Report by John Auld

This match was played at Warwickshire`s new bridge centre - the Warwickshire and North Coventry Club. Warwickshire are one the best county sides and holders of the Dawes trophy.Captain Eagling decided to give Kyle Lam and Simon Berry two of Notts`promising young players some experience at the top level.

The teams:

Dawes: Willie Crook and Sandy Fulton; Kyle Lam and Simon Berry; David Burgess and Gordon Fullerton; Irene and John Auld

Porter; Graham Lee and Graham Brindley; Frank Ball and Mark Goddard; Mike and Daphne Coggles; Martin Mellor and Carol Fisher

Markham: Dorothy and Christopher Close; Keith Rodgers and Lloyd Eagling; Will Irving and Janet Jacques; Daniel Crook and Alex Allen

Board 23 proved a worrying one for most East-West pairs 

Almost everywhere West bid 2NT (immediately or after a strong club) and finished in a doomed 3NT with slam available elsewhere. After 80 plus years of system development it seems strange that good players have to do this-but I see no solution.

The exception to the 3NTs was when our youngsters got busy and finished in 3H doubled by South for -800. If the East-West pairs had just done the right thing and bid slam then this would have been OK. Alas the grey haired  Notts players could explain from sad experience that you cant rely on the other pairs to bid properly.

Even partners dont always know to do the right thing: 

Warwickshire`s David Jones and Gary Watson play a compulsory redouble method over 1NT doubled whereby they must rescue themselves or play 1NT redoubled. This means- roughly- that one pair finishes over the moon and the other becomes as sick as parrots.

On board 29 sitting North I conceived a cunning plan by doubling 1NT with the solid spades. West I thought would have (say) 10 points and stand 1NT redoubled which partner with (say) 6 points would also stand. When Irenes opportunity to pass the redouble arrived she had (say) zero points and failed to see the attraction of defending. Worse followed when Gary Watson saw it all and bid slam over 2S.

My observation that INT redoubled was going off was not seen as helpful.

Finally I would like to dedicate board 19 (above) to the memory of Clive Kaye.

One of Warwickshires best pairs bid to 7S as above. 4NT was Roman Key Card Blackwood which treats the King of trumps as an ace. However West thought spades were trumps while East favoured hearts. North was too surprised to double but did take the Ace of hearts for one off.

Clive steadfastly refused to join the universal adoption of RKCB saying that Kings were not Aces and quoting Eddie Kantar amongst  others in his support. I think I can hear him chuckling.

Warwickshire were too good for us winning the Dawes 16-4 ,the Porter 20-0 and the Markham 12-8. According to the Butler imps one Notts pair per team managed to go plus: the Aulds, Frank Ball and Mark Goddard and Will Irving and Janet Jacques.