Following the cancellation of the Abergavenny Seniors Challenge between Wales, Scotland and New Zealand, eight of the New Zealanders said they were visiting Scotland and asked if the SPA could arrange a match for them against a Scottish Seniors team.
Their visit coincided with the SPA Scottish Triples weekend so it was decided to play the match on the Saturday and invite the NZ players to join in the ‘Plate’ on the Sunday.
The match was held at Inverleith Park and hosted by the Inverleith Petanque Club on Saturday 18th September.
Saturday was, thankfully, a fine autumn day and the teams assembled for an eleven o’clock ’kick off’.
The four New Zealand teams of Trevor & Sue, Bob & Colleen, Jean & Charles and Bill & Lynn were joined by Colin M & Nigel to make up five teams (so five rounds could be played) lined up against John P & Allan M, Bob B & Dave P, Jean & Henry H, Sandra B & Douglas H and John tartan trews W & Pat M.
At lunch time, after two rounds the score was 5 – 5 and after four rounds the score was
10 all, so all to play for in round five! Bob & Dave, having romped through four rounds, had their wings clipped by Jean & Charles however three of the remaining games four games went Scotland’s way and the final result was Scotland 13 – New Zealand 12.
After a most friendly encounter enjoyed by all, we retired to the Clubhouse for a veritable feast provided by Mags and her crew. After the Selkirk Grace, beautifully delivered by Pat, we all tucked into soused herring followed by haggis, tatties and neeps and finished of with fruit crumble and custard! All of us appreciated the effort put in by Mags, Colin and members of Inverleith Petanque Club for what was a grand day with great crack and most important of all meeting and making new friends from the world of Petanque.
Douglas.