For preview of conditions please see Fulford and Lines match

T1 Bast (K) 15y Supershot

T2 Mulliner (Y) to 18y S of C3

T3 Huneycutt (U) misses Y from C3

T4 Aiton (R) hits Y from A-baulk and will now have his first croquet of the event

Aiton has a 4-ball break at hoop 4

Good News!!

Stephen's first turn of croquet won't be a sextuple attempt. Aiton is now on 2-b and looks like he's starting to make a spread

Aiton is round to 4-b with a very tidy spread. He has laid up about level with hoop 5. Bast's ball is about a foot off the West boundary and Jim has lifted it to B-Baulk

T5 A good shot from Bast sees K hit R half ball on the right. Will we see the first TPO of the event - I think not

Bast has made hoop 1 and is away

Bast ended up needing to approach hoop2 from 5 yards to the side, but coped well

Bast is round to 4-b with a spread. Mulliner's ball is the ball near the boundary and they are laid up about level with hoop 5.

Mulliner lifts Y and is walking down to A-baulk

It looked pretty close, but missed on the left

Huneycutt has made hoop 1 and has all the balls

Huneycutt failed the 4-b peel after hoop 3 and ended up with a tricky hampered shot on his escape ball which he played well. He is now setting up his delayed tp

It has just started drizzling

Huneycutt has jawsed the 4-b and made hoop 6

After hoop 6, Danny hits Y and sends it to 2-b getting a 4 yarder on the ball in 4-b. Asks oppos is they want it watched and then plays the shot without a referee. Hits the hoop, but no roquet. The US now have death clips.

Aiton takes a 14 yarder from S of 1-b to N of 2-b and hits centrally

Y is 1y E of c1 with a rush on R to hoop1. U (for 1-b) is 3y W of hoop 2. K (for 4-b) is 1y off the E boundary level with hoop 6

Huneycutt is shooting U at R..................HITS

U really should have been 3 yards further north

Huneycutt has picked up a break and is for 3-b

Huneycutt reaches peg with a vertical spread. Aitons ball is on penult, Mulliners in front of rover with an open shot at oppo on the E boundary.

Mulliner misses

Bast finishes from 4back and peg to take the first +17

GB 0 USA 1

Game 2

Mulliner Y

Aiton R

Huneycutt U

Bast K

It's started raining again

T1 R 15 yard supershot

T2 K lags 10y E of the peg

T3 Y shoots at K from end of b-baulk missing to just N of C4

T4 U shoots at K from end of A-Baulk missing to 6y S of C3

I've been playing a long time and I didn't think I'd see such an unusual opening occur so often

Y shoots back at K (12 yards) missing

Despite R and Y being crosswired, U is shooting back at K...................misses

If I knew how to do diagrams, I would put one in know, because I've never seen this position in my lifetime

R joins Y - hurray!

I 'll try and recap. Y has a 1yard rush on R to c3 from the middle of the N boundary

U is in the middle of the S boundary

K is 10 yards E of the peg.

K plays to 5 yards N of c4???

Y makes his first roquet of the event to applause. Takes off to K, croquets it between hoop 2 and C2 going to U and over-rolls hoop 1 from the end of A-Baulk. Joins partner

U to C4

Y is playing, just to get the feel of the lawn I think. It would have been much easier for R to have a leave

Stephen will be happy with that turn - he got to play 2 big rolls.

K is now at hoop 1, U still in C4 and Y is guarding a shot at Red near C2

K to 9 yards S of C3

Aiton has moved the balls around a bit and had another leave

Huneycutt has been tempted and misses from hoop 1 to corner 2. Mulliner should get going from here

Mulliner makes hoop 1 and is away

Mulliner is on 4-b with a defensive spread. All other clips on 1.

Huneycutt lifts the ball at the peg and takes the long lift............... misses to C4

Aiton has made hoop 1 and has a delayed tp ahead of him

Aiton has looked good on this turn so far. 4b has been peeled before hoop 6

Why did I say that?

He's got hampered after hoop 6. and is trying to hit his 1-b pioneer. Hits 7 yarder.

Phew!

Aiton finishes +26tp.

Game all.

Test score 2-2

Lunch

Mulliner Y

Aiton R

Bast K

Huneycutt U

T1  U 13 yard widish supershot

T2  Y shoots at it from end of A-baulk, missing to 3y E of C2

T3  K takes his 10 yarder at Y..............hits in the middle

T3 (cont) K rolls Y to the peg getting a 4 yard rush.

Good rush 1 foot West of hoop 1 - he should go round from here

G3T3 (cont) Bast fails hoop 4 out of nowhere.

G3T4 Aiton has choice of 6 yarders. Hits - easy break now.

R is round to 4-b with a diagonal spread for Y on 1. K (for 4) is at the peg with U (for 1) about 1 foot off the W boundary. Y and R are about level with hoop 5.

It is dry now and I'm sitting outside. I'm almost tempted to say that it is becoming warm

T5  Bast has lifted K at the peg and is taking the long lift..................misses to just W of C4

T6 Mulliner has made hoop 1 and has a delayed tp ahead of him

T6 All going smoothly. 1 peel done and making 2-b off partner

T6 Good turn from Mulliner +23tp

Match to GB -17 +26TP (A) +23TP (M)

Test score GB 3 USA 2