MySporting Summer 2013

The opening hole, a relatively short par 4, has plenty to aim for off the tee and offers the chance to get off to a decent start. However, despite this (and my considerable warm up) I managed to drag my tee shot into the trees on the left which led to a triple bogey. My first par came at the fourth, which with the second are the standout holes on the front nine. Although I hit my tee shot well, I missed the fairway on the right hand side which meant the trees blocked my approach to the green. After chipping out I hit a surprisingly good shot to about 5 feet and managed to hole the putt.

As we neared the turn the grey clouds became heavy rain and despite only being early afternoon the light had also faded quickly. We seriously considered the warmth and dryness of the clubhouse before deciding to ‘give it a few more holes’ and made our way to the tenth tee - see below.

Above: I took this photo of the tenth on my way to the first tee. It was certainly a lot darker by the time we reached it 2 hours later.

On a better day the view from the 13th would make a good postcard.

However, the rain didn’t prevent James from making three birdies in what was possibly the best nine holes I've seen him play. The holes in question were 12 and 17 (both par 3s) and the par 5 closing hole. His birdie on the 202 yard 12th was the most impressive as the rain was at its heaviest at this point and hitting the green was difficult enough. After James’s ball came to a prompt halt on the left hand side of the green, he holed what must have been 40-50 foot putt through the gathering puddles. 

Below: The slightly damp 16th gave us a good enough excuse to take a gimme on reaching the green

  The 17th (above) is the kind of hole where you could happily spend hours attempting a hole in one. I had to settle for a par but James holed a tricky downhill ten footer. The closing hole is a relatively short par 5. While I ran into trouble down the left, James was just right of the green in two. Given how the back nine had gone I knew what was coming  - a chip to about 10 feet followed by another successful birdie putt. Unbelievable Jeff!

Above: The view of the clubhouse from the 18th fairway.

Enfield (North)

A picturesque, parkland course, within easy reach of all parts of North London, Hertfordshire and Essex.  The main features include tree lined fairways and superb greens as well as Salmons Brook which comes into play on a number of holes. There is the right balance of inviting and testing tee shots and a number of par 4s which should give even the average golfer the opportunity to make a birdie or two. 

Green fees for visitors are excellent value at £20 (Monday & Thursday) and £25 for other weekdays. It is also £25 for after 2pm on Saturdays and 1pm on Sundays. However, with the winter light weekend golfers will need to ensure they book an early as possible tee time to take full advantage of this price. After your round you can enjoy a drink in the smart clubhouse bar which also offers reasonably priced food.

Address:  Enfield Golf Club, Old Park Road South, Enfield, Middlesex, EN2 7DA

Website: www.enfieldgolfclub.co.uk  Phone: 020 8363 3970

  Ealing (West)

Ealing is a very impressive course located opposite the old Hoover Building. Surprisingly, traffic noise is not an issue on the holes which run adjacent to the busy A40.

The club are particularly proud of their greens and their website certainly has some impressive statements. Amongst them is a recent review from Golf Monthly which includes: ‘Ealing is fortunate in having procured the services of Greg Evans – one of just 52 Master Greenkeepers worldwide. He has transformed the putting surfaces at Ealing. The results are some of the finest and fastest greens around.’

As the website also mentions, the course is not particularly physically demanding - it is very flat. However, there is definitely a variety of challenging holes and visitors are advised to bring their ‘A’ game!  Those hoping for a gentle start will be disappointed as holes 3 & 5 are long par 3s and although short in distance, dogleg left par 4 fourth requires accurate tee and approach shots. For a better picture of the course there is a hole by hole video guide on the club’s website.

Again, visitors are welcome on weekdays and at certain times at weekends. The standard price is £32 but there is also a £27 twilight rate. There are also some 4for3 offers currently available. Please see the website for further details.

Address: Ealing Golf Club, Perivale Lane, Greenford, UB6 8TS

Website: www.ealinggolfclub.com   Phone: 020 8997 0937

  Hampton Court Palace (South)

The golf club certainly lives up to its famous name and location. Set in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace, the golf club has the enviable accolade of being the only course in the country set within the grounds of a Royal Park – definitely a unique selling point. It is also easily accessible from the M3, M4 and M25 and Kingston.

The par 71 course has a parkland front nine and a contrasting links feel to the back nine with strategically placed bunkers and raised greens. During your round you are also likely to encounter some of the over 300 roaming deer which help make the course even more picturesque. As you might expect, visitor green fees are slightly more than most public pay as you play courses, although you can still play for under £50 on a weekday. The twilight rate is also excellent value in the summer.

Address:  Hampton Court Palace Golf Club, Home Park, Kingston, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 4AD

Website: www.hamptoncourtgolf.co.uk   Phone: 0208 977 2423

  Woolston Manor (East)

The golf course at Woolston Manor has been regarded as one of the finest courses in the South East since opening in 1994. The 18 hole championship course was designed by Neil Coles MBE and is truly characteristic of his unique style with generous teeing areas, dramatic bunkers and water play. The great Gary Player also described it as one of the best young courses he has ever played. Quite an endorsement.

Another challenge based more on thinking your way round than big hitting. The par 5 fifth may look intimidating due to a lake down much of the left hand side, but it offers a definite birdie opportunity. The signature hole is the short par 4 13th where an tee shot to the left hand side of the fairway leaves around a 100 yard approach shot over water onto a green which slopes back towards the hazard.

