Mixed 2  2007/8  2006/7  2005/6
Opposition  Home/Away Score Match Report
Whitestone 1 Home Won  8-1 Team: Steve B & Jo (3-0), Matt & Liz (2-1), Leigh and Joan (3-0)

Cracking start to the season! Thanks to Leigh for filling in for Roy and playing great. Everyone turned up, thank god!  We even had orange squash but only 3 plastic cups.  Oh well.

Steve & Jo started convincingly by beating the first pair 15-2, 15-1, at one point being 14-0 up!  I guess those Whitestoners just couldn't understand those feathery things! 

Matt & Liz were determined to give themselves a proper run around by taking all 3 of their rubbers to 3 games.  Matt looked a bit exhausted by the end of the night but it was well worth it as they picked up 2 of their 3 rubbers, with the 3rd just slipping away 15-12.

The shining stars were Leigh and Joan though, who won all 3 rubbers in straight games, only twice allowing the opposition to get double figures.  Their impressive scores were 15-11  15-10, 15-4 15-3, 15-5  15-5  which is just superb for a pair who have never played together before!

Steve & Jo also picked up their quota of 3 rubbers, also in straight games, although these were more closely fought than the first but making the final result a solid 8-1. 
BW 1 Home Won  5-4 Team: Leigh & Jo (3-0), Matt & Liz (1-2), Roy and Joan (1-2)

Jo immediately took charge as Steve B. was on his death bed and made the brave move of dropping down to third pair with Leigh, promoting Matt and Liz to first pair. Undaunted Matt and Liz had a competitive match with the first pair but just missed out on going to three 15-12, 15-13. Roy and Joan took on the second pair and battled well but were unlucky to be narrowly beaten 17-16, 15-8. New pairing Leigh and Jo quickly found playing together straightforward winning comfortably 15-8, 15-7. Two-one down after the first round, not a good start. 

Joan and Roy then took on the first pair and after a shaky start lost the first 15-2. This seemed to spur them on and they won the next 15-11 to force a decider, but the opposition seemed to find a response and won the third 15-4. Jo and Leigh took on the second pair and again showed their strength to win in two, 15-11, 15-7. Liz and Matt took on the third pair and after going many points down at the start of both games, battled back in both to win an uneasy and nerve-wracking 15-13, 15-13. Three-all after the second round, all to play for… 

Jo and Leigh then took on the first pair and played their usual attacking style, but were narrowly pipped in the first 15-10. They then returned the favour and won the next a convincing 15-6, and the next 15-5, a great effort. Joan and Roy took on the third pair and after narrowly winning the first 15-13 they piled on the pressure and won the next 15-5 to seal the victory, hurrah! Liz and Matt took on the second pair and after losing the first 15-10 turned it round to win the next 15-7 to force a decider. In the next nail biter and after several serves for the match on either side, the visitors triumphed 17-16, damn! The relief when they were told the match had already been won was immense!

 
Conclusion
 
A fantastically good result against a tough team who beat our mixed 1 team at their last meeting!
AT7 1 Away Lost 2-7 Team: Steve B & Jo (2-1), Matt & Liz (0-3), Roy and Joan (0-3)

Steve & Jo started off facing 6ft 6 lad Stuart Gibb, who is disgustingly talented and difficult to get anything past! Steve just could not get used to plastics, hitting most out or playing touch shots way too short as there was just no "feel". There were moments of hope but the rubber ended 15-9, 15-10 to AT7.

Matt & Liz seemed more comfortable with the shuttles but despite a spirited effort, only managed to take the third pair to 3 games in what ended with yo-yo scores: 2-15, 15-7, 8-15.

Roy also had lots of fun with plastics and his growls were nearly as audible as Steves but again Joan and Roy were unable to seal any rubbers.

Steve & Jo clawed back some pride by beating the young 2nd pair 15-10, 15-14 which was a neck-and-neck affair with enjoyable fast paced badminton. Jo played some great defensive cross shots to ensure that we also beat the 3rd pair, both games going to set and finishing in our favour: 17-14, 17-15.

Conclusion

This one was always going to be tricky at their place. Hopefully when feathery things are back in the equation at home we'll be able to show them a thing or two!
AT7 2 Home Won  9-0 Team: Steve B & Jo (3-0), Matt & Liz (3-0), Leigh and Joan (3-0)

All 3 pairs went on and cruised to victory in the first set of rubbers winning in straight games.  Steve & Jo had an interesting second game though, after winning the first convincingly 15-6, they managed to get themselves 6-14 down in the second game.  Am happy to say that we won 11 points in a row to seal the match 17-14, leaving the AT7 first pair utterly crushed!

