 4 ball break, runs to S of peg hits 5yd on pivot and now has 4 ball break.

Rutger gets to 4back, has a diagonal spread with K tight to W boundary at max distance, U 1ft ESE of peg, Y&R max distance E boundary with rush pointing at the peg.  Good turn

Paul lifts K and takes the long lift, hits Y to 9 yds N of corner 4

Paul UK

Rutger RY

K 1

U 1

R 4back

Y 1

Makes hoop 1, full control on the break

No TPO, R gone out as a hoop 4 pioneer

Paul jawses a POP on Y before 5

Paul is round to 4back, leave is.....

Leave is B spread with a reverse rush for K&U

Rutger shoots with Y near W boundary at R open by the peg. Rushes it to E boundary 3 yds N of K&U

Looks disappointed with where it finished, S of K&U would have made life a lot easier for the triple.  Should be capable of dealing with it.

R 4back

Y 2

U 1

K 4back

Rutger has a 3yd backward takeoff to 3 with peelee 7 yds S of 3.  Has discussion with Paul and then Martin.  Carrys on failing the long peel after 3 but the break continues.  Discussion was that Rutger wasn't certain that K had moved in the takeoff.  Noone else knew one way or the other (all being 20+yards away) Took the positive decision and carried on as he wasn't certain that it didn't move

Peels 4back by an inch before 6

Y rushes R to 4 yds N of penult after 2back, jawses the peel getting a rush S on K, U waiting at 3back as a pioneer.

Straight rover peel left to guarantee GB at least halve today's singles

R is 7ft N of rover and 1ft E, Y making penult at the moment

Peeling from 3ft straight

Rushing to the peg from 2yds off the S boundary, pegs out from 5ft

Rutger wins +15tp +17tp

Test Score

GB 7-4 NZ

A good day at the office for GB,  Dave just needs to find his shooting boots and an oppo who misses occasionally. Ian managed to pick upa win while not playing perfectly.  Keith looked good when in but Michael played solidly against him.  Stephen is hitting top form and looking very good now.  Rutger is shooting very well and will hopefully keep it going.  Robert is on a finishing turn to make it 4-2 on the day and 8-4 on aggregate.

Paul was unlucky to meet Rutger in such fine form shooting, Greg had one very expensive error peeling off the lawn against Stephen but otherwise looked good,  I didn't see Jenny play but losing to Ian won't help her confidence.  Paddy is looking the strongest player of anyone and playing Rob on Monday should be a cracker of a match.  Aaron is also playing solid and shooting well.

That's all from me till tomorrow morning.