Balsall Common Badminton Club - Coventry League

Mixed 1 2010/11 2009/10 2008/9

A nervy start for all, what with the stakes so high! The ultimate grudge match, everyone knowing that they can beat one another during club nights and also believing that they have the upper hand because they know their opponents game!! Steve B & Jo won their first against Tricia and Phil 15-5, 15-5 whilst Tim and Penny spent the first game getting used to each other in their new pairing but eventually winning in straight games 17-16, 15-2 against 3rd pair Matt and Louise T. However all the while, mixed 2's Leigh & Joan started strong against Steve D and Louise B, winning their first game 15-8. Somehow Steve & Louise rallied to take the next 15-0 then to close out the rubber 15-9 in the final game.

The mixed 1 team went on to win the next 3 rubbers to take a decisive lead before mixed 2 struck back. Tim & Penny were edged out by Phil & Trish after going to 3 with the mixed 2 pair winning 9-15, 15-11,15-9. Steve & Jo took their final rubber against a thankfully tired Leigh and Joan, but having to save 2 game points in order to clinch the straight games victory. Steve D & Louise B went to three in the final rubber of the night eventually beating Matt and Louise 11-15, 15-8, 15-11.

A sigh of relief from the mixed 1 camp!

A similar match up but this time with Roy filling in for Matt for mixed 2. The first 3 rubbers started but midway through his 2nd game, Leigh's troublesome achilles tendon went "pop" after pushing off for a shot. Unfortunately the injury seemed severe and very painful but trainee doctor and former paramedic Barry kindly stepped in to help and suggested that Leigh take a trip to A & E for an X-ray. Hope you haven't done too much damage, Leigh.

This was a huge blow not just to mixed 2 but also the Mens 1 squad, whom Leigh is captain. We were all gutted when it happened, especially in a relatively informal home match so all the best to Leigh for his speedy recovery. Achilles or ankles definitely seems to be the curse of the Mens 1 squad. Last season, Roy injured his achilles and was out for 6 weeks and the season before that, Steve B badly twisted his ankle and was out for a similar period. Strap them up fellas!

With Leigh pulling out of the remaining rubbers, the match swung into Mixed 1's favour, with the result ending 8-1 again, Phil and Tricia proving themselves as Tim & Penny's nemesis by winning in 3 again, 10-15, 15-10, 15-13 in a close battle.

Louise T deserves a special mention for managing to pull off the cheekiest winning point ever... She proceeded to flick serve Steve B, but completely missed his service box, instead serving straight into Jo's by accident. Despite Jo's desperate attempts to get out the way (which made her look like a dancing monkey...very amusing), the shuttle inevitably ploughed into her and the point was instantly Roy's and Louise's!!! Now if that's not dirty tactics I don't know what is!!!

Injury spoiling an otherwise enjoyable match. Get better soon mate!

One line summary

A jubilant victory!

On the night

Jubilee arrived with a squad of young talented county players but with a lack of experience, there was always a chance we might finally get revenge. Steve & Jo started off facing the strongest pair who narrowly pipped us 15-17 in the first despite us having 1 game point after a great comeback. Jo was very chuffed that her tactics were working in the 2nd as we snatched the 2nd game back 15-9. Unfortunately, they then played some very good badminton, cutting out their errors and promptly destroyed us 15-1... oh dear!

Meanwhile fortunes were a little better with Steve D & Louise winning their first rubber, but Tim & Penny losing out, leaving the score at 1-2 down.

After an interesting exchange of tactics all pairs resumed again, this time with Steve and Jo winning theirs in straight games along with Tim and Penny who also took their rubber giving us a brief advantage on the overall scoreline. Unfortunately the Jubilee 1st pair just would not succumb and Steve D & Louise lost out in 3 close games despite a courageous battle.

Determined not to falter under the pressure of being 1st pair in Mixed 1, Steve & Jo made quick work of Jubilee's 3rd pair, decimating them 15-2, 15-4 (or 5) and earning them a nice long sit out to watch the match conclude itself with the other pairs still playing. Tim & Penny also took the Jubilee 1st pair to 3 but lost out exactly as had the rest of us, Tim claiming afterwards that one shot changed the outcome of the match.

