Week 2 News
Forrest E and Deane B both had a point to prove at their C Section clash in the Bolton Badminton League.
The former was down from B Section and the latter promoted as champions of D Section, so both wanted early season wins. The nature of this hard-fought match was apparent from the start as Elaine Powers and David Travis for Forrest and Anna Anderson and Nilesh Bhudia for Deane shared the opening set.
It was Forrest who had the best of the mixed at 7-3, but Deane quickly began making ground in the ladies’ and men’s games with Bharthi Bhudia, Anna and Janice Munns winning all their ladies.
By the final men’s Deane had to take both to draw and Forrest just one to win. Deane’s Nilesh with Pravin Pindolia dug in to take the first to 14, and then the second to 18 to share the points.
Honour was also at stake when Moorside D entertained Metro C in their D Section match. Cathy Hunt and Alan Parkinson took the opening games for the home team, but Chris Everitt and Mike Ollerton struck back for Metro straight away and kicked off a run of mixed games which put the visitors in a comfortable 7-3 lead.
Cathy Hunt and Helen Williamson took two back for Moorside with both top ladies, but then Metro started adding to their tally and when Sue Jameson and Delia Topping took both third ladies Metro had clinched the points.
Graham Keeler and Jamie Belton fought hard in the final men’s for Moorside, taking the first 26-24 but lost the second and Metro took the 11-7 win.
In B Section, DL Farnworth A continued their winning run with a tough home match against Park. Farnworth was 6-4 ahead after the mixed and shared top ladies’ then sterling work by Howard Ryding, Andrew Clarke and Tim Barrow in the men’s clinched the 12-6 victory.
When the first game of the night goes to 22-20 players know they’re in for a battle, and the clash between Markland Hill B at home to Hawkshaw A proved just that. Markland Hill edged into a 6-4 lead after the mixed but the next four games were shared before the visitors took both second ladies.
All rested on the final men’s and the experience of the home team’s Bill Hamblett and Graham Holt ensured at least one point, before Andy Newton and S Heywood came back for Hawkshaw to take the final game for a draw.