The 2005 Solomon Trophy is the first time a US team has
led or stayed even with GB through the event's first
four rounds. Tied 7-all (with GB leading in the pegged-
down doubles match) at the start of the final day,
the Americans had a real chance of winning the test
match for the first time ever. But the Brits quashed
that hope quickly and completely, winning all seven of
the remaining matches. Thus, despite the strong start,
USA fell just short of their high-water mark of eight
wins, achieved in 2002.
Matt Burrow had the honor of winning the decisive
match. The best turn of the day was Robert Fulford's
sextuple peel. As it happened, the test match was
already decided at that point. But GB's captain put on a
crowd-pleasing performance, essentially accomplishing
everything he wanted on the turn, peeling 1b after 2,
2b before 4, 3b before 5, 4b (on a rush peel) before
2b, penult before 3b, and finishing with a straight
rover peel from a few inches in front of the hoop.
COMPLETE FINAL SCORES:
Stark & Drake beat Fulford & Lines
+17tp(Drake), -17tp(Lines), +14tp(Stark)
Bidencope & Cherry lost to Mulliner & Death
-15tp(Death), -10
Soo & Huneycutt beat Burrow & Gibbons
-8, +25, +26
Stark & Drake beat Mulliner & Death
+26tp(Stark), +14otp(Mulliner)
Bidencope & Cherry lost to Burrow and Gibbons
-26tp(Gibbons), -11tp(Burrow)
Soo & Huneycutt lost to Fulford & Lines
-14, -5tpo(Fulford)
Stark & Drake lost to Burrow & Gibbons
+4tp(Stark), -20tp(Gibbons) -18
Bidencope & Cherry lost to Fulford & Lines
-17tp(Fulford), -26
Soo & Huneycutt beat Mulliner & Death
+17, +20
Stark beat Burrow -17tp, +25, +26tp
Drake beat Fulford +20tp, +20tp
Bidencope lost to Gibbons -26tp, -17
Cherry beat Mulliner +20, +24tp
Soo lost to Lines +26, -11tpo, -26tp
Huneycutt lost to Death -15, -26tp
Stark lost to Fulford -7, -16sxp
Drake lost to Burrow -17, -26tp
Bidencope lost to Mulliner -26tp, +25, -13tp
Cherry lost to Gibbons -26tp, -17tp
Soo lost to Death -25tp, +15tp, -12tpo
Huneycutt lost to Lines -26, -26tp
USA 7 Great Britain 14
- Jeff Soo
