[<<] [>>] by Phil Cordingley
22nd November 2006 (The MacRobertson Shield)

Great Britain V. New Zealand

Another good day at the office as GB won the second series of singles 4-2 to round off a 15-6 victory over strong contenders New Zealand. A high quality match ended up pretty much as it had started, with triples of one variety or another being completed in all 14 games today.

Jonathan Kirby has yet to take croquet in a MacRobertson singles as he lost without troubling the scorer to a suddenly revived Robert Lowe. Chris Clarke overcame initial resistance from Greg Bryant to win comfortably enough, continuing to shoot well and yet to make a playing error. Keith Aiton was first to finish, similarly carrying on in an error free vein. Brian Wislang's brief resistance ended when he missed a three yard roquet having dug out a break in the second, and Keith made no mistake taking out the match with his second TP of the day. David Maugham yet again demonstrated his mastery on either side of the TPO against Paddy Chapman. Paddy TPOed David in the first, but David soon hit a 26 yarder to finish. In the second it was David who TPOed Paddy, after an initial essay of a sextuple had failed. As he also managed to nip in three peels on partner along with the TPO, the obligatory two balls disappeared at the end of the turn, and it was not long before hands were shaken.

The two close matches of the day were Mark Avery against Shane Davis, and Robert Fulford against Aaron Westerby, both of which went to the decider.
Mark did well to come from behind against a most definitely in form Shane.
Despite what the score, 26tp, in the decider might suggest, there was some interaction before Mark eventually took the initiative with a ball round.
Shane missing the lift was all he required to take it out and put GB 15-5 up in the match. Aaron completed his excellent brace of victories over the British 1 and 2 by taking the decider against Robert Fulford, despite being a long way behind. He finished in two turns after Robert's sextuple, which had never quite been under the immaculate control we have come to expect, came to grief when for penult and rover. Indeed Aaron won the first by scuppering Robert's sextuple attempt before it started by hitting the tea lady. Following his success two days ago against David Maugham, in the middle game Aaron had two balls off at the end of a TPO, but this time a two ball break by Rob from 3 to rover proved ultimately decisive.

Robert Fulford lost to Aaron Westerby -19tp, +9otp, -5tp

Game 1

1) Aaron lays supershot ball (ss)
2) Rob hits, gets going but no rush after 3 and fails 4 after over-rolling
3) Aaron hits partner, over-hits take off for rush to 1 so has to hit Rob by running 3b! Rolls off 1 but clangs 2
4) Rob misses 7 yarder from B baulk
5) Aaron goes to 4b, popping Rob to 2, leaves hoop 4 ball on back of 1, hoop
2 ball on W boundary level with 2
6) Rob lifts hoop 4 ball and hits short shot. Goes to 1b with Aaron cross-wired at 4 (hoop 1 ball just off S boundary), hoop 2 ball on N boundary, 1b ball in front of 1b wired from opponent
7) Aaron hits 35 yard tea lady and finishes

Game 2

1) Rob lays ss
2) Aaron misses to level with penult
3) Rob hits from B baulk, goes to 4b leaving hoop 1 ball in IV, 4b ball in II and opponent ball 4 inches off midpoint of E boundary
4) Aaron hits in II and has a leave with Robs hoop 1 ball in I, Aaron with a rush from E boundary to II
5) Rob misses from I at opponent on E boundary
6) Aaron gets going by rolling off 2 from II, has TPO with two balls off, leaving partner on the back of 5
7) Rob approaches 1 to 8 feet and clangs
8) Aaron misses 10 yarder to S boundary
9) Rob hits 6 yard pick up, runs 1 but misses 12 yarder at deep escape ball
10) Aaron takes 4 foot position at 1
11) Rob goes to 3 yards off midpoint of E boundary
12) Aaron takes better position
13) Rob goes 3 yards closer to 1
14) Aaron runs 1 and hits Rob and rolls to 4 yards slightly angled position for 2, with escape ball in perfect position just off N boundary. Runs 2 to boundary but rushes poorly 4 yards to side of 3, mis-approaches and clangs
15) Robert lifts to III, rushes to 4 yards W of peg, and puts escape ball off N boundary approaching 2
16) Aaron lifts to B baulk and misses 9 yarder at 2
17) Rob misses 8 yard pickup
18) Aaron approaches 3 to about 5 feet slightly angled, but clangs to E boundary
19) Rob takes position at 2
20) Aaron lurks 4 yards NE of 4
21) Rob runs 2 and takes 3-4 yard position at 3
22) Aaron goes to in front of 2
23) Rob hits, good approach to 3 sending escape ball 5 yards N of 4. Runs 3 cleanly to 3 yards S of 4. Hits 8 yard return and approaches 4 to 1 foot. Runs break but gets hampered after penult and retires to W boundary 7 yards N of I
24) Aaron takes 2 yard position at 3
25) Rob goes to I
26) Aaron runs 3 to level with 4 and takes position
27) Rob deems
28) Aaron takes better position
29) Rob deems
30) Aaron takes better position
31) Rob deems
32) Aaron takes better position
33) Rob deems
34) Aaron runs 4 to yard line and misses Rob to the right
35) Rob takes cut to peg high, approaches rover and finishes

Game 3

1) Aaron lays short ss, level with rover
2) Rob hits croquets Aaron towards II and goes to IV
3) Aaron misses partner
4) Rob hits opponents, goes to 1b
5) Aaron misses tea lady
6) Attempted peel before hoop 2 fails, but goes to the side and is cannoned to position for peel after 2. Rushing to I after 5, Rob cannons peelee behind 2b to 2 yards out of I. Stops ball to 3b for 1b pioneer, turns round and hits peelee, sending it to 3b for peel going to 1b. Fails to rush to 4b peeling position before 3b. Cannons peelee across to penult well after straight 4b peel, but gets poor rush on it and rushes poorly. Difficult angled Irish peel goes through, but strikers ball bounces off un-runnable. Retires to IV
7) Aaron goes to 4b off contact with an NSL
8) Rob misses short lift with penult ball
9) Aaron finishes

