Skipper Nicholson keeps Watton, Briggs in line-up

for Day 2 foursomes against a dangerous England

Scotland captain Lesley Nicholson has stuck with the players who played well in winning five of the six singles against Wales for Thursday morning's foursomes against England on Day 2 of the Women’s Home Internationals at Whitchurch Golf Club, Cardiff.
Teenage debutante Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) won her first game for Scotland at this level by 3 and 2 against Sam Birks as the Scots avenged that so-costly last-day 6-3 defeat by Wales at Irvine 12 months ago.
That has persuaded Nicholson to try her in the foursomes line-up with former Scottish champion Megan Briggs who also did not play in the opening alternate-shot session yesterday morning.
The reverse side of the coin is that Craigielaw’s June Turner who partnered Martine Pow (Selkirk) to defeat in the opening foursomes and was dropped alongwith Martine from the singles line-up in the 6 ½-2 ½ victory over Wales misses another session of play.
Nicholson expects England to come out fighting against Scotland after an 8-1 thrashing by Ireland on Day 1. And that’s why there was no “Who’s gonna be second?” bullish talk from the captain as she assessed the first day’s results.
“We will have to play as well as we did against Wales, possibly even a bit better, to beat England,” she said.
England’s response to one of their heaviest ever defeats in the Women’s Home Internationals is to drop Curtis Cup player Hannah Barwood and 14-year-old debutante Charley Hull from the foursomes against Scotland.


DAY 2  FOURSOMES MATCHES:

SCOTLAND v ENGLAND
Kelsey MacDonald and Louise Kenney v Charlie Douglass and Nikki Foster.
Rachael Watton and Megan Briggs v Charlotte Ellis and Tara Watters.
Pamela Pretswell and Laura Murray v Kelly Tidy and Hayley Davis

WALES v IRELAND
Tara Davies and Becky Harries v Danielle McVeigh and Charlene Reid.
Amy Boulden and Gemma Bradbury v Leona Maguire and Lisa Maguire.
Katie Bradbury and Sam Birks v Mary Dowling and Gillian O’Leary.