Leopard Trophy: Scots trailing in South Africa Test

By MARTIN DEMPSTER
Published on 06/03/2013 01:20

SCOTLAND need a second-day fightback to hold on to the Leopard Trophy after finding themselves trailing South Africa 8½-5½ at the halfway stage in their Test match at Leopard Creek.

The visitors led 3-2 after the morning session but then only mustered a brace of wins, delivered by Fraser Moore and Michael Dailly, in the afternoon singles. In the morning session, Ewan Scott edged Scotland ahead as he thumped Gerlou Roux, the South African No 4, by 7 and 6 in the sole singles match, with the foursomes encounters being shared 2-2.

Jamie Savage and Graham Gordon, a mix of youth and experience, won their match for the Scots, as did Moore and Dailly in the bottom match.

In another encounter, Fraser McKenna and Scott Crichton pushed Haydn Porteous, the South African Stroke Play champion, and Louis Taylor all the way to the wire before eventually succumbing.

McKenna went down to Porteous for a second time in the singles, while Scott was unable to reproduce his morning heroics in losing to Taylor. Crichton, a star in the same encounter 12 months ago, finished all square with Zander Lombard, but the South Africans put themselves in the driving seat by winning the bottom three matches on the last green.

South African coach Llewellyn van Leeuwen was thrilled with the comeback, but cautioned his side not to get over-confident. “The guys showed a lot of character this afternoon,” he said. “I’m proud of the fact they were all committed for the full 18 holes, but we still have another round to play and I believe the Scots will come back hard tomorrow.”