Tournament News
Day 15 Report: Saturday, November 15, 2003
Today’s scores
Test Match standings
10:20 AM. Both tests even on the day so far.
Australia and United States each lead in one of their doubles matches, on triple peels by Forster (AUS) and Stark (USA). New Zealand and Great Britain each lead in two of their singles matches.
In Fulford (GB) v. Garrison (NZ), Garrison hit Fulford’s 1-back leave, went round, survived the lift shot, and tripled to finish game 1. In C. Clarke (GB) v. Prince (NZ), Prince hit and went round on turn 4, Clarke hit and TPO’d on turn 5, Prince made 1 but missed a 10-yarder on turn 6, Clarke made a mammoth approach to 1 to start a three-ball break on turn 7, Clarke then made the only error of the game when he failed to get position at penult. Prince hit and finished on turn 8.
11:00 AM. Kiwis inspired, but Mulliner wins first of the day for Great Britain.
Stephen Mulliner (GB) posted a quick straight-games win over Brian Wislang (NZ) to put Great Britain up 9-7 in the test match with New Zealand. But NZ players lead in four of the five remaining singles matches.
In the AUS v. USA doubles, Fleming (AUS) has a chance to level his match with a delayed triple; Fournier (USA) has the same chance in his match. Bassett (AUS) has started a delayed triple that could win game 1 of his match.
11:30 AM. A thriller on the showcase lawn.
Toby Garrison (NZ) has hit the shot of the day so far. Fulford (GB) made an unusual 1-back leave, with Garrison’s backward ball near 4-back, wired from Fulford’s balls in corner III. Garrison jumped the hoop to make the roquet, to raucous cheering from the gallery. He has since made some aggressive shots to dig out a break, and can win the match on this turn.
Hockey and Bassett (AUS) have won the first against Louw and Rosenberry (USA); they are just starting game 2. Fleming (AUS) failed his triple, a rarity for the top tripler of this Series, and the game turned scrappy. But Fleming again has a game-finishing turn on his mallet.
Fournier (USA) had a sequence of difficult shots leading to a failed 4-back hoop. Meatheringham (AUS) is in; Fournier and Drake may be facing a must-hit lift soon.
High noon: Kiwis against the wall.
John Prince (NZ) beat Chris Clarke (GB) in two games to bring New Zealand to 8-9 in the test match. But Mark Avery has put Great Britain on the hill with a straight-games win over Peter Parkinson.
Garrison (NZ) went round with no peels; Fulford (GB) hit the lift and has started a sextuple to try to level the match. Bulloch (NZ) has hit the lift in game 3 against Maugham (GB) and can win the match with a triple. Fournier (USA) hit the lift to finish game 2; two of the AUS v. USA doubles are at game-all, with Australia up a game in the other match.
12:25 PM. Down to the wire.
Fulford (GB) had four peels done and needed only a delayed double finish, but had a hampered stroke after running 3-back and missed the roquet. Garrison looked shaky on the final three-hoop break, but finished the turn, game, and match to again bring New Zealand to within one match of Great Britain. Bulloch (NZ) went round with no peels to a sloppy leave; Maugham (GB) has hit with his 4-back ball. Burrow (GB) is in play in a scrappy game 2 against Bryant (NZ).
12:55 PM. Great Britain sweep Series; Aussies on the hill.
Just as in the 2000 Series, David Maugham (GB) has played a triple peel to win the deciding match of the final test of the Series against NZ. Burrow (GB) v. Bryant (NZ) is still in game 2.
Trevor Bassett (AUS) didn’t finish his triple and then made a sloppy leave, but Rosenberry (USA) missed the lift and Hockey (AUS) finished the game and match. Australia lead USA 10-9 and need only one more win to win the test and take second place in the Series. Stark (USA) is (out of his mind?) attempting a delayed TPO in his game 3. Drake (USA) has the first break of his game 3.
1:15 PM. Fleming has another test match on his mallet.
Stark (USA) broke down after 3-back with one peel of the TPO done. Bruce Fleming, Australian Team Captain, can win the test match with a standard double peel.
1:40 PM. Australia 11, United States 9, with one dead match still in play.
Bruce Fleming finished his break, despite some anxious moments, to give Australia their second test match win of this Series, and second place overall.
Fournier (USA) can win the final match with a standard triple. Bryant (NZ) won his match to make the final score GB 11, NZ 10.
3:00 PM. Both tests finish 11-10 as the 2003 Series wraps up.
Jacques Fournier (USA) finished his triple peel to bring the final score for the test match to Australia 11, United States 10.
The Shield has been presented to the winners, the Kiwis have sung their national anthem—an excellent, spirited rendition, and it’s all over but the barbecue.
Post mortems will probably be posted on this website in the coming days, but for now this is your reporter and website editor, Jeff Soo, signing off.