Considering its reputation and condition, Woolston Manor is another excellent value for money course. A round and lunch is only £25 Monday to Friday and £30 at weekends. Visitors can also take further advantage of the twilight rates on weekdays in the summer for just £15 after 3pm!  It may be in the far reaches of London in terms of the area mylocalpich covers, but it is certainly worth the journey.

Address: Woolston Manor Golf & Country Club, Abridge Road, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 6BX

Website: www.woolstonmanor.co.uk   Phone: 020 8500 2549

  Stanmore (West)

As one of the most challenging and picturesque courses in this region of London, Stanmore is regarded as a ‘thinking man’s course’ rather than one for the big hitters.

It is another course which has the right mixture of inviting and challenging tee shots. The seventh hole is an example of both as players are faced with a raised tee overlooking the fairway through a tunnel of trees and the short par 5 18th towards the clubhouse presents a good opportunity to end your round with a birdie.

Above: The view from the 7th tee

Stanmore offers exceptional value, especially for weekday golfers. Mondays and Fridays are probably the most popular days as visitors can play for £20 all day. This rate also applies after 1pm Tuesday – Thursday and £15 after 5pm is a bargain in the summer months.

Address:  Stanmore Golf Club, 29 Gordon Avenue, Stanmore, Middlesex, HA7 2RL

As no previous experience was required I registered my interest and was promptly contacted by Owain Davies – Saracens Sports Development Manager for Education, Training & Inclusion. I provided some basic details and was invited to the induction evening. Prior to attending my knowledge of autism was limited to say the least. One of my old work colleagues has an autistic son so I had heard a few stories from her about how important routine is. People with autism can also have a very strong interest in a particular subject. I saw evidence of this while working at Transport for London when a number of parents asked if their child could ride with one of the drivers as they were ‘mad about the Tube’.

The induction taught me so much about autism and what I might experience – four pages worth of notes in fact. Owain began the evening with a summary of the work which the Saracens Sports Foundation carries out. The foundation works with 70,000 children and young adults each year with the vision of inspiring communities and changing lives through the power of sport. He explained that the club is open to 14-19 year olds and would run from 5-6.30 every Monday evening at Allianz Park during school term time. Three members had already registered with the aim of introducing one or two new participants a month across the school year.

A parent of one of the club’s initial members spoke about the different levels of autism, typical characteristics/behaviour and how challenging day to day life can be. One of the club’s senior coaches, who works at Mapledown School (for pupils with Severe and Complex Learning Disabilities), then spoke about Positive Handling and Challenging Behaviour. He told us about the best ways to communicate with the members with the key being M-O-M.  Motivation – they have to want to communicate. Opportunity – they must have the chance to do so, and Means – being able to communicate their basic needs. Members also carry a book with everyday symbols and requests to help them. Other simple and helpful advice was to try to avoid using the word ‘don’t’, use the member’s name as much as possible and direct them with an open hand rather than pointing. This is just a fraction of what was covered and at the end of a very friendly and informative evening I was looking forward to the club getting underway.

The first session was on Monday 2nd September and we are now starting to see how the club is benefitting each member. Activities are designed to improve their hand/eye coordination, footwork and awareness. Stepladders are laid out on the floor so they can step between the rungs in various ways. Other activities include throwing different coloured bean bags into the corresponding hoop, mini hurdles and catching a rugby, basketball or tennis ball. However, their favourite seems to be the parachute which is more team orientated. Everyone works together to roll a ball around the circle on the parachute and then propel it to hit the celling. Without the ball, one of the coaches will say the names of up to six people who need to swap places while the parachute is held up by everyone else for as long as possible.

Above: One of the Sarries Skills Club members, Mark (left) celebrates a job well done with Jem who is another volunteer. Jem's brother Kubi is also a member.

Owain, Tomas Gamage and the others involved at Saracens have big plans to develop and build the club over the coming months. The club recently received a huge boost when it was awarded a two year grant from the Wembley National Stadium Trust. Please see the follow link for further details - http://bit.ly/1abRPpE 

Facebook and Twitter will play a big part in raising awareness and Owain has set a challenge of attracting 500 ‘likes’ on Facebook by the end of the school year in July. He also secured a page in the match programme for Saracens vs Toulouse at Wembley last Friday. Even more positive news was the number of potential readers with a crowd of over 60,000 in attendance.  

So what else is planned? As I’ve mentioned, there could be at least one new member a month. Encouragingly there have been 2 or 3 volunteers per member at the sessions so far and another target is to provide one to one coaching. Volunteers will be given on-going support to achieve this, including awareness training from the National Autistic Society in a few weeks.  A fortnightly newsletter covering the club’s latest news, as well as details of what is happening throughout the rest of the foundation is also in the pipeline. Volunteers will soon be receiving their customised t-shirts and members will be given hoodies and awarded badges for completing activities.

Everyone is pleased with how things have gone so far and we’re all excited about what the future holds.  

As usual there were individual hole and overall prizes at stake between four pairings drawn at random. Our first round was on the National course and after a friendly opening hole there was water to contend with on the next three. One of my playing partners, Nick Penny, made two impressive early birdies. The first came on the par 5 second when after skying his drive to barely 100 yards he made a brilliant recovery to hole the below birdie putt. The second came on the par 4 sixth and it was so nearly an eagle as his approach shot stopped about a foot short of the hole. It was at this point I learnt about Nick’s comical psychological problem with his irons. He effectively plays with three fewer clubs in his bag because for some reason he can’t hit his even number clubs! Ironically, despite wanting to hit an 8 iron into the sixth green, he nearly holed his 9 iron instead.

