BAT?s Badminton Club B team, after winning their first match of the season, came up against the experience of the Tavistock B team for their second match in division 4 of the Plymouth and District Badminton League.
In the opening men?s doubles rubber juniors Jonathon Freeman and George Zhoa were against Hugh Davies and Peter Barry with the Tavistock pair taking the rubber 3-15, 3-15. The second rubber saw Jonathon partner Ewen Rae against Hugh and Mark Ballock. This rubber proved close but this time BAT?s won the rubber 15-11, 17-14. The third men?s doubles rubber had George partnering Ewen for BAT?s and Peter partnering Mark for Tavistock. Again the games were close but the experience of Peter and Mark won out in the end 13-15, 11-15.
IN the ladies? doubles rubbers BAT?s fielded three junior players up against the Tavistock players three times their age. In the end experience won over youthful enthusiasm but the juniors certainly made their presence felt. In the first mixed doubles rubber Steph Ferraa and Nikki Moses took on Nicky Gabb and Kate Wright. Both Nicky and Kate had been getting in extra practice by playing recently at BAT?s on a Thursday night but it was the BAT?s pair who took the first game 15-9.
The Tavistock pair were then forced to up their game and they took the second game 9-15. The third, deciding end, saw the BAT?s pair struggle against the vast experience of the Tavistock pair but they put up a good show but finally lost out 5-15.
The second ladies? doubles rubber saw Steph partner Kelly Drew for BAT?s and Helen Bull partner Nicky for Tavistock. Helen?s great experience proved to be the deciding factor in winning the rubber over two junior players; 2-15, 2-15.
The third rubber saw Nikki and Kelly for BAT?s take on Kate and Helen for Tavistock. Initially both games were close but on each occasion the BAT?s pair lost out in the later stages 6-15, 7-15.
It was a case of all new pairings for BAT?s in the mixed doubles after enforced changes from the first match. Juniors George and Steph gave Hugh and Kate a scare when they leveled the rubber 10-15, 17-14 to force a deciding game. In the end it was Hugh and Kate?s experience which won out 6-15 but the BAT?s pair played their part in an exciting rubber. In the second mixed doubles rubber Jonathon and Nikki played Peter and Nicky. With Jonathon and Nikki playing players who had played mixed doubles together longer than the two juniors had been playing badminton it seemed like a one sided contest. The first game was as Peter and Nicky took it 0-15, but the second game was more competitive, but again the Tavistock pair took it, this time 8-15. The third mixed doubles rubber saw Ewen and Kelly take on Mark and Helen. The Bat?s pair were playing together for the first time and this showed but they still managed to get the Tavistock pair in knots. In the end it was the Tavistock pair who won out 6-15, 7-15.
At the end of the evening Tavistock had beaten BAT?s eight rubbers to one but with most of the BAT?s players still only juniors their day will come as they gain in experience as the season continues.