The Hawke's Bay Masters No1 side went oh so close to the upset of the season in the national division one masters badminton competition.
The IMS Payroll-sponsored side lost on a countback of sets after matches were drawn 6-all in their clash against Waitakere in Rotorua at the weekend. Third-placed Waitakere took Hawke's Bay lightly resting a couple of their top players.
Waitakere were also confident when they saw Hawke's Bay were playing without former New Zealand representative Croydon Rutherford and three of their regular women starters through injuries. However, Hawke's Bay made the ideal start with the No4 men's pair of Tim Forster and Kyle Tostevin and No4 women's pair of Anita Fahey and Sandie Newport both recording three-set victories.
Both Hawke's Bay No3 doubles combinations, Vaughan Coley and Jimmy Bass and June Crawford and Wendy Hiha both lost in matches which could have easily swung in their favour. The Bay's No2 men's doubles combo of Bass and Kerry McIntyre won in three sets before Crawford and Fahey caused an upset with a two-set victory.
Forster and McIntye won their doubles match 2-1 to give the Bay a 5-3 lead going into the mixed doubles. Their team had to win two of the four mixed doubles to win as they were behind on set wins.