Welcome to Bowdon for the final day of the GB v USA Test Match. A great day for the USA yesterday, saw them claw their way back to 7-8, meaning that if they win the singles 4-2 today, they will record a historic win.

The GB team were royally entertained by Liz and Rupert last night and hopefully are now fully refreshed for this important day.

I'll be commentating on the "old" matches today.

Mulliner v Bast and Aiton v Grimsley on lawns 1 and 2

One of Mulliners great strengths is being able to the previos days play behind him and I'm confident that we'll soon see him bouncing down the path eager to record a quick win and get the team one closer to 11.

One thing is for sure. GB can lose today. The more interesting question is "can USA win?" i.e. If GB play averagely, can the USA produce their top form and still win. I think the answer may be yes, although I haven't seen much sign of it so far. The USA's best player has clearly been Huneycutt, but Lamm has also been solid.

We have some blue sky today and I'll carelessly not brought a sweater, since it's already clouding over.

The players are starting to mill around in the clubhouse, although 5 of the GB team are yet to arrive??? It's only 4 minutes to practice time

No-one in my "predict the score" competition has guessed more than 9 wins for the USA and if I had to guess the score now, I'd go for GB 12 USA 9.

Meanwhile, let's not forget about Heaton Park, where we have another great Test match. I have to say that if you are a neutral, this has been a great Mac so far. Even if you are extremely biased like myself, it's been pretty exciting/worrying!!

NZ lead 9-6 and the much awaited Chapman v Fletcher match has a late start. Will the Test match still be alive when they start?

I'm often quick to criticise Stephen, but full marks to him today as he is only GB player to be practicing at 9.47

Perhaps more surprising is that Maugham is the second GB player to make a move towards his lawn at 9.48

Apologies to readers, I've got the lawns wrong and Aiton v Grimsley is on lawn 4, so James will be your commentator

Mulliner RY

Bast UK

T1 K 14y supershot

T2 R 16y N of C4

T3 U shoots at R from B-Baulk................hits

U is slightly short going to K and K is rushed 4 yards N of C1

U completely underapproaches and can't run 1, but has put K sufficiently far E so their is no double.

Instead of joining up, U plays 14y N of C4

Y takes 13yarder at R from B-baulk.........hits.

That should be a ball round...............TO 4-B.........that's 4-B

Hurray!!!!..............Y runs 1-b

T4 Y is round to 4-b and has made a diagonal spread with K at the peg. RY are 10y N of C4

U has lifted and is taking the long lift from B-Baulk at R............hits

U has made hoop 1 and has a break. I expect a boring ball to 4-b with a spread

U hasn't done very well and now has a 3 yard side approach to hoop 2...........overhits it slightly and has a failable hoop. Good stroke and he's definitely away now

T5 U is on 4-b and has made B spread with R at the peg. R at Y is about 12 yards. K has a rush on rush towards hoop 1 from 6yards N or C4

K 1

U -4B

R 1

Y 4B

R has a range of 12 to 13 yarders

Opts to take his longest short shot and shoots R at U from where it lies...........misses

K misses R from about 4 feet. Jim says he "hit it gently and didn't account for the trough that was there".

A massive turning point in the game........and possibly Test

R has made hoop 1 and has a standard TP.

Come on Stephen!!

R jawses Y in 4-b after hoop 3

R went back and rush-peled Y through 4-b after hoop 4.

Penult peeled after hoop 6

Y is jawsed in rover after 3-b

GB take the first +17TP

Match score GB 1 USA 0

Test score GB 8 USA 7

Game 2

Mulliner RY

Bast UK

T1 Y 13 yard narrow supershot

T2 K 10 yards E of the peg and a a yard south

T3 R misses K from the end of B-Baulk

T4 U misses Y finishing 11 yards E of C2

T5 R misses Y

yet another opening I've never seen

I think they are all awful

T6 U shoots at K.....................hits

T6 U has run hoop 1 and has 4-ball break

U fails hoop 5 from nowhere

Y approaches hoop1 from 4 yards E of the hoop. A good shot leaves a 2 foot hoops. Blobs hoop.

He's not in the middle, but I think Y might be able to run it next turn

K (2 yards E of hoop 2) shoots at U 5 yards E of the peg........misses

Now, can Y run hoop 1?

Apparently not.

R hits Y by running 8 foot 2-b

R has made hoop 2 and has a 4 ball break

R is on 4-b and has made an NSL with K at hoop 4.

Recap

R 4-B

Y 1

U 5

K 1

U lifts and shoots at R from A-baulk.....................misses badly

Y runs hoop 1, but is hampered and can only see R near the E boundary........misses

U at hoop 2 will be shooting at K N of hoop 1..................misses badly

On lawn 4, Grimsley has taken the match by finishing off the contact 5th turn. A very fine performance - well played Doug

Test score GB 8 USA 8

Stephen has been playing big rolls all over the lawn and has just run a very angled hoop 3. He hasn't got a standard TP out, but now has a delayed TP ahead of him

Y is on 1-b and still has no peels

Stephen leaves his 3-b pioneer at 4-b.

Jawses R before 3-b and rushes U 3 yards in front of 3-b ... good shot

R has been rush peeled through 4 back and we now have a straight double.

Y is trying to peel R from 18 inches straight

R is peeled to just S of the peg.

Just a straight rover peel left

Y rushes R badly and it finishes 2 feet W of rover. It will be a rover and peg leave now

recap

R Rover

Y peg

U 5

K 1

R is 18y N of C1 and about 2 feet E

U is 16y N of C4 and 4 feet W

K is in the middle of hoop 5

Y is off the W boundary just S of R

K lifts and shoots at U from B-Baulk...........misses

R cuts Y near C1. Rolls Y to the peg going to K, takes off to get a rush on U to rover........looks good

Rushes U 2 yards E of rover and takes off to leave a 2 foot straight hoop. Finishes.

Match to GB +17TP +22

Test score GB 10 USA 8