Badminton masters win one, lose one

Eastland travelled to Waitakere for their second-round ties of the 2018 inter-association masters’ badminton competition.

They beat North Harbour (4) seven matches to five, and lost to Waitakere (4) 7-5.

Against North Harbour (4), Victoria West and Makuini Winiata were first up in the women’s doubles and lost their first game, won the second, and narrowly lost the third.

First up in the men’s doubles, Chris Popata and Tony Rutherford (both loan players from Taranaki), won their match in two games.

Next women on were Gabrielle Perano and West. After losing the first game, Perano and West fought hard and won the next two games to take the match.

Debbie Brown and Winiata were the next women’s pairing on, and lost in two games.

Brown then teamed up with Perano, and after losing their first game by two points, they fought hard and won the next two games.

The next men’s pairing on were Justin Kent and Rutherford. They lost by two points in each of two hard-fought games.

Kent and Popata then teamed up and, after some long rallies that could have gone either way, lost in three games.

In the final men’s doubles match, Mark Beard and David Colbert won the first game comfortably, but had a battle on their hands in the second game, eventually winning 26-24.

In the mixed doubles, Rutherford and Adrianne McLeod won their match in two games.

Colbert and West also won their match in two games.

Kent and Perano lost in two games, and in the all-important last match, Beard and Brown lost the first game but came back to win the second and third games for a final score of Eastland 7 matches, North Harbour 5.

Against Waitakere (4), Winiata and McLeod were the first women up and, after some close rallies, lost their match in two games.

Popata and Rutherford were the first men up, and they won their match in two games.

Next women on were West and Perano, and after they won a close first game, they took the second more easily.

West then teamed up with Brown for the first time this season. They lost their first game, but as they started to understand each other’s play, they won the next two games to win the match.

Brown then teamed up with Perano, but Brown had suffered a calf injury in the previous match so they had to try to play more strategically.

However, the Waitakere pair were a top combination and beat the Eastland duo in two games.

Men’s doubles combination Colbert and Kent had an extremely tough match. They lost the first game, won the second and lost a close decider.

Beard and Popata were up next, and in what seemed like a repeat of the match before they lost the first game, won the second and lost the third.

Eastland’s last men’s pairing, Colbert and Beard, were determined to get their team back on even terms. They won the first game, lost the second and won a long, tough third game to win the match.

Going into the mixed doubles, the match score was all square.

Rutherford and McLeod won their match in three game.

Colbert and West had an extremely close match, won by Waitakere in three games.

Kent and Perano also lost a tough three-game match.

Waitakere were ahead by one going into the last match.

Beard and Brown lost the first game, came back to win an extremely close second 24-22, but — with Brown still struggling with her calf and Beard trying everything he could — they lost the third.

That gave Waitakere (4) the tie, 7 matches to 5.

Manager Brown said the Waitakere team were among the toughest opposition they had faced this season.

Out of 12 matches, eight were three-game matches. Eastland lost five of those matches, so it could easily have been a different scoreline.

Eastland 7 North Harbour (4) 5.

Beard/Colbert won 21-12, 26-24; Kent/Popata lost 21-15, 17-21, 12-21; Kent/Rutherford lost 21-23, 20-22; Popata/Rutherford won 21-11, 21-13; Brown/Perano won 20-22, 21-10, 21-16; Brown/Winiata lost 11-21, 6-21; Perano/West won 14-21, 21-14, 21-12; West/Winiata lost 16-21, 21-14, 18-21; Beard/Brown won 16-21, 21-13, 21-14; Kent/Perano lost 9-21, 14-21; Colbert/West won 21-14, 21-8; Rutherford/McLeod won 21-16, 22-20.

Eastland 5 Waitakere (4) 7.

Beard/Colbert won 21-14, 13-21, 21-18; Beard/Popata lost 17-21, 21-19, 15-21; Colbert/Kent lost 17-21, 21-18, 19-21; Popata/Rutherford won 21-10, 21-17; Brown/Perano lost 14-21, 22-24; Brown/West won 16-21, 21-14, 21-19; Winiata/McLeod lost 14-21, 12-21; Beard/Brown lost 18-21, 24-22, 9-21; Kent/Perano lost 21-18, 18-21, 9-21; Colbert/West lost 24-22, 13-21, 19-21; Rutherford/McLeod won 21-18, 17-21, 21-17.

Eastland are in Hamilton today for their third round of the competiton. They were to play Bay of Plenty (2) and Counties Manukau (2).

Bay of Plenty (2) sit eighth on the table, while Counties Manukau (2) are fourth, one spot ahead of Eastland, who are fifth.

The team were travelling with only four men and four women, so manager Debbie Brown was hoping they would have no injuries.

Those travelling were David Colbert, Justin Kent, Debbie Brown (manager), Adrianne McLeod, Gabrielle Perano and Victoria West, all from Gisborne Badminton Club, and loan players Chris Popata and Tony Rutherford, both from Taranaki.

Mark Beard and Makuini Winiata were unavailable to travel.