Hertfordshire v Suffolk in the Eastern Counties League      April 2006

A MATCH pitting Hertfordshire's three representative teams against Suffolk produced good wins for the A and C outfits, but a bad loss for the B squad.  The three teams of eight matches were played at the Gosling Sports Park, Welwyn Garden City on the afternoon of April 23, St George's Day.

The A team won by 39 international match points, with Derek and Celia Oram showing a fine plus 47 on the Butler scoreboard. The C team did even better, winning by 60 match points, with Julie Snell and David Arrighi topping the Butlers with plus 41.

But the B team ended on minus 51 match points, and it is hard for me to blame anyone else as I am looking at a damning minus 38.  Our first set of eight boards was quite good, and the second a bit unlucky, with David Armstrong and I staying out of two thin games and one thin slam, all unbreakable. But I can only attempt to exorcise the demons of Board 19 by writing about it.

West ended in 3NT after bidding hearts twice.

David Armstrong (north) led ace-king of spades, followed by the nine. After throwing a club, what do I discard?  My choice of a heart and a diamond proved fatal, allowing declarer to crash my king after finessing it, and come to diamond tricks and the contract.  I was worried that two heart discards would enable to declarer to set up the suit - how should I have got this right?

Well partner clearly has the rest of the spades, and we always defeat the contract if he has the ace of diamonds.  So I must assume he has no ace of diamonds and a heart honour, allowing me to discard the suit twice.  Unless partner has either the ace of diamonds or the king of hearts, the contract is highly likely to make on any defence.