Canterbury nearly upsets Railways

Press, 2 July 1979, Page 18

Canterbury nearly upsets Railways

Badminton J

The leading A grade badminton teem. Railway, came closer to defeat than it has all season when a serious injury to its top woman, Pat Duckmanton, forced it to default three matches to Canterbury on Saturday.

Mrs Duckmanton won the first game of her singles against Brenda Anderson and was leading, 5-3, in the second game when she came to grief. Her left leg gave away and a trip to hospital confirmed her own conclusion of a broken achilles tendon.

Eight years ago Mrs Duckmanton, who has been playing particularly well this year, did ’he same thing to her right achilles tendon. On Saturday night an operation looked likely and her season is almost certainly over.

Railway had to default Mrs Duckmanton’s singles, plus the two doubles in which she was involved. It suffered another reverse when the former Railway player, Lindsay Robinson, showed he had lost none of his dash by beating the division one representative, Mike Nolan, in straight games. However, Railway won all its

other matches in straight games and this enabled it to sneak home, nine games to eight. Even if the circumstances had deprived it of victory, the team would still have remained well clear in the competition. Railway now has 128 points, 31 more than its nearest rival, South Brighton. On Saturday, South Brighton had a good, 7-1, win over Hagley 11, the other team vying with it for second place. Hagley 1 fared better, beating University 8-0, dropping only one game.

The best contest of the round was between Knox and North Beach-Christchnrch. The singles were shared and so were the mixed doubles. North Beach took the women’s doubles and the Knox men, Warren Edgecumbe and Eoin Kirkland, went into their doubles against David Ross and Mark Reid needing to win in straight games and to prevent their opponents scoring more than 18 points. Ross and Reid had almost half the total when they led 8-5 in the first game, but then Edgecumbe and Kirkland started a

run which gave them the game at 15-8. It seemed that their greater experience would carry them through. But the second game was all Ross and Reid. They attacked vigorously and with Kirkland, especially, having a bad time with returns, they seized the initiative to race away and win, 15-4. The Knox pair recovered to take the third game, but it was too late, the dropped second game ensuring an upset victory for North Beach. Points:

Railway 128, South Brighton 97, Hagley 11 91, Hagley I 73, Knox 67. North Beach 55, Canterbury 42, University 7. Results: Haoley II 1, South Brighton 7 Singles. — D. Bell lost to R. Campbell, 15-17. 9-15; M. Chambers lost to C. Chong, 1-15, 4-15; Miss K. Burn lost to Mrs S.

Chapman, 4-11. 6-11; Miss R. Kerr lost to Miss C. Campbell, 11-7, 3-11, 4-11. Doubles. — Bell and Chambers lost to Campbell and Chong, 0-15, 2-15; Miss Burn and Miss Kerr lost to Mrs Chapman and Miss Campbell, 10-15. 9-15; Bell and Mrs Burn beat Chong and Mrs Chapman, 5-15, 15-12, 15-13; Chambers and Miss Kerr lost to Campbell and Miss Campbell, 3-15, 4-15.

Railway » games, Canterbury 8 Singles. — G. Miller beat D. Le Page, 15-5, 15-3, M. Nolan lost to L. Robinson, 11-15 11-15; Mrs P- Duckmanton lost to Mrs B. Anderson. 12-10, 0-11, 0-11; Mrs Erskine beat Mrs A. Smith, 11-2, 11-3.

Doubles. — Miller and Nolan beat Le Page and Robinson, 15-6, 15-6; Mrs Duckmanton and Mrs Erskine lost to Mrs Anderson and Mrs Smith, 0-15, 0-15; Stiller and Mrs Duckmanton lost to Le Page and Mrs Anderson, 0-15, 0-15; Nolan and Mrs Erskine beat Robinson and Mrs Smith, 15-4, 15-2.

Hagley I 8, University 0 Singles. — C. Wasley beat G.

Girdler, 15-11, 15-9; S. Chambers beat E. Oh, 9-15, 15-11, 15-9; Miss J. Hood beat Miss Laird. 11-8, 11- Mrs C. Austin beat Miss J. O’Brien 11-4, 11-1. Doubles. — Wasley and Chambers beat Girdler and Oh, 15-11, 15-11; Miss Hood and Mrs Austin beat Miss O’Brien, 15-3, 15-5; Wasley and Miss Hood beat Girdler and Miss Laird. 15-9, 15-7; Chambers and Mrs Austin beat Oh and Miss O’Brien, 15-12, 15-10. Knox 9 games. North BeachChristchurch 10 Singles. — W. Edgecumbe beat D. Ross, 15-7. 15-6; E. Kirkland lost to M. Reid. 12-15, 2-15; Miss L. Kitchingham lost to Miss J. Clarke, 10-12, 11-7, 8-11; Mrs G. Brookes beat Mrs S. Goddard, 12- 3-11, 12-10. Doubles. — Edgecumbe and Kirkland beat Ross and Reid, 15-9, 4-15, 15-12; Miss Kitchingham and Mrs Brookes lost to Miss Clarke and Mrs Goddard, 11-15, 17-18; Edgecumbe and Miss Kitchingham beat Ross and Mrs Goddard 15-7, 15-12; Kirkland and Mrs Brookes lost to Reid and Miss Clarke, 13-18. 10-15.