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WE DID IT

How wonderful to be proved wrong. We seemed a long way off making the quarter-final stage

of the Bermuda Bowl.... but our Open Team did it. Read on and see how dramatically close it was.

	Open			Women			Seniors
			NZ Score			NZ Score			NZ Score
	Mexico	49-9	18.09	France	40-25	13.97	India	10-75	0.00
	Italy	48-24	15.74	Jordan	49-19	16.73	Brazil	23-68	1.34
	Brazil	46-10	17.59	Egypt	33-28	11.48	France	28-48	5.00

 

OPEN TEAM

New Zealand started the day in 14^th place, nearly 20 vps behind 8^th placed Egypt. Not only had the Kiwis to score 20 vps more than Egypt but there were 5 countries better placed than New Zealand who could sneak into 8^th should Egypt have a bad day. What was in New Zealand’s favour was that two of them, Italy and Brazil were two of the Kiwis opponents this day while their third opponent were to be bottom placed Mexico.

Round 19. Mexico. 49-9. 18.09

From Board 1 Match 1 of this day, this was to be the Kiwis’ day. This was board 1 against Mexico. 

We needed swingy boards and we got our fair share. Both Ashley Bach and the Mexican West were in 6 on a club lead from North but only Ashley made his contract. 14 imps to New Zealand and the imps flowed in steadily for the rest of the match.

An excellent win but Egypt scored exactly the same number of vps against Sweden who were comfortably in third place. New Zealand moved up to 11^th but did not close the gap at all.

Keep on winning and maybe the other results will go for you.

Round 20    Italy  48-24  (15.24)

Italy were in 10^th place and thus had to be beaten to beat off their challenge. In the West seat were 21 year old Matthew Brown and a very famous name of yesteryear, Benito Garozzo, now in his 90’s, an interesting contrast. With just two boards out of the 16 left, New Zealand led by just three imps.

On the penultimate board, Ware-Tislevoll caught Garozzo’s partner, Franco Masoero, in 1x (+300) while Brown-Whibley beat 5 by two tricks in the other room, 11 imps to New Zealand. Then came Board 32.

 

Garozzo (West) declared 2. Tislevoll (North) started with a high heart and the defence scored their four top tricks. However, Michael Whibley was two levels higher and declared from the East seat. He received a diamond lead and he was able to play diamonds for no losers and without the need for ruffing. Two rounds of trumps prevented North ruffing….and suddenly Michael’s losers had reduced to three….+620, and 10 more imps to New Zealand whose lead had catapulted to 24.

That was not the only good news as USA 1 did New Zealand a huge favour by restricting Egypt to just 2.03vp. New Zealand had moved up to 9^th place, just 5.04vps behind Egypt. Monaco were still breathing down the necks of both countries, less than 1 vp behind New Zealand.

While New Zealand were to play 15^th placed Brazil, Egypt were to play Bulgaria and Monaco the Netherlands, both of whom were safe top 8 qualifiers.

Round 21 (final qualifying round)  46-10 (17.59)

 

New Zealand had recorded one double-figure swing before the last board (Board 16) and led by 20. Netherlands led Monaco by 13 imps while Bulgaria led Egypt 45-27. Many countries bid and made a grand slam in a major including both Netherlands and Monaco. However, Egypt gained 12 imps even though they played 6 as their opponents were in game. That meant Egypt had lost by only 6 imps.

New Zealand needed a slam swing on this board. Yet, Whibley-Brown bid to the poorest of the four available small slams, in diamonds. The good news was that Michael Whibley made the contract for just one trump loser…and  the even better news was that the Brazilian West had failed in the same contract…16 oh so valuable imps to New Zealand, leaving the 7^th-10^th places as follows:

7^th       China                                        234.46

8^th      New Zealand                              224.64

9^th        Egypt                                         221.13

10^th     Italy                                            215.99

What a superlative performance especially on the last qualifying day by all three pairs. All three pairs contributed equally on this last day. After playing so well in Poland last year, they have done it again in the tough environment of the Bermuda Bowl.

They now play Netherlands in the six stanza knock-out quarter final stage.

They are in the quarter final. Well may Michael Cornell and chef de mission Derek Evennett smile.

Our Women and Seniors

Three wins on this final day reproduced our Women’s Team form of the first day..but left them in 18^th place. Our Seniors finished with a day to forget. They finished 20^th out of 22 countries.

All eyes, though, on our Open Team. We wish them well.

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

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