In playing at Mendip Spring on what everyone thought was a well turned out course and with wonderful hospitality it seems that many of the games against Shropshire & Herefordshire were either very tight or ones that could have easily slipped away from Somerset.
The SGC debutant, Mendip Spring captain Nic Gough, showed the other 3 players in his group how to play not only the course but the difficult conditions and with his partner Marcus Woodward, the Captain of Captains, won a tight game 2 and 1.
With never more than a hole in the match at any time John Gray and the ‘late’ Stephen Butterfield (a minor calendar issue causing him to be a little tardy) led to a halved match in the second game.
5 up after 6 holes Rob Darvell and Bob Acland were smiling. However they were only 1 up after 12 their smiles disappeared. A great game finally finished with a 4 and 2 victory to Somerset.
Keri Allchurch and Jeff Saunders were in the fourth match and enjoyed the course winning a close game 1 up.
The only game that Somerset lost was the fifth game with Rob Ford and Simon Waddington being outclassed by their opponents in a 2 and 1 loss.
In a game of two halves a 2 nett 1 set Shropshire & Herefordshire on their way in the sixth match. Clive Stilwell and Phil Turvill then started a slow comeback from 3 down on the ninth to win 4 and 2 on the 16th!
Tony Charalambous and Colin Davies always had their noses in front and won 2 and 1 in a very competitive and enjoyable match.
Somerset, with Chris Reed and Paul Martin, started off very well going 4 up after 6. Shropshire & Herefordshire were not beaten though and won two consecutive holes on the back 9. Chris however then closed the game out to win the match 4 and 3.
In the end the result was a comfortable 6 1/2 – 1 1/2 win for Somerset.
