HOLMFIRTH flourished in the Mixed section as they battled to a 5-4 away win at Shepley in Division IV of the Huddersfield Badminton League.
Going into that final Mixed section, the match was all square at 3-3, and it was still honours even after the first two Mixed games, with Steve Brown and Naomi Downes having won their rubber for Holmfirth, while James Austerberry and Kathryn Smith levelled it at four apiece for Shepley.
And that left the match to be decided by the second pair and it turned out to be a real nail-biter.
Andy Martin and Sarah Hewitt drew first blood for Shepley winning 21-17, but Chris Bottomley and Kay Boothroyd hit back to win the second set, also 21-17, and sent the tie into a deciding set, which also proved a cracker before the Holmfirth duo finally emergedvictorious 22-20 to claim the rubber and the match.
Earlier in the contest, Holmfirth’s men, Steve Brown, Chris Bottomley and Dave Hayman had given their side the advantage, but the Shepley ladies, Helen Pearman, Sarah Hewitt and Kathryn Smith proved the stronger of the two sides, setting up an exciting Mixed finale.
Shepley 4 Holmfirth E 5
Men: Andy Martin & Simon Radley bt Steve Brown & Chris Bottomley 21-19, 21-16; Martin & James Austerberry lost to Brown & Dave Hayman 17-21, 13-21; Radley & Austerberry lost to Bottomley & Hayman 15-21, 17-21.
Ladies: Helen Pearman & Sarah Hewitt bt Kay Boothroyd & Janet Winn 19-21, 21-14, 21-18; Pearman & Kathryn Smith bt Boothroyd & Naomi Downes 22-20, 21-14; Hewitt & Smith lost to Winn & Downes 13-21, 16-21.
Mixed: Radley & Pearman lost to Brown & Downes 14-21, 11-21; Martin & Hewitt lost to Bottomley & Boothroyd 21-17, 17-21, 20-22; Austerberry & Smith bt Hayman & Winn 21-13, 22-20.
