Valley’s tournament proves huge success
ACCRINGTON Academy was ready to host the Rossendale Badminton Tournament with benches and chairs for players and spectators arranged around the four courts and the score table organised in the corner ready for the league president, Peter Wood.
Play started at 10am with two groups of men’s doubles on courts 1 and 2, and the ladies’ doubles on courts 3 and 4. The winners of each group then went through to the final, where there would be a best of three games if there was sufficient time.
In the ladies’ draw, Lauren Wearing from Brunlea, who partnered Goodshaw’s Rachel Robertson, went through as winners of their group. Playing off a handicap of +4, they met the Accy Flyers’ ladies, Karen Lamb and Alex Bullock, who, although losing to Karen Rogan and Fiona Wells, went through as winners of their group with a better points score to their closest rivals, Claire Banfield and Fee Tremlett from Goodshaw.
In the final, there was a five-point difference between the pairings and we knew we were in for a good battle, we didn’t realise how close it would be though.
The first game went to Lauren and Rachel who won 21,16; then Karen and Alex fought back to win the second game 21, 18, forcing the final into a tiebreak third game. The exchanges between the two pairings were neck and neck throughout the third game, with the Accy Flyers’ ladies winning by the narrowest of margins: 21,20.
In the men’s doubles two extra couples meant the gents got an extra game on the ladies, which is certainly something we should look at for next year’s tournament.
The Transport big hitters, Nick Ingham and Jack Savin, won their group, despite playing off the hefty handicap of -8.
They met Nyan Min, also from Transport, in the final, who had waited in the wings for his replacement partner, Stuart Davey, to finish his first round games so he could play them all over again! The difference between the men’s pairs was 8 points and, with time running short, just one game was played in the final. This was a shame but, unfortunately, inevitable due to the mixed doubles games needing to commence at mid-day.
Nick and Jack put up a brave fight but the handicap was a little too much in the end and Nyan and Stuart – already on his 7th game of the morning – were victorious.
A bumper crop of mixed doubles’ entries meant there could be four groups with semi-finals and finals played in the afternoon session.
Back markers in the competition were Joanna Holt from Blackburn Seniors and a totally warmed up Stuart Holt, from Independents. They played off an incredible -8 and managed to go through unbeaten in their group. In group 2, the Accy Flyers’ pairing of Alex Bullock and Andy Wood were also unbeaten and went through to the semi-final stage. Likewise, in group 4, there was an unbeaten couple, Nyan Min and Goodshaw’s Karen Rogan, who won all of their games and went through. It was in group 3 that the games were closest. Lauren Wearing and Michael Ormerod, playing off +6, went through as winners, despite losing a game. They were one point ahead of their closest rivals, Claire Banfield and Gary Pollock, who, on +2, narrowly missed out on a semi-final place.
In the first semi-final there was a two point difference between the couples, with Alex and Andy beating Nyan and Karen by 21,13. The second semi-final went down to the wire, however, with Michael Ormerod and Lauren losing out by just one point to Joanna and Stuart, 21,20.
As the spectators gathered to watch the final mixed game and wonder where on earth Stuart was finding his energy from – by this stage he was on his 11th game – we knew we were in for a great match.
The first game went to Stuart and Joanna by the closest of margins – 21,20, before Andy and Alex dug deep in the second, winning it 21,19. In the final game, despite a full length dive from Stuart (hereby named Super Stu), the Accy Flyers’ pairing won 21,13, much to the delight of our President, Peter, Andy’s dad.
Our thanks must go both to the players who entered the tournament but also to the committee who organised it all. Without their dedication, events like this would not happen and it was nice to see so many of the players giving credit to the time and effort that had gone in to the handicapping and organising of this annual tournament.
The trophies for the presentation evening in May have been ordered, the cups are being engraved and it is looking like last year’s sell out at Sunnybank Social Club, Helmshore is on track to do exactly the same this season.