The score now poised dramatically at 4-4, Steve D and Louise rushed off after taking their 1st game, desperate to find out if their rubber was now the decider. "Don't lose" or something similar was muttered...excellent tactical advice and nerve-calming statement but it seemed to work nonetheless. Plenty of good rallies ensued and lots of crowd participation from both teams made this one an exciting finish with Steve D & Louise storming through in straight games, despite a few nail biting moments like serving into the net on match point!!! For once, Penny wasn't to blame, hurrah! A pat on the back to Graham and Phil for shouting "Gwan! Go team" for the last hour, costing them their own club night game due to the distraction!

According to Penny the first BCBC mixed win against Jubilee since time began or something like that! All games were very enjoyable and surprisingly close with nobody from BC giving up despite very talented and youthful opposition.

3 matches and 3 wins... a fairytale start!

After mixed 2's defeat by this very same team only a week or so ago, this was clearly not going to be easy. For a change the venue wasn't that bad though...the courts weren't slippy and the heaters managed to thaw the arctic conditions during the warm up. Steve B still has painful memories of his ankle going snap here...

We got off to a positive start with Steve B & Jo wearing down the BB first pair 15-8, 15-12 and Steve D and Louise confidently beating the 2nds 15-7, 15-7. Tim and Penny took their first game but lost out in 3, 15-13, 2-15, 12-15. Tim didn't look too well during or after this rubber...having to disappear into the loos to see how far he could throw his food! A search party was sent out after Penny started thinking a singles was looking likely but Tim bravely returned and was good enough to continue playing.

Steve B and Jo kept the momentum going by making quick work of the 2nd pair winning 15-6, 15-2 to give us a 3-1 lead. This great win probably had something to do with Jo's undergarments making frequent appearances on court, which pushed motivation to an all time high! Steve D and Louise then began a gruelling battle with the BB 1st pair which ended up going BB's way, 15-12, 2-15, 7-15, Louise claiming afterwards she played ****. I'll leave the expletive to your imagination!

Tim & Penny fought hard against the BB 1st pair but mistakes seemed to be their downfall and the strong BB pair wrapped this up 15-9, 15-3... Tim doing well to stay upright and keep the rest of his stomach in one place! Steve B & Jo played out of order to give Steve D & Louise a break and had a tricky encounter with "crafty" Vic James, playing as dark horse 3rd pair with a strong lady partner. Clawing back from 9-13 down in the first, we took the rubber 15-13, 15-7 to put BCBC on match point, the score now 4-2.

Tim, not known for his roll over and take it attitude battled onwards with Penny and managed to secure a crucial rubber against the BB 2nd pair, after reaching 14-14 in the first game. Believe it or not (sorry, there were no eyewitnesses except T & P), Penny said she served from 14-14 to 17-14 to win the first game, nice! The match was then sealed when the next game was won 15-9.

The dead rubber was then played out by Steve D & Louise against "crafty" Vic and partner, BB's 3rd pair. Steve D and Louise won the first game by the narrowest of margins 15-13 only to then get whitewashed 7-15 in the 2nd. The deciding game was a tense affair with plenty of long exciting rallies, usually ending by a mistake out of pure frustration that the rally hadn't finished 10 shots ago! It went down to the wire reaching 14-all and one disputed line call later and things were really heating up. Steve D and Louise looked set to take it scoring 15-14 but as soon as the serve changed hands a few quick-fire points ended things 17-15 in favour of BB. On the bright side, "crafty" Vic afterwards looked like he needed admitting to A&E so Steve and Louise definitely made him work hard for it!

A solid away performance against a good team with everyone again mucking in and getting a rubber. Well done and thanks to Tim who continued playing; along with Jo for her inhuman reflexes and manly looking shorts!

One line summary

It's a good job there is no "I" in team!!!

On the night

A chance to make it 5/5 so far this season and everything to play for with it being Jo's last match before she disappears off to New Zealand for a month on her honeymoon.

Jo and Steve started off against a super-strong 1st pair and despite putting up a respectable fight, too many unforced errors and wasted serves meant we trundled off court losing 9-15, 14-17. Steve couldn't handle the first straight-games rubber defeat of the season and promptly got depressed.... I'm clearly a delicate flower and need to strengthen my mental resolve!

Thankfully, Steve D and Louise were bouncing around on the adjacent court and won a convincing 15-8, 15-10 to level the score 1-all. Tim and Penny seemed to like the number 5 in their 1st rubber, first losing 5-15, then winning 15-5, then finishing Monsoon's 3rds off 15-10.... woo, 2-1 up!

