[<<] [>>] by Phil Cordingley
26th November 2006 (The MacRobertson Shield)

GREAT Britain v. USA

The rout pretty much continues with GB winning the second series of singles 5-1 to take an overall 17-1 lead into the last day of doubles at Shepparton tomorrow.

The unlucky loser was Chris Clarke, whose shooting went off the boil as Danny Huneycutt made the most of his chances and luck to come from behind, Chris failing to take croquet after winning the first game with a TP. Neither player's shooting sparkled at the start, as game 1 reached the 7th turn before anyone took croquet. But thereafter Danny hardly missed a shot and Chris never hit.

Keith Aiton similarly came from behind in his match against Damon Bidencope, Damon taking croquet just once as Keith rattled off 5th and 6th turn TPs in games 2 & 3. It was marvellous to see how, despite the obvious tension of being at 1-1 in a MacRob singles, the players were able to relax and enjoy a leisurely lunch before resuming hostilities.

Robert Fulford's imperious progress continued with another two sextuple victory, this time over Jerry Stark. Against any other opponent, Jerry's play would have given him every chance, as he hit the tea lady in game 1 and had a third turn ball round in game 2. Unfortunately for him the sliver he left in his own cross wire at one was enough for Robert to regain the innings and ultimately win the first, and Rob just hit on the 4th turn in the second, finishing from 1 & 1b on the 6th.

Jeff Soo struck first blood by having a 4th turn ball round in game 1 against David Maugham on the bowling green, but thereafter David had it pretty much his own way with two TPs in a 17 turn victory.

As in his singles in the first series, Bob Cherry had the majority of play in game 1 against Mark Avery, the latter not taking croquet until he hit the last lift on turn 14. After one false start, Mark finished in two turns, 20 minutes after his doubles partner's match had finished. Game 2 looked like being pretty much a carbon copy until Mark bumped into peelee after the straight rover peel. Narrowly failing to peg out through 5, he finished next turn when Bob left a ten yarder for his single ball at the peg, which he nailed.

Plenty of errors on both sides in Jonathan Kirby against Rich Lamm in the sandpit, but Jonathan sticks to the task well and emerges victorious in straight games.

In the evening, the British team held its traditional (well, since 1993 anyway, we think) party to thank all the host officials, referees and helpers for all the voluntary effort that goes into making these events a success. It took the form of a barbie, with David Maugham stepping into the cook's shoes vacated by the absence this time of Colin Irwin, which he did magnificently.

Robert Fulford beat Jerry Stark +20sxp, +17sxp

Game 1

1) Rob lays ss
2) Jerry goes to optimum position on E boundary
3) Rob misses Jerry from B baulk to 6 yards S of ball
4) Jerry misses E boundary double
5) Rob hits 6 yarder, goes to 1b
6) Jerry hits tea lady, goes to 1b
7) Rob hits cross wire with forward ball, has a leave: opponent's hoop 1 ball on E boundary level with 3, 1b ball in II, Rob joined on S boundary behind 1
8) Jerry misses opponent from E boundary
9) Rob has stop shot approach to 1 off partner, after 1 rolls escape ball to 3 going to II. Thickish take off to get rush on peelee to 2, runs 2 hard to pick up ball just out of II. Finishes (peeling 1b going to 3, 2b going to 4, 3b going to 6, 4b going to 2b, penult going to 4b and rover straight)

Game 2

1) Jerry lays ss
2) Rob misses to 2 yards S of 2
3) Jerry hits from B baulk, goes to 4b with defensive leave
4) Rob hits from B baulk, goes to 1b popping Jerry to 2, leaving cross wire at 1 with hoop 2 ball 2 yards N of I
5) Jerry misses tea lady with hoop 2 ball
6) Rob finishes (peeling 1b before 2, 2b going to 4, 3b going to 6, jawses 4b going to 1b, penult going to 3b, and, despite rolling penult escape ball into rover pioneer trying to put it deep, rover straight)

David Maugham beat Jeff Soo +17tp, +25tp

Game 1

1) David lays ss
2) Jeff goes to E boundary just N of IV
3) David misses in IV
4) Jeff hits target in IV, goes to 4b, but fails to make a spread. Leaves David midway between 1 & 2, and just off mid point of E boundary, croquets hoop 1 ball to just out of II and goes to IV
5) David lifts ball W of peg and hits in IV. Goes to 4b, but fails to make an MSL, leaving ball on 2, ball just off mid point of E boundary and lays up tight in corner IV
6) Jeff misses in IV
7) David finishes