Matt & Liz had a very strong night winning their first rubber 15-0 and 15-8.  Matt obviously wasn't satisfied so decided to take the 2nd rubber winning 15-0, 15-0 against the AT7 first pair.  Must have been Steve & Jo crushing their spirit earlier!  ;o) 

Leigh and Joan also performed solidly in all their games, winning one as easily as 15-1, 15-3.  Thanks again to Leigh for standing in for Roy who is on holiday. 

Everyone finished the night with straight-games wins and confidence was high!

Conclusion
 
Cracking result...just hope we can repeat the feat against their 1st team when they visit us at home.  Well played all!
Regent Away Won  5-4 Team: Steve B & Jo (2-1), Matt & Liz (1-2), Leigh and Joan (2-1)

Steve & Jo's first challenge was actually finding the place, which they lost at, twice, and finally ending up at the place they tried first after Matt's directional help.  They weren't the only ones who struggled though, thank god! 

The match started with Leigh and Joan playing some very good tactical play against a very strong lad by forcing play on the lady to take their first rubber 17-16, 15-7.  Steve & Jo went on against Regent's very strong first pair but were edged out 15-9, 17-16, despite having 2 game points!  Steve didn't have his lucky socks on and Jo got a nice smash in the forehead early on which definitely disrupted our normal game!   I swear I heard a hollow "dong" noise when it made contact... 

Despite the 2-1 deficit and everyone walking off their first rubber a little disillusioned, the team swapped tips about the opposition and got stuck in again.  Matt & Liz played a cracking 2nd rubber to take it 15-10, 15-12 whilst Steve & Jo had an equally satisfying win, 15-8, 15-10.  The scores levelled out at 3-3 after Leigh & Joan had a tough time against the Regent's 1st pair.

Always-eager-Leigh started looking for inspiration to get himself fired up and then looked panicky when everyone else mumbled "err yeah go for it"!  We needed the next two to seal Regent's fate.

Steve & Jo took their last in a yo-yo affair winning 15-3, 15-13 and Leigh & Joan beat the 2nd pair 15-8, 15-5 to close out the match.   One high-five later from Steve & Leigh and we couldn't believe we'd actually taken the match!  Matt & Liz, battled hard in their last, taking it to 3 but eventually losing out to the Regent's 1st pair who only lost a single game all night.

Conclusion
 
A heart-warming team effort!  Opposition were easily as good as us, if not better on their day but the BC determination tipped the scales in our favour!  Well done everyone!
Warwick Bears Away Lost 3-6 Team: Steve B & Jo (3-0), Matt & Liz (0-3), Roy and Joan (0-3)

It was freezing and this meant that the green plastics were absolutely *impossible* to hit out!  Jo and myself actually had great fun warming up trying to smack the things from mid-court out the back, with no success!  Joy-oh-joy!

The first game of each rubber started pretty disastrous with Steve & Jo comically losing 15-6, Roy & Joan similarly struggling 15-2 with only Matt & Liz putting up a respectable fight but narrowly losing 17-15 in the end.  There was a lot of "out" calls from partners and players, only to discover the damn things landing 2 foot in, contrary to all laws of gravity and physics (any localised phenomenon reported that night anyone?)

Some close games ensued with a few going to three but frustratingly no victories.  Steve & Jo somehow adjusted and managed to rally in their first rubber to take it 6-15, 15-5, 15-12.  We then managed to take our remaining two rubbers in straight games... youth seemed to do the trick ;o)  

Conclusion

Conditions weren't great but all credit to Warwick Bears who didn't have any weak pairs and played very determined in all their games.  Hopefully we'll get our revenge on home turf!  Merry Christmas to all.
BW 1 Away Won  5-4 Team: Steve B & Jo (2-1), Matt & Liz (2-1), Roy and Joan (1-2)

On the night

Finally arrived at BW's new venue after a good 30min journey to find the lovely white walls awaiting us!  The hall was a bit too laminated and slippy but the shuttles were decent and the fast and furious action got underway.

Steve & Jo went on against a strong first pair but were eventually pipped 12-15, 15-12, 7-15, although it was an absolutely fantastic game lasting ages!  Roy and Joan battled hard, taking theirs to 3 games but came off a little disappointed as they weren't able to maintain their rhythm.  Not the best start against a tough opponent who are close to us in the league table.  However Liz & Matt kept spirits high after winning their first rubber in a close encounter, also in 3 games 7-15, 15-12, 15-10.

This confidence boost helped all 3 pairs tackle their next rubber and come out on top!  Steve & Jo dispatched the BW second pair in straight games 15-11, 15-10 whilst Matt & Liz continued to shine by taking theirs in 3, 10-15, 15-10, 15-10.  Definitely some yoyo scores there :o)   However the special mention has to go out to Roy & Joan who overcame a very strong BW 1st pair with clever tactics and continual pressure....this proved to be a key rubber as it clawed us back to within 1 rubber of taking the match, surprisingly early in the night.

