Morning all, and welcome back to Surbiton for Day 4 of the final tests for the 2010 edition of the MacRobertson Shield. After good days for both GB, who took yesterday's singles against Australia 5-1, and NZ, who swept their doubles against the USA, NZ are poised to clinch at least the runner's up spot, and GB can get at least one hand on the trophy. Despite some significant anticipatory celebration at last night's barbeque, I fully expect NZ to do just that, but in both their first two tests GB have got to a dominating 8-4 position, only to put their supporters through the mill before clinching. So I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Weather today is cloudy, with sunny periods and a maximum temperature of 22. Haven't had the official lawn speeds this morning, but last night they appeared to have speeded up a bit, and George Noble was hopeful of reaching 12 Plummers on some.

Paul Skinley has won four out of his five singles to date, and will be keen to clinch a highly respectable 5/6 for the event. Doug Grimsley on the other hand is currently on 2/5, so a win for him will secure a 50% record overall. Should be an interesting one.

GAME 1

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1 R to E boundary 10yds N of C4

2 K misses R from B baulk to E boundary 1 ft N of C4

3 Y misses R into C4

4 U misses K, comes back on 3" N of it on E boundary

Y plays promotion cannon sending U to 1 going to R. Excellent croquet stroke sends R to 1yd in front of 2 and gives Y a 4ft rush on U to 1

Runs 1 with no rush, rolls U to 3 going to 2, rushes back to C4 after the hoop, so has all the balls now

Paul is approaching 2b having left U behind a yd off the W boundary a bit N of the mid-point. I would say this is going to be an NSL, except that with full controlhe has chosen to send partner as his 3b pioneer. But a good rush after 2b means it's still eminently achievable

Achieves it by rushing partner away to E boundary (12 yds N C4) first, then returning to adjust ball on hoop 4. Means he has to dribble back to leave partner a rush from 9/10 yds, but looks to have done OK

6 In fact Y must have been slightly over hit, as U has been lifted and has made a target of R&Y from B baulk. Misses

7 R plays croquet stroke out of C4 short, and can only rush hoop 4 ball to 5yds N of hoop 1 so is faced with a backward take off

Very good shot leaves a 2ft straight hoop, which he runs

K is rushed to the peg, and an accurate 11 yd take off means Y can be rushed to 4b before making 2. Everything there for the standard tp now

4b peel goes 2 yds through after 3

Peelee rushed all the way up to the S boundary after 4, and sent to 6/penult going to 5

GB are down at the other end of the club today, so not so many spectators obstructing my view of lawn 1 as yesterday

Just as Paul is about to run 6 a chap walking his dog on the adjacent public path decides to berate it at full volume. Paul regroups before putting enult peel through peg high after 6

Rushes peelee to 2yds N of rover after 1b, but no attempt at peel going to 2b

Rover peel is rolled through 4 ft from 9" at a slight angle going to 3b

Finishes

Grimsley lost to Skinley -26tp

Test Score
	2	10

Match Score
	0	1

Class is permanent, as they say

GAME 2

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1 U 15 yd supershot

2 R to W boundary just S of C2

3 K misses R from B baulk. Looks to have left a more or less perfect double

4 Y hits 13 yd double

Makes hoop 1, has to leave hoop 2 pioneer behind going to 3, but picks it up after so has all the balls going to 4

Y is approaching 2b off partner, so has the balls the right way round this time for an NSL

You can tell from that last remark how pushed I am to be critical of anything in the two matches I'm covering

With complete control at 3b, opts to make the leave the same way as before, rushing partner away before gluing the ball on hoop 4. Last time it caused him to leave a target from B baulk. Let's see what happens here. Rush is pointing due W, but i think the balls are far enough apart not to present a target from either baulk

5 U is lifted from by W boundary and misses the long lift into C4

6 R just has to negotiate big croquet stroke putting U to hoop 2 getting a rush on the ball by hoop 4 to 1 and he has a standard tp to clinch the test and no worse than runner's up spot for NZ

This he does comfortably, and everything is there as he approaches 3

4b peel clangs off after 3, looking to be about 4" in front. So unless it can be rush peeled after 4 (dubious) tp will be delayed now

Position for 4b peel going to 6 has been set up as R runs 5

4b peel completed going to 6. No rush after 6, so peelee goes out as 2b pioneer. Rush back to penult after 2b is short, so penult peel will be done going to 4b

Penult peel jawsed going to 4b, butgrovels through leaving a hampered shot after. Hits it easily. Penult pioneer is N of the hoop, so I guess peelee will be Irished down to rover from within the jaws of penult for the straight double finish

Peelee goes down to 3 yds N of rover

K is a nice deep ball 3yds off S boundary

3ft rover peel is Irished through a yd, R hits the wire but stays in front. Runs hoop by 6" so must finish

Duly does to put the test score to an unassailable 11 2 to NZ, and no worse than 2nd place guaranteed. That will be a great relief to the Kiwis, who have finished last at the last two events. And a great relief to us, as we won't have to listen to their singing this year

Grimsley lost to Skinley -26tp -26tp

Test Score
	2	11

Match Score
	0	2