Double badminton loss but Eastland positive

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

EASTLAND remain positive despite two losses in the first round of the North Island division 3 inter-association veterans’ competition.

Eastland lost 6-3 to North Harbour (3) and 8-1 to Counties Manukau at Meeanee Sports Stadium in Napier.

Four Gisborne players (Alan Ledger, Linda White, Annabelle Riwaka, Sonia Jones) and four Hawke’s Bay loan players (Wayne Feck, Brian Boyd, Lynda Watson, Tony Bloomfield) made up the Eastland squad.

Several Gisborne players were unavailable for selection.

Against North Harbour, Eastland lost all three men’s doubles but picked up victories in two of the women’s matches. Jones and White won 21-17 in the third and Jones and Watson won 21-19, 21-17.

That saw Eastland trail 4-2 heading into the mixed doubles where Ledger and Riwaka had a win, 21-15, 21-17.

Counties Manukau dominated the men’s doubles in Eastland’s second tie of the day and extended their lead to 6-0 in the women’s doubles.

New combo Boyd and Jones picked up Eastland’s only win in the mixed doubles — 21-18, 19-21, 21-14 — although it did feature the tightest match of the day in Bloomfield and White’s 22-20, 14-21, 19-21 loss.

Eastland’s next ties will be hosted by Counties Manakau on June 11.

ResultsEastland 3 North Harbour 6

Men’s doubles: Alan Ledger/Brian Boyd lost 21-15, 4-21, 14-21; Boyd/Tony Bloomfield lost 19-21 15-21; Ledger/Wayne Feck lost 27-29, 14-21.

Women’s doubles: Sonia Jones/Linda White won 21-15, 16-21, 21-17; Jones /Lynda Watson won 21-19, 21-17; Watson/Annabelle Riwaka lost 17-21 19-21.

Mixed doubles: Ledger/Riwaka won 21-15, 21-17; Bloomfield/ White lost 20-22, 21-15, 13-21; Feck/Jones lost 14-21, 17-21.

Eastland 1 Counties Manukau 8 — Men’s doubles: Ledger/ Bloomfield lost 14-21, 17-21; Bloomfield/Feck lost 10-21, 17-21; Boyd/Feck lost 9-21, 15-21.

Women’s doubles: Jones/White lost 16-21, 9-21; White/Watson lost 15-21, 8-21; Riwaka/Watson lost 21-18, 11-21, 16-21.

Mixed doubles: Ledger/Riwaka lost 16-21, 17-21; Bloomfield/White lost 20-22, 21-14, 19-21; Boyd/Jones won 21-18, 19-21, 21-14.