Badminton juniors are displaying good form (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Badminton juniors are displaying good form

MALMESBURY Junior Badminton Club had a surprisingly easy victory over Wootton Bassett away at The Lime Kiln Centre on November 29.

The visitors' first couple, Paul Conway and Peter O'Neill romped away against the opposition's second pair, David Cooper and David Upton, to win 21-0.

After a long sit out, they got off to a slow start against the third pair, James Hall and Jason Debois, but got their game to-gether to win convincingly 21-10.

And they were on top form against the first pair, Phil Bevan and Kenta Masuda, in the last game of the match to take another 21-0 win.

Malmesbury's second pair, Catherine Angus and Stephen Radford-Hancock, also had three very easy games in completely outclassing their opposition to win 21-3, 21-2 and 21-2.

The team's third pairing was James Mansfield and Joel Bankhead who were playing together for the first time.

This was a first club match for Joel who was standing in at short notice for an indisposed team member.

James and Joel faced a long and exciting first game against Wootton Bassett's first couple.

After some long rallies, in which neither side could put the shuttle on the floor, James and Joel won convincingly 21-10.

Two other games had been played whilst they were battling it out, so they had to go straight back on the court to play the second pair.

They did well after that exhausting first game to win easily 21-8.

After a short rest, they won their third game against their rivals equally easily 21-6.

In the end, Malmesbury ran out as 9-0 winners against a Wootton Bassett side that had taken two games off top team Pinehurst A.

In what was their last match before Christmas, the Juniors entertained Pinehurst C in the Activity Zone last Saturday.

As this is a young boys' side, the club took an opportunity to give some of its less experienced members some match play.

Only one member from the team that overwhelmed Wootton Bassett the previous week, Catherine Angus, played and most of the games were close.

Malmesbury's most experienced first pair, Catherine Angus and Monica Cavendish, played well to won their first two games easily, 21-4 and 21-3.

After a long wait, though, they had a much closer last game but still managed to win 21-13 after a slow start.

On Sunday, Catherine and Monica were in action again in the U15 Wiltshire County team at Wincanton against Somerset.

The second Malmesbury pair, Eleanor Smith and Andy Clifton, were unfortunate to lose their first game against the opposition first pair to 17.

However, in their second game and following a struggle, they played very well to beat the third pair 21-18.

In their last game against the opposition's second pair, they were foxed by the excellent flick backhand service of their young opponents and eventually lost 14-21.

The third Malmesbury duo, Tom Lippitt and James Rawles, had an extremely long first game against the opposition second pair and just lost on setting by one point at 22-23.

They had an equally long second game against the first pair, but kept their nerve to win this time by two points, 21-19.

In their last game, which was equally long, against the third pair they emerged as quite comfortable 21-9 victors.

Malmesbury won the match with six games to Pinehurst C's three. The last Junior club session before Christmas will be on Saturday, December 14, when there will also be a party.

The club is set to recommence its activities in the new year on Saturday, January 11, 2003, when there is the prospect of a return match against Wootton Bassett.