Nick making his birdie on the 2nd on the National course

The greens were lightening quick with every putt of more than 5 feet somehow managing to pass the hole. The best example of this was when I hit a 5 wood into the long par 3 eighth. Left with a long, slightly uphill two putt for par from across the green my first attempt didn’t look like reaching halfway. I was amazed to be left with a 10 footer back and I had to settle for a bogey. The pairing of Dan and Barry were struggling for completely different reasons. Despite hitting all of his tee shots cleanly most of Dan’s drives drifted slightly right and he lost a number of balls in the thick rough. Meanwhile, Barry’s frustration was proving to be his downfall as he took it out on his sand wedge. On top of a broken club he also suffered a nasty cut to his hand which meant he was barely able to grip a club for the back nine. It didn’t stop him winning nearest the pin on the fifteenth though!

Above: Flanners has perfected the drive over mid-off and the view from the 7th green (below).

Above: Nick tees off on the 18th and James F plays out from the greenside bunker (below)

The one criticism my group had of the National course was that it has too many similar par fours. However, there was more variety towards the end as the 14th, a sharp dog leg right, invites you to cut the corner from the tee. The short par 4 16th, down as the easiest hole on the course, is all about position due to a large island of rough in the middle of the fairway. It’s possible to carry the island but there isn’t much room to land/stop your ball on the other side because of more thick rough and a stream.

At the end of the first day the combined stableford scores were:

James C & Atha - 65                                                                            

James F & Flanners - 57                                                                     

Penny & Michael - 53                                                                              

Dan & Barry - 47

We had seen the weather forecast for the following day but as we stood on the first tee of the Brabazon (with sore heads thanks to a late night) the weather seemed to be holding out. After a similar opening hole to the National, the short par 4 second should have given us a chance of a birdie. However, due to the aforementioned hangovers this was far from the case. It was slightly disappointing to be putting on heavily sanded greens and although the National's were like marble, I know which I prefer.

Above: Barry teeing off on the 1st at The Brabazon and the view from the 3rd green (below)

The third hole (above) is probably the pick of the front nine - a par 5 which should result in a third shot of anything from 100-140 yards over water into a large green which slopes back towards the hazard. I bogeyed it and then managed to par holes 5-7, which proved to be crucial in the overall standings. It was at this point that the Met Office’s prediction proved to be right as the light drizzle gave way to a torrential downpour and the course became flooded very quickly. We decided that we couldn’t continue but before we headed to the clubhouse we attempted to play the iconic postage stamp tenth hole. We didn't even manage this as halfway down the fairway the rain became even heavier and the green was one large puddle. Our competition was cut short so the standings after 27 holes were:

James C & Atha - 87                                                                           

Penny & Michael  - 84  Nick's 20 points on the 9 holes we played deserves a mention                                                                        

James F & Flanners – 77                                                                     

Dan & Barry – 73

It was a shame that the weather prevented us from completing the course as it was set up for a tight finish – although I was happy to accept the prize money!  Although The Belfry has hosted the Ryder Cup on four occasions, I don't think it quite has the same wow factor as Celtic Manor. However, we have kindly been offered a complimentary round at the Brabazon before March to make up for the bad weather so perhaps the back nine will change my opinion.

Away from the golf course we were certainly looked after, which made the deal even better value for money. A buffet three course dinner, breakfast, and a smart modern bar to have a pint with plenty of big screens to watch England v Poland.  

My round didn’t get off to the best of starts. After hitting one of my best ever opening tee shots I made a mess of reaching the first green. To make things worse, when I eventually needed my putter I realised that I had left it at the course I’d played two days earlier (more on that later). Fortunately, as buggies are mandatory at Sainte Maxime I was saved a long walk back to the clubhouse but I still faced the embarrassment of asking to borrow a putter. A member of staff kindly obliged, although perhaps they were punishing my mistake further as the putter felt and played like a hollow breezeblock. Lesson learnt.

Above: The view from the 3rd tee  Below: Chipping by the 7th green with the 8th in the background

Every hole presented a different challenge and considering the wind was against on almost every one I was relieved that the majority of fairways gave me some margin for error. In my opinion there were three standout holes - 8,11 and 17. The first of these is a dog leg left par four with a tee shot over water and a raised green surrounded by a steep rockery. Despite the wind I should have hit a wood off the tee as my drive ran out of fairway which resulted in my approach being blocked by the rocks on the right hand side. I was pleased with a bogey five.

The eleventh tee (see below) treats you to an amazing view of the coastline in the distance before playing a slight dog leg right par 4. After another good tee shot I needed to allow for the strong right to left breeze. Although I aimed well right and was happy with the connection of my second shot, the wind caused havoc and pushed my ball into the rough about 30 yards left of the green. A disappointing 7 was the result.

Above: The view from the 11th tee. Although buggies are provided  glamorous caddies are not - you need to bring your own.

The 17th (below) has an equally impressive view and the hole itself is a nerve jangling par 3 which is virtually down the side of a cliff face. After my tee shot rolled through the green I was happy to walk away with a bogey 4. The closing hole, a short par five, should offer least a birdie putt provided you hit a good tee shot. Despite doing so I had to settle for a par to finish.

