[<<] [>>] by Phil Cordingley
24th November 2006 (The MacRobertson Shield)

Great Britain vs. USA

SINGLES (Rich River)

As with yesterday's doubles, GB swept the first series of singles 6-0 to take a 9-0 lead in their test against the USA. Such is the dominance of the GB team, the USA will need to win tomorrow's doubles at Shepparton by at least 2-1 to avoid overall defeat with two days and nine matches to spare.

The day started on a rather sombre note as Chris Clarke informed us that his Mother had, not unexpectedly, passed away overnight. Under the circumstances then Chris did well to maintain his concentration well enough to win his match against Damen Bidencope in fifteen turns, Damen failing to take the brief chance he had in the second.

Today saw arguably the highest quality match of the event to date, as Robert Fulford defeated Jeff Soo in three with two sextuples after Jeff had taken the first with a 5th turn TP, no croquet. This is the first time a Mac match has been won with two sextuples. Rob's sextuples looked as assured as most competitors? triples.

At the same time as Robert was finishing his second sextuple, Keith Aiton suffered the unkindest cut when, having completed the peels and run the hoops, his sextuple attempt failed in the second against Danny Honeycutt with a grievous! Shortly after Danny went off the lawn next to Keith in a croquet stroke for Keith to finish. Together with his TP in the first, this was a comfortable win for Keith.

It took David Maugham and Jerry Stark some time to get going in the match on the sandpit. Indeed of the first ten turns eight were without croquet, at which point the score was 1-0 to Jerry. Jerry then had a ball round, and after a couple of errors of his own, David finished in two turns. In a much better quality second, David clinched the match with a 6th turn TP after Jerry had hit the lift and had an equalising ball on the 5th.

Mark Avery is clearly right back to his best crunch 'em up Mac form, as he beat Rich Lamm in 12 turns, Rich managing just one croquet stroke, hitting on the second turn of game 2.

In a classic, nervy MacRob scrap, by the time Jonathan Kirby had taken the first in three hours and twenty minutes against Bob Cherry, Chris Clarke and Mark Avery had been finished their matches by very nearly two hours. The second only came in five minutes shorter, it taking Bob 100 minutes to get to rover and rover before Jonathan took croquet. Despite Bob's generosity in leaving two last shots of around 14 yards, Jonathan was unable to take full advantage as Bob equalised. But Jonathan showed no mercy as he won the decider with a seventh turn TP, no croquet to complete the day's rout.

Robert Fulford beat Jeff Soo -26tp, +26sxp, +26sxp

Game 1

1) Jeff lays ss
2) Rob goes to E boundary 4 inches out of IV
3) Jeff hits in IV, goes to 4b with defensive leave
4) Rob misses from B baulk into IV
5) Jeff rushes IV and gets a cannon after 2, finishes with a standard TP

Game 2

1) Rob lays ss
2) Jeff misses from I to level with penult
3) Rob misses from B baulk into IV
4) Jeff misses double from I into III
5) Rob plays ss ball, hits partner in IV, runs 1 to N of 2, rushes hoop 2 pioneer to 3, makes 2 off hoop 1 escape ball and goes to 1b
6) Jeff misses tea lady
7) Rob finishes

Game 3

1) Jeff lays ss
2) Rob goes to middle of E boundary
3) Jeff misses Rob from B baulk to 9 yards S of ball
4) Rob hits double from B baulk, goes to 1b, no pops
5) Jeff misses tea lady
6) Peels 1b going to 1, peelee ending up 2 yards in front of 2b. Peels 2b after 1, 3b before 4, jawses 4b going to 6, peels penult going to 4b, rover straight. Finishes

David Maugham beat Jerry Stark +17tp, +17tp

Game 1

1) Jerry lays ss
2) David goes to peg high on E boundary
3) Jerry misses David from B baulk to 9 yards S
4) David misses ss ball from A baulk
5) Jerry misses 9 yarder into III
6) David misses partner on E boundary from middle of N boundary
7) Jerry plays ss ball and hits David on E boundary. Fails to approach 1, joins partner in III
8) David misses partner on E boundary from 1
9) Jerry makes 1 and fails 2
10) David misses 10 yarder
11) Jerry goes to 4b with a spread
12) David hits long lift, rushes into peg on way to 1, rolls it off from hoop 5. Clangs 3
13) Jerry misses from 1 to 3
14) David makes 3 but misses 3 yarder on hoop 4 pioneer
15) Jerry hits with forward ball from 4 to 5 and has a leave
16) David plays hoop 1 ball and hits 18 yarder at partner on S boundary. Goes to 4b with an NSL
17) Jerry lifts 4b ball from hoop 4 and misses partner from A baulk into 2
18) David gets balls out for 4b peel before 6 and finishes

