OLIVER PLATT and Chris Hough won the Men’s A Section title at the Huddersfield Badminton Tournament.

They came out tops in the largest field of the day – 28 participants – at Whitcliffe Mount Sports Centre.

Contestants were divided in two groups, with the winner and runner-up in each half forming he semi-final line-up.

Platt and Hough (off +4) were runners-up in Group B and, in the last four, beat Group A winners Darren Park and Mark Goodwin (-4).

In the second semi, Andy Ward and David Walker beat Nick Parojcic and Kevin Pearson.

In the final, Platt and Hough, now off +3, beat Ward and Walker 21-10, 21-7 – Platt retaining the title he won last year alongside Billy Prady.

Rachel Fay and Helen Calverley retained their Ladies A title, gaining revenge on Anne Bricklebank and Lesley Radley, who beat them in the round robin section.

In the final Fay and Calverley (off -2) won 21-18 21-14 against opponents off +3.

The victors beat Lisa Pearson and Helen Clarkson in the semi-finals while Bricklebank and Radley defeated Caroline Bottomley and Louise Pickett 21-20 (both pairings off scratch).

There was a big entry of 24 in the Mixed A, so it was divided into two sections.

In the first section Amy Crowther and Andrew Denbigh-White edged Calverley and Nick Shoreman into second place by just one point, after both pairings had suffered just one defeat.

The second section was dominated by the brother and sister combo of Andy and Louise Pickett, who won all their games. Second place was taken by Simon Booth and Cath Bentley, who had won all but one.

In the first semi, Booth and Bentley (+6) beat Denbigh-White and Crowther (scr) 21-18, while Calverley and Shoreman (-2) Beat the Picketts (+4) 21-18.

In the final, Calverley and Shoreman (-4) proved they were the class of the field, inspite of a healthy handicap difference, as they won agains their +6 opponents 15-21, 21-16, 21-17.

Hadrian Clarke played through severe pain to help depleted Valley St James clinch a 5-4 victory over St Cuthberts in the Huddersfield Badminton League.

Clarke stubbed a big toe before the game which turned black with bruising, but his Mixed point with Helen Calverley proved crucial.

With the match in the balance, they beat Ali Chowdury and Wilma Dean 21-11, 19-21, 21-14.

Results – Men (Valley St James names first): Hadrian Clarke and Rob Field lost to Ali Chowdury and Syed Masood 12-21 16-21, Clarke and Andy Ward lost to Chowdury and Mark Cooper 11-21 9-21, Field and Ward lsot to Masood and Cooper 11-21 14-21.

Ladies: Helen Calverley and Sam Jessop beat Nga Yu Shing and Kathryn Taylorson 21-12 21-10, Calverley and Lauren Allinson beat Nga Yu Shing and Wilma Deane 21-11 21- 12, Jessop and Allinson beat Taylorson and Deane 21-8 21-18.

Mixed: Field and Allinson beat Masood and Taylorson 21-15 21-19, Clarke and Calverley beat Chowdury and Deane 21-11 19-21 21-14, Ward and Jessop lost to Cooper and Shing 12-21 21-18 17-21.

Next week – B Section action from the Tournament.