Match Result:  Dawes   Lost 8-12    Porter    Lost 8-12    Markham   Won   19-1

Our first match of the 2010/2011 season took us  to Lincolnshire`s shiny new premises in Scunthorpe. Quite a few regular partnerships were otherwise engaged but the replacements did a sound job.

Dawes, John and Irene Auld; Graham Lee and Lloyd Eagling; Sandy Fulton and Rob Atkinson;Graham Brindley and Roger Staton

Porter. Ellen Overton and Jackie Parsons; Mike and Daphne Coggles; Janet Jacques and Will Irving; Steve Mulligan and Bill Milligan

Markham, Barbara Hatfield and Chris Clark; Sylvia Goodlud and Nick Clarke; Phil Dale and Ray Furlonger; Frank Turton and David Landon. 

Board 1 was the first chance to shine.

As North I played 4H on the Q of D lead which I ducked.. Now West made the opening mistake of the day with his first card-an encouraging 7. East continued diamonds so that now I could win, cash K of H and ruff a diamond back to draw trumps and eventually finesse spades for the contract. Had West been properly warmed up he would have seen the need to promote a trump trick by forcing me to ruff a club. The indicated play is K of D at trick one followed by Kof clubs and another club. By this time East will surely be awake enough to play a third club to finish the job. Anice logical defence but I do not think anyone found it.

The Dawes and Porter teams were trailing at half time but the Markham squad were storming away with +91 on the card.

Sylvia Goodlud showed how on board 14:

When the Aulds were North South we bid unopposed to 3C with an uncomfortable feeling that we  might be missing something.

Nothing so sedate when Sylvia and Nick were East and West respectively. Sylvia bid diamonds, Nick bid hearts and South eventually doubled Sylvias 5D. He led K of S won by the Ace and trumps were drawn. Now a heart was ducked to North-the hand without the spades. North naturally played the K of clubs but South failed to appreciate the urgent need to take the Ace and cash his spades. He appreciated it very soon afterwards as Sylvia`s spades disappeared on the heart suit and -300 became +550.