Steve D and Louise B battled with Monsoon's 1st pair but couldn't disrupt the young chap's rhythm, despite him going over on his ankle, alas it was not to be and BCBC lost out 7-15, 13-15.

Tim and Penny were definitely having a good night with Penny providing the substance and Tim trying to look extremely good at all costs! Hmm, actually Penny was giving Tim some stiff competition in the style department with her lovely new haircut! Some solid play by both and they cruised to victory 15-5, 15-13.

Steve B & Jo struggled against wily Monsoon 3rd pair and found few tactics that seemed to work with most of the points involving Steve watching Jo go from side to side at the net before she then fired a shot miles out down to sheer frustration! Still...it was entertaining from my point of view. Losing the first game 9-15, we eventually rallied and with some scrappy badminton, won 15-9, 15-11 to clinch the rubber, to make the score 4-2 to us.

Tim and Penny shared a similar fate against Monsoon's 1st pair, who proved too strong for everyone, losing out 6-16, 11-15...and making the score 4-3 to us....oo-eck!

Steve B & Jo returned to court against a very loud Monsoon 2nd pair and kept their cool to win 15-7, 15-13 to seal the match...and restore a bit of faith in their abilities. The oppositions hall-defeaning crys of ******, ******** and **** only served to compliment our shots further and encourage us to win!

Steve D and Louise played out the dead rubber but finished things off nicely winning 15-8, 15-11, making it 6-3 overall!

A good home result with everyone doing their bit. A personal thanks to the BCBC bench for the unwavering verbal support during tough times. It's a good job Roy wasn't present, or I might just have slit my wrists by now!

Finally, best wishes, good luck and congratulations to Jo this Saturday who is marrying fiancé Leon!

One line summary

Blimey, these youngens are getting good!

On the night

Following our close triumph over Jubilee 3, Jubilee 4 arrived looking just as strong as their 3rd team if not stronger, with a mixture of experience and make-you-sick-talented youngsters! Steve and Trish started confident after their mixed 2 victory together on Wednesday and remained calm to take the first game 15-11 against experienced Jubilee 1st pair Mark and Kim. Things then became more of a struggle in the 2nd game, but despite being 5-13 down, managed to pull back to 13-all before some silly errors lost us the game 13-15. Some great serving by Trish and more deceptive rather than power shots by Steve earned us a first rubber, with us winning the final game 15-7...the score not reflecting the toughness of the game as we were stuck on 6-1 swapping serves for about 20mins. Phew!

On the other courts, Steve D and Louise were finding Jubilee's talented young 2nd pair tough, narrowly losing out 13-15 in the first game. S and L managed to claw the next game back 17-14, but Jubilee snatched the last game 13-15. Meanwhile, Tim and Penny were having a decent night making fairly quick work of entertaining Jubilee mother-and-son pair 15-12, 15-8.

Score now 2-1

Things got a bit gloomier in the next few rubbers, with Steve and Louise going down 8-15, 13-15 against Jubilee 1st pair claiming they just couldn't serve, which does tend to be a slight handicap! Sharing a similar fate, Tim and Penny had a marathon of a match against those pesky talented Jubilee 2nds. After winning the first 17-14 (yep, penny served into the net on game point but they still won don't worry!), Tim must have started his fancy stuff and Penny's feet went to sleep as they lost the next 4-15, ouch! The decider was a scrap but ended up going Jubilee's way 14-17...unlucky!

Score now 2-3

Steve and Trish quickly outplayed the 3rds winning the 1st game 15-3 but then decided to get complacent and soft on the young lad who began to shine, playing every shot tight to the corners and growing in confidence every minute. Ahem, so we ended up throwing away the 2nd game 5-15 a little red-faced but returned to proper tactics and confident pressure play to win the rubber 15-4 in the decider. Tim and Penny started their final rubber unphased by experience and a scary man to serve to and played some great badminton to win the first 15-8, before narrowly missing out in a straight games victory, losing 16-17. However Penny was serving well and Tim was strutting his stuff so they easily mopped up the last game 15-5, earning them a 2nd rubber of the night, well done!

Score now 4-3

The match win within sight, Steve and Trish faced the now-feared and undefeated Jubilee 2nds and found this to be their easiest game score-wise, winning in straight games 15-7 and 15-11 with Trish outplaying the youngster at the net and Steve countering every pretty shot and applying pressure at every opportunity. Simultaneously, Steve D and Louise were hopping onto the scoreboard themselves and sealing the match by beating 3rd pair 15-5, 15-10, hurrah!

