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Release 2.19q
Leicestershire (Away) 11/12/2016

Report by John Auld

We played our neighbours Leicestershire hoping to extend an unbeaten run for the Dawes team and to make up some ground in the other divisions. This was against the same strong Leicestershire team who have  given us a hard time in the past. It was therefore gratifying and surprising to register a comprehensive victory in the Dawes match and  also to win the other matches.

The teams with Butler imps:

Dawes

Ankush Kandewal & Steve Raine                     42

John & Irene Auld                                          45

Graham Lee & Dick Milne                               53

Mark Goddard & David Hodge                         15

 

Porter

Bill Whalley & Pravin Tailor                             24

Anthony Pettengell & Maciej Lehman               65

Graham Brindley & Keith Rodgers                  -44

John Rolph & Gerry Franklin                          -42

 

Markham

Tim Anderson & Shirley Ashtari                      -25

Jane Hall & Clive Wood                                    -25

Janet Jacques & Michael Bleaney                     23

Chris & Dorothy Close                                    44

 

There was a late adjustment to the line up to which our captain responded with an inspired promotion of Dick Milne & Graham Lee to the first team.

In the Porter match Anthony Pettengell & Maciek Lehman had a big score and in the Markham Dorothy & Chris Close had the best card.

 

The biggest hand by far was board 9: 

 I was in a minority opening 1S vulnerable as East  and South was in a large majority bidding 4C. Now West bid diamonds and Nick Stevens eased his way to 6C. I managed to pass this to Irene who thought awhile and eventually passed. This looks all wrong opposite an opening bid and diamond raise from partner, and 6D is indeed very close. But in fact bidding 6D would have been a disaster since Nick was girding himself to bid 7C. That makes without a heart lead-and who really leads a heart? We lost 940 but gained on the board.

Steve and Ankush  scored 940 after North (in a minority of one) opened 1H. ( A minority in the Dawes but I hear that Tim Anderson was similarly enterprising).  Not my choice but Ankush was unrepentant and I am beginning to think there is something to be said for it. East overcalled 1S , Steve bid a gentle 2C and West naturally offered 2D. Now Ankush thought it was time to get really busy and bid 5C. Steve recounted his clubs and decided that he had a few to spare so bid 6C.

Graham and Dick were doubled in the club slam so that was 1190 a score replicated by Pravin and Bill in the Porter match.

All four tables in the Dawes match reached 6C but only Mark and David saw the need to bid 6D as North South. Fortunately there was no 7C bid to contend with and -100 meant a big swing to Notts. But as Mark immediately pointed out he should have made 6D on the actual lead of CA. After cashing several trumps and the HK (dropping the Q) declarer can see that a spade/heart squeeze is required; moreover South has probably 8 clubs for his 4C bid, 3 diamonds and one heart for sure and therefore one spade which must be A or K given Norths failure to lead spades. So a low spade by declarer would be won by South and more trump leads squeeze North in the majors; +1370 would be more than just a big swing with +940 and +1190. Not so easy in the heat of battle but certainly possible. Tha SA lead is needed to beat 6D.

Board 9 was mostly a bidders hand whilst 16 was a play hand:

I received a spade lead won in hand and made my plan. Actually I spent some time realising I had no idea of the best line - I still dont - so played a diamond for starters. Without boring my reader with details suffice to say  that South later in the play made an unfortunate (for him) lead of HK and I got home comfortably. Mark in the same contract got a diamond lead and later South made an unfortunate club play from A96 and Mark also made.

Our defenders did better: Graham and Dick took 3NT three off ; Ankush and Steve managed two off.  Steve lead a spade won by East who played a diamond to the J and a club to the Q. Steve won and did for the contract by cashing DA before leading a club. Ankush won the J and put declarer on table with a spade. A heart to Q lost and Steve continued hearts. Nice work.

I thought that board 23 was a play hand but perhaps it was also a bidding hand:

This, minus my sporting overcall, was a common auction. Irene led a heart and declarer had a tough problem. There are 9 easy tricks but what to do with the fourth club? Declarer won the HA and played A and small club. Irene won to continue hearts, ruffed,  and another club  played. Inevitably declarer ruffed his last club high not knowing the 7 would do and lost a trump to go with 2 clubs and a diamond. Even ruffing with the 7 fails because getting back to hand involves promoting Irenes trumps. Steve Raine assures me that there is a reasonable line to make involving playing a small club to the J without first cashing the A, but it looks difficult to me.

4S went off 6 times and made 5 times - mostly I guess when the CK was lead. The twelth declarer was Michael Bleaney who chose 3NT as North . That was a good decision in practice and maybe in theory too. Those red suit holdings provide both protection and quick tricks.