Midgeland Trophy 2013

Phil McCardin will report from the lawns live here from about lunchtime.

PM> Good afternoon everyone and welcome to Sunny Blackpool for the eighth running of the Midgeland Trophy. I am joined now by the holder Peter Wilson. Peter how do you see the tournament unfolding today?

PW> Good afternoon Phil. It should be a great fight between experience and new talent. We have a host of new members playing a tournament for the first time today and it will be interesting to see if any of our established players can cope with them.

PM>And you are not defending?

PW>No, not this year I have given my place to one of our rising stars.

PM>OK thanks Peter, you have some refereeing duties to perform so I will let you get on, we can speak later.

PW>Yes thanks, Red Cards has asked me to deputise in his absence. I need to catch up on the wrong ball rules, we are using V1.

PM>It is a glorious sight here today, the lawns are looking in great shape. Time for a word from the Manager, Lee "Da Macheeen" Hartley. Lee what is the format today?

LH>Three blocks of four all play all, bisque difference. The order of play will keep the result open until the last game. The winners will go through to the semi finals plus one wild card. We are doing the draw now. Group of death 3: Catherine (8), Liz (4), Ken (8) Jan (12).
Group 1: Philip (8), Ian (5), Cyd (12) Gill (12).
Group 2: Albina(12), Nathan (10) Terry (6), Aileen (12).
Group 3 has the most experience so that is a difficult draw for Jan. Philip "King of Spades" has a chance in group 1. We will be watching Nathan in group 2 as he is playing on handicap 10 and should be a threat.

PM>Thanks Lee, well we are ready to start now. There is a pleasant Southwesterly. Lawn 1 has some dew on it in corner 2 in the shadow of the indoor court.

PM>I am joined by Betty, who do you think will be in the final?

BB>Lovely day for it. I think Nathan is favourite. Ian and Philip will be there too. I will be taking some photos of the first round. There are some great outfits on display today. Philip has some blue and white Bermuda shorts on, but white is popular today.

PM>Shrieks of laughter in the Terry/Aileen game, looks like Aileen has equalised. The ROT has turned up, is he going to be needed immediately on lawn 3. Great shot from Jan running 3 with position at 4, Ken has his hands full. The second wave of matches has started. Ian just made 2 from 35 feet the ROT raises an eye.Gill responds brilliantly with the first shot to three and a bisque to adjust perfectly 4 inches from the hoop. I am under the umbrella by corner two of lawn 1. Catherine beats Liz. Jan beats Ken. Terry Jumps a second hoop in this match. Terry beats Aileen. Philip beats Cyd, she is using our Hogan mallet today. The manager is on his second half banana. Most people have brought some food for the Jacobs Join, the fridge is full and there are some Cucumber and Dairylee samdwiches I like the look of.

There is some debate about clearing the pegs from the lawn when double banking, the ROT is not getting involved, there could be more than two schools of thought on this. Gill plays a beauty in front of the knowlegeable crowd. Take a bisque they shout. Why? she asks, The manager is sorting it. I should point out that we have several people here helping our beginners today.

PM>Not everyone understands the half way rule, they are getting a lesson. The marathon between Ian and Gill ends with Ian triumphant. Nathan who arrived late is still in play , golden hoop with Albina. All the balls are within a foot of each other. This is a serious challenge for Nathan, but he wins it.

Here we go on round two. Several players have been given some coaching about taking bisques, but will they remember? I am joined by Peter Wilson again.

PW>Hi, the manager has done good by pairing winners in this round, that will keep qualification open right up to round three. There are some big matches on show now. The groups are staying on the same lawns. I am interested in the Terry Nathan game. Nathan has some camouflage shorts on so it is quite hard to see what hoop they are for. He has his hand low on the mallet and shoots sucessfully to clear the balls at hoop one but Terry scores and they move on.

PM>Thanks Peter, leave the commentary to me will you. Here is Gill on lawn one, brown slacks and six clips attached to her white T. She is playing Cyd wearing full whites, baseball and shades. That style is worth an extra bisque. Ian and Philip are following them. Ken takes the pro bisque to position first at four against Liz who then jaws pink. The Boss is on fire. Aileen wearing splendid white peddle pushers is hampered at one. Terry offers some help. Philip needs to make this jump, it has the height but does not go through, Ian beats him at two back. Looks as if Gill may have trodden on a ball there and they need some help. No, thay have sorted it out between them. The Boss beats Ken. She is in with a shout of retaining the trophy on the same mantlepiece. More spectator have arrived. That is not typo. We have given Aileen a hat. It is scorchio out there. Catherine beats Jan. The manager and I shuffle around under the umbrella as the Sun has moved. Terry has beaten Nathan. That is an upset for those of us with a monkey on Nat. But he has brought a cake. Excuse me a moment while I take a look at it. Cyd beats Gill.

