Suffolk v Cambs and Hunts

The start of the holiday season brought a few new and unfamiliar partnerships to last Sunday's Eastern Counties League match against Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire. Some teams coped better than others; the 'A' team won handily, 20-0 in victory points but the 'B' and 'C' teams lost, 3-17 and 7-13 respectively. I imagine the captain, Peter Gemmell, will be relieved on organisational grounds that there are no more summer fixtures, the next match being in mid October.

As I was one of those absent, I glanced over the hand records for a suitable deal to feature – it didn't take long to spot this:

NS Vul,
Dealer West
  • 72
  • AKQ103
  • Q1086
  • AJ
  • AKQJ10943
  • ---
  • ---
  • Q10932
N
W
E
S
  • 865
  • J84
  • J74
  • 8764
  • ---
  • 97652
  • AK9532
  • K5

All bar two tables declared spades which, with East-West being non-vulnerable, was 'on the cards'. A four spade opening was usual and North doubled. That became the final contract in a bewildering number of cases - three of twelve - and five spades (though undoubled) a further three times. Of course, East-West might be afraid of pushing their opponents into a slam and one South declared five diamonds for a significant pickup despite easily collecting two overtricks.

One Suffolk North-South had to contend to with a strong two spade opener:

West
North
East
South
2
3
3
4
4
Pass
Pass
5
5
End

Just to be clear, those West cards are not an Acol two. It is insufficient to describe the West hand in that fashion and, I would hazard, North-South may have redress but I do not know the explanation given at the table. The ploy of opening a distributional hand with low high-card strength works well when the opponents are vulnerable and unsure whether they are nipping into the auction for a lead indicator or actually contesting the declaration. However, despite my sympathies, I have to say South bid way too little: six hearts must be a good shot on hearing her partner's vulnerable intervention.

Suffolk v Cambs and Hunts
'A' Team won 20-0 VPs (+95 IMPs)
J. Gobert / J. Green
A. Moore / J. Moore
J. Lang / D. Morran
E. Newman / M. Sherer

'B' Team lost 3-17 VPs (-54 IMPs)
G. Beeton / S. Flin
N. Denny / R. Mascall
R. Hanley / J. Orton
M. Allnutt / B. Barker

'C' Team lost 7-13 VPs (-18 IMPs)
P. Gemmell (Capt.) / J. Standley
D. Haig-Thomas / J. Menzies
J. Mayhew / A. Wilmer
D. Price / J. Price

Published Saturday 14.Jun.2008