Notts v Leicestershire - 4^th November 2007

With a wealth of attacking options our captain followed the Rafa Benitez system of squad rotation. Liverpool fans will be familiar with the outcome.

The Teams:

Dawes - Tony McNiff and Tony Sowter; Willie Crook and Sandy Fulton; Keith Rodgers and Lloyd Eagling; Graham Lee and Clive Kaye.
Porter - Eric Nunn and Frank Ball; Mark Goddard and Geoff Topol; John and Irene Auld; David Burgess and Gordon Fullerton.
Markham - Richard Kowalski and Stan Kujawinski; Mike and Daphne Coggles; Ellen Overton and Evelyn Grainger; Phil Dale and Ray Furlonger.

Board 16 provided the opportunity for good bidding and play:

E/W Vul - Dealer East

After 1♥-Pass-1NT-2♦, West almost always bid 2♠, but playing Acol this looks too much. Why not pass and trust partner to reopen with heart support? Tony Sowters recommendation is a take-out double of 2♦ which leads to clubs.

As it went some Easts punted an awful 3NT (including a normally excellent Notts player who wishes to remain anonymous), whilst better judges probed with 3♦ and reached 4♥ which is at least playable. Against 4♥ one Notts defender led J♦, usually a good start when declarer is short, and continued diamonds to reduce declarers trumps. The contract now made on a club finesse, the defence's diamonds being out of reach. It is necessary to attack spades early to defeat 4♥; difficult but not impossible to find.

One Leicester pair did manage to play in clubs - but not in a safe partscore, nor even a pushy game. Their opponents were Sandy Fulton and Willie Crook and the auction proceeded

Everyone did too much of course but not for the first time the music stopped in time for Willie and Sandy.

At half-time Notts trailed by 29, 21 and 52 imps in the three matches - a disappointment but not a surprise against strong opponents. However, things were about to change in one match. The second team started to collect large swings including penalties on board 27:

No Vul - Dealer South

Both Leicestershire East/Wests played 5♦ doubled off plenty, while Notts played 4♥ after starting 1♠-2♣-2♥-No-2♠-No-3♦.
After three rounds of clubs 4♥ fails on best defence whether you try spades or diamonds. It made once presumably because North covered a spade.

Willie and Sandy defended 3♥ after Willie bid clubs twice and Sandy doubled 3♦. After three rounds of clubs declarer ruffed low and Sandy overruffed. Now declarer is sure to develop 9 tricks by playing on spades but Sandy stopped that by leading the King of Diamonds - the only defence.

In the second half the first team lost 25 imps, the third team lost 13 but the second team gained 115 - Yes 115!

The VPs were 3-17, 20-0, and 2-18. The most effective pairs for Notts were Eric Nunn & Frank Ball, and David Burgess & Gordon Fullerton.

Match Report by John Auld