HomePress Release 6th December 2003
BAT’s Badminton Club played their second away match in Division 3 of the Plymouth and District Badminton League at Devonshire recently. Last season Devonshire had chalked up an early win against BAT’s in the league and BAT’s were determined that this should not happen again this season.
In the first of the men’s doubles rubbers James Cooper and Alan Berry got BAT’s off to the best possible start by taking the rubber comfortably 15–7 15–8. The second men’s doubles rubber, however, brought BAT’s back down to earth as James Cooper and Mike Ward could not cope with a well organised Devonshire pair who took the rubber 15–13 6–15 13–15. Devonshire were again more organised in the third men’s doubles rubber when they took the rubber against Alan Berry and Mike Ward 5–15 10–15. For the first time in the season BAT’s had not taken at least two of the three rubbers.
Where as the men had been disappointed with their performance the ladies went from strength to strength in their three rubbers. In the first ladies doubles rubber Susie Povey and Frances Ward showed their dominance by running the Devonshire ladies ragged 15–1 15–4. Susie Povey and Lizzie Rae then continued the rout by taking the second ladies doubles rubber 15–1 15–3. Having only allowed the Devonshire ladies to score 9 points in four games Frances Ward and Lizzie Rae were determined keep the pressure on Devonshire. This they did with a 15–4 15–2 win in the rubber.
With only the mixed double rubbers to go BAT’s still needed one more rubber to win the match. James Cooper and Frances Ward duly obliged with an easy 15–1 15–2 rubber win. The second mixed doubles rubber saw Alan Berry and Susie Povey take both the games they played in their rubber easily until about half way through before turning the screw and taking both games and the rubber 15–7 15–8. The third mixed doubles rubber was the closest rubber of the evening with Mike Ward and Lizzie Rae in both games having to recover from being points down to coming back to force the Devonshire pair to set. Unfortunately in both games of the rubber Mike and Lizzie could not take the advantage and they lost the rubber in the end 14–17 14–17.
At the end of the evening BAT’s came away from Devonshire with a comfortable 6–3 away win and know that at the half way point of their season they remain undefeated in Division 3 of the Plymouth and District Badminton League.
Alan Berry
Published in the Tavistock Times Gazette on Thursday 27th November 2003