Welcome to Cairnlea for what promises to be a thrilling final day of the Second Tests. USA trail Aus 7-8 and Eng trail NZ by the same score. We have 12 singles today and I'll try and keep some sort of update on as many as possible. Gareth Denyer will also have his scoreboard running - see Nptts list for details.

It will be slightly warmer today and less windy with a max of 30km/h. No rain is expected.

8 Robbie v Matt
11 Mal v Zack
2 Wilson v Ben
9 Dwayne v Morgan
3 Forster v Tom
10 Ian v Jeff

1 James v Paddy
5 Harry v Jenny
7 Jamie v Aaron
4 Mark v Felix
6 Samir v Edmund
12 Christian v Greg

Is it possible that we'll be watching lawns 10 and 12 with both matches at 10-10???

England won the doubles 6-3 and from memory, no team has ever lost having done so. From an American perspective, I think Matt needs to beat Robbie today to rally the troops.

The bell rings indicating the start of practice.

Everything we've seen so far tells you that Paddy should beat James, but James can produce anything one day to another and will be eager to win quickly to level the Test at 8-8. They've got lawn 1, which is a shame because it will be empty most of the day.
Aaron played a fantastic match to break Mark's unbeaten record. Today he tries to same to Jamie whi is on 9/9. England have the advantage on paper in 5 of the macthes, but lost 5-1 in the first singles - that's how close these matches are.

For those of you wanting a link to Gareth's spreadsheet, which should be able to keep clip positions more easily than myself.....
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VjvMxLJ087wsZoCv6fIf3enrHImF4aZvkEYhGHhp9OQ/edit#gid=687196431

I had a sense yesterday that the hoops on lawns 1 and 4 were a bit easier than some other lawns. Obviously, this might be rubbish, but different refs can set slightly differently.

This 15 minute practice should be a significant factor in helping the players settle. It's not like 40 years ago when you went in cold. Kevin rings the bell signalling the end of practice.

Gregs cracks open the hot hands, says it's still freezing out there.

The wind dies down,,,,,the flags are briefly limp.

Coins are being tossed.

Tom and Forster are the first to start....C2 opening, Forster misses from B-baulk 4th turn

Lots of C2 openings elsewhere

James takes the double from B-Baulk....misses to C4

Tom makes a leave. Forster misses

Paddy rushes 3y W of C4......not great.Good take-off gets a rush to C2, rush finishes 5y E of C2.

Samir makes DL

Jenny makes a DL

Ben wins the opening - the US will view his match as a "must win"

Paddy takes off behind the ball in C2 and rushes 1y in front of h1 - good 2 shots

Jamie fails h1 off partner. Aaron shoots from C2.......hits

Felix shoots from C3.....misses

Harry shoots from C3.....misses

Edmund shoots from C3.....hits

Ben either fails h1 or lays up off partner. Wilson misses an aggressive shot at Ben

Tom has made a hoop and a leave.

Paddy still playing a precision pick-up

Jenny fails h1....might be in the jaws or on a wire

Aaron has 4 ball break

Ben has break

Mark has break

Harry hits Jenny

Ian has innings

Morgan has innings

Harry has a break

Christian has a break

Edmund has a break

Zack has a break

Dwayne has the innings

Paddy has 4 ball break having made hoop 6

Callum Hyland will now be doing a commentary on the Aus v USA Test. I'll focus on the other 6 lawns

Paddy, Mark, Harry, Edmund, Aaron and Christian all going round. That's 3-3!!

Lovely to see a precision pick-up - there haven't been many of them. Paddy reaches 4-b with a spread

Aaron reaches 4-b with a spread with the Westerly ball on the boundary. Jamie lifts the ball at the peg and takes short lift.....misses

Mark reaches 4-b with a very diagonal spread

Christian reaches 4-b, trying to make NSL

James lifts the ball at the peg and takes the long lift.....misses

Felix takes a very long double from B-baulk......hits

Edmund reaches 4-b with an OSL

Harry reaches 4-b with a spread. Jenny shoots with the Western ball from where it lay at a target.....misses

Paddy has a backward take-off to h1 and leaves it short......returns to 3y S of the N boundary, trying to guard James's shot

Aaron rushes partner to h3....overhits it.....rush-peels it and finishes inches in front of h3.....handy.

