The day started with a 4-3 lead for Great Britain, but the U.S. swept the third round of doubles and also won the both of the resumed matches. The Croquet Association website reported that Great Britain won just one of the nine games played today.
Tomorrow is the final day of play with six singles games to start, two pegged down singles games and one pegged down doubles match on the schedule. The US needs to win three to of the nine matches to win their second straight Solomon Trophy.
ROUND THREE DOUBLES
SOO & PATMORE (US) beat LINES & PATEL (GB) +15, +3
GRIMSLEY & ROTHMAN (US) beat BURRIDGE & MAUGHAM (GB) +16, +14
HUNEYCUTT & BAST (US) beat MULLINER & LE MOIGNAN (GB) +3, +6
RESUMED GAMES
PATMORE & SOO (US) beat LE MOIGNAN & MULLINER (GB) +26TP (P), -21TP (M), +22
GRIMSLEY & ROTHMAN (US) beat LINES & PATEL (GB) +1, +17
ROTHMAN COMMENTS
Ben Rothman posted the following comments on the Croquet World Forum:
To those wondering why no one seems to be "on form" yet (failing hoops and putting down triples etc.) I invite you to come try the Hamptworth lawns. If you mowed Ren Kraft's [Arizona] court bare and set the hoops at contact, you would find it more managable than lawns 3 and 4 here.
Mulliner took it upon himself to reset the hoops to a 64th of an inch clearance and seems to enjoy checking hoops to reveal a few photons of light through and declaring any claim of contact hoops "over ruled".
That being said, our team is staying mentally strong (although I am a bit of an exception as I mutter to myself on the sidelines like a psych patient). We have tied the test at 4-4 and we are tied or ahead in the seven matches in progress.