For a better impression of these holes along with the rest of the course from a satellite view(!), take a look at http://bit.ly/GzzTdP 

Earlier in the week I played at the Old Course in Mandelieu (www.golfoldcourse.com) which is linked to the resort I was staying at. Given the green fee is usually 90 Euros I was expecting something special, but I was disappointed by the condition of the course. Although I have no complaints about the layout – the main characteristic being tree lined fairways - many of the tee boxes needed repairing, the bunkers were closer to gravel than sand and the greens also require some attention. Perhaps the course is in better condition during the peak summer season, but even if this is the case I know which course I’d prefer to play again. However, the Old Course has one unique feature in a ferry that takes you from the 2nd to 3rd and 12th to 13th.

A Chawla six off the bowling of Ravi Patel found the hospitality boxes of the short Mound Stand boundary and he brought up his century with a similar shot. The pair comfortably survived until lunch as they approached their century partnership. However, it wasn’t to be as they fell one short of that landmark as Chawla fell to Patel when he was caught by Ollie Rayner at mid-off in the first over after the break. Jamie Overton, recently named in England’s one day squad, hit a quick 18 which included a six as he helped Thomas reach his fifty. He was the last man out as Patel claimed his fourth wicket with Thomas finishing unbeaten on 54.

Somerset then made the seemingly mundane pitch look like a seamer’s paradise, although they were helped by some dreadful batting. Returning captain Chris Rodgers suffered a major Ashes hangover as he was dismissed twice in the day. The first came as he edged a wide ball from Overton to Nick Compton at third slip. Joe Denly, struggling for form in the championship all season, had already been dropped by Craig Kieswetter before he clipped Lewis Gregory to Craig Meschede at square leg. Meschede then claimed two wickets with his first two balls as Sam Robson was caught behind before Neil Dexter was bowled.  John Simpson was next to go as Compton took another comfortable slip catch and after numerous play and misses Dawid Malan finally edged behind to Meschede. Alfonso Thomas then trapped Gareth Berg lbw before Ollie Rayner and James Harris provided some resistance with a partnership of 49. Chawla was brought into the attack to clean up the tail and he did exactly that by dismissing Harris, Tim Murtagh and Patel in quick succession as Middlesex were all out for 106 in just under 38 overs.

Following on, Rogers was out lbw to Gregory although it appeared that he got an inside edge. Meschede then claimed another first ball wicket as Denly edged to Marcus Trescothick at slip. Robson and Malan saw Middlesex through to 52-2 at the close but the atmosphere and body language indicates that they are in for a heavy defeat inside three days as their title hopes are all but over.

From being the dominant force in women’s cricket, England now see Australia hold the Ashes as well as the 50 over and 20/20 World Cups. Until this year the Women’s Ashes was decided by a one off test match but the new exciting format sees points up for grabs in seven matches over the three formats. The winner of the test match gains 6 points ( 2 each if it is drawn) as well as 2 points for each of the three 50 over and 20/20 matches.

Australia’s ladies showed their male counterparts how to bat on day one as they reached 243-3, with Sarah Elliott unbeaten on 95. Despite some slightly nervy moments on the second morning she reached her century before being caught by Lydia Greenway off the bowling of Anya Shrubsole for 104. Australia then lost Jodie Fields (6) and Alexandra Blackwell (54) as they attempted to push on at a quicker rate. However, a brisk 31 from Ellyse Perry resulted in a bold declaration at 331-6 shortly before lunch. It was an admirable and aggressive move as the Australians were looking for 6 points, which would effectively put them three wins ahead.

Openers Heather Knight and Arran Brindle saw England through to lunch, but the Australians ripped through England’s top and middle order in the afternoon session. Brindle was first to go with the score on 36 as she was trapped lbw by Perry. Sarah Taylor and Knight took the score onto 80 before Taylor was beaten for pace by a bouncer from Holly Ferling which looped to Elliott at square leg. Ferling then took the prized wicket of Charlotte Edwards for just 3, although the England captain looked far from happy with the lbw decision. Off spinner Erin Osbourne then dismissed Greenway, Tammy Beaumont and Jenny Gunn for single figure scores to leave England reeling on 113-6 with plenty of time still left in the day. The wicket of Beaumont was particularly impressive as Blackwell took a sharp, low catch at short leg. Laura Marsh came in at number seven and provided some much needed resistance which helped Knight reach her fifty which included some textbook straight drives. The pair saw England through to the close at 172-6, with Knight on 85 and Marsh making 13 from 114 balls.

Despite England’s mini recovery I can only see one team being able to win and Australia will be looking to finish the innings quickly in the morning. England will be hoping for more of the same from Knight and Marsh but their first objective will be to score the ten runs needed to reach the follow on target and then bat for as long as possible. They surely can’t afford to give Australia a six point start.

After being asked to bat the Unicorns posted a respectable 208-7 with Keith Parsons top scoring with 64 not out from 62 balls. There were also useful contributions from Garry Park (43) and Lewis Hill (31) who had his own fan club in the grandstand. Toby Roland-Jones was Middlesex’s best bowler with figures 3-38 from his eight overs. He was helped by some good fielding as Eoin Morgan and Dawid Malan held steepling catches. Paul Stirling took another when diving forward at mid-on to dismiss Michael O’Shea.

