So NZ have clinched the match, having maintained the momentum they've built over the last couple of days to take both the matches to finish so far today. USA seem to be suffering a bit of a hangover following their record 14-7 Mac victory over Australia in the last test. But I'm sure that pride will mean they will continue to fight.

Both these players are a perfectly respectable 3/5 in singles to date, so should be a close tussle. We might see some sextuple, or better?, attempts.

GAME 1

======

1 Y supershot

2 U hits Y from C1, stuffs it to 2 yds off W boundary level with 2 and retires to 1 ft W of C4 on S boundary

3 R misses U, leaving ball and a half target from A baulk

4 K hits R

This shot needed an umpire, firstly to determine which ball was roqueted first if relatively simultaneous, and secondly to see if a cannon results, which it didn't.

K grovels through 1, misses hampered 6 ydr to N boundary with U by hoop 2

5 Y hits 22 ydr at R in C4

Takes off 7 yds short of K and misses

6 This hands K it's break back, which is progressing smoothly now

Not a sniff of a 1b leave as he approaches 6

K is now approaching 3b heading for a spread

Apparently the NZ team have agreed that they will betrying to run up as big a victory as possible, so may not see too many big peeling attempts

Spread it is

7 R lifted from W boundary and centre ball long lift. With a ball still by the peg this should be no problem

Makes 1 with a ball at 2 and U 2 yds NW of C4. Rushes oppo 4b ball to S boundary after 2, so don't think we'll be seeing a tpo here

Rushes pivot into hoop 4 pioneer after 3, so some minor tidying up to do now.

2yd approach to 5 followed by 1yd hoop means he's back in position

I suppose I should have mentioned the 5yd return roquet after 5, but these are a formality to Ben. So I didn't

R reaches 4b with a flattish spread, hoop 1 ball by the peg. Not that it makes any difference as either ball can be played, which is why the spread is such a sub-standard leave after oppo's had a ball round. Something forcing with oppo 4b ball on hoop 4 or hoop 1 is much better

8 U duly lifted and centre balls long lift

9 U has made 1 and is taking off from 3yds SW of 4 to hoop 2 with partner safely at 3/4b already

4b peeled by 4 yds after 3

Rover peel clangs 1 ft W of the hoop going to 3b

Straight rover peel Irished through 3 yds from 8" dead in front. Finishes

Rothman lost to Westerby -17tp

Test Score
	2	13

Match Score
	0	1

GAME 2

======

1 R supershot

2 U hits R from C1. Stuffs it to just off W boundary level with 2, retires to C4

3 y hits U in C4, attempts roll up to 1. Lands 2 yds straight in front

Long think

Clangs hard back to W boundary 2 yds N of C1

4 K hits 2 ydr from C1 and is away

K to 4b with a spread, U&K on E boundary level with rover

5 Y misses short lift from A baulk

6 U has made 2 with all the balls, just needs to rush partner across to 3/4b

Jawses 4b peel after 3, and has called a ref as peelee seems to be firmly wedged

Oppo's come out to join in the fun

Peelee not wedgable on any axis, so play on. All there for the penult peel after 6

Penult peeled to 1yd N of the peg

Rover peeled 6" through from 18" straight going to 3b

Finishes

Rothman beat Westerby +26tp

Test Score
	2	13

Match Score
	1	1

GAME 3

======

1 Y supershot

2 K misses dribble at Y from C1

3 R hits K from B baulk. Gets slightly hampered from Y by the peg, but rushes to 1yd in front of 1 anyway and is away

R has reached 4b, could be a DL

Had all the balls for a DL, but has ended up with R by the peg and Y&K offering a target from B baulk. Disappointing

4 U duly conks target from B baulk on the nose

Has all the balls after running 2, standard tpo if he wants it

Which he does. 4b peel goes through a ft from a ft in front after 3

Has run 5 and is going to have a 1b leave, partner will do the dpo and some peels on partner if the tea lady's missed. I always forget about this possibility

That's what he's done. Hoop 1 ball 4yds WSW of 1, penult ball 4ft ENE, K in C3, can't see exactly where U is or what's wired from what: some sort of seething raffle draw seems to have inserted itself between me and the lawn

5 Massive "Yes" and fist as, despite distractions of aforesaid raffle, Ben hits the tea lady with the backward ball, basically with a laid dp for the match

Penult peel after 3 clangs to the side, and is ignored until he gets to 6 himself. Sticks in 6 trying to run it gently to keep control of the peel. Mallet takes some stick as it's hammered into the court surround as Ben trudges back to the players' hut. Possible the hat went flying too.

Note to Mulliner: clips are replaced the right way round

Aaron has disappeared momentarily. Perhaps he's gone to collect his raffle prize.

I'VE BEEN ASKED AT THIS POINT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT PLAY WILL START AT 09:00 BST TOMORROW

6 U (for 1b) carries on to 4b

Oppo ball is glued onto the back of hoop 1 after 2b

Apparently it leaves half a target from the end of A baulk, so adjusting it after 3b

Having to dribble 20 yds back to partner on E boundary from hoop 1

K has a 3yd rush on U to the peg, Y is W of 2, but open from B baulk, about an 11ydr

7 R hits 11 ydr at Y from end of B baulk. He'll have two hoops and a full hammer leave here

Not looked back, but there seems to have been an awful lot hitting in in this match

Runs rover cleanly, tonks off 9 yd return. U&Y are down by 1b for the cross wire. (At some point I missed Y being peeled to 1b). Cross wire at 1b accomplished, laying up in C4

8 K misses "tea-lady", at some pace

9 Y finishes, to avoid the singles whitewash for the day for the US

Rothman beat Westerby -17tp +26tp +17

Test Score
	3	15

Match Score
	2	1