Third placing would satisfy Canterbury

Press, 11 May 1979, Page 23

Third placing would satisfy Canterbury

By

DAVID LEGGAT

The Canterbury division one badmipton team wants to repeat its last year’s third placing when it competes in the annual Wisden Cup tournament in Waitemata at Queen's birthday week-end.

That is the view of the convener of the Canterbury selection panel (Mrs S. Goddard). It would be unrealistic to hold out anything more than faint hopes of winning the competition, which has become Auckland - dominated to a remarkable extent.

Auckland has won the tournament for the last 14 years, and although it will be missing its top two women. Alison Branfield and Mary Livingston, it should still be strong enough to maintain its excellent record.

The teams drawn in section one are Auckland, North Shore, Wellington, Southland and Hutt Valley, while in section two, Canterbury will meet Waitemata, Wanganui, Waikato, Otago and Taranaki. The Canterbury team is.— Men: Geoff Miller 1, Warren Edgecombe 2, Mike Nolan 3, David Ross 4; Women: Alison Ross 1, Dianne Erickson 2, Robyn Erskine 3, Pat Duckmanton 4. The reserves are Ross Campbell and Karen Burn. The tournament will be an important testing ground for Ross and Nolan. Miss Ross and Miss Erickson should give a good account of themselves. Miss Erickson, recently returned from a spell in Britain, beat Miss Ross in the semi-finals to take Alison Sinton, the nat-

ional representative, to three games before losing.

The selection of Miss Burn is an interesting one; although she is playing No. 2 for Hagley 11, she has been in good touch this season, having won all her club singles matches. In the Anzac Day tournament, she beat Mrs Erskine in three games and must have come close to making the final four.

Auckland will be Jed by the powerful national representative, Ross Livingston, and Graeme Robson, while Nigel and Paul Skelt will carry Southland’s hopes. Steve Wilson, who beat Livingston in the Wellington invitation tournament recently, should have an exciting clash with Miller when Canterbury meets Otago.