Canterbury Badminton Team Makes Clean Sweep

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31120, 25 July 1966, Page 14

Canterbury Badminton Team Makes Clean Sweep

The vast store of experience contained in the ranks of the Canterbury division II badminton team proved to be an impenetrable barrier for the North Otago representative side at Skellerup Hall on Saturday night.

This was the Canterbury side’s third match in the current South Island series and it produced the most handsome result: a crushing victory by 16 games to nil. North Otago had only one set to show for its night of endeavour.

The North Otago players struggled gamely but clearly were out of their class. Their shots lacked the sting and subtlety of those'of the Canterbury players and they lost ground, too, in court coverage and concentration. Only G. Fiebig, North Otago’s top man stood between Canterbury and a clean sweep of matches. In his singles with W. Edgecumbe he played with cool precision to take the second set comfortably and lead 8-5 in the third. Then the ebullient Edgecumbe struck a purple patch: he won 10 points on one serve to take the set, and the match.

In the top mixed doubles match, Fieblg and Mrs D. Hendy made another stubborn stand for North Otago, and were a little unlucky to lose a close first set. Then the Canterbury pair, D. B. Reid and Mrs M. Miller, both left-handers, took control and stormed away to win.

B. E. Wylie and R. Miller combined well as top pair in the men’s doubles and won their singles comfortably; Miller conceded only four points and did not have to remove his track suit top. Mrs Hendy was the steadiest of the North Otago women players, but found this attribute was not enough against Mrs Miller, Mrs M. Wylie and Miss D. French had few problems in beating their opponents and Miss E. Steveneson’s consistency of shot gradually sapped Mrs P. Westoby’s confidence. Junior Triumph

In an unofficial match, the Canterbury junior team beat North Otago colts by 12 matches to 4. The Canterbury boys, led by G. A. Miller, did not lose a match, but the home side’s girls were shaded by their opponents. Canterbury reasserted Itself, however, by winning all the mixed doubles matches.

The most entertaining game was a hard-hitting girls’ singles

marathon in which Miss J. Eckhardt (North Otago) beat Miss D. Bennett. 6-11, 11-7, 11-6.

Results of the division II games, with Canterbury names first, were:— Men’s Singles.—W. Edgecumbe beat G. Flebig, 15-11, 6-15, 15-8; B. E. Wylie beat E. Wallace, 15-4, 15-11; D. B. Reid beat N. Mulvena, 15-4, 15-3; R. Miller beat W. McCulloch, 15-2, 15-2.

Men’s Doubles.—Wylie and Miller beat Wallace and Fieblg. 13-10, 15-5: Edgecumbe and Reid beat Mulvena and McCulloch, 15-1, 15-5. Women's Singles.—Mrs M. Miller beat Mrs D. Hendy, 11-5, 11-6; Mrs M. Wylie beat Mrs J. Wallace, 11-3, 11-3; Miss D. French beat Mrs E. Greenlaw. 11-3, 11-5; Miss E. Stevenson beat Mrs P. Westoby, 11-4, 11-5.

Women’s Doubles.—Mrs Miller and Miss French beat Mesdames Hendy and Wallace, 15-6, 17-15; Mrs Wylie and Miss Stevenson beat Mesdames Westoby and Greenlaw, 15-10, 15-10.

Mixed Doubles.—Reid and Mrs Miller beat Fiebig and Mrs Hendy. 18-16, 15-4; Wylie and Mrs Wylie beat Wallace and Mrs Wallace. 15-5, 15-7: Miller and Miss French beat Mulvena and Mrs Westoby, 15-3, 15-5: Edgecumbe and Miss Stevenson beat McCulloch and Mrs Greenlaw, 15-5, 15-1.