13th March 2022
Having successfully beaten Worcestershire in the quarter finals a month ago, Hertfordshire drew Kent in the Semi-Final. After a worrying time for the selectors with a few of our ICC squad testing positive for covid, our teams (Home and Away) were picked. Both teams travelled to Solihull for their matches which were played on adjacent mats at this neutral venue. The games were still played as home and away matches with the bonus points accumulated separately.
10.30 and play began with singles on all four mats.
Home team: -
Jeff Branch played on mat 11. Coming straight in taking a double the match was under way. Kent replied taking a triple but Jeff then took a single to be 3 all after three ends. Kent replied taking a further triple, again Jeff came straight back for a single. Kent now pilled on the pressure with a hotshot four and the lead at 10 – 4 after six ends. The following two ends saw each of the players take a double. With Kent taking a further double on end nine they had a 14 – 6 lead. Jeff now reduced the deficit taking a three. The following four ends went for two singles apiece. The last end saw Kent take a final triple and the win at 19 – 11.
Martin Nash played on mat 12. Kent drew first blood taking a double. Martin now warmed up and took a single. he followed this with a triple and two doubles to go 8 – 2 up after five ends. Kent now started to come back taking a triple and a single to reduce Martin’s lead to 8 – 6 after seven ends. Martin now ploughed on taking a single followed by a triple, a further single and a double to be 15 – 6 up with four ends to play. Kent came in for a double but Martin immediately replied with a triple followed by a double. The last end went Kent’s way with them holding on for a single but Martin had a good win at 19 – 9.
With the combined score of 30 – 28 Hertfordshire had the Bonus points.
Away Team: -
Darren Brown played on mat 9. Darren got started by taking the first end for a single, Kent replied by getting a double on the second end. Darren applied a little pressure taking a double and a triple for a 6 – 2 lead after four ends. Kent now held on for a double, but with Darren replying with his own double followed by a single he was five shots clear after seven ends. End eight and Kent took a single. Darren’s reply was to tale a double followed by a triple and a 14 – 5 lead after 10 ends. Kent now pulled back two on end eleven but with Darren now taking a further triple his lead increased. Ends thirteen and fourteen saw Kent take two singles. With Darren holding the last end for a single he had a good win at 18 – 9.
Dennis Mack played on mat 10. Kent took the first two ends for a single and a double before Dennis got in for a hotshot four and the lead. Kent replied taking a single and two triples to have a 10 – 4 lead after six ends. Dennis now took a triple. However, Kent replied taking their own triple, followed by a double and a 15 – 7 lead after nine ends. Ends ten and eleven went for a double apiece. Dennis now took a triple to reduce Kents lead to 17 – 12 with three ends to play. Kent took end thirteen for a further triple. Dennis took the last two ends for singles but Kent had won at 20 – 14.
With the combined score of 32 – 29 Hertfordshire had held on two the Bonus points again.
End of Session one Hertfordshire 8 Kent 4.
Session two, the Triples
Home Team:
Sue Murray, Jan Rogers and Darren Stanford played on mat 11. Kent started by taking the first two ends for singles. End three saw our three get on the card with a single, Kent came straight back by taking a double and a 4 – 1 lead after four ends. Our three now held on for two singles. Kent’s reply was to take two triples and a 10 – 3 lead after eight ends of this twelve end match. Sue, Jan and Darren now started to pull it back, taking two doubles and reducing Kent’s lead to 10 – 7. Kent held on taking the last two ends for a double and a single giving them the win at 13 – 7
Julia Bruce, Ken Murray and Neil Rixon played on mat 12. Our three took the first end for a single. Kent replied by holding a double on end two. Our three then took a further single to level at two all after three ends. Kent now took control of the mat taking a five followed by a double, a single and a four to go14 – 2 up after seven ends. Ends eight and nine went for a single apiece. Our three took a further single with two ends to play. End eleven saw Kent take a triple and an 18 – 4 lead The last end saw Julia, Ken and Neil hold on for a double although Kent had the win at 18 – 6
With the combined score of 13 – 28 Kent had the 2 Bonus points.