Game 2

1) Jerry lays ss
2) David goes to peg high on E boundary
3) Jerry misses David from A baulk
4) David hits double from B baulk and goes to 4b. Attempts NSL but fails to get hoop 4 ball wired from A baulk. Runs off to II for Southern Cross (hoop 1 ball on E boundary hampered from opponent ball on hoop 4, 4b ball in II, other opponent ball in standard NSL position SW of 2)
5) Jerry lifts hoop 4 ball and hits in II. Runs a 2 yard 45 degree hoop 1 and goes to 4b with an NSL
6) David lifts hoop 1 ball and shoots at target from A baulk, hitting the ball on hoop 4. Finishes

Chris Clarke beat Damen Bidencope +26tp, +22tp

Game 1

1) Chris lays standard E boundary ball
2) Damen goes to II
3) Chris dribbles to partner from A baulk
4) Damen misses in II.
5) Chris rushes directly to 1 and makes it. Taking croquet in corner II with a ball 3 inches away, fails to get a rush to 2 by bumping into it. Plays good stop shot approach and picks off 5 yarder after running 2. Goes to 4b with an MSL
6) Damen lifts ball on 2 and misses short lift
7) Chris clubs his hoop 4 pioneer into the peg, jawses 4b peel, but a good roll across going to 6 gets the standard TP back on schedule and he finishes

Game 2

1) Damen lays standard E boundary ball
2) Chris goes to II
3) Damen hits partner from A baulk, and has a dream leave by croqueting ball in II to partner
4) Chris misses from III into IV
5) Damen gets going but mis-approaches 3. Elects to shoot at Chris in IV rather than run to II. Misses
6) Chris goes to 4b, popping Damen's hoop 1 ball to 3. Lays up tight in II with ball in jaws of 2 and ball in IV
7) Damen misses in IV (thus denying himself a go at the Spooner error)
8) Chris does 4b peel with hoop 4 pioneer in IV and finishes

Keith Aiton beat Danny Honeycutt +24tp, +25

Game 1

1) Keith lays ss
2) Danny goes to E boundary wired from end of A baulk by 4
3) Keith misses Danny from A baulk
4) Danny hits double from B baulk, but misses hampered stroke after 2
5) Keith goes to 4b with a spread
6) Danny misses long lift
7) Keith rushes into peg going to 1. Goes to ball in IV and rolls to 1, escape ball hitting 5 and staying close. Runs 1 to 6 yards S of 2, but misses pioneer
8) Danny hits partner on S boundary from 5. Approaches short of 3 after getting rush on ball by hoop 2. Scatters escape ball to W boundary, joining 5 yards wide of partner by 4
9) Keith misses partner on W boundary from N boundary behind 2
10) Danny hits 5 yarder gently leaving it at 4, but fails 3b on Keith's backward ball
11) Keith finishes

Game 2

1) Danny lays ss
2) Keith misses from A baulk to level with penult
3) Danny misses Keith from B baulk to ?
4) Keith hits partner from B baulk and goes to 1b
5) Danny misses tea lady
6) Keith peels 1b before 1, makes 2 off peelee but peels 2b after 2, jawses 3b after 4, peels 4b with thick take off going to 1b pioneer S of the hoop, peels penult going to 3b. Irishes straight rover peel strikers ball ending up in the jaws but having run the hoop. Hits deep ball, cannons peelee to somewhere N of 1, takes off from rover to get a rush, has the grievous!
7) Danny lays up in I with Keith at 2 wired from the peg
8) Keith misses in I
9) Danny lays up just S of III
10) Keith misses from I into III
11) Danny lays up in I
12) Keith goes to midpoint of W boundary
13) Danny makes 1, rushes to W boundary, croquets partner to 3 but goes off lawn (just) by Keith
14) Keith finishes