James shoots at partner near C4.....misses. Paddy hits his 8 yarder at partner.

Samir lifts ball at h2 and takes the short lift......misses

Felix has a 45 degree h3......flips it....fails

That gives Mark a 4.5 yarder with his backward ball.....hits

Edmund fails to get a rush to h1 and rolls up off partner and makes a leave

Greg has missed the lift and Christian is taking his second ball round.

Aaron peels penult after h6.

Harry has peeled 4-b after h3, but has a slightly hampered shot on his escape ball.....hits

Samir corners in C3

Mark has a standard tp ahead of him

Paddy has made h2 off partner and is trying to roll it in front of 4-b.....overhits the striker's ball, but peelee is ok. Needs a backward take-off....good shot

Edmund makes h1 and powers his rush to C3 for a cannon!!!

Harry misses return roquet after h4.

Paddy tries to peel 4-b from 2y 40 degrees....hits wire and might be rush-peelable?

Mark peels 4-b after h3

Jenny has a lift with red which was in the jaws of h5. Misses 5 yarder from B-baulk, flicking off wire to leave both players 8yards from partner. Harry will get a standard double if he hits.......does.

Aaron fails the rover peel on the way to 3-b

Edmund has not played a good canon and is back with partner near C3......not sure exactly what happened - Edmund's hand gestures indicate a minor explosion?!? Samir shoots from h2 to C3.......misses. Samir tells us it wasn't a cannon.

Paddy misapproaches h5.....flips....great shot. Paddy rolls to the wrong angle for the rush peel and does well to bounce it back so he can try to peel going to h6

Paddy fails the 4-b peel before h6. Will he leave his 2-b pioneer at 4-b? Attempts a tricky rush-peel before 1-b and sends partner to 2-b. That's 3 angled hoops Paddy has coped with.
James highlights the fact that the hoops on lawn 1-4 are likely to be easier since they've had more play than the outer lawns.

Mark jawses peelee in penult after h6. After 1-b, sends his 3-b pioneer into the peg and then rush peels penult and sends partner to 3-b

Edmund has a standard tp ahead of him. Not sure the 4-b peel hit the hoop

Harry has a break, but no peels of his dp yet

Paddy sends partner nicely to 4-b for an stp attempt

Christian looks like he's reached peg and is making a spread.

Aaron wins +26tp

Paddy irish peels 4-b. Rushes the escape ball near C3. but turns down penult peel wisely and will reach penult and peg

Edmund grovels through 1-b..... looks really bad......shoots at partner near C3......hits!!!!

Greg takes shot at an open spread...ball at peg at partner.....misses

Harry doesn't get penult peel before 4-b and it bounces off 2y to the W

Paddy is 1 inch from being completely hampered on his rover pioneer which is S of the peg. He's coped and has grovelled through rover so that will make his vertical spread trickier - he's already got a ball in h6.

Mark wins +24tp

Harry peels penult to past rover. Finishes +26

Paddy sends oppo to 12y E of h5 and lays up mid W boundary. James lifts the ball in h6 and shoots from C1......misses badly.

Edmund reaches peg with no peels and isnlooking at making a diagonal reverse spread.

Christian win +26

Game 2 - Jamie hits 3rd turn

Paddy runs penult to rover and has a 7yarders return roquet - misses, hitting the peg and bouncin to leave James optional 8-9 yarder. James shoots......misses. Paddy now has no joining up options and migh be forced to take a 9 yarder with his peg ball unless he wants to take a 13 yarder with his rover ball at James in C2. You can't corner here - your shots are too short. Takes 13 yarder...........snicks it.

Jamie going round 3rd turn from a supershot

Samir lifts the ball at the peg and takes the short lift from B-baulk.......misses

Paddy has a 2y backward take-off to rover.....good shot....finishes +26

Game 2 Felix 9y N of C4, Mark just N of C4. Felix 2ft N of Mark. Mark misses from A-baulk.

Felix doesn't get the cannon - that will make the turn really tricky. Plays a super croquet stroke sending oppo towards h3, going 7 yards up the boundary and getting a rush on partner to h1.

