CA of Ireland v SCA 2017
13-14 May 2017, Carrickmines
The Scots were holders of the trophy, having won convincingly last year and sent a strong team to Dublin in the hope of retaining it. Their two leading players had minus handicaps. It was the Irish who were first out of the blocks, however, winning all three doubles games on Saturday morning and this lead was extended to 7-2 after the first round of singles in the afternoon, with victories for Evan (with 2 tps), Jane, Nathaniel and Jack. The Scots rallied in the next round and at the end of the day the Irish lead was reduced to 9-6.
After a very enjoyable dinner at the Gables on Saturday evening, hostilities resumed on Sunday and the Scots kept on their roll, winning all the doubles games, so the final round of singles on Sunday afternoon left all to play for. Most of these games were very tight affairs - Evan and Nathaniel each winning his game on time and Jane only losing to John Surgenor 26-23. At the end of the day, the match score was 12-12 (see below for full scores) after a most exciting match and Scotland had retained the Appleton Trophy.
Results (CAI names first)
Saturday
Nathaniel Healy & Jack Clingan beat Campbell Morrison & Janice Duguid +26tp(H)
Evan Newell & Dave McGrath beat John Surgenor & Alan Clark +11
Jane Morrison & Frank Martin beat Alan Wilson & Chris Martin +5T (20-15)
Evan Newell beat Alan Wilson +17tp
Jane Morrison beat Campbell Morrison +11
Nathaniel Healy beat John Surgenor +9
Jack Clingan beat Alan Clark +21
Frank Martin lost to Janice Duguid -5T (13-18)
David McGrath lost to Chris Martin -25
Evan Newell beat John Surgenor +24tp
Jane Morrison lost to Alan Wilson -9T (14-23)
Nathaniel Healy lost to Campbell Morrison -22
Jack Clingan beat Janice Duguid +16
Frank Martin lost to Chris Martin -9T (13-22)
David McGrath lost to Alan Clark -18
Sunday
Nathaniel Healy & Jack Clingan lost to John Surgenor & Alan Clark -20
Evan Newell & Dave McGrath lost to Alan Wilson & Chris Martin -5
Jane Morrison & Frank Martin lost to Campbell Morrison & Janice Duguid -12T (9-21)
Evan Newell beat Campbell Morrison +7T (15-8)
Jane Morrison lost to John Surgenor -3
Nathaniel Healy beat Alan Wilson +1T (22-21)
Jack Clingan beat Chris Martin +23
Frank Martin lost to Alan Clark -23
David McGrath lost to Janice Duguid -13
The results are also on Croquet Scores.