Racquets start with victory

THE start of the new Oldham and Rochdale Badminton League season has seen two changes in the Open League.

Delph have teamed up with Littleborough and are now known as Hollingworth, while a new club to the league – Manchester Multi-Cultural Badminton Club (MMCBC) - start off in division two.

The first match in division one saw newly-promoted Saddleworth A beaten 11-4 by Lancashire Racquets A.

Peter Burke and Tony Riddle started well for the visitors with a 21-18 win but Saddleworth replied with a 21-13 victory for Ian Hartley and Bradley Heap.

Racquets took hold of the match, winning nine games in a row, with Ian Livesey and Andy Trevarrow winning their three games together, before Saddleworth took the last two games.

Alpha Whitworth A welcomed Northern Flight and the visitors started well with a 21-15 win before Lee Povey and Paul Shiel replied with a 21-13.

The match remained tight throughout and, although Paul Baker and Peter Ashworth won two games in a row, with the score level at 7-7, the result rested on the final game which went to visiting pair Steve Green and Chee Chin.

Alpha then visited last year’s champions, Dons. Paul Baker and Lee Povey started well for the visitors with a 21-18 win but Dons took control with five straight wins, including Neil Tursley and Dave Fox (21-16) and John Horlock and Martin Spencer (21–16) as they won 10-5.

Tara overcame Saddleworth A 14-1 with wins from Tony Weston and Colin Dunn (21-10) and Mark Webster and Richard Hadfield (21-6) helping to open up an unassailable 10–0 lead before Saddleworth scored through Martin Reed and Ian Hartley (21-15).

In division two, MMCBC started off with a visit from Saddleworth B and recorded a comfortable 15–0 win.

Spotland opened with an 11-4 win against Balderstone thanks, in part, to victories from Simon Jukes and Steve Kelly (21-5) and Martin Noble and Ian Wiener (21–10).

Balderstone then beat Alpha Whitworth B 13-2 helped by wins for Brian Dearden and Rod Collins (21-16) and Keith Millington and Andy Gilmartin (21-6).

Alpha won a couple of 21-20 games from Martin Wolfenden and Gary Walker and Will Millard and B. Leivers but Balderstone were always in control.