Badminton juniors of Malmesbury suffer defeat (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Badminton juniors of Malmesbury suffer defeat

MALMESBURY Junior Badminton Club had a disappointing result in the return fixture against Pinehurst A, the top team in the Swindon and District Youth Badminton League.

In fielding a much stronger team for the return fixture on January 24, hosts Pinehurst A ran out 7-2 victors.

Paul Conway and Peter O'Neill, Malmesbury's first pair, managed to win two out of their three games.

In the first one, against the opposition's second pair, Chris Hefferman and Chris Carlton, they raced away to a good lead and eventually won 21-17.

Against Emma Davies, a Wiltshire County champion since 1998, and James Archer, they lost to six.

But against the first pair, Ben Clements, also a county champion, and Jake Law, they fought all the way.

With nice cross court shots by Peter and good flick serves from Paul, they managed to win 21-19.

The visitors' second pair of Stephen Radford-Hancock, an ex-county player, and newcomer Joel Bankhead they had two extremely close games.

They took 16 points off the third pair in a neck-and-neck affair and 17 off the second.

Only against the first pair did they not do well before losing to six.

James Mansfield and Harry Deacon, the visitors' third and least experienced duo, found all the Pinehurst pairs too strong.

On Saturday, Malmesbury girls hosted a friendly against Wootton Bassett and won eight games of the nine.

Results. First pair, Monica Cavendish and Natalie Keys, won 21-7, 21-0 and 21-1; 2nd pair, Eleanor Smith and Catriona Cooper won 21-8, 21-3 and 21-1; 3rd pair Emma Milton and Clare Griffin, won 21-1, lost 10-21, won 21-0.

The club hopes to arrange some more friendlies so that the less experienced players have some match play.