Plymouth and District Badminton League

BAT's Badminton Club A team opened their fixtures in Division 4 of the

league with a well worked win over YMCA Kitto Badminton Club A team.

With two new men entering the team this season the first match was always going to be a little bit of trial and error. All credit should go to David Harrington of Chelform Mill School, Bere Alston who was playing in his first league match.

With the team able to travel together as a team to away matches this season, tactics and plays are able to be discussed en route. The team talk obviously had its effect.

In the men's doubles rubbers Alan Berry and Chris Woodruffe had an uncertain start but soon got their game together to run away the winners 15 - 6, 15 - 4.

The second rubber was David's first, but he soon settled and was instrumental in crushing the YMCA Kitto pairing 15 - 4, 15 - 2.

The only difficult rubber was the third which saw Chris and David 4 - 14 down in the first game but come back to win 17 - 14 after setting and then ease through the second game to take it 15 - 10.

BAT's new look men's line up had taken all three rubbers.

In the ladies' doubles rubbers Heather Cooper and Glynis Hingston started in fine form to take the first game of the first rubber 15 - 7.

The YMCA Kitto pairing then reorganised and hit back by taking the second game 15 - 11 to send the rubber into a third end. After some tense and sometimes frustrating badminton Heather and Glynis came through to take the rubber 15 - 11.

The second rubber saw Diane Philips and Heather Cooper lose what was to be the only rubber of the evening 11 - 15, 10 - 15. The third rubber saw BAT's back on course with Glynis and Diane working well together to take it 15 - 10, 15 - 8.

With the mixed doubles still to come BAT's Badminton Club knew they had won the fixture but now wanted to take as many points as possible from it.

The first mixed doubles pairing of Chris Woodruffe and Diane Philips found the first game of their rubber almost too easy when they won it 15 - 5 then relaxed too much to loose the second game 5 - 15. The third end was a close game with both pairings determined to spoil the other's tactics.

After setting the game, and the rubber, went the BAT's way.

The second mixed pairing of Alan Berry and Glynis Hingston had to battle hard during

the first game before taking it 15 - 11. The second game proved much easier as they stepped up the pace to take the rubber 15 - 8.

The third mixed doubles rubber saw David Harrington partner Heather Cooper. Leading

up to the rubber they spent a long time sorting out their tactics and went on court ready to take the rubber by the scruff of the neck.

After a hesitant first game which they won 15 - 12 they finished off the YMCA Kitto

pairing 15 - 5.

At the end of the evening BAT's Badminton Club A team came away having beaten YMCA Kitto Badminton Club A team by 8 rubbers to 1.

David Harrington, having only been playing for just over 12 months at BAT's Junior Badminton Club, is now playing league badminton.