A win and a loss for start of campaign

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Eastland Masters started their badminton season with a win and a loss in Rotorua.

Eastland lost to Wellington (2), 8 matches to 4, then beat Waikato (2) on games won . . . the teams were level at 6 matches each, but Eastland’s 14-13 advantage in games won gave them victory.

Wellington (2) were Eastland’s nemesis two years ago in this division. Wellington (2) won the division that year (Eastland only narrowly losing to them) and were promoted.

Wellington (2) didn’t win enough ties to stay up, and this year Eastland had to face them in the opening round of the competition.

Eastland had players new to the team, untried combinations and one of their top players nursing an injury.

Some close, exciting matches could have gone either way.

Debbie Brown and Gabrielle Perano narrowly lost their match in three games, 21-19, 17-21, 16-21, and so did David Colbert and Justin Kent, 16-21, 21-16, 15-21.

Victoria West (nee Lee), back playing for Eastland after a few years’ break, and Colbert won their first match together in three exciting games, 21-17, 15-21, 21-15.

Eastland manager Debbie Brown knew that Waikato (2), who finished behind Eastland last year, would provide some tough matches, but she believed her team could win.

In the doubles, first up were Kent and a new player for Eastland, Chris Popata, from Taranaki. They made short work of their opponents, winning their match in two games.

Mark Beard and Popata won their match in two close games.

Colbert and Kent lost their match in three close games, 21-15, 16-21, 19-21, and then Colbert and Beard lost in two straight games.

In the women’s doubles, Lee sisters Victoria West and Adrianne McLeod started slowly but won their second game. The third was beyond them, though, and they lost the match 6-21, 21-18, 18-21.

Perano and West won their match in two games.

Brown and Makuini Winiata (who had just flown in from Perth, where she has been working) lost their match in two games.

Brown and Perano had another three-game match, but this time won, 21-10, 9-21, 21-14.

Going into the mixed combinations, Eastland and Waikato (2) were level.

First on court were Taranaki loan player Tony Rutherford, suffering a major case of toothache, and McLeod. They lost their match in two games.

Next were Colbert and West, who won their match in two games.

Kent and Perano won their match in two extremely close games, 24-22, 21-18, but then Beard and Brown lost in two tight games, 21-23, 11-21.

With the score tied at six matches each, it came down to countback on games won. Thanks to West and McLeod winning a game, Eastland won 6-6 (14 games to 13).

Wellington (2) 8 Eastland 4.

Beard/Colbert won 21-8, 21-15; Colbert/Kent lost 16-21, 21-16, 15-21; Popata/Rutherford lost 19-21, 9-21; Beard/Popata won 21-14, 21-16; Brown/Perano lost 21-19, 17-21, 16-21; Brown/Winiata lost 11-21, 15-21; West/McLeod lost 10-21, 14-21; West/Winiata lost 6-21, 12-21; Beard/Brown won 21-17, 14-21, 21-15; Kent/Winiata lost 13-21, 5-21; Colbert/West won 21-17, 15-21, 21-15; Rutherford/McLeod lost 13-21, 16-21.

Eastland 6, 14 games Waikato (2) 6, 13.

Colbert/Beard lost 15-21, 15-21; Colbert/Kent lost 21-15, 16-21, 19-21; Beard/Popata won 21-17, 21-19; Kent/Popata won 21-4, 21-14; Brown/Perano won 21-10, 9-21, 21-14; Brown/Winiata lost 19-21, 9-21; Perano/West won 21-15, 21-13; West/McLeod lost 6-21, 21-18, 18-21; Beard/Brown lost 21-23, 11-21; Kent/Perano won 24-22, 21-18; Colbert/West won 21-14, 21-14; Rutherford/McLeod lost 17-21, 15-21.