Based on the Ryder/Presidents/Solheim cup format, 8 players from each team competed on 2 x fours, 4 x doubles and 8 x singles matches.
With one point up for grabs for each match 7 points minimum were needed by the ‘Northerns’ to retain the cup whilst the Southerns needed 7.5 points minimum to win back the trophy they last held 3 years ago.
Slight favourites on paper, due to late withdrawals from the Northern team the Southerns probably fancied their chances.
As always in this format, the captain’s choices of pairings and lane allocation, (done in secret prior to each round) could, and did, turn out to be crucial.
In the fours the Northerns played safe by picking one strong team and one weaker team. So, it was one point each after the fours.
In the doubles, team and lane selection was trickier for both captains. Some games went with form and other against and one again the points were shared leaving the match level at 3-3.
This now meant that singles order and lane selection for the singles was ultra important.
The Southerns tactic of selecting ‘form horses’ John Griffiths and reigning Kamala Singles champion Dean Lambert on their favourite lane 1 backfired spectacularly as both fell to comprehensive defeats by the Swedish dynamos, Ulf Egerstad and Ulf Danielsson.
Conversely, the Northerns tactic of giving the two cup ‘rookies’ Stef Rodrigues and Johnathan (Jonty) Hayes previous experience in the doubles on the tricky lane 4 proved to be a masterstroke as both used that knowledge of the lane to triumph against the form book in their singles.
Even though after the 1st round of singles the scores were tied 5-5, those two points from the ‘rookies’ were unexpected,and, in the end crucial and possibly brilliantly conceived.
Apart from the previously mentioned games all the other singles were ‘nip and tuck’, several only being won or lost by one point.
The prime example being when George Sasanow bowled a ‘wonder bowl’ with his very last delivery to ‘nip’ a victory in the singles for the Southerns over Richard Tuck.
In the end after all the drama, excitement, strategy and tactics the cunning of the Northern team saw them prevail as winners 8-6 and retain the cup.
The stand out overall performer of the day was Northerner Rob Knight who finished with a perfect 3-0 record from his games.