Welcome to Bowdon for day 3 of the GB v USA Test. Overnight score 4-2 to GB. I'll be covering this match on lawn 2 and also Lines v Grimsley on lawn 1.

Unsurprisingly, it's drizzling here in Manchester and is currently about 16 degrees with a max of around 21 forecast

The last time these two played was the second round of the 2009 Worlds and I'm sure that Robert will be hoping for a better result today. On the bright side, he can't lose 0-3 today!!

It was a good day for GB yesterday and they'll be hoping to consolidate on the narrow lead. USA will no doubt be hoping to bring it back to 6-6 overnight

At Heaton Park, another good days for the Kiwis. To be brutally honest, it could easily be 6-0 without Robert Fletcher. However, 4-2 is a slender lead and the singles will play a big part in this match. Today sees Aaron Westerby v Robert Fletcher which will be a tortoise v hare match

The players are out practicing and everyone has some form of additional top layer today although there are still plenty of bare legs on display

There has been a good set of spectators over the first two days and the club has already sold 4 days projected food. Fortunately Costco is open on Sunday morning.

Yesterdays desserts were spectacular with profiteroles and strawberry trifle proving to be a difficult choice

For those of you who don't know Bowdon, there are two lawns on the lower level and another two (3+4) raised about 5 feet on the upper level. Viewing is good from a variety of positions, if it is dry.

The area is surrounded by residential housing, but as it is a National Trust area, still has a feeling of green English countryside.

Fulford RY

Rothman UK

T1 Y 13 yard supershot

T2 K 10y E of peg

T3 R shoots at K from 10y W of C3............HITS

Fulford has made hoop 1 and has a 3-ball break

T3 (cont) Fulford is round to 4-b. He has made a defensive spread. Y has a rush on K to R and is almost on the maximum distance spot - certainly N of level with hoop 5. R is 20y N of C1

T4 Rothman takes long lift and misses by a foot going through the middle of the two balls

Fulford spent a long time deciding whether to rush to C4 after hoop 1 and wisely decided against it. He now has a delayed tp ahead of him

Fulford overapproaches hoop 2 and has angled hoop

Thrashes it through to the boundary

Fulford is opting to peel 4-b after hoop3 with U still in C4. He has jawsed the peel and rushed perfectly to 2y W of C4

I have to say that this isn't the tidiest turn I've ever seen Fulford play. He's currently on hoop 6 with 1 peel done. He'll be trying to peel  R through penult with his escape ball 5 yards E of the hoop and his 1-b pioneers 4 yards E of 1-b

No problem - R peled down to rover and everthing under control now

T5 (cont) Fulford finishes +26tp

GB1 USA 0

Test Score GB 4 USA 2

Quickly into Game 2.

Rothman UK

Fulford RY

T1  U 16y narrow supershot

T2  R just S of C2

T3  K hits R in the middle

Rothman has made 1 and 2, but still hasn't got a break. He's got a 4 yard rush to hoop 3 which has finished 5 yards SE of the hoop. The other ball (hoop 4 pioneers) is at the peg

Makes hoop 3

Rothman has left himself another 4 yard rush, but now has a hoop 5 pioneer.

Misses rush.

That really was a sequence of poor croquet strokes.

U is at hoop 5

R is 1y E of the peg

K is in C4

Fulford will be able to make a double of U and R.................hits in the middle

Fulford is working on digging the ball out of C4 as early as possible so that he can start popping U

Fulford fails to pop U through 1 after hoop 4 and it bounces 5y E of the hoop. Will he stop at 1-b now?

Fulford is going to 4-b and it looks like he's going to give Rothman a 13 yarder and make a defensive leave.

Recap

R 1

Y 4B

U 1

K 4

K about 1ft N of C4

U is in the middle of the W boundary

R has a short rush on Y just S of C2

Rothman lifts U to B-Baulk and misses R

Fulford has picked up his break and has a delayed tp ahead of him having just run hoop 4

Fulford has peeled 4-b before 1-b

Fulford peeled penult before 4-b and is now in full control for a straight rover peel

Fulford finishes.

Match to GB +26TP +23TP

Test Score GB 5 USA 2