David Maugham Beats Paddy Chapman +14otp, +10tpo

Game 1

1) David lays ss
2) Paddy misses from I
3) David hits and goes to 4b with defensive leave
4) Paddy hits short lift, has TPO and leaves partner 1 yard S of midpoint
of E boundary and himself in II
5) David rolls E boundary ball to midway between 1 & 2 going to II. Takes
off to 5 yard position at 1 but clangs
6) Paddy shoots at partner on N boundary from mid-court, misses leaving 2 ball gap
7) David hits from 1 and finishes

Game 2

1) Paddy lays ss
2) David hits from I, fails take off approach to 1 and goes to peg high on E boundary
3) Paddy hits from III, but mis-approaches 3 and retires to II
4) David misses partner at 4 from A baulk to E boundary
5) Paddy hits on E boundary from 3, fails to get a rush to run, fails to approach with roll up and retires to partner in II (off hoop 2!)
6) David misses big double in II from peg
7) Paddy goes to 4b with an MSL
8) David hits short lift and goes to 1b, lays up on W boundary level with penult, Paddy cross wired at 1 with hoop 1 ball just off S boundary
9) Paddy misses with hoop 1 ball
10) David fails 1b peel after 2, and immediately rush cannons peelee to just off N boundary! Reverts to plan B: TPO, peeling partner from 1b to 4b en passant

Chris Clarke beat Greg Bryant +12tp, +26tp

Game 1

1) Greg lays ss
2) Chris goes to II
3) Greg misses in II
4) Chris hits, goes to 4b with an MSL
5) Greg hits long lift and goes to 1b
6) Chris misses tea lady
7) Greg gets two peels and rushes 3b peel into jaws going to 1b. Poor take off to 1b pioneer (3 yards WNW of 3b) leaves peelee in jaws and poor rush to 1b. Fails to get position with 7 yard backward take off, retires to 1, cross wired from 2b pioneer
8) Chris misses ball in jaws of 3b from between peg and 1b into IV
9) Greg runs 3b and joins partner on W boundary 1 yard out of I
10) Chris misses from IV to I
11) Greg rushes to 1b, makes it with no forward rush, takes off S boundary going to ball just out of I
12) Chris finishes

Game 2

1) Chris lays ss
2) Greg misses to 7 yards S of 3
3) Chris hits from B baulk, goes to 4b with defensive leave
4) Greg misses on E boundary from A baulk
5) Chris finishes

Keith Aiton beat Brian Wislang +26tp, +23tp

Game 1

1) Keith lays ss
2) Brian goes to 1 yard N of peg on E boundary
3) Keith misses E boundary ball from B baulk to 6 yards S
4) Brian misses double from B baulk into IV
5) Keith hits 6 yarder, goes to 4b with a spread
6) Brian misses long lift
7) Keith finishes

Game 2

1) Brian lays standard E boundary ball
2) Keith goes to II
3) Brian misses partner from A baulk
4) Keith hits on E boundary from A baulk, goes to 4b with a spread with the aid of a replay after wedging in 3b
5) Brian hits short lift, but misses 3 yarder going to 4
6) Keith finishes

Jonathan Kirby lost to Robert Lowe +26tp, +26tp

Game 1

1) Robert lays standard E boundary ball
2) Jonathan goes to II
3) Robert hits partner from III and lays rush to II
4) Jonathan misses from III to IV
5) Robert makes 1, rolls escape ball to 1 foot in front of 3 but goes off by partner in II
6) Jonathan misses partner in IV from 3
7) Robert plays hoop 1 ball and goes to 4b with a spread
8) Jonathan misses the long lift
9) Robert finishes

Game 2

1) Jonathan lays standard E boundary ball (anticipating a duffer tice)
2) Robert goes to II
3) Jonathan misses partner from III into IV
4) Robert hits ball in IV, goes to 4b with an NSL
5) Jonathan misses short lift shot
6) Robert finishes

Mark Avery beat Shane Davis -26tp, +26tp, +26tp

Game 1

1) Shane lays ss
2) Mark goes to peg high on E boundary
3) Shane misses from III into IV
4) Mark misses partner from A baulk
5) Shane hits Mark from ss position, goes to 4b with a poor spread, joining
7 yards wide on E boundary
6) Mark misses 4b ball from peg
7) Shane hits 7 yard join and finishes

Game 2

1) Mark lays ss
2) Shane hits from I, fails to approach 1 and goes to optimum position on E boundary
3) Mark hits from A baulk, goes to 4b with attacking leave
4) Shane misses from B baulk
5) Mark finishes

Game 3

1) Shane lays ss
2) Mark goes to optimum position on E boundary
3) Shane misses Mark from B baulk to 8 yards S
4) Mark misses ss ball from A to N boundary just W of III
5) Shane plays ss ball and hits partner on E boundary. Sends partner to 2 getting rush on Marks ball to ball on N boundary. Sends rush to 1 into 3, fails to roll off 1 and retires to N boundary behind 2
6) Mark misses partner by III from 1
7) Shane misses 8 yarder at partner from S of II
8) Mark sends rush to 1 into 2, rolls off 1 and makes it, but misses return roquet
9) Shane joins partner on N boundary
10) Mark hits partner by III from S of 1, goes to 4b with an NSL
11) Shane misses short lift
12) Mark finishes