In reply Middlesex lost Dawid Malan for 8 but Stirling and Joe Denly looked comfortable as they took the score to 82-1. Enter the Unicorns spinners who dramatically turned the game on its head. In his 8 consecutive over spell impressive leg spinner Josh Poysden took the wickets of Stirling (stumped), Morgan (bowled) and Gareth Berg (lbw). He was well supported by slow left armer Luke Beaven (3-43) who removed Joe Denly for a well made 57 and Neil Dexter (4) who holed out to Park on the cover boundary. When he then trapped Roland-Jones lbw first ball Middlesex were eight down and still needed 41.  

Although the cricket was entertaining enough, a group of Unicorns fans in the Upper Compton stand were urging their team towards what was looking like a first YB40 win of the season with some amusing songs. Babybird’s ‘You’re Gorgeous’ was adapted in tribute to Poysden and Belinda Carlisle’s hit was turned into ‘Beaven is a place on earth’.

Eoin Morgan was popular with the youngsters on Middlesex's 'Kids go free' day

James Harris was the ninth wicket to fall when wicketkeeper Hill took a brilliant diving catch low to his right from the bowling of Chris Skidmore. With 23 still needed, last man Steven Finn joined Simpson at the crease in what proved to be a dramatic and nerve wracking finish. The Unicorns came close to sealing victory when Simpson started to run after a strong lbw appeal from Dominic Reed. He was sent back by Finn and just managed to recover his ground as Hill threw down the stumps. Finn also had a narrow escape at the non-striker’s end when he called for a single after driving straight to mid-off. However, Simpson held his nerve to hit the winning run from the first ball of the final over.

The result was harsh on the Unicorns and Middlesex will know they had a lucky escape. The win takes them up to second in Group C, two points behind Somerset. Probability says they need to win their remaining three matches for a chance of qualifying with only the three group winners and best second place making the semi-finals. They start with a trip to Glamorgan on Wednesday which is live on Sky Sports. Josh Poysden’s name will stick in my mind and I’ll be keeping an eye out for him in the future.

On another note, during my walk around the ground at the interval I discovered the large billboard (see photo below) displaying the ten finalists for Wisden’s Cricket Photograph of the Year 2012. It was won by Anthony Au-Yeung for his photo of Zimbabwe’s Tatenda Taibu diving to field the ball against New Zealand at Eden Park. For further details please see the following link. http://bit.ly/19cj0ze 

After the first round of the three day tournament Caroline Mason from Germany and South African, Ashleigh Simon shared the lead after 9 under par 63s. On arrival at the course I decided to stick with following the names I knew and it was fortunate that Webb, Davies and Hull were playing together. However, to start with I decided to follow the group of Masson, Kim and Lee-Anne Pace who had started at 4 under and 4 over respectively.

The pros were playing the course the opposite way round to its usual layout, meaning the par 5 which I had played as the first was their tenth. The distinctive, colourful and animated American made it an interesting group to follow and I soon realised that she doesn’t waste any time in hitting her shots either. After reaching the edge of the green in two Kim two putted for a birdie while Pace also got up and down from the greenside bunker for a much needed four. Masson had to settle for a par.

After walking ahead through the next two holes I caught up with Webb, Davies and Hull on the 13th. I had heard bits and pieces about the huge potential of the teenager and it was immediately clear that she was not fazed by playing with two of the biggest names as she had picked up five shots to move to 9 under before birdies on the next two holes put her firmly in contention. Webb was also making her move up the leaderboard as five successive birdies after the turn saw her move to 8 under. Laura Davies proved she still had some of the class which made her a household name with a brilliant second shot to about 10 feet on the par 5 14th but she had to settle for a birdie.

Charley Hull  - who only turned pro earlier this year already has four second places to her name on the LET

After watching a few groups pass through the par 3 twelfth I made my way to the closing holes, which proved to be eventful. The driveable par 4 17th over a lake (above) is arguably the highlight of the course and all of the players were targeting the green from the tee. While Kim found the greenside bunker and Pace, who had recovered to 1 over, was left with a short pitch, Masson’s drive bounced off the bank and back into the water. After a long debate about where to drop the leader recovered by pitching on and holing a tricky downhill putt for par to be bogey free after 35 holes. Kim had to settle for par but Pace picked up another birdie which proved to be crucial as she made the final day cut by one shot at even par.

However, Masson's escape was short lived as her three putt on the last saw a two shot swing with Kim. The American holed a long birdie putt which she greeted with a loud shriek of ‘Yes!’ and a fist pump.

Below: Masson, Kim and Pace signing autographs as they come off the 18th green

Above: Cheyenne Woods putting on the last. She dropped back after following up her first round 67 with a 71 to finish on 6 under.

All of Middlesex’s wins have come from chasing so it was no surprise when Neil Dexter chose to field. After losing both openers to Gareth Berg in the third over, Kevin O’Brien (54) and Vikram Solanki led the recovery as Surrey looked set for a huge score at 103-2 after 10 overs. The Irishman, famous for his match winning innings against England at the 2011 World Cup, reached his fifty from just 22 balls as he took advantage of the short boundary to the Tavern and Mound stands. He was bowled by emerging left arm spinner Ravi Patel (3-28) two balls later, who then also dismissed Solanki (37) and Gary Wilson (4) as Surrey’s innings threatened to collapse at 116-5. Azhar Mahmood (35 from 20) helped Surrey regain the momentum before a brilliant last over from Gareth Berg (3-37), which saw two wickets and just four runs, restricted them to 178-7.

