MATCH REPORT: Leicester unbeatable while Aussies defeat regional GB

The nine time British Ladies Club Champions Leicester took on the Australian ladies in a challenge match at Glover Park, Leicester on Tuesday night.

The match opened with a shared heat before former World Ladies Champion, Laura Watson and twice former British Champion, Lucy Whitehead combined for a maximum over Ebony Clarke & Latisha Bevear.

Australia hit back with a 6-4 from the Lucy Millikin/Kayleigh Clarke pairing over Elizabeth Rigley & Jenna Whitehead to reduce the gap to 2 points. The next two heats were shared before Australia took two successive 6-4s to take a 2 point lead after heat 7.

Leicester struck back in heat 8 with a 7-3 from the Rigley/Lucy Whitehead pairing over Ebony Clark/Bevear to regain the lead, which was extended to 6 points after heat 11, where Lucy & Michelle Whitehead combined for a maximum over the Clark/Bevear pairing. Heats 9 & 10 having being shared along with heats 12, 13 and 14, which meant that either Lucy Whitehead or Sophie Middleton just needed to finish the race to ensure victory for Leicester. Both did just that, with a 6-4 over Ebony & Kayleigh Clarke to ensure a 79-71 victory.

The third and deciding Junior test between GB Regional Juniors and Australia Juniors followed and opened up with the two teams trading 6-4s in the first two races before Australia took the lead with a 6-4 in heat 3 from Braden Makepeace & Matt Snowden over Adam Watson & Mason Phillips.

The next three heats were shared before Australia took 6-4s in heats 7 and 8 to open up a 6 point lead. GB immediately replied with a 6-4 of their own in heat 9 from Dan Taylor & Kyle Holland over Makepeace & Snowden to reduce the gap to 4 points, a gap that was maintained for the next 4 heats as the two teams shared heats 10 & 13, as well as trading 6-4s in heats 11 & 12.

Heat 14 saw Brandon Whetton & Adam Watson combine for a 6-4 over Shane Bentley & Matt Snowden, to reduce the gap to 2 points and set up a last heat decider with GB needing a 6-4 to draw or a 7-3 to win. It was Australia who took a 6-4 courtesy of Jack Norman & Brodie Charlson over Phillips & Taylor to seal the win for Australia by 77-73 on the night and the series by 2 matches to 1.

Many thanks to Steve Copping for the report.