HORRABRIDGE Badminton Club played Mayflower Wednesday Badminton Club recently in the Plymouth and District Summer Badminton League and recorded their first win after a close match.
In the first of the men's doubles rubbers the team got off to a good start with Alan Berry and Chris Woodruffe taking the rubber in two games 15 - 11, 15 - 5.
In the second, Alan Berry partnered David Harrington. After winning the opening game 15 - 12 they found themselves beaten 5 - 15 in the second to send the rubber into a deciding game. The third game proved to be a close afair with Alan and David just coming through to win 15 -11 and take the rubber point for Horrabridge.
The third men's doubles saw Chris Woodruffe partner David Harrington and the rubber was hard fought with both having to fight their way back after losing the first game 7 - 15.
The second game was a scrappy game for much of it as Chris and David knew they had to win it. This they did 15 - 9 to take the rubber into a deciding game.
The advantage in the third game swung between Mayflower and Horrabridge all the way with neither pairing really taking a hold. In the end it went down to which pair had the nerve to win the setting at 14 points all: it turned out to be Horrabridge and Chris and David both came off court relieved to have won. With the win the Horrabridge men had taken all three rubbers.
With all the Horrabridge ladies aged under 15 they were against an experienced team of ladies from Mayflower Wednesday and did well to achieve what they did.
In the first ladies' doubles rubber Susie Povey partnered Frances Ward and, after worrying the experienced pair from Mayflower Wednesday by winning the first game 15 - 7, they lost out 9 - 15, 7 - 15.
In the second ladies' doubles rubber Susie Povey partnered Caroline Ralph. It was Caroline's introduction to league badminton and she found it quite different and much quicker than any badminton she had played before.
The pair did their best but lost out in the end to the more experienced pair from Mayflower Wednesday 4 - 15, 0 - 15.
In the third ladies' doubles rubber Frances Ward partnered Caroline Ralph. Initially Caroline found the play too fast for her and the pair lost the first game 2 - 15.
The second game, however, saw Frances and Caroline begin to pick up and score points. As the game went on the Mayflower Wednesday pairing started to look more concerned as Frances and Caroline kept pace with them. The game went to setting at 14-all but a relieved Mayflower Wednesday pair saw them come through in the end 17 - 14.
Having been three all the previous week at the start of the mixed doubles rubbers Horrabridge were determined not to let a possible victory slip from them this week.
In the first mixed doubles rubber Alan Berry partnered Susie Povey and they slowly took the Mayflower Wednesday pairing apart in the first and second game to take the rubber 15 - 8, 15 - 6.
The third mixed doubles rubber was then played with David Harrington partnering
Caroline Ralph for Horrabridge. With Caroline being new to league badminton and David only having played a couple of games the Mayflower Wednesday pairing soon found how to win easy points off the Horrabridge pair.
In the end David and Caroline lost out but only after playing a much better second game 2 - 15, 11, 15.
This left Chris Woodruffe and Frances Ward playing the second mixed doubles rubber knowing that the overall score was now four-all with one rubber to play.
After a tense start by Chris and Frances they gradually slowly started to play better and better as the games went on and ran out the winners 15 - 10, 15 - 7.
Horrabridge had won their first match of the summer league and the youngsters came away all pleased with what they had achieved.