The other teams taking part were from Oroua, Hawke’s Bay and Hutt Valley.
The Hutt Valley team dominated the day, winning all their ties 9-0.
Eastland team members were Helen Morley and Kahu Brown, from the Gisborne club; Ron Prebble, Bruce Ledger, Linda White and Annabelle Riwaka, all from the Patutahi club; and Matheus Batlajeri, a long-time loan player from Manawatu, and Richard Skarott, also from Manawatu.
Ruth Ledger had to withdraw at the last moment, while 2019 team members. Kevin Lee, Sheree Gray and Kevin Taylor were unavailable this time.
Eastland played Oroua first up. Bruce Ledger and loan player Skarott dominated to win in two games.
Ledger then teamed up with Prebble. They lost the first game narrowly, dominated the second and held off their opponents in the third.
Prebble combined with Batlajeri in the next game. They lost their first game by two points, narrowly won the next but Oroua dominated the final game.
Riwaka and Brown played strategically and won their match 22-20, 21-18.
Brown and White lost in two games.
Riwaka combined with Morley and they dominated throughout their match to win in two games.
After the doubles, Eastland were up 4 matches to 2.
In the mixed doubles, Batlajeri and Riwaka had a comfortable win, 21-9, 21-9.
New combination Skarott and Morley won a close first game 23-21. Oroua refocused and took the next. Eastland had their chances but lost the third 21-18.
Prebble and White were next on and won in two games.
Eastland won the tie 6 matches to 3.
Next up were Hutt Valley. Although Eastland lost all the matches, they had some highlights. Loan players Skarott and Batlajeri, having lost their first game heavily, won the second 21-19, but they couldn’t keep up the momentum and lost the third.
The Eastland women were no match for the Hutt Valley women, losing all matches in two games.
In the mixed doubles, Batlajeri and Riwaka were close to an upset in their first game but lost 22-20. They refocused and fought well in the next game but also lost that narrowly, 21-17.
Skarott and Morley lost in two games.
In the final mixed pairs, Prebble and White showed determination in a 21-19 first-game loss but couldn’t keep up the attack in the second, and lost the match in two games.
Eastland’s last tie of the day was against rivals Hawke’s Bay. Over the past few years, the results have always been close.
In the men’s doubles, Skarott teamed up with both Ledger and Prebble and the Eastland pairings won both matches.
Prebble and Batlajeri lost in two games after Hawke’s Bay dominated from the beginning.
Hawke’s Bay won all the women’s matches in two games to hold a 4-2 lead going into the mixed doubles.
Batlajeri and Riwaka continued their winning form of the morning. By playing skilfully and consistently, they were able to keep ahead of the attack to win 21-18, 21-13.
After losing their first game, Skarott and Morley came back vigorously but were unable to get ahead and lost the second game 21-13.
Prebble and White won the first game 21-18, lost the second 21-13 and lost the third.
Hawke’s Bay won the tie 6 matches to 3 — a reverse of the 2019 result.
Eastland defeated Oroua 6 matches to 3
Men’s doubles: Ron Prebble/Matheus Batlajeri lost to Bruce McGarvey/Mike Smith 20-22 21-17 10-21; Prebble/Bruce Ledger defeated Smith/Steve Arathoon 18-21 21-12 21-18; Ledger/Richard Skarott def Stuart Osborne/Arathoon 21-10 21-15.
Women’s doubles: Annabelle Riwaka/Helen Morley def Lynette Attwell/Anne Sutherland 21-14 21-11; Linda White/Kahu Brown lost to Sutherland/Jan Harris 15-21 10-21; Riwaka/Brown def Attwell/Alison Coleman 22-20 21-18.
Mixed doubles: Prebble/White def McGarvey/Sutherland 13-21 16-21; Skarott/Morley lost to Arathoon/Coleman 23-21 14-21 18-21; Batlajeri/Riwaka def Osborne/Harris 21-9 21-9.
Eastland lost to Hutt Valley 9 matches to 0
Men’s doubles: Ledger/Prebble lost to Graham Murphy/Dave Cochrane 16-21 12-21; Skarott/Batlajeri lost to Graham Murphy/Phil Gayler 10-21 21-19 17-21; Batlajeri/Ledger lost to Cochrane/Gayler 21-12 21-17.
Women’s doubles:
Helen Morley/Linda White lost to Glenda Stewart/Winnie Lu 10-21 3-21; White/Brown lost to Glenda Stewart/Verity Potter 8-21 6-21; Riwaka/Brown lost to Lu/Potter 10-21 3-21.
Mixed doubles: Prebble/White lost to Murphy/Lu 19-21 11-21; Skarott/Morley lost to Gayler/Stewart 11-21 10-21; Batlajeri/Riwaka lost to Cochrane/Potter 20-22 17-21.
Eastland lost to Hawke’s Bay 6 matches to 3
Men’s doubles: Prebble/Batlajeri def Stan Codlin/Brian Fisher 11-21 13-21; Prebble/Skarott def Codlin/Tony Bloomfield 21-18 21-16; Ledger/Skarott def Bloomfield/Don Colgate 14-21 17-21.
Women’s doubles: Morley/Riwaka lost to Lynda Watson/Brenda Barber 7-21 9-21; White/Brown lost to Watson/Jenny Carmichael 13-21 17-21; Brown/Morley lost to Barber/Carmichael 13-21 15-21.
Mixed doubles: Prebble/White lost to Codlin/Barber 21-18 19-21 15-21; Skarott/Morley lost to Fisher/Watson 14-21 18-21; Batlajeri/Riwaka def Bloomfield/Carmichael 21-18 21-13.