Edmund has made 4-b and penult and has a 6 yarder.....misses to B-baulk

Jenny shoots 4th turn on a c2 opening from A-baulk......has a vague target.....hits

Felix hasn't made h1 off partner. Mark shoots from h3 to h1........misses to just out of C1

Jenny has made h1 and will be approaching h2 from C2 off partner

Jamie makes a ba 3 ducks leaving Aaron a double from B-Baullk.......Aaron misses

Samir has a break. Recap 1+1 v rover + peg. Grovels through h1 and calls a ref - shouldn't be difficult.

Felix makes h1 with little prospect of a break. Plays some awesome shots and has run h3 between teh two balls, leaving 10 yarders......hits and his h4 pionner is nearer the S boundary and he's still got a ball in C1

Samir's shot is more difficult than I thought....he's looking at a sweep that is genuinely difficult......clean, but doesn't reach and might not have been on correct line anyway. Edmund has a target/double from h2.......misses

Jenny makes h2 and misses partner. Harry misses from h3. Jenny fails h4 off partner

Jamie peels 4-b after h3 5th turn

Felix fails h4 having done the hard work. Mark is in.

Game 2 James 9y N of C4. Paddy S of C2. James shoots at partner from A-baulk.......hits

Harry shoots from a long way N at a double....misses. Jenny has to play her h1 ball, but hits ad should get going.

James makes a DL. Paddy shoots from A-baulk......misses

Mark has a break

Samir has a break. Jamie is still finishin 5th turn

There's a sense of England starting to get on top.

Jamie peels rover on his way to 3-b

Greg is in play

Jenny has a break

James has made h1

James's tempo looks out to me. The swing is too fast. He's got a break, so perhaps he can find a better rhythm.

Greg makes a leave. Christian shoots......misses

James fails to get a rush to h3 and shows his confidence by rolling partner North rather than taking off and then justiies it with a poor hoop attempt that bounces off to the side.

Jamie equalises 5th turn. He's been tne best player in the event so far.

Jenny reaches 4-b with an NSL.

Paddy takes a 20 yarder at partner.......hits in the middle.

Samir eeaches 4-b with an NSL - unclear whether the ball at h4 rushes to h1.

Harry lifts the ball at h4 and shoots from C3.........misses

Paddy makes h1 and should go round

Edmund lifts the ball at h2 (his ball for rover) and takes the short lift.......misses

Greg is no longer on lawn 12. Christian is taking croquet

Mark reaches 4-b with a reverse OSL. Felix lifts the Easterly ball to B-baulk and takes the short lift......flicks it

Paddy has a break.

Samir yet to start his pick-up for a standard tp.

Samir fails h1, Edmund hits 3 yarder with his peg ball - I was worried for a while he was going to find a 20 yarder with his backward ball!!!

Jenny still taking second ball round

Game 3 Aaron E boundarry. Jamie longish Duffer tice. Aaron shoots from A-Baulk at partner......hits....can he go round????

Felix going round

Christian going round

Kiwis fighting back apart from lawn 12

Aaron left partner near the E boundary, so no real attempt to go round - I thought it was a real chance. Makes a reverse DL with a reverse rush - that's a remarkable choice!!! Samir says this leaves might need a name. Westerby springs to mind.

Paddy reaches 4-b with a spread

Edmund makes a leave near C2

Jenny reaches peg and has only managed an OSL

Jamie shoots from C1 through to C2......misses. Will Aaron play the correct ball? Yes, so difficult to know why he's made that leave. You really don't want to leave Jamie multiple shots

Felix goes to 4-b with abit of a rough NSL (he's in-lawn). Mark lifts his backward ball at h2 and takes short lift from A-baulk......middles it.

James lifts the ball at the peg and takes long lift......misses.

Harry misses Jenny in C4

Samir plays his 4-b ball and shoots at Edmund......misses. Edmund fails rover off the h1 ball, but hasn't got an easy pick-up.

Aaron makes a leave. Jamie shoots.....misses

Paddy has been forced to play a Hogan roll due to hoops getting his way and now needs to rush partner over to h3 for a standard tp.

Mark has a standard tp ahead of him.