Game 2

1) Jeff lays standard E boundary ball
2) David goes to W boundary just S of II
3) Jeff misses partner from A baulk
4) David misses double from B baulk
5) Jeff tops rush to IV, fails to approach 1 off ball in IV, returns to partner on E boundary
6) David misses partner in II from 1
7) Jeff runs 1 but misses slightly hampered roquet at deep escape ball
8) David goes to 4b with an MSL
9) Jeff misses long lift
10) David finishes

Chris Clarke lost to Danny Huneycutt +21tp, -26, -26tp

Game 1

1) Chris lays standard E boundary ball
2) Danny lays 14 yard W boundary tice
3) Chris miss partner from III into IV
4) Danny misses tice to W boundary level with 2
5) Chris misses partner down E boundary from IV into III
6) Danny misses partner down W boundary into II
7) Chris hits 25 yarder at partner, fails to approach 1 off opponent ball, retires to partner on E boundary
8) Danny hits opponent on E boundary from1, approaches 1 and runs it to 2, hits partner in II, takes off to opponents, gets long angled 2 which he runs, makes 3 without a rush, tries to roll from II sending a ball to 5 getting a rush on a ball 3 yards NW of IV. Lands short and misses 7 yarder
9) Chris goes to 4b popping Danny to 3. Lays up tight in II with opponent's hoop 4 ball in IV, and hoop 3 ball on 2, un-rushable to 4
10) Danny misses in IV
11) Chris finishes

Game 2

1) Danny lays anti-Duffer
2) Chris dribbles to 2 yards out of II from B baulk
3) Danny hits Chris from B baulk, rolls to peg and partner and lays a rush
4) Chris misses partner at peg from A baulk
5) Danny goes to 4b with a spread
6) Chris misses long lift
7) Danny gets going. Tries to rush across for 4b peel after 6, but doesn't get position. Does 4b peel going to 3b, and penult straight to N of peg.
Cannons peelee to rover, but gets stymied from escape ball after straight peel. Attempts to jump peelee, but doesn't really get off the ground, hits it, cannoning escape ball to S boundary. Fails split peg out attempt and pegs one ball out, leaving Chris a 7 yarder at peg ball
8) Chris misses 7 yarder
9) Danny pegs out

Game 3

1) Chris lays ss
2) Danny hits ss, fails to approach 1 with backward take off, dribbles to 6 yards E of peg
3) Chris misses partner from A baulk into II
4) Danny hits partner from A baulk, takes off to ball in II and gets in court rush! Misses 3 yard return roquet after 4, but hits ball in background! Goes to 4b with a spread
5) Chris misses partner at the peg
6) Danny gets the peels, but rushes peelee back into the jaws of rover retrieving it after 4b. Can just take off to penult, finishes

Keith Aiton beat Damon Bidencope -17, +26tp, +26tp

Game 1

1) Damon lays standard E boundary ball
2) Keith goes to II
3) Damon misses partner from A baulk
4) Keith hits opponent from A baulk, goes to 4b but croquets opponent ball off W boundary after 3b laying a spread
5) Damon gets going. Rushes escape ball into the jaws of 5 after 2, and takes off into the jaws of 4, but can still hit the ball there. Goes to 4b, leaving hoop one ball on rover, 4b ball 3 yards off W boundary level with penult, and lays reverse rush 3 yards N of IV
6) Keith lifts hoop 1 ball and misses short lift
7) Damon jawses posthumous rover peel and pegs one ball out
8) Keith lifts hoop 1 ball from just off mid point of W boundary and misses partner on E boundary just N of IV
9) Damon runs rover from within jaws to S boundary, hits target on E boundary and pegs out

Game 2

1) Keith lays ss
2) Damon misses from A baulk to N boundary 5 yards E of II
3) Keith hits Damon from B, goes to 4b with defensive leave
4) Damon misses from B baulk into IV
5) Keith finishes

Game 3

1) Damon lays standard E boundary ball
2) Keith goes to II
3) Damon hits partner from B baulk, takes off and croquets ball in II to partner, goes to just off mid point of W boundary
4) Keith hits from III, goes to 4b with a spread
5) Damon misses short lift, ricocheting off hoop 4 to E boundary level with 4b
6) Keith finishes

