Malcolm Holmes and Catherine Davies held their nerve in the final rubber to guide Royds Hall C to victory against Fartown B in the Huddersfield Badminton League.

Fartown’s Ladies won all their rubbers to level things up after Royds Hall’s men had won all their games, so the match went into the Mixed rubbers at 3-3.

It was still all square by the time Holmes and Davies faced Mike Woodward and Melanie Hartley, who then won the first game 21-18 for the visitors.

But the Royds Hall pairing took the next two 21-19 21-16 to seal a 5-4 match victory in the Division IV clash.

Among the victorious Ladies trio for Fartown was Caitlin Shaw, is a secondary school pupil who is new to Fartown this season.

She played outstandingly in her games, covering the whole of the court and with a strong clear.

Davies been promoted to Royds C team from the D team and is proving to be a strong third lady this term.

Lee Whitworth also joined Royds Hall this season and is a strong, supportive and invaluable member of the team.

Diane Horton – who was on opposite sides to real-life partner Mike Woodward – Sue Jessop, Holmes and Les Newby are all in their third season at Royds Hall.

Badminton at King James's High School - Cath Downes of Brighouse 'A'.
Badminton at King James's High School - Cath Downes of Brighouse 'A'.

Newby and Horton are playing together as a mixed couple for the first time this season and are optimistic they will end the season unbeaten in the Mixed.

Royds Hall C 5 Fartown B 4

Men – Lee Whitworth & Les Newby beat Mike Hall & David Hales 21-11, 21-18; Whitworth & Malcolm Holmes beat Hall & Mike Woodward 21-12, 16-21, 21-14; Newby & Holmes beat Hales & Woodward 21-18, 21-15.

Ladies – Sue Jessop & Diane Horton lost to Melanie Hartley & Val Smith 17-21, 15-21; Jessop & Catherine Davies lost to Hartley & Caitlin Shaw 15-21, 21-16, 19-21; Horton & Davies lost to Smith & Shaw 12-21, 21-19, 16-2.

Mixed – Whitworth & Jessop lost to Hall & Smith 12-21, 19-21; Newby & Horton beat Hales & Shaw 21-7, 21-12; Holmes & Davies beat Woodward & Hartley 18-21, 21-19, 21-16.

In the Men’s Division I, Beaumont Park had a 3-3 home draw with Kirkburton, featuring a 30-28 game!.

Kirkburton took a 2-0 lead, but Beaumont Park fought back with every player contributing to their team’s score.

Even though five of the rubbers were won in two games, they were closer than the scores suggest, with a number of exciting long rallies.

The best rubber of the night was the match between Kirkburton’s John Mellor and Dave Calverley and Beaumont Park’s Kevin Pearson and Sam Soor.

Mellor and Calverley won the first game, but Pearson and Soor came back well to take the second and send it to a decider.

Beaumont Park took an early lead in the third game, but by the half-way changeover, Kirkburton had clawed their way into the lead.

Points were then shared evenly as the game went to 20-20 and each pair looking for a two-point advantage to take the game and rubber.

Nerves took over a little as each pair had chances to serve for the match, but failed to take advantage.

With the game looking to be heading towards sudden death, Beaumont Park finally held on to win a marvellously exciting game by 30-28.

Beaumont Park 3

Kirkburton 3

Results – (Beaumont Park names first): Kevin Pearson & Geoff Steel lost to John Mellor & John Gill 15-21, 15-21; Robert Hardcastle & Gurdeep Soor lost to Carl Simpson & Dave Calverley 13-21, 17-21; Pearson & Soor beat Mellor & Calverley 18-21, 21-12, 30-28; Hardcastle & Steel lost to Simpson & Gill 16-21, 17-21; Soor & Steel beat Calverley & Gill 21-13, 21-12; Pearson & Hardcastle beat Mellor & Simpson 21-19, 21-17.