Jonathan Kirby beat Bob Cherry +5, -13, +26tp

Game 1

1) Jonathan lays ss
2) Bob goes to optimum position on E boundary
3) Jonathan misses from B baulk going to 4 yards S of ball
4) Bob misses double from B baulk into IV
5) Jonathan gets hampered after 1, and bottom bevels sweep shot with two referees in attendance
6) Bob hits resultant double from 2. Roll approach to 2 hits wire hard but lands in jaws. Mis-approaches 5 and scatters escape ball, join 9 yard from partner by 6
7) Jonathan misses from 4 to 6 to N boundary just E of II
8) Bob hits partner and lays up in III
9) Jonathan corners in IV
10) Bob goes to 4b with a B spread, but joins up anyway
11) Jonathan misses 8 yarder, peg ball at partner
12) Bob sticks in 2b with 2 peels done
13) Jonathan plays hoop 1 ball and has SPO, leaving hoop 2 ball on N boundary directly behind 2, peg ball in IV
14) Bob takes contact in IV and rolls to 5 feet in front of 2b. Runs it and rushes to W boundary. Rolls off 3b from there to 5 feet slightly angled, but clangs
15) Jonathan joins partner on N boundary behind 2
16) Bob takes position at 3b
17) Jonathan plays with peg ball, moves Bob and lays rush to 2 from N boundary
18) Bob goes to E boundary level with penult
19) Jonathan runs 2 and rushes just S of E boundary ball. Stops it a yard in and rushes to 3. Makes 3 and rushes to III plays split too wide, ending up with a Westward rush. Lays up in II
20) Bob hits from 5, rushes to W boundary level with 3b, fails to approach and takes position wired from escape ball
21) Jonathan hits partner on N boundary behind 2 with hoop 4 ball from 3b and finishes

Game 2

1) Bob lays standard E boundary ball
2) Jonathan lays Duffer
3) Bob hits Duffer, puts it to the peg and lays rush to it from optimum position on E boundary
4) Jonathan misses from II into IV
5) Bob just clips rush to 1, fails to roll it off and retires to partner by 2
6) Jonathan misses partner in IV from 1
7) Bob goes to 4b with a spread
8) Jonathan misses long lift
9) Bob's straight rover peel sticks on wire, strikers ball ending in un attemptable position. Runs off to II
10) Ball on rover un-rushable to 1, so Jonathan lays up with 5 yard join on W boundary by 1
11) Bob misses opponent from II, going into I
12) Jonathan misses 5 yard pick up in I
13) Bob rushes partner to 3 yards N of peg, attempts to approach rover putting partner 3 yards out of IV. Doesn't get position, so retires to IV
14) Jonathan hits partner 1 yard off N boundary behind 2 from I, goes to 4b with an MSL
15) Bob lifts ball on 4 and hits short lift. Stops Jonathan's 4b ball towards IV, rushes other ball to N boundary behind 2 and rushes partner to rover. Runs it, has posthumous peel and leaves rush to the peg by rover
16) Jonathan hits 14 yarder from E boundary to rover with 4b ball. Has a leave: Bob in front of 1 and 2 yards off midpoint E boundary, Jonathan rush to midpoint E boundary from N boundary behind 2
17) Bob misses partner from 1 to midpoint E boundary
18) Jonathan gets balls out for standard TP, sacrifices rush in order to do 4b peel straight but only jawses. Mis-approaches 4 from 2 feet to the side. Scatters hoop 5 pioneer to N of 1 going to N boundary behind 2
19) Bob dribbles at partner at 3b from N of 1 and hits, knocking it wired from the peg. Rolls to S boundary, leaving Jonathan a 14 yard ?last? last shot for the second time
20) Jonathan runs 4b from in the jaws, misses partner behind 2
21) Bob finishes

Game 3

1) Jonathan lays ss
2) Bob goes to midpoint on E boundary
3) Jonathan misses from Baulk to IV
4) Bob misses partner from B baulk
5) Jonathan hits opponents from ss, goes to 4b with a spread
6) Bob misses short lift
7) Jonathan finishes

Mark Avery beat Rich Lamm +26tp, +26tp

Game 1

1) Mark lays standard E boundary ball
2) Rich misses it from A baulk leaving a double
3) Mark hits, goes to 4b with attacking leave
4) Rich misses from B baulk
5) Mark gets angled straight rover peel position from about nine inches. Irish peel goes through about six inches, strikers ball in jaws. Runs hoop gently, cannons peelee out and finishes

Game 2

1) Mark lays ss
2) Rich hits and lays close cross peg
3) Mark joins up to E of balls by peg
4) Rich misses from A baulk
5) Mark goes to 4b with an MSL
6) Rich misses short lift
7) Muppet finishes