BATs ?A? team recently took on Tavistock ?A? in Division 2 of the Plymouth and District Badminton League. Having seen the ?B? team lose 8-1 to Tavistock ?B? the previous week the BAT?s ?A? team were looking for a win. In the first of the men?s doubles rubbers brothers, Julian and James Cooper, soon found themselves 14-0 up in the first game against Gary Marker and Ray Northey. Gary and Ray rallied slightly but the brothers took the game 15-3. The second game saw a close start but at 3-4 down Julian and James took the initiative to take the game and the first rubber 15-6. The second rubber saw Julian partner Alan Berry to take on Gary Marker and Colin Tattershall. After a one sided first game which Julian and Alan took 15-2, the second game was nip and tuck the whole way until Julian and Alan won it and the second rubber 15-13. The third men?s doubles rubber saw James Cooper and Alan Berry take on Ray Northey and Colin Tattershall. Both Ray and Colin had difficulties against the accurate smash of James Cooper and in the end James and Alan ran out the winners of the rubber 15-5, 15-4. In the ladies doubles rubbers Frances Ward and Heather Cooper got off to the best possible start when they outplayed the Tavistock pairing of Wendy Cooper and Shirley Every to win 15-4, 15-3. The second ladies doubles saw the Tavistock pairing of Wendy Cooper and Kate Wright turn the tables on the BATs pairing of Frances Ward and Heather Cooper by taking the rubber 9-15, 5-15. Heather Cooper was determined to make amends for this defeat and she did so when she partnered Becky Ward against the Tavistock pairing of Shirley Every and Kate Wright. Though the score looked one sided all the points were hard fought in the 15-6, 15-4 win for BATs. In the first of the mixed doubles rubbers James Cooper and Frances Ward took on Ray Northey and Wendy Cooper of Tavistock. The first game was easily won by the BATs pair 15-3, but the second game was much closer until the BATs pairing took it and the rubber 15-11. The second mixed doubles rubber saw Julian Cooper and his mother Heather take on Colin Tattershall and Shirley Every. The rubber proved a comfortable 15-8, 15-6 victory for the BAT?s pair. The third mixed doubles rubber saw Alan Berry and Becky Ward for BATs take on Gary Marker and Kate Wright for Tavistock. The first game and half of the second game was a wake up call for Alan and Becky as they found themselves 6-15 and then 8-14 down and facing losing the rubber. Alan and Becky recovered to level the rubber in the second game 17-15 and a hard fought deciding game was to ensue. In the end it was the Tavistock pair who won out 15-11. At the end of the evening BATs had beaten Tavistock 7-2 to go joint top of Division 2 of the Plymouth and District Badminton League after only being promoted from Division 3 at the end of last season.
