HomePress Release 29th January 2003
BAT’s ‘B’ team started off 2003 in Division 4 of the Plymouth and District Badminton League with a bruising encounter against Callington Badminton Club.
In the men’s doubles rubbers all three went the way of Callington but Ewen Rae and Mike Ward put up a good fight in their match but Brian Gilbert decided to play at the net and cut out every shot he could. In the end Callington took all three rubbers in two ends.
With Kate Povey now retired from her extended academic career and available for matches BAT’s ladies had high hopes of getting one rubber. In the first of the ladies rubbers Tamsin Woodruffe and Kate Povey played long rally after long rally during a very competitive rubber but in the end they went down 15–9 15–7. The second ladies doubles rubber saw Tamsin Woodruffe and Glynis Hingston lose a very close encounter in three games. With the first game very tight Callington took it 17–15 but the BAT’s pair came back to take the second comfortably 15–5. Unfortunately the BAT’s pair could not keep up the pressure and they lost the third game of the rubber 15–3. The third ladies doubles rubber saw a bruising encounter with Chris Henley’s nose being on the end of one of Glynis Hingston’s forceful smashes. This unsettled the Callington pair and in the end Glynis and Kate Povey took BAT’s first rubber of the evening 15–9 15–17 15–0.
With just the mixed doubles to go BAT’s were looking to take a second rubber. The first mixed doubles rubber saw Ewen Rae and Tamsin Woodruffe play excellently together and shock the Callington pair when they took the second game to take the rubber into a deciding game. In the end though the Callington pair steadied themselves to take the third game 15–5. The second mixed doubles rubber saw Mike Ward and Kate Povey take on a purposeful Callington pair. With Mike and Kate knowing that they had to avoid getting into a slugging match they played with care and soon had the Callington pair running around at the back of the court. Though the rubber went to three ends the BAT’s pair deserved their victory. The third mixed doubles saw Callington dominant and they took the rubber comfortably in two games.
At the end of the evening the BAT’s team were pleased to come away with two points to take them further away from the team at the bottom of Division 4.
Alan Berry
Published in the Tavistock Times Gazette on Thursday 29th January 2003