Away Team:
Jill Quarterman, Alan Spicer and Brian McGivern played on mat 9. Our three started taking the first end for a single. Kent replied taking a double and a triple to have a 5 – 1 lead after three ends. With ends four and five going for a single each, our three now took a double to reduce Kent’s lead to 6 – 4. Kent’s reply was to take a further triple and a double and an 11 – 4 lead after eight ends. Ends nine and ten again saw each team take a single. Jill, Alan and Brian held the penultimate end for a single. With Kent taking the last end for a double they had their third triples win of the match at 14 - 6
Audrey Fowler, Brian Fowler and Mark Spalding played on mat 10. Starting well our three took a triple. Kent instantly replied taking a single but our three put on the pressure taking a double followed by two singles, to go 7 – 1 up after five ends. Kent now started a comeback. Taking a single followed by two triples they now had the lead for the first time at 8 – 7. Our three then took a triple and regained the lead. Kent again came in for a further triple and had the lead at 11 -10 with two ends to play. Audrey, Brian and Mark now dug in taking a double and a single, winning this triple at 13 – 11.
With the combined score of 19 – 25 Kent had the 2 Bonus points.
End of Session two Hertfordshire 10 Kent 14.
Everything now stopped for lunch. 13.30 saw play resume as scorecards were rather tardily distributed ready for the fours.
Home Team:
Jeff Branch, Sue Murray, Jan Rogers and Darren Stanford played on mat 11. Our four started by taking the first end for a single. Kent replied taking end two for a single. In a match that went back and forth our three took end three for another single and a 2 – 1 lead. Another single from Kent and we were level at 2 all after four ends. With two more singles on ends five and six we were back level at three all. End seven and our four again took a single, Kent replied taking the only double of the match to go 5 – 4 up after eight ends. End nine and Jeff, Sue, Jan and Darren took a single to level at 5 all followed by a further single to go 6 – 5 up with one end to play. The last end saw Kent hold a single and get the draw at six all in this very close match.
Julia Bruce, Ken Murray, Neil Rixon and Martin Nash played on mat 12. Kent started well taking a triple followed by a single and a further triple to go 7 – 0 up after three ends. End four and we got on the card taking a double. Kent now replied with their own double. Our four now took a single. Again Kent replied taking a single and they followed this with a further single to go 11 – 3 up with three ends to play. Julia, Ken, Neil and Martin now took two singles to reduce Kent's lead to 11 – 5 with one end to play. The last end saw our four take a third single in a row but Kent had the win at 11 – 6
With the combined score of 12 – 17 Kent had the 2 Bonus points.
Away Team:
Audrey Fowler, Mark Spalding, Brian Fowler and Dennis Mack played on mat 9. Our four got on the card first taking a single. Kent’s reply was to take a triple followed by two singles and a 5 – 1 lead after four ends. Our four took end six for a single. With the following two ends going for a single apiece the score was 6 – 3 in Kent's favour after seven ends. Kent got going again taking a double and two singles to be 10 – 3 up with one end to play. Audrey, Mark, Brian and Dennis held the last end for a double however Kent had the win at 10 – 5.
Jill Quarterman, Alan Spicer, Darren Brown and Brian McGivern played on mat 10. Our four started well taking a single. They then followed this by taking a triple. Kent now got on the card taking a single. Our four came straight back for a triple and a single and a lead of 8 – 1 after five ends. Kent now took a single. End seven saw an umpire with feeler gauges declare a dead end. With Kent taking end eight for a further single they had reduced our lead to 8 – 3. Our four now took ends nine and ten for doubles increasing their lead to 12 – 3. The last end saw Jill, Alan, Darren and Brian hold a magnificent six and a comprehensive win at 18 – 3.
With the combined score of 23 – 13 Hertfordshire had the Bonus points.
End of Session three Hertfordshire 15 Kent 21.
After a short break everybody was ready for the last session of the day, the pairs. In order to win Hertfordshire now needed ten points i.e. a minimum of three wins and both set of bonus points. In order to give some sense of excitement, I will present the games in the order they were actually completed.
