ENGLAND REGAIN BOYS HOME INTERNATIONALS CHAMPIONSHIP
 England
regained the Boys Home Internationals Championship by completing
a clean sweep of the other three nations in a stunning three
days of competition at Machnynys Peninsula in Wales.
The England team (photo © Tom Ward) won 34 of their
45 matches in the round robin series to lift the R&A Trophy,
while Ireland were runners-up, having beaten Scotland and
hosts Wales.
It was England’s ninth success in the past ten years
and having lost the title to Scotland a year ago it was perhaps
fitting that they should beat the Scots on the final day to
regain it.
Not that matters started well for England with Garrick Porteous
going down with tonsillitis on the eve of the tournament and
spending a night in hospital. He was replaced by reserve Henry
Smart
On the opening day, the Irish gave England their toughest
match. The boys in green edged the foursomes 3-2 but England
bounced back to take six of the ten singles for a narrow 8-7
victory.
The Welsh were next up for England who turned on the power
to drop just half a point. That came in the foursomes before
the English took all ten singles for an overwhelming 14½
- ½ triumph.
That meant if England could overcome the Scots the title
would be theirs and they took a big step by winning the foursomes
2-0 with three matches halved.
With Andrew Johnston, Tommy Fleetwood, Matthew Nixon and
Adam Best claiming the top four matches, victory was virtually
assured. In the end they won seven singles with two halved
for an 11½ - 3½ victory.
Skipper, Jack Hiluta, the only playing captain among the
four national teams, was anchor man, bringing home a 2 and
1 win over Michael Stewart long after the outright result
was in the bag.
Lancashire’s Fleetwood finished with a 100% record
of six wins from six, Adam Best from Yorkshire dropped just
a half in his six outings, while Matt Haines from Kent, Surrey’s
Gary King and Eddie Pepperell from BB&O claimed four-and
a half each.
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