England win in Frilford clash

Posted on 01/06/08. By Staff writer

The successful English team with the spoils of their French success England had to battle hard before they earned a 14-10 victory over France in the biennial contest at sun-bathed Frilford Heath in Oxfordshire.

Going into the second and final day one point ahead, they doubled that in the morning foursomes which left them needing three wins and a half from the eight singles. But it was no easy task as the French put up stout resistance.

However, Danny Willett, Chris Wood and Gary Wolstenholme put them on the brink and it was left to Neil Chaudhuri to seal the winning point for the England team.

Willett led from the front in his match with Johann Lopez Lazaro. There was little to choose between them for 11 holes, mainly through the Frenchman's superb short game. But Willett then reeled off five successive birdies to close out the contest 3&2, being six under par at the end.

There was no holding Wood who completed his fourth victory by 2&1 over Alex Kaleka. The only time the Gloucestershire man was behind was when Kaleka birdied the second hole, but Wood responded with a birdie two at the fourth and was two up at the turn, which he reached in 33 strokes. At no stage could France be written off especially when Mathieu Bey handed new cap Matt Haines his first defeat by 5&3.

Sam Hutsby boasted a perfect record going into his match with Benjamin Hebert but, all square playing the 18th, Hebert took two from off the green for birdie after Hutsby had chipped and twoputted for bogey and a one-hole defeat.

That left the contest 11-9 and Wolstenholme put England within sight of the finishing line with a 2&1 win over Edouard Dubois.

Wolstenholme, winless to this point, opened with two winning birdies and secured a vital birdie at 17 to seal victory. And Chaudhuri, drafted in as a replacement for the injured Steve Uzzell, made sure he didn't finish with a blank return by coming from two down to beat
Rudy Thuillier on the final green.

Dale Whitnell, in the final match, was always ahead against Jean-Jacques Wolff, also winning on the final green, while Matt Cryer battled back from four down to also take his contest with Victor Dubuisson to the 18th, only to lose by two holes.

It was England's second successive win in the event following their victory in Bordeaux two years ago.

Pictured; Victors - a selection of the successful English team with the spoils of their French success