CHAMPION TEAM’S GOOD START

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31057, 12 May 1966, Page 20

CHAMPION TEAM’S GOOD START

The shuttles were flying with considerable velocity in the Skellerup Hall last evening when the Canterbury Badminton Association’s 1966 inter-club A grade competition started.

The air in the hall was warmer than usual, and this brought a ready response from the shuttles. A well-hit smash moved with considerable speed, and retrieving was no easy task. Last year’s champion side, Railway A, started on the right foot by beating Knox B with the loss of only one set. But the former Canterbury champion, A. G. Duckmanton, encountered stiff opposition from B. G. Hadlee (Knox).

The two men, both Plunket Shield cricketers, produced a good exhibition of all-court play; Hadlee’s smashes to Duckmanton’s backhand were instrumental in the Knox player winning the second set, but Duckmanton varied his game well to emerge on top.

Hadlee suffered an attack of cramp in the right leg at the start of the third set, but fought back gamely to the end. In the other games, Selwyn beat Avonside, 5-3, Christchurch beat Army, 6-2, and Railway B beat University, 6-2.

A surprise result was the defeat of the well-performed B. Wylie (Christchurch) by the Army No. 1, W. Edgecum.be. Wylie, one of the leading four men in the province, found the energetic retrieving of Edgecumbe too great a handicap to overcome. Yen (University) played powerfully to beat M. Ford (Railway B) with the loss of only four points, but Railway’s greater all-round strength carried it to victory. P. V. Boatwood, the Canterbury men’s singles champion, displayed good touch in winning his singles and both his doubles for Avonside. but

its opponent, Selwyn, had too much strength in the women’s section. Miss B. Gormack and Mrs A. Ryan gave Selwyn an advantage of three matches, and Mrs Ryan teamed with H. Williams to win the vital mixed doubles. Results:— Railway A 8, Knox B 0 A. G; Duckmanton beat B. G. Hadlee. 15-3. 8-15, 15-11; R. Miller beat R. Quinn, 15-6, 15-3: Duckmanton and Miller beat Hadlee and Quinn, 15-6, 15-3. Mrs M. Miller beat Miss L. Wood, 11-3, 11-0; Miss D. French beat Miss S. Tilly, 12-10. 11-0; Mrs Miller and Miss French beat Misses Tilly and Wood, 15-3,

Miller and Miss French beat Hadlee and Miss Tilly, 15-7, 15-8: Duckmanton and Mrs Miller beat Quinn and Miss Wood, 15-7, 15-8.

Christchurch 6, Army 2 B. Wylie lost to W. Edgecumbe. 10-15, 7-15; T. Bradbury lost to R. Wakeham, 8-15. 8-15: Wylie and Bradbury beat Edgecumbe and Wakeham. 15-4, 18-14. Mrs M. Wylie beat Miss O. Williams, 11-4, 12-9; Miss N. Baty beat Mrs N. Forbes, 11-2, 11-0: Mrs Wylie and Miss Baty beat Miss Williams and Mrs Forbes, 15-1, 15-7.

Wylie and Mrs Wylie beat Edgecumbe and Mrs Forbes, 15-11, 18-13; Bradbury and Miss Baty beat Wakeham and Miss Williams, 15-3, 15-5. Railway B 6, University 2 M Ford lost to Yen, 2-15, 2-15: !S' Hawkins beat Lim, 15-10 15an d Hawkins beat’Yen and Lim. 15-12, 15-13 Miss R. Waites beat Miss L rhanai' lO 'J 2> 11 ’°; l2 ’ S: Miss E - Chandler beat Miss p. Burke ®' l2 - I}; 2 , 11-6; Misses Waites and Chandler beat "Misses Tucker and Burke, 15-8, 15-11 V( , F ° rd a " d t Waltes lost to ’’ a " and Mi « s Tucker, 12-15, 15-12 ui- L H . aW r k < lns and Mlss er beat Lim and Miss Burke 15-8. 10-15, 15-11. ’ Selwyn 5, Avonside 3 R. Hall lost to P. V Boatwood, 0-15, 2-15; H. Williams beat S. Clarke, 11-15, 15-7 15-12-Hall and Williams lost to Boatwood and Clarke, 7-15, 14-18. Miss B. Gormack beat Mrs M Brown. 11-5, 11-5; Mrs A. Ryan beat Mrs P. Boatwood, 11-1, 11-5; Miss Gormack and Mrs Rvan beat Mesdames Brown and Boat wood. 15-9, 15-9. Hall and Miss Gormack lost to Boatwood and Mrs Brown. 5-15. 4-15: Williams and Mrs Ryan beat Clarke and Mrs Boatwood. 7-15, 15-8, 15-9,