Hawke's Bay's top badminton side ended their national division three campaign with two losses in Papakura.
The TOLL-sponsored Bay team lost 21-19 on a sets countback against Counties-Manukau, after matches were drawn 8-all, and 12-4 to Wanganui.
Although both opposing teams were higher than the Bay on the points table,coach Kyle Tostevin had been confident of upsets against them at the weekend.
Against Counties-Manukau, only No2 woman Juneer Pontana and top man Thomas Ellis won their singles, so that the Bay started doubles play with a 6-2 deficit. The Bay won two of the four doubles and almost had a third as Ellis and Hastings Boys' High player Scott Ormond had two match points before losing a three-set battle.
Trailing 8-4, the Bay needed to win all of the mixed doubles matches to force a countback, and that was achieved. The winning combinations were Angus Crawford and Nykayla Johnson, Jimmy Bass and Pontana, Phet Pontana and Kelly Stern, and Ellis and Debbie Williams.
Coach Tostevin was disappointed with the slow start but proud of the fightback.
The Bay made a better start against Wanganui and trailed 5-3 after the singles. Ellis, top woman Stern and 15-year-old No4 woman Johnson all won their singles.
Ellis and Bass recorded the Bay's only doubles win. The No1 women's doubles team of Stern and Williams were up 20-10 and needing one more point to win the set when Waipukurau's Williams went down with a bad sprain. This forced the Bay to default the match as well as the top mixed doubles. All the other mixed doubles were lost.
