BADMINTON

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19597, 8 June 1935, Page 20 (Supplement)

BADMINTON

WAIKATO PLAYS TARANAKI GAMES IN NEW PLYMOUTH. REVIEW OF THE FORM. (By "Sideline.”) What is probably the largest repre-sentative-badminton team in the history of the game in the Dominior journeyed to New Plymouth during last week-end when a strong contingent of Waikato players playei ' matches against the Taranaki Associa tlon. The fact that the New Plymoutl Club ha* six doubles and two single; courts enabled 48 players to participate in th 6 -matches. The Taranaki Association is ver; enthusiastic and probably has the finest executive of any association in Nev Zealand. Some idea of the enthus iasm of the smaller olubs that are be ing formed in the country district; was shown the Waikato player* oi their trip to Mt. Egmont on the Sunday. Returning home in the dusk j light was noticed in a small coiuntr; hall and on some of the passenger; visiting it they found to their surprise a small band of people enthusiastically playing badminton. Such was tin keenness of the players that althougl they had been initiated into the gam< only a few weeks before ‘the: had ciut away a number o: large rafters and removed tin stage in an endeavour to makt their hall suitable. The following da; they were represented at the representative match by a contingent o over 30. -A Grade Matches. Most of the Taranaki players hac been able to obtain a great deal o) singles practice and it was in this department of the matches that they offered most opposition. The New Zealand singles champion H. -H. Fow, who was indisposed, mei formidable opposition in F. -Blakeney The first set was particularly strenuous, a few bad mistakes In judgmeni by Fow enabling Blakeney to set the game at 13 all. Here Fow asserted himself and ran out the winner ai 17—14. 'Fow established a lead ol 7—3 hut with great determination Blakeney evened to B—B, and as Fow was obviously distressed at this stage he wisely defaulted the game. The rest obviously did him a great deal oi good as in 'the final game he displayed more of his usual form and won convincingly. Dempster's severe overhead work was too much for -Meuli whom he had no difficulty in defeating. Greater experience enabled Bryant to defeat Kemp, a player with a nice style and who should be -heard of in d later matohes. The marathon of the matoh was between Johnson and Purser, the game resolving itself into a struggle between Johnson’s steadiness and Purser’s fitness. Reputation Enhanced. Miss, Edmondson further enhanoed her reputation by her defeat of Mrs Kay who is a player of quits a fair standard; Overhead* she showed a very smooth style and although the rest of her game was perhaps not quite as strong it is evident that if she will only conoentrate -on oorreoting the small inaccuracies which marred her display she should soon be able tc offer more opposition to some of the Auokland ladies than has been done by the Waikato ladles In the past, Considering the small amount oi singles praotice she has bad, Mrs Fow ■did remarkably. well. Of the remaining A ladles’ singles Waikato lost only one, Miss Heathoote, although losing the first sel 11 —0, putting up a good fight in the second, Combination Superior. In all the doubles the superiority of the combination of the Walkat< players told its tale and In the majority of matches they soored declsivi wins. Dempster and Fow proved a gooi pair and had the most sucoessful re suits of the team. Johnson and Bryant lost one game mostly through mis takes off very easy -shots. After a ver; close game with Meuli and Blakeney who played very -sound badminton Gower and Macklow disposed of -tin two lower pairs fairly oomfortably. Waikato was too strong in the lad ies’ doubles and all the games re suited in comparatively easy wins fo them. ■Johnson and Miss Pilling bad a ban struggle in the combined doubles an< theirs was the only match to go ;fc< three sets. B Grade Matohes. The match between the respective I teams was more even as the Taranak players are fairly evenly matched fron the first down to the twelfth. Outstanding in the Waikato men wa; the Te Arolia boy, W- Crawford. 1 young player, he possesses a good var iety of -shots and only needs to sLead; his game up a bit to become a firstclass player. The rest of the men performed quit; creditably although J. Hooper shoulc not have lost Ills match after being ! set in and leading 12—1 in the seconi set.