The Craigenhower Cricket Club (CCC) feels like the only ground level area in that portion of Hong Kong. They have two greens and it is surrounded by very tall beautiful buildings on three sides and the Hong Kong Football Club, which also has a full length horse race track across the street.
The US Stars team exits the bus to play Macau in the semi-final, the team's sixth match of the day. All the other teams have arrived, so it is straight to the green. Like play has been this day and all days, no practice and no trial ends. Just straight to the match. Checking all of the other greens, the only non-Asain team still playing is the US Stars team.
There are no skins now. It is just an 8-end match. The one with the most points at the end of the match wins and moves on to the finals.
The US team picks up where they left off, scoring 3 in the first end, 2 in the second end, and 1 in the third end. The Macau lead is bowling well and matching the US lead, Scott, shot for shot, but Earl and Abe for the US are greatly outplaying the middle two of Macau. The Macau skip is the best bowler on the green and has saved about 5 shots in the first three ends with his last bowl. Neil is not making it easy for him and is bowling exceptional as well. After three ends, the US leads 6-0, and the lights are turned on at CCC. And when I say lights, I mean stadium-type lighting with multiple lights on multiple poles surrounding both greens.
The Macau skip play brilliant shots again on his last bowl to get Macau on the board in the fourth end, and drags the jack back for a four that Neil can't cut into in the fifth end, and just like that the US lead is cut to 6-5, with three ends to go. The sixth end shows the strength of both leads. Scott puts his first within a foot of the jack, but the Macau lead pushes it through. Scott puts his second again within a foot of the jack, but again the Macau lead pushes it through. The shot bowl changes 4 more times, but it is the last that counts as the Macau skip knocks the shot bowl through to take the point and tie the match with two ends to go.
Needing to get the momentum back Scott puts his first bowl right on the jack, and despite many near misses, it holds up during the end and the US gets 1 in the seventh end and leads 7-6 with one end to go.
If the US wins the end, it is on to the finals. If Macau gets 2 they are in, and if they get 1 there will be an extra end. The Macau lead gets the better of Scott, and has the shot. Abe takes the shot away, but the Macau vice takes it from him. As the team change ends, Macau is holding one about 18 inches from the jack, that is jack-high. with a wall of Macau bowls in front of the jack. There is a somewhat narrow window on the forehand side that is open for Neil to draw into, but while he has good weight his line is off. The Macau skip tries the other hand to push his bowls up but he is uncharacteristically very short and way off line. Last bowl for Neil, with the US hopes on the line. Neil draws perfectly to the jack and hits it slow and square and moves it only aobut two inches and stays with it. The crowd of US supporters, including the Stripes team erupts. With it still behind the wall of Macau bowls, this is a near impossible shot for the Macau skip, but he has made nearly every shot all match. He takes a run at the wall, but to no avail. The US gets one on the last end to win 8-6 and advance to the finals.
The US will now play for the gold medal against the #1 seed Malaysia under the bright lights of CCC and the surrounding buildings of Hong Kong.
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