Finally the match was sealed with Steve & Jo winning their final rubber in a convincing 15-3, 15-5!  The remaining rubbers went to BW but it was all too little too late, as we had our 5, making the eventual score 5-4 overall.

Conclusion

A thoroughly enjoyable match overall.  BW are a great, fun bunch to play and were gracious in defeat even though the tables turned surprisingly quick and gave everybody a bit of a shock when we realised we had won!  We even played a few friendly games against them where we drew dead level :o)   See you next season folks!  

Well played to Matt & Liz who were moving brilliantly and attacking well.   Same goes for Roy & Joan who were our only pair to beat the BW 1st pair which ended up being crucial!  Lets keep up the good performances and we'll be on our way to promotion!!!
AT7 2 Away Won  7-2
Team: Steve B & Jo (3-0), Matt & Liz (0-3), Harry and Joan (1-2)

On the night

 
Ah the glorious hall of AT7 with distracting trampoliners, a floor made of rubber and plastic shuttles!  All the ingredients for some juicy twisted ankles and sore arms!
 
The evening kicked off in good spirits with Steve & Jo winning comfortably 15-7, 15-5.  Harry stood in for Roy who has a poorly achilles and took on the 3rd pair but were edged out 6-15, 6-15 whilst they were trying to work out their partnership. 
 
Matt & Lizzy had some nail biting games and definitely got their money's worth by taking all 3 rubbers to 3 games with one also going to set!  They dug deep and won them all...eventually, despite being 8-14 down in one game and giving the crowd a thrilling comeback!  I'm starting to think M & L just like the punishment every week!
 
Steve & Jo sailed to victory in their final 2 rubbers winning 15-2, 15-7 and 15-4, 15-7, all of which being enjoyable games.  Harry & Joan won a cracker too beating the 2nd pair 15-10, 15-8 once they worked out how to frustrate the male opponent :o)
 
Conclusion
 
Thanks to Harry for standing in at short notice.  Great result all round with everybody picking up decent rubbers!  Lets hope we can tackle the AT7 1 squad when they visit us at home shortly!
AT7 1 Home Won  8-1 Team: Steve B & Jo (3-0), Phil & Joan (2-1), Matt & Louise (3-0) 

On the night

With AT71 being top of the division at the last checkpoint and with a win under their belt already against us (albeit with plastics at their place), this was a crucial rubber.  With Roy injured and Liz away on hols, we were lucky enough to pinch Mixed 1 superstars Phil Guest and Louise Taylor for this one!
 
Steve & Jo started nervously against AT7 1st pair, making lots of silly errors and definitely not feeling comfortable.  Stuart as always proving a tricky opponent managed to take the 1st game 11-15, but Steve & Jo shook off their annoyance and won 15-10, 15-5, eventually somehow infuriating the opposition so they almost gave up.
 
All the while there was no reason to worry as both Phil & Joan and Matt & Louise won in straight games.  Matt looked a little shell-shocked after realising that winning in 2 games instead of 3 is actually possible... stay tuned for new tactics from Matt & Lizzy when they next play together!! ;o)
 
The rest of the rubbers went our way with some impressive results, notably a crushing 15-1, 15-2 blow dealt out by Matt & Louise, another 15-3, 15-4 domination by Phil & Joan and also 15-5, 15-4 squishing from Steve & Jo.  The only rubber dropped was the final rubber of the evening which went to 3 but ended up 8-15 15-7, 5-15 but with the match long sealed, this had no impact.
 
We've no idea why but two of the AT7 pairs got incredibly frustrated playing all of us... perhaps the geese were not to their liking?  I shall have to draft Tim in next time so we get some on-court fireworks :o)

Conclusion
 
A surprisingly swift victory in a crucial rubber.  Our strong squad showed its raw ability.  Many thanks to Phil & Louise for standing it... this one could make the difference in the race for the division title!
Regent Home Lost 3-6 Team: Steve B & Jo (2-1), Phil & Joan (1-2), Matt and Liz (0-3)
 

On the night

 
Spirits started high when Regent arrived with almost the same team whom we managed to squeak a win out of at their place but sadly, it was short lived. 
 
The two young Regent brothers played some impressive badminton, making life difficult for all 3 pairs with Balsall going down 3-nil, oh dear!  However we all took this first round of rubbers to 3 games with the scores yoyo-ing from single figures in our favour to single figures against!  Weird!  The rest of the evening continued to be tough, with 7 out of 9 numbers involving 3 games.
 
Matt & Liz were unlucky not to grab a rubber as they battled hard in their first but ended up being thwarted after Regent clawed back to 14-all and then continued on to win that game and the following one.
 
