[<<] [>>] by Phil Cordingley
29th November 2006 (The MacRobertson Shield)

Great Britain vs. Australia - Doubles (Rich River)

Not quite perfection from GB in the opening doubles of the deciding test for the 2006 MacRobertson Shield against Australia, but pretty damn close, and certainly close enough. One clanged hoop and one missed 8 yarder were all the errors to speak of as GB went 3-0 up before noon (6-0 in games) in a total of just 47 turns.

Robert Fulford and Chris Clarke were first to finish against Martin Clarke and Bruce Fleming. A text book 6th turn TP from Cruncher took the first, no croquet. Martin hit the lift after Rob's 3rd turn ball round in the second, but stuck in rover trying to run it gently with all 3 peels of the TPO done. Chris gratefully ran his four ball break for victory. As if to prove he could do no wrong, in the pavilion after the match Chris managed to do for two flies with a single stroke of the swatter.

Keith Aiton reeled off two never-in-doubt triples as he and Jonathan Kirby beat Ian Demergue and Harley Watts in straight games. Jonathan got the ball rolling with a third turn ball round in the first, Keith finishing after Ian missed the lift. In the second an error by Jonathan on the fourth turn gave Ian a chance, but he failed to get going. Jonathan immediately hit partner from 13 yards and the Brits finished in two turns from there.

Mark Avery and David Maugham faced Trevor Bassett and Stephen Forster on the bowling green, which posed something of a test as its speed had returned to 15 Plummers. Not intrinsically too fast to be difficult, but the care required meant these two were unusually last to finish despite winning in straight games. In the first Mark failed to do any peels taking the second ball round, but David finished when the Australians missed the last lift, 26 no croquet. Both Australians had chances in the second, Trevor indeed having a ball round. But both managed to stick in easy hoops as David completed an increasingly assured TP to take the match.

Chris Clarke & Robert Fulford beat Martin Clarke & Bruce Fleming +26tp (C), +15

Game 1

1) Bruce goes to E boundary 5 yards N of IV
2) Chris goes to II
3) Martin misses Chris in II, leaving single ball from B baulk
4) Robert hits balls in II, goes to 4b with an MSL
5) Martin misses short lift
6) Chris finishes

Game 2

1) Chris lays peg high ss
2) Bruce goes to E boundary peg high
3) Rob hits Bruce from B baulk, goes to 4b with defensive leave
4) Martin takes long lift at in-court ball and hits, embarks on TPO, peeling 4b going to 6 and penult straight, peelee going 3 yards S of rover. Fails to get a rush out of penult, so has no deep ball for straight rover peel. Rushes well to peeling position and peels two feet through. Tries to run rover gently and sticks
5) From the contact Chris played an open cannon sending a ball to 2 and roqueting Martin's ball out of rover and finished

Mark Avery & David Maugham beat Trevor Bassett & Stephen Forster +26, +12tp (M)

Game 1

1) Mark lays ss
2) Trevor goes to II
3) David hits in II from B baulk. Over-hits roll to ss ball and misses 8 yarder back to W boundary
4) Stephen misses ss ball from A baulk
5) David hits 5 yarder and goes to 4 b with an MSL
6) Stephen misses long lift
7) Mark gets going, jawses 4b peel after 3, but doesn't get control around 4 or 5. No rush after 5, over-hits roll to 1b and 4b, so has to rush peelee out of the jaws. Goes to peg with a spread
8) Stephen misses long lift
9) David finishes from 4b

Game 2

1) Stephen lays standard E boundary ball
2) Mark goes to II
3) Trevor hits E boundary ball from A baulk and lays a rush to II
4) David misses opponents from B baulk to just out of IV
5) Trevor rushes to N boundary 5 yards E of II, doesn't get a rush to 1, has a leave
6) Mark misses partner in IV from 1
7) Trevor rushes to corner IV, gets corner cannon with opponent balls. Puts hoop 2 pioneer close to N boundary, runs 1 hard to it. Takes off back to 1, but fails to get position at 2 rolling other ball to 3. Shoots back to IV, hitting partner. Lays a rush to 2
8) Mark misses opponents in IV from 2
9) Trevor goes to 4b with an NSL
10) David misses long lift
11) Stephen rolls off 1 from S boundary and gets going, but sticks in 4 from nowhere
12) Mark makes 1 with a 3 yard backward take off, goes to 4b with an NSL
13) Trevor (4b ball on 4) shoots at opponents from where he lies and hits. Makes 4b, sticks on David in penult from nowhere
14) David finishes

Keith Aiton & Jonathan Kirby beat Ian Demergue and Harley Watts +26tp (A), +26tp (A)

Game 1

1) Keith lays ss
2) Ian hits, croquets Keith's ball towards E boundary level with rover and goes to W boundary 1 yard N of II
3) Jonathan hits ball by II from B baulk, takes off to Keith's ball and gets a rush to 1. Goes to 4b with defensive leave
4) Harley misses into IV from B baulk
5) Keith jawses 4b peel after 3, using Wylie method jawses penult peel going to 1b, peels rover straight and finishes

Game 2

1) Harley lays short ss
2) Keith goes to W boundary 4 inches S of II
3) Ian misses Keith leaving double
4) Jonathan hits double from B baulk, makes 1 but leaves 3 yard stop shot approach from side of 2 short and clangs
5) Ian hits 5 yarder, but rush to 1 hits 5. Rolls up short and clangs
6) Jonathan hits partner at 3 from 2, almost takes off S boundary going to opponents, but goes to 4b with a spread
7) Harley misses long lift to E boundary 4 yards N IV
8) Keith digs out standard triple and finishes, with the aid of another gratuitous combination peg out