Welcome to Bowdon for day 2 of the GB v USA match. I'll be trying to cover this match and the Aiton Mulliner match. It's much warmer this morning, though still no sign of the yellow object that visits Manchester infrequently

I spent yesterday morning at Heaton Park and the afternoon at Bowdon. Award for top team of day went clearly to the Kiwis.

The lawns at Bowdon are running at around 11 plummers and the hoops are fairly easy. The lawns at Heaton were around 11.5 and the hoops were much easier than Bowdon.

There were some early nerves on display yesterday as is usual for day one, but I'll concentrate on some fine performances. Firstly, an excellent debut by Michael Wright who hit the duffer tice and then after making a leave had two good breaks and leaves in their two games. Secondly, Paul Skinley who just had two solid tps in his only yurns of croquet and finally Ian Lines who did the same.

The players are practising (except Dave). Some are wearing shorts and polo shirts whilst others still have full wet weather gear on. The weather forecast is promising, but it's never good to rely on in this part of the world.

With the underdog taken a slight lead in both Test matches, today promises to be a fascinating days play 

I have to say that I don't like the 15 minute practice. Even less requirement for the players to demonstrate judgement of lawn conditions. By the time we get to the singles, there probably won't be an error in sight. Until Surbiton.

James Death would be game up in the amount of time they've spent on the lawn already.

T1 Soo (U) 13y Suerpshot

T2 Fulford (R) just South of C2

T3 Lamm (K) misses R - looks like a decent double

T4 Lines (Y) hits outside half of black

Lines hasn't best the best sequence of strokes, but now has a 1 yard backward take-off to hoop 1 without a ball within 4 yards of hoop 2

1 yard straight hoop is made with a confident stroke and he should have enough to get round from here

This break from Lines still isn't under control. The lawns look like 10 second lawns, but are playing a second faster and both his hoop 3 and hoop 4 pioneers and towards the corners.

Lines has now run hoop 5 and has complete control

Lines is making a spread and will be leaving Lamm near the West boundary.

This is quite a horizontal spread. Black is only 19 yards North of A-Baulk. Ian doesn't get a rush on partner off the lawn and has to roll there from the peg. He croquets redd off the lawn, but seems to have yellow in an acceptable position - we'll see

The rush is fine and he is definitely south of level with hoop 5. The Americans may well take the short lift here

Lamm lifts K and is taking the short lift

Lamm misses R by a ball on the right

Fulford has made hoop 1 and has all the balls

Fulford has peeled 4-b after hoop 3 and hit a slightly hampered shot on his escape ball.

It has just started drizzling

Fulford is on 4-b with 1 peel still to do

Fulford and Lines take the first +26tp

Game 2

T1 Lines (Y) 16 yard supershot

T2 Soo (K) 12Y N of C4

T3 Fulford (R) shoots at angle at K from B-baulk, missing, finishing 4 to 5 yards S of K

Apologies, it was Lamm who played K on turn 2

T4 Soo (U) makes doubles and hits outside of R from B-Baulk

Soo has to approach hoop 1 from the West boundary, but plays a good shot to get a 4 foot fairly straight hoop.............. Blobs.

Lines now has a 4 yarder at the ball in the hoop.

Dribbles at it and hits the left hand wire, but not the ball.

Soo sticks in hoop 2 off partner. R and Y are crosswired 6 yards N and S of hoop 3. Lines (Y) shoots at K (16 yarder) missing to near C2

Soo runs hoop 2 and opts to take on 6 yarder at Y..............misses

Soo missed Y on the left leaving Lines a cuttable rush to hoop 1. Lines clubbed it so it was speeding off the South boundary, but the ball has rather handily finished in the jaws of hoop 1 giving him a break.

It has stopped raining and the sun is breaking through

This is hard work for Lines. Somehow his hoop 3 pioneer finished on the East boundary. He's still going though and that's the main thing

Lines is on 1-b with a tight break

Lines is round to 4-b and is trying to make a defensive leave since oppo are on 1 and 3. It's not going well - the balls could finish anywhere.

mmm - ugly.

U (for 3) is foot N of C4

K (for 1) is 3y E of peg

Y (for 1) is 20y N of C1

R is 2 yard SE of Y

Sorry, that should be Y (for 4-b) and R (for 1), so the rush is the wrong way round

K has lifted and is shooting at R form 2y E of C1............................MISSES to 2 yards E of C2

Fulford hits partner and rolls down to hoop 1. I have to admit, I thought he just leave a rush, but he has taken a very difficult hoop on and made it look trivial. Hits his 5 yard return, croquets partner to hoop 3, getting a 6 yarder on U in C4 whic he hits. All he has to do now is take off to K and make hoop 2

Takes off 5 yards short...........

Hits in the middle.

Rolls up to hoop 2 - 5 foot straightish. Runs hoop with a lot of wire. Magnificent pick-up

Fulford is peeling 4-b with his hoop 4 pioneer still almost in C4.

Jawses peel, rushes perfectly to 2y W of C4

Fulford on break at 4-b with a straight rover peel still to do

Fulford finishes +24tp

Match to GB +26TP (F) +24TP (F)

Test score GB 2 USA 2