Plymouth & District Badminton League

Press Release 20th November 2002

BATS take their first win in Division 3

BAT’s ‘A’ team chalked up their first victory in Division 3 of the Plymouth and District Badminton League recently.  Having played away from home in their first two matches home advantage was made to pay against a strong and experienced Salisbury / Armada team.

In the men’s doubles rubbers Davis Harrington and Alan Berry got off to the best possible start when they totally dominated the Salisbury-Armada pair in the first game 15–1.  The Salisbury / Armada pair started the second game off in a better frame of mind but David and Alan soon took the initiative again and took the game and the rubber 15–6.  The second rubber saw David partner Paul Bitton in a scrappy encounter in which neither pair really took the advantage.  After two shared games 15–11 7–15 the rubber was level: the third game was another one where no pair could play out the final few points.  In the end the BAT’s pair just held on to take the game and the rubber 15–13.  The third rubber saw Alan Berry and Paul Bitton play poorly together and suffer a 5–15 10–15 defeat.

In the ladies doubles rubbers the BAT’s ‘A’ young ladies more than dominated their opponents.  In the first rubber Susie Povey and Frances Ward took a little time to settle before demonstrating to the Salisbury/ Armada pair how the game should be played and taking the rubber 15–7 15–4.  The second ladies double rubber saw Susie partner Lizzie Rae and repeat the dominance in the first game by taking it 15–3.  Both players then relaxed a little too much and saw the Salisbury / Armada pair come back at them, but, apart from the score giving an impression of a close game, it was a mostly one sided 15–13 game and rubber win.  The third ladies doubles rubber saw Frances and Lizzie settle down the quickest and then comfortably take the rubber 15–11 15–10.

With the mixed doubles still to come the BAT’s players knew already that they had won the match but they wanted to force home their advantage to the full.  The first mixed doubles rubber saw David Harrington and Susie Povey take control of the rubber from the beginning and then go on to take the rubber 15–8 15–8.  In the second mixed doubles rubber Alan Berry and Frances Ward took a while to work out how to play the Salisbury / Armada pair but at 5–11 down they put together ten straight points to take the game 15–11.  The second game was more one sided with Alan and Frances taking it and the rubber 15–7.  The third mixed doubles rubber was the longest rubber of the evening with Paul Bitton and Lizzie Rae having to work hard for every point against a vastly more experienced Salisbury / Armada pair.  With the first game going to the Salisbury / Armada pair 10–15 Paul and Lizzie fought back to level the rubber in the second game by winning it 15–13.  The deciding game eventually went the Salisbury / Armada way but all credit must go to Paul and Lizzie who fought hard to the end.

At the end of the evening the BAT’s ‘A’ team had won their first match in division 3 of the Plymouth and District Badminton League by the convincing margin of 7–2.

Alan Berry

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