BADMINTON

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21085, 11 July 1938, Page 10

BADMINTON

(By “Shuttle.”) The Timaru Club has been busy with matches lately. On July 2 a team paid a visit to Waimate, where the Waimate players turned the tables on the game played in Timaru. and gained a victory. The handicap games at the Timaru Club are being played off fairly well, but there are a good number to be played yet, and the Match Committee is anxious to get them well advanced before starting the championship events, for which entries close very shortly. Later in the season there is the Clark Cup for handicap combines to be played for. Among the handicap matches played was one of the closest matches played this season, that between Miliken and Hardwicke. Both players showed at times brilliant flashes of Badminton. Milliken, who conceded five points to his opponent, was a little slow to strike form, but thereafter the pace was good. Milliken winning many a point from his deep shots, which came with very good judgment. Hardwicke as always played a very keen game, smashing to advantage, though in this respect his timing sometimes was at fault. This was possibly due to over eagerness. Misses Shrimpton and Anderson met in the handicap singles, and these two young players made a very' good shewing, particularly with their side-line shots. Their main fault seemed to be in their fear cf the back-line, this fault applying to both. The game was principally played from the half-court, where a judicious lengthening of their strokes would have been of great dvantage to them. This knowledge of the court, however, comes with experience, and these two are going the right way to obtain it. . Because of most players being engaged with handicap latches (a number of doubles being also played) the Ladder has Lad rather a quiet time, but Mrs Stewart and MTs Crisp played an interesting and very close match. Mrs Crisp was playing very well, and by well-judged forehand smashes which fell about the service line, won the match. Mrs Stewart battled gamely to rhe end, but her opponent's smashes were difficult to pick up. and she just failed to get a good length. The match had to be set, to decide the winner. On July 13. the Timaru Club is holding a Yankee Tournament, in which it is hoped that the St. Michael’s and Waimataitai Clubs will join. It is a progressive tournament in which a player plays with a different partner each game. There are sealed handicaps, and it : .s a good opportunity for the younger members of the Timaru Club and the members of the younger clubs of St. Michael’s and Waimataitai, to play with and against the more experienced members of the Timaru Club. The tour of the Australian Badminton team is over, closing with a test . gainst a New Zealand team at Wellington, in which New Zealand was heavily defeated by 16 rubbers to 4. A New Zealand-Australian annual fixture. played alternately in Australia and New Zealand, is suggested. If this is done it should act as a great fillip I for Badminton in New Zealand.