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IRELAND 18
JERSEY 15
5/6 November at Carrickmines
A curtailed team of three arrived in
Dublin from Jersey for a match to resume the series broken in 2002. The score
so far was three matches each. Sarah and Matthew Burrow were joined by Richard
Griffiths, representing the island for the first time, and an impressive
2-handicapper for a player in only his third season. The Irish team was picked
to match the visitors closely, and consisted of Simon Williams, Patsy
Fitzgerald and Russell Harris. The date of the match was delayed from the
previous weeknd, and we were rewarded with far better weather! Thanks to
Carrickmines for providing a November venue with lawns not too slow or bumpy,
and to hardy spectators including Ray, Joe, Mary, Leo, Evan, Victoria and
Mark.
The novel scoring system allowed 5
points for each of three best-of-three singles matches, 4 points for each of
three doubles games, in which all pairings were tried, and 2 points each for
three single singles games, to occupy the odd players during the doubles. This
gave a total of 33 points, or 17 to win.
Ireland made a flying start when Simon
and Russell efficiently dispatched Sarah and Richard, while Patsy had a
notable win over Matthew. Then Sarah confidently beat Russell, while Simon and
Patsy ("a complete chump" according to Patrick Cotter) succumbed to Matthew
and Richard. Following lunch at Trentuno, Cabinteely (which was excellent,
although there were simply no raspberries nor trace of a raspberry in
Patsy's smoked duck-and-raspberry pizza, and we don't care who knows it),
Simon disposed of Richard in about twenty minutes, but the game between Patsy
and Russell and Sarah and Matthew had to be pegged down in the dark. The teams
returned to Cabinteely village for a slap-up dinner at Pattaya Thai
Restaurant, then back to the "Shankill Hilton". The match score on Saturday
night was Ireland 8 Jersey 6, but Matthew only needed four hoops to win the
adjourned game.
In the morning, Russell hit his lift,
but this and a subsequent hit were not enough to see him around to the peg,
where he was wanted, and Matthew finished off shortly afterwards; and then
went on to beat a strangely reduced Simon in straight games, giving Jersey a
15-8 lead. Sarah, looking for revenge on Patsy after his win in the European
Championship, won the first game with a Triple, and when Patsy broke down on a
triple peel attempt in the second things
looked dark. But Patsy is made of sterner stuff than this, and he roused
himself to win this game and then the third - despite a "full value"
3-back-and-forth ending, after Patsy twice failed to finish off the game,
but got a third chance! Russell had some stiff opposition from Richard, but
eventually came home the winner in two games. The final score was Ireland 18,
Jersey 15.