On paper Middlesex had their strongest batting line up of the competition as they were boosted by the return of Eoin Morgan after his recent broken finger. However, it didn’t matter as he and his team mates were blown away by an inform Surrey bowling attack with Chris Tremlett looking back to his best. Middlesex were soon in trouble as the tournament’s leading run scorer Dawid Malan went for a third ball duck before Tremlett claimed Joe Denly and Adam Voges in the third over. Paul Stirling (19) was Azhar Mahmood’s second wicket before Morgan was brilliantly caught by Jason Roy at backward point from the bowling of Jon Lewis. Adam Rossington soon followed as he spliced an attempted pull shot to Wilson off Jade Dernbach as the Panthers slumped to 40-6 in the seventh over. The only resistance came from Gareth Berg (33) but after he was the eighth wicket to fall Middlesex were all out for 92 in just 14 overs.

After restricting Middlesex to a below par 162-5, Hampshire openers James Vince and Michael Carberry racked up 83 runs from the six powerplay overs – and that was after the first over went for just five. Carberry smashed Kyle Mills’ second over for 24 before Vince hit Gurjit Sandhu for five consecutive fours. Just as it was beginning to look like the pair were going to pass the target on their own, Carberry was the victim of an unfortunate run out. Spinner Ravi Patel’s slight deflection from Vince’s drive meant he was run out for an impressive 43 from just 16 balls. Carberry has been on the fringes of England’s one day team and on this evidence deserves serious consideration for a run in the side. He may also be an option for The Ashes if Joe Root needs to move down the order and the selectors still don’t fancy Nick Compton.

Jimmy Adams joined Vince and a partnership of 70 took the Royals to within a boundary of victory before they were both dismissed by Sandhu. Vince was caught by Paul Stirling at mid-on for 84 from 49 balls before Adams was caught behind two balls later. It was left to Sean Ervine to hit the winning runs from the first ball of the sixteenth over.

Earlier, after Hampshire had chosen to field, Dawid Malan continued his recent strong form in the competition with 77 as he was caught off the last ball of his side’s innings. However, Middlesex’s slow start meant they were 20-30 runs short of posting a competitive score given the pitch and outfield conditions. Adam Voges (28 from 17) and Adam Rossington (26 from 16) helped quicken the run rate as Middlesex scored 100 from their second 10 overs. Despite this, the feeling was that Hampshire were favourites, although few anticipated they would reach their target with such ease. Dimitri Mascarenhas bowled his four overs upfront and produced typically miserly figures of 1-19. Vince also chipped in with a useful 1-5 from his two overs.  

Hampshire's dominance was too much for some Middlesex supporters

Any cricket fan will recognise their voices instantly but the two are chalk and cheese in terms of personality. In his program notes Agnew mentions that some of his earliest memories are of his father listening to TMS and the honour he felt when starting his radio career alongside Brian Johnston. He is the modern day Johnston with his similarly distinctive voice, the way he speaks about the sport he loves and how he can see both sides of a debate. On the other hand Boycott is the marmite figure of the cricket world who often divides opinion. However, whether you love or hate him there is no denying the vast extent of his knowledge and more often than not he is right – although he would say he's always right.

Agnew took to the stage first and hinted at the above with a tongue in cheek introduction of Boycott as ‘humble, generous and unassuming’. He promptly followed this by saying TMS listeners would be more familiar with ‘rude, brash and wrong’. Aggers then invited the audience to tweet their questions to #boycottaggers - a hash tag he hoped wouldn’t have an impact on the listening figures for TMS. He also introduced me to the world of ‘Boycott bingo’ with 42 phrases to listen out for. Some which were ticked off during the evening included ‘Could have hit that with a stick of rhubarb’, ‘uncovered pitches’ and ‘Michael Holding’s fastest over’.  Boycott, whose fans know him as GLY (Greatest Living Yorkshireman), then appeared to a huge round of applause wearing an eye-catching  (there are other words to describe them) pair of white loafers which somehow escaped comment.

My preconception was that the discussion/debate would be predominantly Ashes based with some questions from the audience as the evening progressed.  It didn’t quite turn out that way.  The ex- Yorkshire and England opener doesn’t need much encouragement to talk about how good he was and the first half of the show gave him another opportunity. In amongst the story of his career and bingo checking there were also some trademark quips such as:

-  'I don’t deliberately try to be difficult. I just find it difficult to give in to people who are stupid or idiots’.

- To Alec Stewart - ‘You’re a good player but you’ll never be as good as me'.

- ‘Mike Brearley was my favourite opening batsman – he made me look brilliant'.

The above photo was taken after Boycott scored a century and 80 not out when England beat Australia at Trent Bridge in 1977. When it was shown on the big screen Agnew pointed out that Mrs Boycott was just about visible under his left arm. ‘It looks as though she’s looking up adoringly at you Geoffrey’ noted Aggers. ‘I should think so’ replied Boycott, ‘I was sleeping with her at the time’.

Shortly before the interval Boycott left the stage as Agnew introduced ex-chairman of selectors David Graveney. He had come to speak about the work of the PCA Benevolent Fund, for which he is now chairman. The benevolent fund provides financial, medical and moral support to former players struggling to adjust to life after cricket. Further details of the great work they carry out are available at: http://bit.ly/15fC5gL. A donation of £1 is being made from every ticket sold on the four night tour.  

Special guest Stephen Fry was introduced after the interval and spoke about how he has learnt more about cricket from Boycott than any other commentator. He also described Agnew as ‘extraordinarily modest’ and praised his contribution towards the coverage of cricket on radio, online and Twitter.