Greg misses the lift. Christian is hampered after h1......hits

Jenny equalises +26

Mark peels 4-b after h3

Paddy jawses 4-b after h3

Samir has picked up a break

Aaron still has work to do

Harry and Jenny lunch

Aaron takes off to h2 from N boundary.......5ft 15 degrees......runs it by a foot. Tough hamoered poke........calls a ref.......misses. Jamie has a 16 yard double target.........misses badly

Samir has angled h3........runs it and has what looks like an easy hampered shot to hit peelee.......it's a sweep, so not trivial......makes it look trivial. Fails the peel.

Mark jawses the penult peel after h6

Mark hadn't jawsed the penult peel and now death-rolls it with an excellent shot.

Update on Aussie matches for Callum

Tom equalises
Ben is on his first break against 6 + 4-b
Mal is peg + peg v peg + peg with the innings
Jeff is 6 + penult with the innings v 1 + 4-b
Dwayne is game up and break all with the innings
Robert has a straight rover peel to win the match

Aaron has a break
Samir is on h6 with peelee still floating around 4-b
Paddy has made 2-b with 1 peel complete
Mark is on 4-b with full control and just a straight rover to win the match.
Christian is well progressed on a second break

Zack now has the innings in the 4xpeg game

Samir has rush-peeled 4-b before 1-b and sends peelee to 2-b. Break gets messy

Good control out f 3-b for Paddy. Jawses penult before 4-b

Mal shoots......misses. Zack wins.

Ian is in play

Aaron has a 4y take-off to 1-b......runs a good hoop

Mark wins +17tp to make the Test 8-8.....another strong performance from the likeable veteran

Paddy peels penult by a short distance before penult andnow has a 6ft take-off to penult...copes.

Samir is making 4-b off partner which he really needs at penult

It's raining, which wasn't forecast,

Samir makes 4-b and rushes peelee to penult....no good and the tp is aborted as partner goes to rover

Robbie takes Australia into a 9-7 lead

Paddy irish peels rover and wins +24tp to take NZ 9-8 ahead

Christian is game and two breaks up.

Aaron has reached 4-b with a spread

Greg misses a lift to C1. Christian can level the Test at 9-9 with a break from 4-b

Samir has no control for his leave after rover.....will he peg Edmund out - it may be his best chance of creating distance

Samir's leave is Peg ball mid-W boundary, penult ball a yard off E boundary2y S of peg high. Edmund's rover ball 4y SE of rover. Lunch

Christian pegs out to level at 9-9

Update on the final 3 matches on lawns 5, 6 and 7
Harry is game all v Jenny. Game 3 has not started
Samir is penult + peg v rover + box against Edmund, first game
Jamie is 1 + 1 v 1 + 4-b and about to take his lift shot in the decider.
All matches lunching

In the Aus match, Wilson is 6 + peg with a spread against Ben on 4 + 4-b
Ian is on a second break
Zack is game up
Tom and Forster are game all
Dwayne is game and 2 breaks to 1 up in the second
Test score Aus lead 9-7

Jamie lifts the ball at the peg and takes the long lift.......hits

Harry shoots 4th turn from after a C2 opening.....hits

Edmund is looking at various shot....taking position from where he lies is playable....lifts to A-baulk and shoots at the penult ball.......misses

A great post-lunch start for the English

Samir croquets Edmund S of h4 and lays up near C2.

Harry has picked up a break

Jamie is going round.

Edmund shoots......misses badly.

Samir ignores Edmund's ball and rushes 5y NE of penult sending partner 3y S of the peg.......blobs to the jaws. Should finish from there if Edmund misses

Edmund needs to hit.......can shoot at either ball......thinking......calls a ref, so he's shooting at the ball in penult..........hits!!!!

Jamie misses a 1 yarder after 3-b into A-baulk.

