It was a well deserved victory for Lancaster in the mixed Badminton on Saturday. The overall score was close, with Lancaster winning 5-4. Each mixed pair played all of York’s three pairs, and so the competition remained high throughout the morning.
The first team for Lancaster lost their first out of three games, with a score of 19-21. However this team, with Neil Rylander and Steph Hall, played at a high standard throughout. The team then won their second game and lost their third, making the score 0-1 to York after the first match at this early stage.
The pair went on to play against two more of York’s teams, and won the second two matches, seeing Lancaster take a lead overall with a score of 2-1. With some strong hits and quick movement, Lancaster proved to be the more consistent side in the matches, and the win was well-deserved. Despite playing three of York’s teams, Lancaster kept high energy and determination throughout the matches.
The second pair, Adam Finlay (team captain) and Charlotte Hall won against their opponents overall, with a score of 2-1, bringing the score to 4-2 for the first two teams against York. The pair worked well together, gaining some strong strikes against York’s team, with both sides having to use the whole court throughout. With Finlay playing at the back, and Hall in front, they worked well as a team. Despite losing one match, their play remained strong all the way through, ensuring Lancaster’s early lead.
The final pair, with teammates Matt Woodthorpe and Heather Bennett, played well but were defeated by York in their first two matches of three, with York proving to be the stronger side. Before their third and final match the score overall came to 4-4, with the deciding match being played by this final team. The match was close throughout, as York continued to remain even with Lancaster. The two sides battled continuously to try and get a lead, with the final score going past 21. Lancaster finally won with a score of 25-23. Some strong returns from Lancaster meant that they were able to gain a slight lead towards the end and gain victory over York.
Team captain Adam Finlay expressed great pride for the team, saying it was “an absolutely stunning win, the performance in the last match was excellent under such extreme circumstances”. After some excellent play, determination, and good team work; Lancaster left with high spirits after a nail-biting finish, finally gaining a great victory over York.
