BAT's Badminton Club recently played YMCA Kitto Badminton Club in a friendly. With the new season only a couple of months away BAT's took the opportunity to introduce some new players to match badminton.
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In the men's doubles rubbers Mike Ward had the responsibility of leading Gavin Leithall and Jonathon Freeman. The first men's doubles rubber saw Mike and Gavin play well together and take the rubber in two games 15-1, 15-10. The second men's doubles saw Mike partner Jonathon and, with the YMCA Kitto pair thinking that it was going to be easy playing a junior, things went against them from the start when the BAT's pair took the first game 15-3. YMCA Kitto fought back a little in the second game but in the end the rubber went the way of BAT's when the second game was won 15-11. The third men's doubles rubber saw Gavin and Jonathon play well together in the first game of the third rubber to take it 15-11. The BAT's pair then turned on the style and took the second game and the rubber 15-3.
In the ladies doubles rubber Tamsin Woodruffe played number one lady with Lisa Butler and Charlotte Shannon playing in their first match. The first rubber went to three ends with the YMCA Kitto pair taking the first game 10-15 before Tamsin and Lisa levelled the rubber with a 15-4 game win. The third and final game started off close but the YMCA Kitto pair soon took the advantage and took the game and the rubber 7-15. The second ladies doubles rubber saw Tamsin and Charlotte get off to an excellent start by taking the first game 15-3. Unfortunately Tamsin slipped on court at the start of the second game and had to withdraw with a twisted ankle gifting the rubber to YMCA Kitto. The third ladies double rubber saw the new pairing of Lisa and Charlotte play well together and take the rubber comfortably 15-3, 15-6.
With the mixed doubles left to play the BAT's team were leading YMCA Kitto 4 rubbers to 2 and needing only one more to take the win. The first mixed doubles rubber saw Gavin Leithall and partner Lisa Butler find it hard to settle against a more experienced YMCA Kitto pair. In the end they found the YMCA Kitto pair too good and they lost the rubber 3-15, 6-15. The second mixed doubles rubber saw Mike Ward partner Charlotte Shannon. The first game of the rubber was very close but eventually went the way of the YMCA Kitto pair 12-15. Mike and Charlotte then played well in the second game to level the rubber 15-10. The deciding game proved to be rather one sided with, unfortunately, the game going the way of YMCA Kitto 15-5. With the score now 4 rubbers each the final rubber was going to be crucial to the final match score. The third mixed doubles saw Jonathon Freeman partner Lisa Butler and totally dominate the YMCA Kitto pair with a 15-3, 15-12 win.
At the end of the evening the BAT's players had played well and taken the match 5 rubbers to YMCA Kitto's 4.