Sir Geoffrey was then asked for his three favourite players in reverse order. At number three was Ian Botham – he didn’t need to say anymore. In second was David Bairstow, Yorkshire’s wicketkeeper in the 1970s and 80s who Boycott described as ‘always positive’. Unfortunately he sadly took his own life in 1998. Graham Stevenson, Yorkshire’s main strike bowler under Boycott’s captaincy, took the coveted top spot as Boycott said he ‘made me laugh everyday’. There was also a very amusing story behind the mystery of a knee injury Stevenson once incurred. All I can say is that involved his wife, a rug and their dog’s bone.

Although it is difficult to criticise an evening which raised money for a good cause, I was slightly disappointed that the Ashes was only briefly mentioned and there were just one or two audience questions. However, it was still interesting to listen and learn about the career of England’s fourth highest Test run scorer. Perhaps it will be different for the other evenings of the odd couple’s short tour.

After winning the toss and choosing to field, Middlesex’s pace men restricted Kent to a modest 140-6 on what looked a batsman friendly wicket and fast outfield. Middlesex’s spinners had been the mainstay of their attack in the competition so far but Toby Roland Jones (2-19), Kyle Mills (2-28) and skipper Neil Dexter (1-20) took wickets at regular intervals as Alex Blake top scored for the visitors with an unbeaten 37. Most of Kent’s batsmen struggled to time the ball as Middlesex varied their pace with plenty of slower balls as well as constantly changing the bowling at both ends.

Middlesex made their intensions clear early in their chase as Vernon Philander, who took 4-8 when the teams met at Canterbury, saw his first two overs hit for 23. Rossington was carrying on from where he left off in that match with four fours in a Darren Stevens over before passing fifty with a six and two further boundaries off Matt Coles.  He was also given a helping hand by Sam Northeast who took a catch on the mid-wicket boundary before stepping on the rope. With 35 needed a possible century was in sight but it wasn’t to be as Rossington dragged an attempted reverse sweep onto his stumps off the bowling of James Tredwell. His innings of 74 from 37 balls (ten 4s, four 6s) follows his match winning knock at Canterbury, for which a report is also available on this blog. Joe Denly joined Dawid Malan and his brisk 30 from 20 balls saw Middlesex home with 26 balls to spare.

Adam Rossington sweeps James Tredwell for four on his way to 74

CricInfo also seem to have latched onto Rossingtion’s talent and potential as a flattering match report is available on their website at: http://es.pn/14BaaZY 

The win takes Middlesex up to second in the South Group, although third placed Hampshire have two games in hand. The sides meet at Richmond next Sunday in a match which could play a major part in quarter final qualification. Meanwhile, Kent are still pointless and rooted to the bottom of the table.  

On arriving at the ground it was obvious rain would play a part at some point and after winning the toss Middlesex made the sensible decision to field first with Duckworth Lewis in mind. Kent reached 36-1 after 5 overs before the first bout of rain kept the teams off for just over an hour. On resumption the match was reduced to 15 overs per side and some slopping fielding and bowling from Middlesex helped Kent reach a challenging 129-5. Tim Murtagh in particular struggled with the wet ball as he bowled a series of high full tosses, conceding 30 from his 3 overs, as well as dropping a relatively simple catch on the boundary.

Rossington began the match well with the gloves as he took catches off Kent openers Rob Key and Sam Northeast, before throwing down the stumps to dismiss Alex Blake. Kent were boosted towards the end of their innings by Darren Stevens (26 from 10) and new signing Philander (13 from 7).

Starting their chase needing nearly 9 an over Middlesex were soon in deep trouble as Philander tore through their top order. The South African clean bowled the dangerous Paul Stirling in the first over before former Kent man Joe Denly was caught behind in his second over to leave Middlesex 8-2 after 16 balls. Philander was making full use of the damp, bowler friendly conditions as the visitors struggled to lay any bat on most of his deliveries.

Some more rain resulted in another break with the loss of 3 overs and Middlesex facing a reduced target of 111 from 12 overs. The match looked over as Philander took the wickets of Dawid Malan and Adam Voges in his third and final over to finish with the amazing figures of 4-8. With the score on 27-4 after 5 overs, Middlesex needed to score at two runs a ball.

Neil Dexter joined Rossington and despite hitting England spinner James Tredwell for consecutive sixes, he then skied a catch to Sam Billings off the bowling of Stevens and Middlesex were 56-5. Rossington hit the next two balls for ten runs and the 4 byes which followed left the visitors needing 41 from the last 4 overs. Kent were still favourites but Philander was beginning to fear the worst and checked the scoreboard numerous times as Rossington was attempting to pull off an amazing recovery.

Philander's figures meant Middlesex scored 103 from the remaining 9 overs

A tight over from Tredwell looked to have swung the momentum back in Kent’s favour as the equation went to 36 from 18 balls. However, Matt Coles’ first over went for 17 with a six apiece from Rossington and Josh Davey before a boundary free over from Mitchell Claydon left Middlesex needing eleven from the last over. A single from Davey gave Rossington the strike and he sealed an unlikely win with a four followed by a premeditated sweep for six with two balls to spare.   

Middlesex now face four games in the next week starting with Sussex and Essex at Lords, followed by Surrey at The Oval and Kent at Uxbridge.

On a separate note, don't ever drive your car to the St Lawrence ground, it'll cost you £15 to park it inside! 

