THIRTEEN-year-old Amy Crowther proved to be one of the star turns when Kirkburton E defeated St Cuthberts Racqueteers B in a Huddersfield Badminton League Divison V clash.
Crowther dropped just one game, and that was a very close one, on the way to winning two of her three rubbers which played a major part in Kirkburton winning the match 5-4.
She teamed up with Claire Ellam and Diane Clifford to win both her ladies’ rubbers against Lynda Fielding (playing up at No1) and another 13-year-old, Claire Kenny, who was then joined by Pam Mellor.
Racqueteers were on top after the men’s rubbers, Mohammad Tayyab and Geoff Steel beating Mike Cordner and 15-year-old Billy Pradey after Cordner and John Mellor had given Burton the ideal start, before Graham White and Steel made it 2-1 to the home side.
However, Ellam and Clifford won the opening ladies, and with two wins for youngster Crowther, Kirkburton were well placed going into the Mixed.
Tayyab and Fielding pulled a point back, but Mellor and Ellam wrapped up victory after toughing out the first game 25-23. St Cuthbert teenager Kenny then grabbed her first win of the season, along with Steel, to beat the Burton youngsters of Pradey and Crowther in a three-setter.
St Cuthberts Racqueteers B 4 Kirkburton E
Men: Mohammed Tayyab & Graham White lost to Mike Cordner & John Mellor 21-12, 15-21, 17-21; Tayyab & Geoff Steel bt Cordner & Billy Pradey 24-22, 21-5; White & Steel bt Mellor & Pradey 21-12, 21-17.
Women: Lynda Fielding & Pam Mellor lost to Claire Ellam & Diane Clifford 11-21, 20-22; Fielding & Claire Kenny lost to Ellam & Amy Crowther 21-18, 11-21, 13-21; Mellor & Kenny lost to Clifford & Crowther 11-21, 16-21.
Mixed: Tayyab & Fielding bt Cordner & Clifford 21-17, 21-15; White & Mellor lost to Mellor & Ellan 23-25, 17-21; Steel & Kenny bt Pradey & Crowther 21-10, 17-21, 22-20.
Royds Hall newcomer Angela Branson helped win two rubbers in only her second match since joining the club as the B team beat Kirkburton D 8-1.
With the exception of Steph and Angela Sykes’ win over Branson and Carol Holberry in the first ladies match, it was pretty much one-way sailing for Royds, all matches going to straight sets.
Royds Hall B 8 Kirkburton D 1
Men: Issy Caffoor & Ivan Lewis bt John Crowther & John Cockram 21-19, 21-19; Caffoor & Mike Lyne bt Crowther & John Mellor 21-18, 21-17; Lewis & Lyne bt Cockram & Mellor 21-11, 24-22.
Ladies: Angela Branson & Carol Holberry lost to Steph Sykes & Angela Sykes 16-21, 17-21; Branson & Helen Lambert bt Steph Sykes & Claire Ellam 21-18, 21-13; Holberry & Lambert bt Angela Sykes & Ellam 21-8, 21-15.
Mixed: Caffoor & Branson bt Crowther & Sykes 21-13, 21-17; Lyne & Holberry bt Cockram & Angela Sykes 21-17, 21-18; Lewis & Lambert bt Mellor & Ellam 21-17, 21-10.
Ossett’s first home game of the season was a pretty unusual affair for their match with Spen Valley ended at ‘normal time’ with the score on 4-4, when the decision was taken to complete the match at a later date.
So three weeks later, the final ladies’ rubber took place and ended in a victory for Sue Wiles and Gemma Swaine over Judith Halliwell and Hannah Young to seal a 5-4 win for Spen.
Ossett 4 Spen Valley A 5
Men: Tony Fox & Ian Pescod bt Phil Denton & Roy Hampshire 21-16, 21-17; Fox & Ian Ellis bt Denton & J Booth 21-16, 21-15; Pescod & Ellis bt Hampshire & Booth 19-21, 21-15, 21-16.
Ladies: Deanne Whitehead & Judith Halliwell lost to Lisa Carrington & Sue Wiles 15-21, 17-21; Whitehead & Hannah Young bt Carrington & Gemma Swaine 18-21, 21-18, 22-20; Halliwell & Young lost to Wiles & Swaine 18-21,17-21.
Mixed: Fox & Halliwell lost to Denton & Carrington 23-25, 15-21; Pescod & Whitehead lost to Hampshire & Wiles 17-21, 22-20, 18-21; Ellis & Young lost to Booth & Swaine 20-22, 21-14, 20-22.
Royds Hall D 4 St Cuthberts Racqueteers 5
Men: Steve Bainbridge & Stuart Kershaw lost to M Tayyab & Gurdeep Soor 18-21, 9-21; Bainbridge & Mick Charles lost to Tayyab & Geoff Steel 11-21, 7-21; Kershaw & Charles lost to Soor & Steel 21-12, 20-22, 13-21.
Women: Shradha Long & Jean Gledhill bt Angela Hall & Lynda Fielding 21-11, 21-14; Long & Catherine Murphy bt Hall & Claire Kenny 21-7, 21-14; Gledhill & Murphy bt Fielding & Kenny 21-13, 21-14.
Mixed: Kershaw & Long lost to Tayyab & Fielding 15-21, 18-21; Bainbridge & Gledhill lost to Soor & GHall 18-21, 22-20, 17-21; Charles & Murphy bt Steel & Kenny 21-15, 12-21, 21-18.
Next week is the Huddersfield Badminton League’s main tournament when their annual Handicap competition gets under way on Monday.
The tournament runs all week, and finishes on Friday.
