England vs. The Rest of The World: a warm-up match

[<<] [>>] by Robert Fulford
1st February 2008 (International)

Elmwood hosted two teams of some of the worlds best players today. An England team were overhauled from a 12-9 lead to be beaten 16-14 by a team of other internationals. The English team was flexible enough to at one point include Jerry Stark.

Players were in differing form with some in mid season, others having just turned up jet lagged and out of season. Andy Johnston and Colin Irwin started the day without mallets thanks to their airlines. Colin missed the mornings play going to meet his, Andy still doesn't have his but hopefully it will turn up before the World Champs start on Saturday.

With 24 players and only 3 lawns, time limits were set at 2 hours and particularly at the beginning of the day when the hoops were firm this was a pretty demanding ask.

The two teams proved to be well matched and with 28 of 30 matches finished the score was 14-14 but Rutger Beijderwellen and Paddy Chapman brought home TPs in tandem to win the match for the Rest.

Elmwood were fantastic hosts and players going there next week can look forward to being really well suported and taken care of.

Results - England first

Chris Patmore & Samir Patel lost to John Prince & Paddy Chapman -1T
David Maugham & Ailsa Lines lost to Reg Bamford and Rutger Beijderwellen -3T
Robin Brown & Ian Lines beat Evan Newell & Andy Johnston +10T
Jack Wicks & David Openshaw lost to Chris Williams & Ian Burridge -6T
James Death & John Gibbons beat Aaron Westerby & AJ Reid +20
Robert Fulford & James Death beat Keith Aiton & Jonathan Kirby +3TPO(F)

Brown beat Williams +9TP
A Lines lost to Newell -3T
Wicks lost to Burridge -17
Gibbons lost to Johnston -8T
Patmore beat Reid +19TP
Openshaw beat Prince +20
Irwin lost to Kirby -25
Patel lost to Aiton -6TPO
I Lines beat Beijderwellen +12T
Fulford beat Westerby +13TP
Maugham beat Bamford +3TP
Death beat Chapman +2 OTP

A Lines lost to Williams -21
Brown lost to Newell -5T
Stark beat Prince +19
Openshaw beat Burridge +3
Patmore lost to Kirby -5T
Irwin lost to Reid -7TPO
Gibbons lost to Aiton -9TP
Patel lost to Johnston -8T
Death lost to Beijderwellen -21TP
I Lines lost to Chapman -9TP
Maugham beat Westerby +26TP
Fulford beat Bamford +26SXP