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EASTLAND had a win and a loss in the third round of the inter-association super-veterans’ Division 2 badminton competition in Hawke’s Bay on Saturday.
They defeated Hawke’s Bay 9 matches to 0, and then lost to Bay of Plenty 8 matches to 1. All play was held at the Meeanee Community Hall.
Eastland team members were Kevin Lee from the Gisborne Badminton Club, Ron Prebble, Sheree Gray, Linda White, Annabelle Riwaka and Ruth Ledger, from the Patutahi Badminton Club; and Matheus Batlajeri, on loan from Manawatu.
Against Hawkes Bay, Eastland dominated the men’s doubles, all pairings winning fairly easily in two games.
The women’s doubles were closer. Riwaka and Ledger fought well in a see-sawing first game and narrowly won 21-19. They lost the second 21-13, but won the third 21-14 to take the match.
Ledger then combined with White and after two well-fought close games they won the match 21-19 21-18.
Gray and Riwaka played the last women’s doubles match and held off their opposition 21-19 21-7.
In the mixed doubles, Batlajeri and Riwaka won 21-10 21-11.
Lee and White showed determination to take the first game 21-17 and, in a see-sawing game with long rallies, the second 24-22.
Top pairing Prebble and Gray won in two hard-fought games, 21-19 21-17 to make the final score Eastland 9, Hawke’s Bay 0.
In the afternoon, against Bay of Plenty, Batlajeri and Lee won the first game of their men’s doubles match, 21-18.
They let the second game get away from them, and lost 21-17. They piled on the pressure in the decider but couldn’t stop the Bay of Plenty pair winning 21-18.
Batlajeri then combined with Prebble. Bay of Plenty dominated the first game. The Eastland pair clawed their way back into the match in the second game but lost it 21-19.
Prebble and Lee won their first game 21-17, but the Bay of Plenty pairing dominated the second. The third game was the closest of the tie. Both pairings had a chance to win but Bay of Plenty got the decisive points to win 25-23. In the final tally of scores in this match, Bay of Plenty won 63 pooints to 62.
In the women’s doubles, all pairings — Riwaka and Ledger, Ledger and Gray, and Gray and White — lost their matches in two games. At this stage in the tie Bay of Plenty were six matches up.
In the mixed doubles, Batlajeri and Riwaka showed their skill and determination to win comfortably in two games, 21-12 21-17.
Lee and White were no match for their opponents, losing in two games.
Prebble and Gray had the only three-game match in the mixed doubles. They won the first game 21-16, the opposition came back to win the second 21-17, and — in a third game that was a battle of wits — Bay of Plenty held off the Eastland pair to win 21-19, and Bay of Plenty had won 8-1.
The fourth round of the North Island interprovincial super-veterans’ Division 2 competition will be held in Hamilton on September 9.
Eastland 9 Hawke’s Bay 0
Men’s doubles: Ron Prebble/Kevin Lee def Alf Meads/Tony Bloomfield 21-12 21-11; Prebble/Matheus Batlajeri def Meads/Ron Jackson 21-19 21-9; Lee/Batlajeri def Bloomfield/Jackson 21-12 21-13.
Women’s doubles: Sheree Gray/Annabelle Riwaka def Lynda Watson/Brenda Barber 21-19 21-17; Linda White/Ruth Ledger def Watson/Jenny Carmichael 21-19 21-18; Riwaka/Ledger def Barber/Carmichael 21-19 13-21 21-14.
Mixed doubles: Prebble/Gray def Meads/Barber 21-19 21-17; Lee/White def Bloomfield/Watson 21-17 24-22; Batlajeri/Riwaka def Jackson/Carmichael 21-10 21-11.
Eastland 1 Bay of Plenty 8
Men’s doubles: Prebble/Lee lost to Noel Stevens/Graeme Miller 21-17 18-21 23-25; Prebble/Batlajeri lost to Graeme Miller/Keith Miller 7-21 19-21; Lee/Batlajeri lost to Noel Stevens/Graham Johnson 21-18 17-21 18-21.
Women’s doubles: Gray/White lost to Vivian Theakery/Nita Read 13-21 16-21; Gray/Ledger lost to Sue Stevens/Read 13-21 15-21; Ledger/Riwaka lost to Theakery/Sheryl Miller 12-21 9-21.
Mixed doubles: Prebble/Gray lost to Graeme Miller/Theakery 16-21 21-17 19-21; Lee/White lost to Keith Miller/Stevens 14-21 9-21; Batlajeri/Riwaka defeated Johnson/Sheryl Miller 21-12 21-17.