Seniors B clinch Imperial Consultants Cup

THE culmination of the Imperial Consultants

Cup saw Nigel Shuker’s team, Independents, face Mel Rushton’s Blackburn Seniors B in the final at The Adrenaline, Haslingden this week.

Under the watchful eye of Chairman, Mick Crilly, and President of the league, Peter Wood, the two teams knew every point would matter for that all-important count up at the end of the night.

For Independents: Stuart Davey and Jane

Mackey played at top mixed; Pete Wright and Gill Fourie at second mixed; and Nigel Shuker with one of badminton’s rising stars, 16 year old Freya Davey at number

3.

For Blackburn Seniors B: another 16 year old with huge potential, Jack Maris, played with his mum, Rosie Fenwick at top mixed; Josh Murphy and Mel Rushton at second mixed; and Andrew Grange and Helen Shanks at number

3.

Captain, Mel Rushton, had obviously given her team the usual instruction of: “Just go for it!”

Although Independents, a Rossendale First Division team, won all of the games against their Second Division rivals, there were many matches that went down to the wire at 21,20.

Supporters from both teams lined the courts and were entertained from start to finish, not only because Rosie at one point lost control of her racket only to see it career across the court, narrowly missing her partner’s head, but also both Daveys, Stuart and Freya, performed spectacular dives on a very hard Adrenaline court to retrieve their opponents’ shots.

And, as Fixtures’ secretary, Nigel Holt, carefully added up the aces at the end of the evening, we knew it was going to be a close one.

The Blackburn Seniors B Captain did the honours of breaking the seal on the envelope to reveal the handicap.

On the night, Independents had scored 378 to Blackburn Seniors B’s 266: once the handicap of 138.5 had been added on, it meant Seniors B had won the final by just 26.5 points.

It was lovely to see badminton being played in such a friendly and competitive spirit on the courts in Rossendale.

The two young players, Freya, a Year 11 student at St Bedes, Blackburn, and Jack, a Sixth form student at Clitheroe Grammar School, both deserve praise for their composure, performance and general manners both on and off the court, a point picked up by our President Peter who, once he’d finished the wine gums off, had been delighted by the promising young players he had seen in our league.

With the end of the badminton season fast approaching and the date fixed for the annual handicap tournament on Sunday, April 7th, it is now more important than ever to make sure you get your Rossendale Presentation Dinner Dance ticket for Friday, May 17th.

These are being capped at 80 this year following last year’s sell out, so don’t leave it too late or you’ll miss out.