Jonathan Kirby beat Rich Lamm +6, +18

Game 1

1) Jonathan lays standard E boundary ball
2) Rich lays Duffer tice
3) Jonathan hits Duffer, takes off to partner getting a rush, but crashes it into 4. Rolls back to E boundary and leaves a rush
4) Rich hits partner at peg, makes 1 but fails to approach 2
5) Jonathan misses partner at 4 from 3
6) Rich goes to 4b with a spread
7) Jonathan misses long lift
8) Rich makes 1 and has a leave after failing to approach 2
9) Jonathan misses opponent on N boundary
10) Rich gets going, but runs hoop 4 hard and misses the pick up on the ball in IV
11) Jonathan makes 1 but doesn't get going and has a leave
12) Rich misses double at opponent on E boundary by 4 from near 6
13) Jonathan goes to 4b, but having had perfect control at 1b ends up with a modified OSL, with ?peg? ball just off mid point of E boundary
14) Rich lifts E boundary ball and misses short lift
15) Jonathan goes to the peg, with peelee doing a bit of Wylie 'fussing' around 4b without ever actual making it. Same leave as after first break
16) Rich lifts E boundary ball and misses short lift
17) Jonathan clangs 4b on Rich's 4b ball
18) Rich hits 7 yarder from 4b to penult, goes to peg and pegs Jonathan out, leaving hoop 5 ball in IV and peg ball on W boundary level with 6
19) Jonathan misses 12 yarder from peg to W boundary
20) Rich puts Jonathan 3 yards E of 2, lays up in IV with rush to 5
21) Jonathan misses in IV
22) Rich gets going, but clangs a long approach to 3b on partner. Jonathan lifts to A baulk, hits 9 yarder at ball in front of 3b and finishes from 4b

Game 2

1) Rich lays standard E boundary ball
2) Jonathan goes to II
3) Rich misses partner from A baulk
4) Jonathan hits opponent from A baulk but fails to approach 1 and retires to partner in II
5) Rich retires to IV from 1
6) Jonathan takes off to ball in IV, but sends strikers ball off by opponent on E boundary in subsequent croquet stroke
7) Rich lays up between 1 and W boundary with rush to 1
8) Jonathan hits opponent from 2, goes to 4b with a spread
9) Rich plays W boundary ball from where it lies, and misses target on E boundary
10) Jonathan goes to the peg, with more ?fussing?, with a flattish spread
11) Rich hits long lift, goes round, but mis-approaches 3b and retires to IV
12) Jonathan plays peg ball, joined with opponent at peg. Lays up 3 yards out of II with rush to 4b, with opponent 3b ball 3 yards off midpoint of W boundary, hoop 1 ball in IV
13) Rich misses partner in IV from W boundary
14) Jonathan rushes partner to penult, takes off to IV to get a rush to 4b, makes 4b and finishes

Mark Avery beat Bob Cherry +5tp, +24

Game 1

1) Bob lays ss
2) Mark goes to midpoint E boundary
3) Bob misses Mark to 3 yards N IV
4) Mark misses ss from A baulk
5) Bob hits partner on E boundary from ss position, fails to approach 1 and has a leave
6) Mark misses from 1 to 2
7) Bob goes to 4b with a spread
8) Mark misses long lift
9) Bob fails to roll off 1 from 5 and joins partner by 2
10) Mark misses from 1 to 2
11) Bob has a leave
12) Mark misses 13 yarder
13) Bob goes to the peg with a spread
14) Mark hits lift but sticks in 1 on partner
15) Bob misses Mark at 1 from IV
16) Mark goes to 4b, fails attempt to leave peg ball on back of 1, has an OSL
17) Bob misses lift
18) Mark finishes

Game 2

1) Mark lays ss
2) Bob goes to midpoint E boundary
3) Mark misses from B baulk into IV
4) Bob misses partner from A baulk, leaving ball in contact
5) Mark misses target on E boundary from ss position
6) Bob makes 1 but clangs 2
7) Mark misses partner in IV from 2
8) Bob runs 2 and misses partner at 3
9) Mark goes to 4b with a spread
10) Bob misses short lift
11) Mark goes round but, having left escape ball N of rover, elects not to Irish straight rover peel from short range, and bumps into peelee trying to run hoop gently. Peg out attempt through 5 misses narrowly. Pegs one ball out
12) Bob hits ball by peg from midpoint W boundary, fails to get rush to 3, and rolls partner into 2 trying to lay up in II, lays up with it
13) Mark hits resultant 10 yard free shot at peg from 4