Edmund takes game 1 +3

Huge 2 minutes for the Kiwis,

Aaron has a standard tp ahead of him

Harry fails 3-b

Aaron doesn't peel 4-b after h3, but it might be rush-peelable

Jenny has made h1 and hit her return roquet

Aaron rush-peels 4-b to the N boundary after h4. Sends peelee to 1-b before h6

Game 2 Edmund 10y N of C4. Samir longish Westerly Duffer. Edmund shoots at partner from C3 to C4....misses. Samir shoots at Duffer.......misses to 12y E of C4

Sorry, that should read misses to 12y E of C1

Edmund takes his 10yarder N .......hits

Jenny's break is not tidy and she hits a 4 yarder at her 2-b pioneer with partner as her 3-b pioneer

Aaron is on 2-b with 1 peel complete

Aaron tries the death-roll to 3-b and has to jump backwards to avoid the rejected peelee......has a 4yarder at his 3-b pioneer......hits

Jenny reaches 4-b with an OSL

Edmund makes a leave

Harry lifts his backward ball near h2 and takes the short lift......he can't believe it misses

Aaron fails the penult peel on his way to 4-b, but it has stayed close in front

Samir takes a 26 yarder at Edmund.........misses

Jenny doesn't get position at h1 and returns to partner

Aaron is peeling penult from the jaws

Harry shoots from h1 at partner near C4......he can't believe it's missed again. Jenny shoots at partner .....it's a 12 yarder.......misses.

Edmund has a break

Aaron irish peels penult to right in front of rover

Harry fails 3-b off partner.. Jenny shoots with her 4-b ball at Harry.....hits

Aaron has a 1ft 20 degree rover peel. Looking at either the stop shot peel or irish peel - he's not good from here.

Aaron has spent 5 minutes deciding. He might even decide to not go for the peel. Most plays would just irish this.

Harry hits Jenny with his 3-b ball

Aaron is closer to 10 minutes for this potentially match deciding decision

Peelee finishes in the front of the hoop and he's quite close with the striker's ball. Needs a floppy half jump - he's not good at this.

Faults the shot

Rover + rover is just an unacceptable finishing clip position. Jamie has a 4 yarder for a standard tp

Harry makes 3-b and a leave that forces Jenny's backward ball to play. Jenny is looking whether she can get past the hoop to hit Harry.......goes to C4 where Harry might not be able to pick her off due to being hampered by partner

Edmund reaches 4-b with a spread

Jamie hits his 4 yarder

Jamie makes h1 with a tp ahead of him

Harry looking at his hampered 4.5 yarder.......hits it. Fails h1 off partner

Samir lifts the ball at the peg and takes the long lift......centre balls it off the S boundary - he'll be wishing he'd lifted the other ball now!!! Rolls off the lawn going to partner

Jamie hits hampered shot after h4 with a peel done and Vernica Carlisle applauds

Jenny takes a 16 yarder with two balls at her hoop......middles it. Can she finish?

Edmund has a fairly free 17 yarder through Samir......shoots......misses

Edmund gets another shot, but misses and Samir should get going.

Jenny pops Harry through h1 and doesn't get the 4-b peel after h3.

Jamie has the peelee at rover and is taking off to 4-b

Jenny has moved peelee away from 4-b and I don't expect it to return.

Samir hampered after h3, but it looks easy......

Jamie's rover peel is shorter and straighter than Aaron's....it's through. Jamie wins +4tp to remain unbeaten and take England into a 10-9 lead in a huge reverse.

England were in big trouble 20 minutes ago, now they are on the brink of victory.

Jenny's peelee goes to 3-b (that's called a McCullough)

Jenny has a sweep after 3-b....calls a ref.....hits

Samir reaches 4-b with an NSL

Jenny reaches the peg with a max distance spread

Harry lifts his backward ball at h2 and shoots from A-baulk at oppo.......restalks.....looks at various other shots......still thinking.....takes partner to B-baulk........shoots at partner and goes between peg and balll.

Edmund lifts the h4 ball which is his forward ball and takes the long lift........hits

Forster pegs out to win the Test. If Aus beat Eng, they will retain the Mac. If they don't, they won't

Jenny runs 4-b and has a 4 yarder North.....hits quarter ball

Edmund is making hoops with his 4-b ball.

Edmund reaches peg and turns down 10y return roquet and plays to C4. Samir will have an 11 yarder with a ball 6 yards behhing with his h1 ball.

Jenny makes all her hoop and fails to get a rush to the peg. Tries to peg out from 3y E of h6..........centre peg. ENG 10, NZ 10.

