Impressive start in badminton

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33515, 22 April 1974, Page 14

Impressive start in badminton

North Beach has shown that it is determined to win the Canterbury A grade badminton title for the second year in succession. In the first round on Seturday, the strong seaside club completed a clean sweep against Selwyn. North Beach dlsergarded the feci that Selwvn is a stronger side this 'ear and the champion I club won the eight matches without dropping a game. However, Railway, the runnerup last year, and Knox gave hints that they will give North Beach a hard contest by easily winning their matches in the Skellerup Hall- . . A revitalised Knox club, which .has gained two division-one representative players, lost only one match against Canterbury No. , I. The unchanged Railway team beat Canterbury No. 2 by six Hatches to two. North Beach’s victory over Sei wyn was unexpected. Selwyn was without B. Williams, who was un. available because of a leg injury, but it still had three provincial players. P. Curtain, and Misses S. Dench and S. Wells. Curtain who returned to the province alter a break of two years, was easily beaten by the -Canterbury division player, P. 'Whiting The North Beach player gave his opponent no time to settle down and Whiting won, 15-0. 15-2. But much Interest centred on the performance of Miss Wells, a Wellington division-two player last year. With Curtain. Miss Wells is the only new face in ’ this year's competition. Miss Wells was full of zest against the top provincial player, • Mrs T. Perry (formerly Miss Mitchell). After losing the first game easily. Miss Wells gave an indication of her potential by ■ taking Mrs Perry to setting in the second game. The addition of Mrs R. Moran and Mrs A. Chambers in the , Knox team has given the club a welcomed lift. The two wellperformed players easily won . their singles Knox's only loss came in the mixed doubles when J. Anderson i and Miss C. Reay combined well to beat E. Kirkland and Mrs I Chambers. But the two youthful Canterbury players. Anderson and B. Wilson, put up fine singles performances against more experienced senior players Anderson made W. Edgecumbe. a former Wellington and Canterbury representative, work hard 'for points and Wilson, a Canterbury junior last year, was on the brink of victory against E. Kirk land. The experience of Mrs B. Ani derson improved the Canterbury club's second team performance I against Railway. Mrs Anderson. I who changed from the Selwyn > club, was involved in CanterIbury's two victories. She beat

• Mrs P. Duckmanton in the only three-game singles match of the dav, and then combined with Miss 'R. Smith to win the women's doubles match. . Results were: Railway, 6 matches; Canterbury No. 2.2. J G. A. Miller beat C. Wasley, (15-12. 15-6; D. Le Page beat B Sanders. 18-15, 15-7; Miller and Le Page beat Wasley and San- . ders, 15-6 15-5. Mrs P. Duckmanton lost to Mrs B. Anderson, 5-11. i 11-5, 6-11; Mrs M. Miller beat Miss , R. Smith. 11-7. 11-9; Duckmanton [ and Miller iost to Anderson and Smith, 9-15. 10-15. ! G. A. Miller and Mrs Duck- . manton beat Wasley andAndet,'son. 15-0, 15-9; Le Page and Mrs Miller beat Sanders and Smith, 1 1 15-5. 10-15, 15-3. ', Knox, 7 matches; Canterbury No. 1, 1. , W. Edgecumbe beat .1. Anderson, 15-10, 15-10: E. Kirkland beat .B. Wilson. 15-12. 17-14; Edge•icumbe and Kirkland beat AnderI son and Wilson, 15-4, 15-3. Mrs A. [Chambers beat Miss C. Reay. 11-6 11-1; Mrs R. Moran beat > Mrs A. K. Smith, 11-4. 11-2; i Chambers and Moran beat Reay . and Smith, 7-15, 15-8, 15-3. Kirkland and Chambers lost to >j Anderson and Reay, 8-15. 14-18; . Edgecumbe and Moran beat Wilson and Smith 15-6. 15-6. t, North Beach, 8 matches; r Selwyn, 0, i P. Whiting beat P, Curtain. 1 i 15-0. 15-2; K. Crofskey beat L. Jones, 15-3. 15-1; Whiting and CCrofskey beat Curtain and Jones. [l5-5. 15-6. Miss A. Ross beat Miss S *S Dench 11.3, 11-3: Mrs T. Perry t beat Miss S. Wells. 11-3. 12-9: ' Ross and Perrv beat Dench and ■J Wells. 15-6. 15-7. ’ Whiting and Perry beat Curtain and Dench. 15-5, 18-14: i Crofskev and Ross beat Jones -“'and Wells. 15-2, 15-4. 7 —