Score finished 6-3

Continuing our unbeaten record, both home and away, this season is looking promising! Lets hope we can thrash out some decent results when we play away in most of our remaining fixtures. Thanks to Trish for standing in for Jo who is busy in Kiwi-land doing very honeymoony things like black water rafting, climbing etc.

After Mixed 2's triumph over Central Sports a few weeks ago, everyone was fairly confident going into this one, especially as Steve B had played as stand-in for that game. As it happened Central Sports turned up with an almost completely different team so no help there!

Steve B and Jo started against the strong 1st pair, and unfortunately both of us never really settled so we ended up bowing out 7-15, 12-15 after nervous play and too many unforced errors, although credit to CS who played a solid game. Steve D and Louise had a yoyo affair with the CS 2nd pair, winning 15-5, then somehow losing 3-15 but responding by winning 15-3. Perhaps they just wanted to share a few points around in the spirit of Christmas! Meanwhile Matt (filling in for ill Tim) and Penny also went to three winning against wily 3rd pair 15-9, 13-15, 15-8. Score now 2-1

Steve D and Louise rose to the occasion by winning their next rubber against the strong 1st pair 15-8, 15-13. Louise had a bit of a scare almost twisting her ankle when her feet decided to disagree on a particular direction...thankfully she was OK and never let it bother her. Matt and Penny were then edged out by the 2nd pair 12-15, 13-15...from the sounds of Penny's frustrated screams, it seemed like they were failing to put it away when it was there for the killing. Steve and Jo returned to their usual winning form, taking their next rubber 15-10, 15-10. Score now 4-2

Matt and Penny struggled against the strong CS 1st pair, unfortunately losing out 9-15, 8-15 (score was put as 13-8 to BCBC on score sheet...hmmm!!). Determined to do their bit for the team, Steve and Jo raced to a 10-nil lead in their final rubber before eventually destroying the wily 3rd pair 15-3, 15-4 by playing our fast paced game to seal the match. Steve D and Louise completed a very successful night by dispensing with the 3rds 15-8, 15-3. Score ended 6-3

A solid home performance which should keep us top of the table heading into Christmas. Good to see Jo back and not far off her best after almost 6 weeks without touching a racket. Thanks to Matt for standing in for Tim and picking up a key rubber to keep spirits high! Well done all!

One line summary

Post-festive spirits still high (interpret this however you like!)

On the night

Not sure of the exact scores as Penny still has the match card but here's what I can remember...

Steve and Jo started nice and relaxed against the CS 1st pair and confident having beaten an almost identical team only a month or so ago at home. However the central pair were on good form and covered the court well making life difficult for us and we ended up chucking the 1st game away rather tamely, much to Steve's annoyance. Unfortunately, we then forgot how to play with Steve trying strange things & consistently hitting the net tape and Jo hitting everything but the strings. All was not lost though, at 5-11 down, Steve growled, dug deep and served consistently whilst Jo put 110% in until we pulled back level with a string of points. The game went to the wire but we won it when it went to set. The deciding game was equally thrilling and we had to play catch up again but in the end we won it in 3, wohoo!

Meanwhile life was a bit easier on the adjacent court, with Steve D and Louise (avec Louise Jnr. aka bumpy bump) also winning in 3 games, but I imagine slightly less stressfully than we did and perhaps with less inappropriateness but this cannot be substantiated without reviewing the CCTV.

With only 2 courts (despite the huge empty hall?!), Penny and Matt were currently freezing to death waiting to go on and after a quick discussion about the order of play, they went on and eased to victory to give us a decisive lead. Score now 3-0

Steve and Jo never looked back and won their remaining rubbers in straight games. Similarly Steve D and Louise won theirs too to seal the match. Another sufficiently patronising pat on the head to Steve D and Louise for another clean sheet Penny and Matt battled but struggled to convert any of their other rubbers. Score ended 7-2

Quick shout out to Central Sports were very friendly and fun to play and gave us a friendly game at the end despite being exhausted.

Positive start to 2009 and our 2nd away win....these being crucial to ensure we stay safe at the top of the table and hopefully on the way to promotion to Premier!

Thanks to Matt for standing in for Tim. Also thanks to Central Sports for an enjoyable evening.

One line summary

"Don't worry, he's a singles player..."

On the night

It definitely felt like Jubilee week, with the guys having already played them in the mens doubles and Steve B having played them just two days ago as a stand in for mixed 2. Oh well, plenty of opportunities for sweet revenge!

