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 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 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 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 5 1/2 – 1 1/2 win for Somerset.
