HomePress Release 7th April 2003
B.A.T.S. (which stands for Bere Alston Thursdays) and playing in Division Four of the Plymouth Badminton League, came, saw and conquered Devonshire Health & Racket Club to win this season’s Beckly Cup final by 52 aces.
B.A.T.S. were given a handicap of +135 which meant they were asked to score 7½ points per end against their Division One opponents. This they did in twelve of the eighteen ends played, even winning four ends, which helped set up the winning total of 52 aces.
In the semi-finals, played at Sherwell, B.A.T.S. played well to beat their Division Two opposition Callington by 32 aces. In this match B.A.T.S. took six ends off their senior opponents.
The other semi-final saw Devonshire hold off their Division Two opponents Builders, playing with a +76 handicap to win by 17 aces.
With the championship already in their pocket, Greenbank ‘A’ pulled no punches in beating Devonshire ‘B’ 9-0 at Derriford and then travelled to Ivybridge to finish the season with an 8-1 victory. The shock defeat here saw Laura Pitts and Natalie Harvard beat Tracey Gould and Lynne Hunt 15-12 15-12.
Greenbank’s ‘B’ team finished in third place visiting Tavistock and Devonshire ‘B’ and securing 7-2 wins at each venue. Devonshire ‘A’ finished as runners-up, beating Ivybridge 5-4.
Callington have taken the Division Two title in a four match winning run, winning each match 6-3 at Ivybridge and Mayflower Wednesday, and at home to Ivybridge and Salisbury / Armada. Ivybridge finish as runners-up in this Division beating Builders 6-3 and Greenbank ‘C’ 5-4. Greenbank ‘C’ also lost 5-4 at Salisbury / Armada and finish in third place. Mayflower Wednesday lost 8-1 at home to Builders.
B.A.T.S. pulled out all the stops to inflict the first defeat on South Hams 6-3. In their final match, South Hams needed six points to win the Division, after losing all three men’s events the home team levelled the score with the ladies. South Hams snatched the title from B.A.T.S. by one point in the final event of the evening when Lee Bellamy and Jackie Lancaster beat Jim Corridan and Debbie Freeman 17-16 15-2.
After finishing as runners-up last season, Y.M.C.A. Kitto ‘A’ have won the Division Four title beating University 8-1, Tavistock ‘B’ 6-3 and B.A.T.S. ‘B’ 9-0. Callington finish as runners-up with a 7-2 win at Mayflower Wednesday and a 9-0 win at B.A.T.S. Torpoint finish in third place with a 6-3 win at University and an 8-1 win at home to Tavistock.
University secured their first win of the season beating B.A.T.S. 7-2 then lost 5-4 at home to Mayflower Wednesday.
In Division Five, Y.M.C.A. Kitto ‘B’ have emulated their ‘A’ team in winning this title with a 9-0 home victory against Torpoint ‘B’. Devonshire ‘D’ finish as runners-up beating Y.M.C.A. Kitto ‘C’ 8-1. Torpoint finish on a winning note beating Callington 5-4.
Gordon Hunt
Published in the Evening Herald on ?? April
2003
Published in the Sunday Independent on Sunday ?? April 2003