Steve B and Jo stormed into the lead in the 1st game, but despite being way ahead, the Jubilee 1st pair clawed it back slowly to take the game 15-17. Hmm well we put that one down to an unexplained phenomenon to which science has no answers....and proceeded to destroy them in the 2nd game 15-2. The deciding game was exciting stuff, again us taking the lead early but losing momentum but this time we held our nerve and closed out the first rubber 17-14 thanks to good defense by Jo.

Steve D and Louise had a tough 3-setter too which also seemed to drift back and forth. They took the first game 7-15, lost the next 15-7 but then charged home 9-15. After a long sit out, Tim and Penny took a while to start their engines, losing the first game 7-15 but they soon found excellent form to win the rubber 11-15, 6-15. Score now 3-0 to us

Then came the advice about one of the Jubilee lads being a singles player! A few tactical adjustments and Steve and Jo easily took the first game 5-15. Unfortunately the young Jubilee lad soon found his range and started playing out of his skin allowing Jubilee to take the next 9-15. Steve B fell into the trap of trying to outplay the lad which gave Jubilee easy points with the rubber ending 7-15.

This was followed by another physical battle from Steve D and Louise who were playing well against a determined and experienced 3rd pair. They won the first 12-15, lost the 2nd 15-8 to set up an exciting decider. It was going well until the last few points when Steve decided to finish off a few points by diving forward but this left poor Louise desperately diving to the back to cover the gap. Jo was heard to shout an obscenity at Steve about leaving all the shots to the pregnant girl.... tsk! Steve and Louise just missed out losing 15-13. Score now 3-2 to us

After these two setbacks the team needed a lift and in stepped Tim and Penny who totally outplayed the 1st pair winning 5-15 in the first game. They were way ahead in the 2nd game (10-2 or something) when unfortunately the Jubilee lady injured her calf badly and had to retire, giving us a defaulted 2nd game win of 2-15, although Tim and Penny would most likely have come out on top anyway the way they were playing.

With Jubilee's 1st pair out, this gave Steve D and Louise B a default win, securing the match by giving us 5 rubbers.

The final game for Steve and Jo was played out anyway and went on until gone 10pm. Although we started slowly, we took it in two games 13-15, 9-15 to give us a personal boost and making the scoreline a healthy looking 6-3

Great play from all, especially Tim and Penny who were playing well. Shame about the Jubilee injury but hopefully we deserved the win regardless. Another away win against a top contender for the mixed 1 trophy! Go BCBC!

Twas a cold, snowy night (match almost cancelled)...not a creature stirred, except of course the Jubilee 4 team, who seemed to be a different squad entirely except for one bloke! Having lost to us several times already this season, they clearly wanted to give us a harder time at their place and ensure they stay way out of relegation zone.

Steve B & Jo started full of confidence and despatched the 1st pair in style, 15-6, 15-12 with Steve B getting some heckling from the BCBC bench for his zorro-like deceptive shots, most of which suceeded I'd like to add! A bit of flair never hurt anyone... hmph, that reminds me, i must cancel my membership to the Nathan Robertson fan club...

Meanwhile Steve D and Louise B were finding life tougher against a springy and powerful Jubilee 2nd pair. Despite some good spurts, Steve and Louise lost out 13-15, 8-15. Penny and Tim battled hard against experienced 3rd pair but lost out in 3 games, 11-15, 15-9, ?-15. Score now 1-2

Jo definitely earned the female equivalent of man of the match in the next rubber, with great hunting-the-shuttle net play and her fantastic trademark defence. "I didn't feel in control" she said after a convincing victory 15-12, 15-6, with Steve open-mouthed at how she reached that conclusion when she dominated the entire time!

Unfortunately it was not going to be our night as a team with Steve D & Louise struggling to find consistent form whilst Tim and Penny were equally frustrated with their own game and that of their opponents. I'll spare you the scores but suffice to say, Jubilee put in solid performances.

Steve B and Jo kept the flag flying high though by having a great final game against Jubilee 3rd pair, winning 15-3, 15-2 with Steve hopefully doing some useful things whilst Jo continued her sterling play. She'd definitely had her weetabix or perhaps it was good ol' fashioned narcotics? Compulsory drugs testing to be proposed at the next AGM methinks (Phil Guest is bound to be worried...he often seems very hyped up and tense on court, hmm ).

