The Eastland Super Veterans badminton team who competed against Hawke's Bay and Bay of Plenty (2) in North Island Division 3 ties in Gisborne were (back from left) Alan Ledger, Ron Prebble, Kevin Lee, Darryl Miller, Paul Roia, (front from left) Ra Leach, Sheree Gray, Ruth Ledger and Linda White.
The Eastland Super Veterans badminton team who competed against Hawke's Bay and Bay of Plenty (2) in North Island Division 3 ties in Gisborne were (back from left) Alan Ledger, Ron Prebble, Kevin Lee, Darryl Miller, Paul Roia, (front from left) Ra Leach, Sheree Gray, Ruth Ledger and Linda White.
Hawke’s Bay dominated the opening ties of the North Island Inter-Association Super Veterans (60 years and over) badminton series in Gisborne recently.
They beat Eastland 7 matches to 2 and Bay of Plenty (2) 9-0 to kick off their Division 3 campaign in style.
Eastland also lost 6-3to Bay of Plenty (2).
Camaraderie among the teams was a feature of the day as competitors and former players caught up with old friends at the Badminton Centre, Eastland player/manager Linda White said.
The Eastland team comprised Kevin Lee (Gisborne Badminton Club), Ron Prebble, Alan Ledger, Sheree Gray, Ruth Ledger, Ra Leach and manager Linda White (all from Patutahi), and Paul Roia and Darryl Miller on loan from Whakatāne.
Gray and Ruth Ledger had a close three-game match, losing the decider 21-19.
Gray and Leach worked hard to stay in front, eventually winning narrowly 21-16, 21-19.
Ruth Ledger and White led in their first game but couldn’t hold off their opponents, who eventually won in two games.
The mixed doubles were tight.
Roia and Ruth Ledger held on to win in two games while Prebble and Gray had a close tussle before losing in three.
Alan Ledger and Leach dominated their first game, lost the second 24-22, and trailed most of the way in losing the third 21-16.
Against Hawke’s Bay in the afternoon, Prebble and Miller were up against much younger opposition but had an exciting three-game match before losing.
Ron Prebble (left) and Darryl Miller in action for Eastland at the North Island Inter-Association Division 3 Super Veterans (over-60s) competition at the Badminton Centre in Gisborne.
The women’s doubles were all three-game matches, with only a few points in it.
Gray and Leach had a hard-fought 21-19, 19-21, 21-16 win over Tania Codlin and former Gisborne player Brenda Barber.
In the mixed doubles, Prebble and Gray led from the start to win 21-13, 21-16.
Hawke’s Bay won the last two doubles in two games.
White said it was great to see Hawke’s Bay player Lance Curry back at the Gisborne courts.
He won the Poverty Bay Open Singles Championship in 1984.
The Badminton Centre was new then, with some of the plumbing not completed, White said. It had been home to “lots of tales and history” in the 41 years since then.
The next Division 3 ties are at the Waitakere Badminton Hall on August 9.
Men’s doubles (Eastland names first): Ron Prebble/Alan Ledger lost to Bevan Boyce/Noel Stevens 8-21, 19-21; Darryl Miller/Kevin Lee lost to Stevens/Ian McConnochie 17-21, 16-21; Miller/Paul Roia defeated Boyce/Keith Miller 21-10, 21-14.
Women’s doubles: Sheree Gray/Ruth Ledger lost to Vianne Miller/Yumiko Kawano 21-15, 15-21, 19-21; Gray/Ra Leach def Kawano/Liza Hughes 21-16, 21-19; Ledger/Linda White lost to Miller/Hughes 21-23, 15-21.
Mixed doubles: Prebble/Gray lost to Boyce/Kawano 21-19, 19-21, 16-21; Roia/Ruth Ledger def Stevens/Vianne Miller 21-15, 21-12; Alan Ledger/Leach lost to McConnochie/Hughes 21-9, 22-24, 16-21.
Men’s doubles: Prebble/Roia lost to Stan Codlin/Lance Curry 17-21, 13-21; Prebble/Miller lost to Curry/Kyle Tostevin 17-21, 21-19, 13-21; Miller/Roia lost to Codlin/Steven Gee 13-21, 14-21.
Women’s doubles: Gray/Ledger lost to Tania Codlin /Marg Leatherland 21-18, 18-21, 11-21; Gray/Leach def Codlin/Brenda Barber 21-19, 19-21, 21-16; Ledger/Leach lost to Leatherland/Barber 19-21, 21-16, 16-21.
Mixed doubles: Prebble/Gray def Tostevin/Tania Codlin 21-13, 21-16; Roia/Ruth Ledger lost to Stan Codlin/June Crawford 15-21, 6-21; Alan Ledger/Leach lost to Gee/Leatherland 14-21, 13-21.