Phil, who was standing in for injured Roy... struggled with Joan to maintain consistency with their games being up and down affairs.  However their persistence finally paid off when at the very end of the night with everybody watching, they took the final game 15-10 (I think) to seize the rubber....alas it was too late to change the outcome of the match but bet it felt good!
 
Steve & Jo lost their first with nerves getting the better of us but managed to grab the final two rubbers but it just wasn't enough in the end.
 
Roundup
 
An unfortunate loss at home against a team who might push us out of a promotion spot.  However all credit to Regent who simply played better on the night.  Thanks to Phil for standing in.  As for promotion... it's a possibility but it may come down to the final match vs. Warwick Bears.
Whitestone 1 Away Win  6-3 Team: Steve B & Jo (2-1), Matt & Liz (2-1), Roy and Louise (2-1)
 

On the night

 
The evening started with the usual sighs when we arrived to meet a tube of extra-slow plastics (Mavis 300...granny power or something).  Several shuttle tests later and we discovered it was near impossible to hit them out...this was going to be a tiresome affair.
 
Steve & Jo started well against the Whitestone 1st pair, winning their first 15-8 but they showed their home advantage when they took the next 15-12.  Digging deep, we came out on top 15-8 to put us 1-nil up.   Matt & Liz battled hard in their first to eventually win it 15-7, 6-15, 15-10.   Unfortunately the Whitestone 3rd pair got the better of Roy & Louise who were trying to adapt to playing with each other.
 
The Whitestone 3rds, who were probably their 1sts in reality continued their winning momentum and eventually beat all three of our pairs, despite Steve & Jo taking it to the wire in a nail biting encounter involving three long and enduring games.   Steve managing to smack Jo in the nose with a shuttle halfway through the 2nd game probably didn't help matters...although bizarrely, we actually won that game!  Sorry Jo, I'm sure you'll grow a new one!
 
The match was eventually sealed when Roy & Louise won their 2nd rubber in a swift 15-8, 15-3.  Victory was made even more sweet when the remaining rubbers went our way with impressive stuff from Matt & Lizzy who managed to take one of theirs in straight games, which has to be a first for this season... look out for Matt being incredibly energetic this Wednesday!!!
 
Roundup
 
A solid result which will hopefully push us back closer to the top of the table.  The final match is Warwick Bears @ home so this may be key to promotion!  Well played all, great team effort and thanks to Lou for kindly stepping in again, this time for Joan.
Warwick Bears Home Won  7-2 Team: Steve B & Jo (3-0), Matt & Liz (2-1), Roy and Joan (2-1)

On the night

Steve rallied the troops with pre-match text messages about promotion, eating weetabix and basically damn well pulling your weight for this one!!! Although the last season update put us top of the table, the 3 teams below us all had lots of wins and hadn't played anywhere near the number of games we played so it's still a close race for promotion and the title..... so everything to play for!

The match started with Steve & Jo taking their first 15-5, 15-5 with it being a spirited and enjoyable effort from those pesky Bears. Matt & Liz started excellently, winning their first 15-13 but after some "your going to 3" banter from Steve, it ended up ironically, going to 3 but luckily Matt & Liz won it 15-13, 12-15, 15-4. Roy & Joan faced a re-enforced 3rd pair and were "annihilated" according to Roy. Two one to us...a good start!

Steve & Jo had an anxious wait whilst the 2nd & 3rd pairs battled out their next set of rubbers. Roy & Joan played superb tactics against a young and fit 2nd pair and took it 15-6, 15-5, whilst Matt had lots of fun with Terry from Warwick Bears but eventually took it (in 3 again!!!) 15-7, 16-17, 15-13. Well done team!!! Score now 4-1 and looking great. The match was sealed when Steve & Jo stretched their legs and took on the 3rd pair winning 15-4, 15-12.

Roy & Joan continued their strong tactical play by winning their final one 15-9, 15-4 which might make all the difference if it comes down to rubbers won across the whole season. Steve & Jo played the young 2nd pair taking it in straight games despite Steve being told off for being far too "cute" (think Jo meant "fancy crappy show-off shots"). Matt & Liz finished off the night battling hard but sadly losing out to the strong 3rd pair who were determined not to go down without a fight, the score ending (in 3 again!!!) 15-10, 6-15, 3-15.

Conclusion

Another great team effort with everyone getting a share of the rubbers. This was an absolute must-win match too so we held under the pressure.

As for promotion, this is quite likely but it really depends on how the teams below us have performed. Mathematically, it's still possible for us not to be promoted so don't want to get excited just yet.
Getting the title is also on the cards but our rubber for/against difference isn't that strong, with us squeaking a few 5-4 wins throughout the season. Losing at home to Regent could be the thorn in our side as they are one of the competing teams.

Either way, it's been a fun season and for the most part, injury-free (* looks away from Roy). Thanks to everyone who has played, see you in division 1 in September )