ENGLAND PIPPED FOR QUADRANGULAR
TITLE AT COSTA BALLENA, SPAIN

For the second successive year, England were pipped at the post for the title in the Costa Ballena Quadrangular tournament in Spain.
After victories over Finland (6-3) and Germany (5½-3½), the young England team could afford to lose 5-4 to Spain on the final day to emerge victorious. But they came up half a point short. The die was cast in the morning foursomes when England lost all three matches. That left them requiring four wins from the six singles.
Although Adam Wainwright, Matthew Haines and Luke Goddard claimed wins, England’s hopes depended on Miles Mackman in the last match. Despite his best efforts, his game against Borja Etchart finished as a half, leaving England with only 3.5 points on the day and just short of the title, as they had been a year ago.
Despite the defeat, England did well as Spain fielded three of the side that lost to England in a full international at Royal Ashdown Forest last May. England’s highest scorer was Wainwright with five points from six. Goddard secured four, while Mackman halved all his three singles, playing anchor man.