Rats pub crawl moves on to Last Chance Saloon

Now we lick our wounds and move on to the Last Chance Saloon, otherwise known as Haddington, on Monday 22nd March. Whatever happens between now and then we have the opportunity to put ourselves back into a promotion slot by beating Berwick Bears. It may be that we need to do so by a known margin to build up our AMP wall high enough to repel attacks by Camden who play the next night.

If all goes according to "Plan D" then Camden will need to beat Borderers in Carfraemill on the 23rd to deny us. Not easy, though it may depend on who happens to be getting a game for the Borders side on the night since we can assume Camden will try to have their "A Team" on the park.

Hopefully we've now had our rocky patch and will be on song for the grand finale, and don't forget that while Camden are either celebrating or anxiously trying to not miss slams in the Carfraemill Hotel we will be taking on Waverley in a bid to soar into the final of the MacLaren Cup, which would be a fabbie way to finish what is our best year ever, come what may.

Defeat against Bears will kill us off completely though any other result has possibilities - should Camden lose to Bears (preferably by an enormous amount!) then a losing draw at Bears could let us through in the most dramatic way possible unless Camden annihilate Borderers. Fortunately our defeat at West Calder was not quite bad enough to prevent this and we would beat West Calder to the line by 1 AMP!

These are the Key Dates:
Monday 15 March - Bears v Carlton Camden (14, -3 AMP)
Monday 22 March - Bears v Rats (16, +5 AMP)
Tuesday 23 March - Borderers v Carlton Camden

Kelso, 18 points +MILLIONS of AMPs 2 to play (champions unless they blow it big style)
West Calder, 17 points +2AMP
Rats, 16 points +5AMP 1 to play
Camden, 14 points -3AMP 2 to play

Rats slightly disappointed by tough match

Another sore one in West Lothian, with Rats losing to West Calder by 12770 to 14490. Opps played a steady but aggressive match and played it well it appears, so fair play to them.

EW:Bob & Linda | Fiona & Judy |
NS: Alan & Norma | Maurice & Gerry | Whizzy analysis sheet

Hand 1 was a good start, with B&L picking up 100 for 3NT down 2, while J&F took it three off. The other way A&N went down 2 but G&M were the only sensible table, sticking in 2NT and making it.

Hand 2 was better. Most in 3C making 11 but Judy & Fiona bid the game, on top of which Norma was allowed to settle in 2S, making. 570 in overall.

Hand 3 continued the outstanding start with another 1060 coming in! 3NT was the spot, made by all except A&N's oppos who got in a bidding fankle and went four off in 5 diamonds! Couldn't double them because it looked like sensible enough bidding at the time and they were only missing one ace.

Hand 4 slipped 150 away though: Spade part score making 8 or 9 for the Rats NS pairs, both Rat EW pairs were left to play in 1NT down two. Not for the last time West Calder judged this hand better it seems.

Hand 5 pretty flat in the end. Bob & Linda made 10 in 3NT, A&N's opps made 9, while J&F and G&M's opps made 10 or 11 in the diamond part score instead.

Hand 6 saw both Rats EW pairs making 11 in 5C, and both West Calder pairs doing better playing it in 3NT. Out thought again by the West Lothian outift?

Hand 7 was brighter, with Bob bringing in 4H. Judy sadly went off 3 playing from the other side of the table! G&M took 4H two down while A&N tried 3D by south but it didn't really work. Still, 220 in.

Hand 8 not great. Judy was doubled in 1NT and went 1 off. G&M made 1NT, B&L went 2 off in spades and Alan managed one off in 3H by N. Net result, -130. They all count!

Hand 9 brought in 220. Gerry pulled in 420 by making 12 tricks in 5C. Alan & Norma however saw 3D make with ease against them, also favoured by Fiona. Bob & Linda's opps made 11 in Hearts but were only in three thankfully!

Hand 10 another small gain: Norma and B&L's opps made 3NT, but Judy & Fiona took it one off and Maurice was allowed to play and make 11 in 3D.

Hand 11 was flattish, Bob & Linda holding 3NT to 10 but elsewhere making 11.

Hand 12 was a nightmare on Main Street. Both Rats NS pairs made 12 tricks in 3S. Sadly West Calder once again proved bolder, brassier and downright infuriating by bidding the game at both their opportunities, and worse still, Gerry & Maurice doubled it! Alan's diamond lead held it to 11 tricks for a teeny crumb of comfort. The damage? 780 away.

Still, could have been a lot worse and at half time we basked in a lead of 1430 points, enjoyed the home baking and settled down to grind out the win which would take us to within a heartbeat of the presidency, or at least the dizzy heights of Division 3. After all, what could go wrong?

Hand 13 brought no indication of the horrors in store with a 60 point addition to the Ratty tally. 4H throughout, making 11 tricks though Judy & Fiona held it to 10 and Alan made 12 in his favourite hand of the night.

Hand 14 was fairly standard in 3NT. Maurice & Gerry's opps almost got into bother at 5NT but made the 11 anyway.

Hand 15 another small leak. Gerry made 8 in 1NT but Norma was one down along with B&L's opps. Judy & Fiona's opps made 10 in spades but thankfully not in game.

Hand 16 brought in 70. Gerry made 3S, A&N's opps tried their luck in 4H down 1 while playing EW, Judy made 4D but Bob & Linda were 3 off in the other minor. So each table played in a different suit contract!

Hand 17 saw the start of the Big Collapse. 320 away with four negatives. Both West Calder EWs made 2H and both Rats EWs went too high. Bob & Linda made 9 but unfortunately had bid to game.

Hand 18 not much better. Alan & Norma's opps made 11 in 3D, Judy made 10, Gerry was one light in 3S the other way and Bob & Linda one down in the diamond game.

Hand 19 was flat. 1NT allowed to stand for Maurice and J&F's opps, but Bob & Linda and Alan & Norma's opps intervened with the making 2H.

Hand 20 brought carnage. M&G saw 3NT by east make, Alan & Norma let it make 11 while both Rats EW pairs played the hand in 6H down one. Resulting damage was 1460.

Hand 21 added 500 to that, with everyone making 11 in 4H except Judy, one off. KD lead standard.

Hand 22 piled on the misery with another 590 going south and not in a good way. Both Rats NS pairs made 10 in 1S/2S while both West Calder pairs pushed the boat out, bid game and got a fabulous result. I think it was a 19 or 20 point game, but cross ruffed a treat for ten tricks. Both Rats faced a prepared club opener by West which made life more difficult, but perhaps should have seen wheat among the chaff and punted game.

Hand 23 got us 20 points, hurrah. Alan drifted 1 off in 2H, while everyone else made 8 or 9 tricks in 1NT.

Hand 24 brought the proceedings to a close with 1NT or a club part score both ways, mostlye making but another 150 away.

Rats progress to semi final berth

This will be on Tuesday 23rd March.

We put Borderers to the sword for the second time in a month to book a semi final visit to the Carlton to face Waverley. The score was Rats 17,680 Borderers 16,430.

Maurice & Gerry | Bob & Linda | Alan & Norma | Fiona & Judy
Whizzy analysis sheet

Dunbar rip up form book

Well we managed to field a team - just. I think maybe half of us were not feeling ill to some degree or other!

And we lost. Rats 10180 Dunbar 11340.

Coming up

Our next fixtures are:

1. Monday 8 March, West Calder (West Calder)
2. Monday 22 March, Berwick Bears (at Haddington)
3. Waverley at the Calrton sometime in March!