PM>It is a large Morrisons cream sponge and looks as if it was baked in a ten inch tin. He fits into the club well. I am getting peckish but there is another round to go before tea and still a game to finish on lawn two before it starts. The lawn clearing is resolved. Pyramids of balls off the lawns are appearing here and there, nice touch, interesting choices of top ball. Albina and Aileen are for rover now. It must be 6/5. Now it is 6/6 but they go for the wrong hoop next. Red Cards is on the case. Is it a bad light stops play scenario? No Albina wins.

PM>A Cabbage White flies off disturbed by the sudden activity caused by the anouncement of round three. Makes a change from the Red Arrows or indeed the Air Ambulance which comes in low fluttering my umbrella. Neopolitan leave on lawn one, Gill makes Strawberry Vanilla and Chocolate all touching in a line, coming from a bowling background she reads the lawn well. But Ian vs Cyd has the crowd gasping at each tactical shot. Ian prevails. Ian has joined me, Ian you are the first man into the semis, you must be over the moon.

IT>It has been a good tournament so far, very well run. I have cruised through the group. But it means nothing right now I have to take each game as it comes.

PM>Well done Ian. Ken reports a win against Catherine but she is the second player into the semi. Catherine has been reading the commentary on her phone and has just found out, to her surprise, about her sucess. Aileen looses to Nathan, she reports that he is a nice gentleman and a good player. Aileen should be proud of herself, a great first tournament. Liz beats Jan and gets into the semis as the best runner up. Philip Beats Gill. There is some activity in the kitchen! Food delayed due to ROT required on lawn two. Wrong Ball Vernazza.

LH>The draw for the semis, is Liz against Ian and Catherine against Terry . Experience has prevailed. The 2012 Association Handicap Trophy final previously postponed by bad weather now having been payed is now being presented to Betty by our Chairman Mart in the style of Tommy Cooper. That was a diverse tea. Semis in progress and two short lawns set up for friendlies and coaching. I have moved under the red umbrella. I can see the gloves are off, striking fault Vernazza, Catherine brings them back and plays next. That could prove to be a turning point. Terry seems unphased by the reduction of his handicap passed on by recent a/c victories and he blocks C with a 20 yarder into hoop four. Liz KOs Ian leaving him to clear up lawn three. I would go and help but I do not want my Boddingtons to get warm. What happened Liz?

LW>Two very lucky inoffs.

PM>Terry stonks Catherine up to six while running five. "Thank you" she says. It is right in front, she will make it, unless Terry hits from the boundary. Long Roquet Vernazza! Hoop six is back up for grabs. But still the washing up seems of more interest to most members. It is green Fairy Liquid if you need to know. Meanwhile the play is right up beside me at one back. Good position Vernazza! But Catherine will clear this down to three back. Long walk Vernazza! Who comes back to play the best jump of the tournament. Rog would have loved it making it 4/3 to C. TV playes a stop shot clearance that must have been twenty to one ratio leaving him in control. He poo-poos the rush peel but it is four each. Five all, TV foregoes the offside call but is in trouble now, C makes penult. C has the power and is making T walk but he is defending like a Lion. The crowd appreciating this gladitorial combat rise as the players approach the final hoop all square. Good golden hoop Vernazza! We will be back after a short break.

PM>Liz (blue) to hoop one. Terry (red) to hoop one. Black to hoop one yellow to hoop one. Blue corner four. yellow moves black to hoop two. blue to hoop one red to hoop one black to hoop one. yelow to hoop one. Winding the clock down Vernazza! Black jaws. Yellow blue and red pos peg high. Black hard to hoop two. Low battery. 2/1 Vernazza as he runs three from the boundary. Two bisques in hand he takes one to get infront of four and score it. Peter Wilson joins me for the final hoops.

PW>It has been a great day for FCC and there is a chance that the trophy will come home again but Terry looks in such fine form. His bisque seems to have given him the initiative but will he buckle under pressure? Liz is so strong in the end game.

PM>Yes, it is a shame someone will loose this, they both do so much for the club and, as you well know, the Midgeland Title is something we all want.

PW>Yes Phil, having won it twice myself I can echo your thoughts. This is a life changer.

PM>The crowd love the underdog and cheer all Liz's shots while apologising to Terry. Liz runs one back with a smooth stroke. Now 5/3 Vernazza who has burned his bisques. 6/4 Vernazza. Poor clearance by Liz there and red is jawsed and sent through with yellow for the title. Champion Vernazza!

PM>Well Mr Manager, how did it go?

LH>All according to plan.