Mixed fortunes for young North squad
JUNIOR BADMINTON
NORTHUMBERLAND’S under-14 team travelled to York for the annual mixed doubles tournament held in memory of Cerryg Davies, a young Yorkshire player who died suddenly some years ago.
The Northumberland team consisted of Eve Beechinor-Collins, Ellen Davison, Lucy Dodd, Charlotte Graham, Ollie Edmondson, Jack Tilbury, Hugh Twelves and Mark Walker
There were 10 teams involved, each of four pairs.
The players were playing for points in the team competition but also for a final position in the top or bottom halves of the tournament as a pair.
Games were played to 21 points with no extensions.
North’s partnerships were Graham and Tilbury, Davison and Walker, Dodd and Edmondson and Beechinor-Collins and Twelves.
They each played the first round in separate groups of four pairs.
Graham and Tilbury claimed all three opening games and were clear winners of their group.
Davison and Walker won one, lost two games to five and 19 and finished third in their group.
Dodd and Edmondson triumphed twice, lost once to 19 and finished second in their group.
Beechinor-Collins and Twelves fought hard but were unable to secure any victories as they ended up fourth in their group.
In the second round, the level of play in groups of five was more evenly-matched.
Davison and Walker recorded two successes and featured in some close matches, losing 14 and 18 before finishing third in their group.
Dodd and Edmondson recorded three wins and had one really tough game - losing to seven to be second in their group.
Graham and Tilbury recorded one victory and lost three closely -fought matches to 20, 16 and 10, finishing fourth.
Beechinor-Collins and Twelves recorded a win and the games they lost were to 18, 16 and 19 - again for fourth spot.
In the final round, the players were split into a top half and a bottom half.
Having done really well to make the top half of 20 pairs, Dodd and Edmondson took one game and lost two while Graham and Tilbury recorded three victories.
This left North’s two pairs in seventh and 13th places overall respectively.
The bottom half consisted of 16 pairings.
Davison and Walker claimed all their games in the group and finished ninth in the bottom half, Beechinor-Collins and Twelves winning a game, losing twice and clinching 14th spot.
All the players’ scores went towards the final placings for the team and Northumberland finished seventh out of the 10 teams.
Team manager Karen Davison said: “I was was really pleased with the way the team played against tough competition and felt their final placing indicated a significant improvement since last season’s event.
“I was delighted with the way they all behaved on and off the court.”