Away Team:
Alan Spicer and Brian McGivern played on mat 9. Starting with a triple on the first end our pair were up and running. Kent replied taking a single. However, our pair took two singles followed by a hotshot four to be 9 – 1 up after six ends. Kent held end seven for a single but our pair got straight back on the mat taking a triple, then a single and a further triple. They were now 16 – 2 up after nine ends. Kent then came in for a double and a single but our pair replied with a double to be 18 – 5 up with three ends to play. Now Kent took a double followed by a single. With Alan and Brian taking the last end for a single we had our first pairs win at 19 – 8.
Audrey and Brian Fowler played on mat 10. Our pair started with a single. However, Kent took a double to go 2 – 1 up after two ends. Our pair now regained the lead taking a triple on end three. Kent replied taking two singles and it was 4 all after five ends. Brian and Audrey now went into Super drive. We are on end six - our pair take a hotshot four, followed by a triple, a double, a triple, two doubles, a further triple and a single to go 24 – 4 up with two ends to play. Kent now held end fourteen for a single to reduce our pairs lead to 24 – 5. Brian and Audrey then took a double on the last end for a comprehensive win at 26 – 5.
With the combined score of 45 – 13 Hertfordshire had the 2 Bonus points.
Halfway through Session four Hertfordshire 21 Kent 21.
Home Team.
Jan Rogers and Darren Stanford played on mat 12. Kent started well taking a single followed by a double. Our pair now got on the card with a double to reduce Kent’s lead to one shot. Kent now took two singles. Our pair replied taking a single. Kent now started to pull away taking three singles and an 8 – 3 lead after nine ends. Ends ten and eleven went for a single apiece. With four ends to play and an eye on the shot difference Jan and Darren took a single and a double to reduce Kent's lead to two shots with two ends to play. Kent took control of the penultimate end taking a double. With the score at 11 – 7 Jan and Darren were four shots down. Taking the last end for a double they had reduced Kent’s shot difference to only two shots losing 9 – 11.
Julia Bruce and Neil Rixon played on mat 11. Starting with a double followed by a single they were ahead on the scorecard. Kent now took a hard won single. Our pair replied taking a single and a double to go 6 – 1 up after five ends. Kent then took two singles. With the following two ends going for a single apiece our pair had the lead at 7 – 4 after nine ends. Julia and Neil then took a double and a triple. With a 12 – 4 lead after eleven ends the game was now on. Kent then started to pull back, taking a single and a double they reduced our lead to 12 – 7. Julia and Neil took end fourteen for a single increasing their shot difference to six shots. The last end saw Kent hold a single but our pair had the win at 13 – 8 with a five shot difference.
With the combined score of 22 – 19 Hertfordshire had the 2 Bonus points.
End of Session four and end of the match Hertfordshire win with 25 points Kent 23 points.
I hope the above gives some sense of the atmosphere during the pairs. In real time all four mats were being played at the same time. With mats 9 and 10 running away the bonus points looked fairly safe. Mat 11 was running a couple of ends behind mat 12. Watching the shot difference for the bonus points saw the difference go from 0 to -1 to +1 a couple of times. This was a really exciting close match.
With congratulations flowing in from Jeanette and Tony, Bill and Toni, Alan and Margaret and Trevor (all of whom should have been playing) and many others, the whole ICC team are elated.
The final will be played at Solihull in three weeks’ time on Sunday the 03rd April. We will be playing West Midlands who beat Dorset in their semi final also played yesterday.
If you want to see an exciting game and you are not part of the team then why not travel to Solihull on the 03rd to watch what should be an exciting conclusion to this years ICC A team competition. During this semi final we had a Hertfordshire’s Supporters WhatsApp group with live blow by blow reporting by yours truly. If you cant make the match but would like to be included in the group for the 03rd April please contact me (Paul) and I will add you to the group.
Just going back to the Champagne now, Hic, Hic, see you all in three weeks’ time.