Plymouth & District Badminton League

Press Release 9th November 2003

BATS take University by degrees

After missing out on promotion by just one point last year BAT’s Badminton Club were determined to start off the season in Division 3 of the Plymouth and District Badminton League with a win.  The first match of the season saw the University team visit Bere Alston and find out just how difficult it is to win there.

In the men’s rubbers James Cooper and Alan Berry led the way with a moral boosting win 15–2 17–16 over the University men.  Though the second game looked close in reality James and Alan had it under control for most of the time and only put themselves out when it was really necessary.  The second rubbers saw James Cooper and Mike Ward lose out narrowly in the first game to the University pair 15–17 but then were unable to create openings in the second game, which they lost 9–15.  The third rubber saw Alan Berry and Mike Ward working hard together to repair the damage of losing the second rubber.  The first game was taken comfortably 15–4 but then the University pair came back at them to match Alan and Mike point for point all the way through to fourteen points all.  With the decision to set or not resting with the BAT’s pair they elected to play to fifteen – a good choice as it turned out as they took the game and the rubber 15-14.

In the ladies rubbers Becky Ward was playing her first match for the BAT’s team.  She had to sit out the first rubber in which Susie Povey and Lizzie Rae demonstrated how to play ladies badminton with a well worked 15–7 5–8 win over the University pair.  The second ladies rubber saw Susie Povey and Becky Ward take the University pair to the cleaners with a very encouraging 15–0 5–2 win.  The third ladies rubber saw Lizzie Rae and Becky Ward build on the last rubber with a second crushing defeat of a University pair 15–1 15–1.

With only the mixed doubles rubbers to go BAT’s were already leading University by 5 rubbers to 1.  The first of the mixed doubles rubbers saw James Cooper and Becky Ward work well together and take the rubber 15–6 15–7.  Alan Berry and Susie Povey then continued the good works with a comfortable 15–5 15–4 rubber win.  The final rubber of the evening saw Mike Ward and Lizzie Rae resume their doubles partnership after a missed season when they were playing in different divisions.  It took the pair time to settle down and the first game went the way of the University pair 14–15.  Mike and Lizzie then put together a run of points that had the University reeling, as they had no answer.  In the end Mike and Lizzie turned the tables so much they took the next two games and the rubber 15–0 15–5.

At the end of the evening the BAT’s team had achieved what they had wanted to with a crushing 8–1 win over the University side.

Alan Berry