BERE Alston and Horrabridge Junior Badminton Clubs recently combined to take on Victoria Junior Badminton Club. The clubs used the contest to introduce new players to match-badminton that meant many of the games were between players four to six years apart.

In the first group, Anna Maunder led the way in the singles with three victories but Duncan McNaughton, Ben James and Nicky Moses were unable to match this and went down 3 games to 13 to Victoria. Ben and Nicky both played well to take points off the more experienced Victoria players and repeatedly annoy them by making long rallies.

In the second group, Abi Maunder and Ryan Fletcher played excellently in the singles to take one game each off older players. Though Dean Dyer and Aaron Fletcher were unable to win any games they played well and kept many rallies alive for long periods.

With only the doubles left the Bere Alston and Horrabridge Juniors were determined to show Victoria that they need to watch out in the future. Anna Maunder and Nicky Moses led the way with two excellent wins against long established Victoria pairings. Duncan McNaughton and Ben James then took on the challenge but found gaining points against the experienced Victoria pairings more difficult and lost both doubles games.

In the other half of the draw Abi Maunder partnered Aaron Fletcher and Ryan Fletcher partnered Dean Dyer. Both worried the Victoria pairs for long periods but the older, more experienced, players won through.

The Bere Alston and Horrabridge junior players came away disappointed with the result but with the knowledge that in a couple of years they would be taking on and winning against players much older than them, such was the display of young talent.