Kent: Northeast, Key, Billings, Stevens, Blake Harmison, Philander, Tredwell, Coles, Claydon, Riley

On approaching I caught a brief but spectacular view of the racecourse, shortly followed by the entrance to the more exclusive Downs course. After paying my green fee and purchasing a course guide I was given the route to the first tee and advised to cross the road after the second hole to ensure I played the third rather than the twelfth.

The first presents an immediate challenge at 423 yards off the yellow tees (431 off the white), although there’s little danger in terms of bunkers and trees. After surprising myself by hitting a long drive down the middle I hit a poor approach shot which missed the green short and left, but with the help of a good chip I managed to save par.

Above: view of the opening tee shot and the approach to the green (below)

With decent tee shots the par 3 second and par 4 third shouldn't see any dropped shots. Three realistic birdie chances follow on holes 4-6 which are two short par 4s and a par 5 under 500 yards. Unfortunately I only had a chance of a birdie at the fifth. I then came unstuck on the seventh as I ran out of fairway after pushing my tee shot slightly right with the driver. In hindsight my 5 wood, or perhaps even 4 iron, would have seen me reach the corner of the dog leg. I paid the price for a lost ball in the long rough with a treble bogey 7.

Below: The tee shots on holes 3-5

A purple patch of 3 over from holes 8-14 boosted my confidence and I should have had a birdie on the uphill par 3 eighth after hitting the pin with my tee shot. However, a tentative 8 foot(ish) putt meant I had to settle for par. I was also pleased with pars on the ninth and eleventh. Another followed on the par 4 twelfth, which at just over 400 yards and with narrow fairway, is ranked the hardest hole on the course.   

Below: the view from the eighth tee and from the front and back of the eleventh.  

The fourteenth (another short par 5) presented a birdie opportunity but a poor pitch into the greenside bunker cost me a bogey. The closing stretch of 16-18 was my favourite on the course. Although short in distance, the par 4 sixteenth requires a tee shot to the right side of the fairway and an uphill approach to a two tiered green. I then followed the course guide by playing the par 4 seventeenth with caution and narrowly missed a long par putt. The par 5 closing hole (comfortably the longest on the course at 554 yards) arguably deserves a harder stroke index. It also plays a touch longer due to the up slope where your tee shot lands (see photo below). However, I was pleased to finish with a par after my 9 iron approach somehow rolled through the green and I nearly chipped in from the fringe.

SUMMARY:

Goodwood’s website states:  ‘The Park Course which surrounds the flint walls of Goodwood House and three hundred year old Cedar trees may seem less of a challenge (compared to the Downs course), but its tricky switchbacks and devilish bunkers are enough to keep any golfer on their toes'.

I soon realised that the very course was very flat and, in my opinion, had a fairly basic layout with a noticeable lack of water. However, the constant switchbacks (change in direction) are a positive aspect and it would be interesting to see how the course plays with a decent wind. Perhaps I managed to avoid all of the devilish bunkers as the four I needed to escape from were not overly intimidating - this is a bold statement coming from me as bunker play is definitely the weakest area of my game. Although I shot 89 on a par 72 course (which I would have probably taken on the first tee,) a few silly errors cost me five or six shots.

The greens were immaculate meaning I could rely on a consistent pace and roll. As a result I took 33 putts, three below my target of 2 per green.  Considering how good a condition the course is in and its idyllic location, I certainly can’t complain at paying £20 for a late afternoon round at the weekend.  However, on the other hand, the full price of £40 is possibly based more on location than the challenge you are faced with.

Still, another course I would recommend and perhaps one day I’ll be lucky (and good enough) to play the Downs course. For further details on golf at Goodwood please see the following link.

Before teeing off I spent 10 minutes on the putting green which was an accurate indication of how quick every green is. I have previously experienced a stark contrast in the pace of a club’s putting green and the greens on the course, so this was another positive.

The first (see photo below) is a short par 4 with an uphill approach and offers the chance to start with at least a par. It is also the first of many holes which presents an inviting tee shot overlooking a dipping then rising fairway. The pro’s tip in the course guide reads that the ‘green is driveable and to go for an eagle start’. Although the green is reachable, it is probably more realistic to be on in two with a putt for birdie. However, thanks to the first of my many misses to the left of the fairway off the tee I had to settle for a bogey.

The view from the first tee. Players have the option of hitting a slight fade or drawing it over the trees.

Other notable holes include the tricky short par 3 sixth. You can’t see the bottom of the pin from the tee and there are five bunkers surrounding the green which can catch anything off line, as well as a slope at the front which can punish anything short. The par 4 eleventh at just over 400 yards is also easy on the eye and is the second hardest hole on the course. There is plenty of fairway to aim at over the three bunkers on the right which can leave a 5-7 iron for your second.

The par 3 14th (above) and the tee shot into the sunset on the par 4/5 18th (below)

The 18th provides a final test with little margin for error off the tee, which I found out to my cost, and the dipping sun doesn’t make it any easier either. There is then a narrow valley in front of the green. Down as a par 4 on the scorecard, the course guide gives you a bit of leeway by stating it often plays as a par 5.

To conclude, I cannot recommend Porters Park highly enough. My friend James and I took advantage of their twilight offer of £30 (available from 4-6pm every day except Thursday) which is excellent value, but in my opinion it is also worth the full price of £60. You can also play for £25 as a member’s guest. Further details are available at the following link.

http://www.portersparkgolfclub.co.uk/porters-park-golf-club-welcome-visitors.asp