Badminton ‘workout’

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33918, 11 August 1975, Page 5

Badminton ‘workout’

With the top platings decided. Saturday’s penultimate round in the A grade badminton tom-] petition was of little i more than academic interest but it served also as a final ivorkout for the players before next week's Canterbury' championships. However, there were still some surprises, the most notable being that North Beach, which is assured of the title, managed only a game's win—--10 to B—over8 —over Canterbury 11. It was the first time this sea-< -son that a full-strength Northi; !Beach team has had to struggle! to victory—when North Beach!' I met Canterbury II in the first)! i round it cruised to a 7-1 sueJ cess. I Canterbury Il’s improved show-! Jing this time, was due largely, to the fact that it had thei' Malaysian, Lee Keong Looi, inil its ranks. Spurred by his - (example the other three mem--* ! bers also contributed hand- ( ! somely to the matches being! ! shared, 4-4. ■ jj Lee quickly made his mark by j ibeating Paul Boatwood in 1 (straight games, and .althoughh ' North Beach won the other three I j

(singles convincingly, all the! doubles, with the exception of the ladies*, went to Canterbury : 11. Brent Wilson and Audery Smith | •brought off the biggest upset when they beat Peter Whiting .and Terri Perry in straight .games, with Mrs Smith, in pai- ! ticular. playing some of her best badminton of the season. Lee and Christine Reay caused .almost as big a shock by beatling Boatwood and Alison Ross. : j more especially by the mannerj 'in which they dominated the! deciding game. Although the game count was against them. Wilson and Lee lifted their play toagreat heights to beat Whiting and Boatwood in the men’s doubles and so tie the matches. Whiting and Boatwood looked fairly safe when they took the first game, 15-4. but the Canter|bury pair suddenly became more I assertive and, helped by their j opponents’ frequent mistakes, I they kept a firm grip on the I two remaining games. KNOX STRUGGLE Almost as surprising was that i Knox, which lies a clear third, i had to wait until the final match ! —the men’s doubles—before it was assured of victory over lowly | Canterbury 1. i Canterbury I s most meritorius : success was in the mixed doubles, where Charles Wasley and Robyn [Erskine upset the well-performed partnership of Eoin Kirkland and iAnn Chambers.

i Canterbury I -was also a little [unlucky in not taking one of the top three singles, for ah ■ three went to a third game (and Wasley and Mrs Erskine were both within sight of shock defeats over more highly-ranked players. Warren Edgecumbe and Mrs Chambers respectively. In the fourth tie.. Railway I repeated its 7-1 first-round win over Railway 11, with the veteran. Mariorie Miller, showing that she need have no fears of losing her A grade status by registering the No. 2 team’s solitary win. She beat the promising youngster, Gillian Ellis, in straight games. The many surprises and nearsurprises breathed fresh life into a competition which was in danger of finishing on a rather fiat note and they also opened up some interesting possibilities for next week’s championships. Results:— Canterbury II 8 games, North Beach 10 Singles.—B. Wilson lost to P > Whiting, 3-15, 0-15; L K. Lee beat P. Boatwood. 15-12. 15-11: Miss C. Reav lost to Miss A. Ross, 2-11. 6-11; Mrs A. Smith lost to Mrs T. Perry. 3-11, 0-11. Doubles.—Wilson and Lee beat Whiting and Boatwood. 4-15. 15-8. 15-12: Miss Reay and Mrs Smith lost to Miss Ross and Mrs Perry. 5-15. 9-15; Lee and Miss Reay beat Boatwood and Miss Ross. 15-6. 12-15, 15-2: Wilson and Mrs; Smith beat Whiting and Mrs; Perry. 17-14. 15-10. Knox 5 matches. Canterbury I 3i Singles.—W. Edgecumbe beat C.l Wasley. 16-18, 15-4, 15-9: E. Kirkland beat P. Burn. 15-7. 17-18. 15-8: Mrs A. Chambers beat Mrs R. Erskine. 11-4. 5-11, 11-6: Miss M. Hvdes lost to Mrs N. Jacobs. 2-11. 0-11. Doubles. —Edgecumbe and Kirkland beat Wasley and Burn, 15-2, 15-4: Mrs Chambers and Miss Hvdes lost to Mrs Erskine and Mrs Jacobs. 5-15, 6-15: Kirkland and Mrs Chambers lost to Waslev and Mrs Erskine. 6-15, 15-13, 9-15; Edgecumbe and Miss Hydes heal Burn and Mrs Jacobs, 15-3. 15-12.

Railway I 7 matches, Railway II 1 Singles.—G. Miller beat L. Robinson, 15-4, 15-1; J. Lang beat D. Le Page, 15-5, 15-4; Mrs P. Duckmanton beat Mrs K. Lean, 11-5, 11-6: Miss G. Ellis lost to Mrs M. Miller, 10-12. 1-11. Doubles.—Miller and Lang beat Robinson and Le Page. 15-8. 13-18, 15-7; Mrs Duckmanton and Miss Ellis beat Mrs I.ean and Mrs Miller. 15-8. 13-18. 15-7: Miller and Mrs Duckmanton beat Robinson and Mrs Lean, 15-5, 15-11: Lang and Miss Ellis beat Le Page and Mrs Miller, 15-2, 18-15. University 7 matches, HagleySelwyn 1

Singles.—B. Sanders lost to B. Williams, 1-15, 14-17; M. Nolan beat J. Le Heron, 15-2, 15-8; Miss D. Erikson beat Miss L. Ellis, 11-1 11-0; Miss B. Lindsay heat Mrs C. Austin, 11-7, 11-1. Doubles.—Sanders and Nolan beat Williams and Le Heron. 9-15, 15-3, 15-2; Miss Erikson and Miss Lindsay beat Miss Ellis and Mrs Austin, 15-1, 15-3; Sanders and Miss Lindsav beat 'Williams and Miss Ellis, 5-15, 17-15, 15-5: Nolan and Miss Erikson beat Le Heron and Mrs Austin 11-15. 15-11. 15-13.