Score now 5-3

With Jubilee already having sealed the match, Steve D and Louise decided to concede the dead rubber as Louise had tweaked her ankle in the previous one. Get well soon...we can't have the mixed 2 curse mutating into a mixed 1 strain!!!

An unfortunate loss as this was definitely winnable. Hopefully it won't impact our title chances too much...

One line summary

3 Left Handed Ladies,is that legal?

Well with Steve B at the all England (no commitment) and Louise B on maternity leave, we knew it was going to be a hard match.

With the captain's decision to go on as 1st pair instead of being 3rd's, the pressure was on to get a result to keep us in touch with winning the League.

Penny and Tim went on and quickly found themselves 12-6 behind but managed to claw their way back to lose the first game 12-15. The second game was a very close game and we were just pipped, losing out to the very good 1st pair 13-15.

Second Pair Steve D having lost his regular partner Louise B, teamed up with Jo and never looked back from winning there first point to the last one with a convincing win of 15-6,15-3.Well played both.

Third Pair Trish and Leigh went on court and having never played together before in a match played extremely well, with Trish playing some fantastic net shots and Leigh playing the odd occasional one between his legs to winning convincingly 15-9,15-9.

2-1 up after 1st round of rubbers. (looking Good)

Penny and Tim found their form again against the 3rd pair winning comfortably 15-7,15-7.

Jo and Steve D played Barkers 1st pair and it was a closely fought game but they were always in control squeezing a win 15-12, 15-13

Trish and Leigh played their second pair and played really well but lost out losing 9-15, 11-17.

4-2 up and one more required. (looking even better)

Jo and Steve secured the win against the 3rd pair in a one sided rubber winning 15-6,15-0.

Trish and Leigh played the 1st pair and played some very long rallies but were edged out by this very good pair losing 7-15,14-17.

Penny+Tim went on against the Barker 2nd pair and as I promised I would be nice to Vic and not write anything bad about him. This time we managed to win the final rubber in a 3 set blinder.14-17,15-13,15-13, to secure a fantastic win overall.

This time Vic didn't look like he needed A+E (as per our away match) where Steve wrote that he looked like he needed oxygen.;-) we obviously didn't work him hard enough, Sorry Vic;-) This was a great spirited game with lots of laughing between points.

Nearly there. With 1 more game left to play and only losing 1.

Our last match is on 20/03./2009 against Monsoon 3 This is a must win match to secure the league 1 title.

A big thank you to Trish and Leigh for standing in at short notice.

One line summary

Wohooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Promotion here we come!

On the night

The day started with frantic discussions and a bit of scheming via email between BCBC members about the importance of Friday's match, the final one for Mixed 1. Although we thought we were way ahead in the division after 6 straight wins, Monsoon were nipping at our heels, having won as many as us except for one match which they hadn't yet played. This meant that this match...played at Barker Butts of all places was to be the actual decider for the Division 1 title!

So cue a bit of brown trouser syndrome and the need for a team pep talk prior to starting! Heads were forbidden from dropping and Tim was given orders to argue on our behalf should any issues arise!

Steve & Jo promptly dispatched the 1st pair convincingly with Jo outplaying her net opponent and giving the man some surprise defensive shots. Steve & Trish battled hard against the talented youthful 2nd pair and emerged victorious in 3 games whilst Tim & Penny also won their first with confidence. 3-0 up!

Now I'll be honest, I've mislaid the copy of the match card and I didn't really see many of the games so I can't remember what order the remaining games were won or lost but suffice to say that we got to 4-0 up after another win from either S&T or T&P to leave us within touching distance of sealing the match and the entire division!

It fell to Steve & Jo to claim the glory...with the rest of the team watching, cheering us on! The 1st game was a close affair but we put the squeeze on them to wrap it up. We were clearly empowered by the wonderful team spirit and support in the 2nd game and quickly racing to match point..... Jo served low (a good serve I think) and young Lawrence from Monsoon dived forward but his wild net kill shot at Steve who managed to remove himself from the trajectory allowing the shuttle to hit the wall out to give us 5 rubbers! In hindsight, it would have been nicer to finish with a jump smash but you can't have everything!

With no pressure the remaining games finished without much incident and then we all buggered off to the pub to celebrate!

Excellent play by all, great team spirit and may the force be with us next season!!! Thanks to Trish to playing in Louise B's place who is currently reproducing. Also thanks to anyone else who has stood in for Mixed 1 and helped us along to victory!