TAVISTOCK A team started the season in division 2 of the Plymouth and District Badminton League with a difficult match against the students of the University.

In the men's doubles rubbers, Gary Marker, Ray Northey and Colin Tatershall took all three rubbers with only the third rubber causing difficulties when the students surprised Ray Northey and Colin Tatershall when they took the first game before the Tavistock pair settled down.

In the ladies' doubles rubbers Penny Deakin, Wendy Cooper and Nicky Gabb came up against three young and tactical young ladies. The University pairings soon took the initiative in each of the rubbers and managed to win the rubbers each time in two games.

Going into the mixed doubles rubbers there was still everything to play for. The first rubber saw Gary Marker and Penny Deakin play well together and overcome the University pairing in two games. In the third rubber Colin Tatershall and Nicky Gabb lost out in two games but only after giving the University pairing a scare in the first game of the rubber.

The second then became the pivotal rubber of the evening and the longest one. With all the games completed everyone was watching what was becoming an absorbing battle. The University pairing took the first game but Ray Northey and Wendy Cooper came back to take the second.

The third end proved to be a long and hard fought game that was in the balance until the last few points when Ray and Wendy won out to take the game, the rubber and the match.

At the end of the evening Tavistock A were really pleased to have won the match against the University 5 - 4.

The team then travelled to Greenbank and after losing the first men's and ladies' events, managed to find their form to win the next seven events and win 7-2.

The B team faced a daunting opener against the South Hams side, who included ex-division 1 and 2 players and strong favourites for division 3.

Tavistock battled well but could only take the third men's when Peter Harry and John Marshall won in a hard three sets.

John also went to a third end in his other men's and also the mixed event, but could not take the rubber and Tavistock lost the match 8-1.