After losing the top 2 singles 0-4 to Aua, NZ win them 4-0 v England

Samir turns down his target with his h1 ball and takes 16 yarder at partner from B-baulk - I think that's too defensive.......shoots.......misses. Edmund has various 16 yarders with his h1 ball all of which give breaks

Edmund shoots at Samir.........for the Test......misses

Samir has a 1footer with his 4-b ball and a 4.5 yarder with his h1 ball. I think he'll play his 4-b ball and peg Edmund out

Samir takes a ballsy shot with his h1 ball......hits

I'm told Ian v Jeff is still in game 1 after 7 hours

Samir pegs out Edmund, rushes partner 7.5 yards N of C4 and plays into C2. I was expecting 2 off. Recap peg + 4-b v h1 + box

Edmund takes his lift and attempts h1.........runs h1 to 5y E of C2. ....hits ball in C2..........rolls upto h2.......a bit short 5ft 30 degrees...........clangs to 3y SE

Samir takes 8 yarder at Edmund.....flicks it. I'm guessing he's still not going to peg himself out

Samir croquets Edmund just past h1 , hits partner and rolls up to C3. Edmund should take this every day of the week - 2 balls at his next hoop, although probably wired from the boundary ball. Edmund tries to run h2....misses to N boundary

Samir rolls down towards C1 - that's a big shot. Striker's ball finishes on boundary and he dribbles back to partner behind h1, possibly wired??? Edmund is going vertical. The clip comes off h2. I feel the need...the need for speed.......goes over h2 and misses narrowly.

Samir ignores Edmund and rushes 6y W of 4-b......approaches and will be retiring to N boundary....can Edmund see anything?

Edmund shoots.........misses. That should be 1-1

Samir equalises +12. 10-10, game all.

Just a bit of history.
Eng beat NZ 11-10 in 2000
Eng beat NZ 11-10 in 2003
Eng beat NZ 11-10 in 2010

Will history repeat?

If England wins, it will be a straight final for them against Australia.
If NZ win, Australia will win by beating England, but will not win if they lose.
If NZ win and Eng beat Australia in a very close match, NZ can still win by beating USA very heavily.

The players will resume shortly

Samir plays a supershot. Edmund to S of C2. Samir shoots at Edmund.......misses leaving a double. Edmund shoots at double..........hits

Edmund rushes too close to the supershot and won't have a h2 pioneer

Edmund rushes 3y NE of h1.......takes off and runs hoop.

Edmund makes h2 and almost has a break

Backward take-off to h3 required from 4-5 yards

Good shot......but fails hoop.

Samir has a 3yarder...........flicks it. Will have a 4 ball break if he can make h1..........runs it peg high and has a 5 yarder.........hits quarter ball and is away.

Samir grovels through 1-b and is hampered........calls a ref......hits

Samir reaches 4-b and makes a sort of spread, which looks like it is open and ends up laying up tight in C4. It's raining.

The ball at the peg is for h3, so I'd lift the other one.

Edmund can't resist the open 11 yarder with his h3 ball which gives a difficult pick-up.......misses

The wind has dropped and Samir starts a standard tp.

Samir raises a finger to claim the roquet on peelee after h3.

Fails the 4-b peel after h3

Samir sends his h6 pioneer to h6

Samir makes 3-b and will be going to the peg with no peels

Samir is hampered after 4-b - looks tricky

Samir hits with a short jab.

Driving rain sweeps across Cairnlea as Samir approaches rover

He leaves Edmund's h3 ball 10y S of h3, the h1 ball just off mid W boundary and lays up in C2

Last shot time for NZ

Edmund lifts the h3 ball and goes to B-baulk and takes the short lift.............misses

Samir joins Edmund up 7 yards apart and doesn't get a good rush to 4b. Rushes to 7 yards away

Rolls up to 4-b (Edmund is on h3)

Good shot - gets a 5 ft 10 degree hoop......runs it and that should be that

Samir finishes +24 to take the Test for England 11-10. Many congratulations, an enthralling Test.

We now have a final between Australia and England starting on Thursday.

That's all from me. I'll probably do some video commentary on the final.