Norfolk 2 v Bucks 3 - County Badminton Report

Last Sunday saw Norfolk's second team travel away to High Wycombe to face Buckinghamshire third team. After last weekends defeat, Norfolk were looking to bounce back in order to avoid any relegation thoughts as they look  towards the second half of the season.

Apparently, there is nothing like a three set singles game to clear any travel stiffness.  That is what all four Norfolk singles players seemed to believe as each game went the distance!  Daniel Leers started strongly, winning his first game 21-11 but Alex Wyett, Serena Verney and Lucy Curran could not replicate Leers, losing their first with Verney and Curran each losing very closely 22-20.  All of the games continued to be close, Curran showing some great character battled back from her first game defeat won the two remaining games 21-9, 21-17. Verney, Leers and Wyett could not equal the previous result, each losing their final game.

Three one down going into the doubles Norfolk needed to dig deep to avoid their opponents running away with the match. Wyett and James Ruthen and Leers and Luke Cox, filling in for Paul Daynes started the proceedings. Matching the singles, the games could not have been closer.  There was a slight concern when Wyett and Ruthen lost their first game.  However, this seemed to provide the visitors some needed impetus.  Leers and Cox adding to the game tally, winning their first match 24-22, 21-10.  Wyett and Ruthen also recovered to beat both Bucks first and second pairs in three sets.

It was a similar story in the Ladies doubles, Curran paired up with Verney and Helen Newstead joined with Katie Ruthen. Newstead and Price, playing with skill and consistency secured Norfolks first league points of the day winning both of their games in three sets.  Verney and Curran added to the tally following up with a well deserved win of their own, halving their games, both in three sets.

With three mixed games left to play and the possibility of all three points, the visitors needed to dig deep to get a deserved yet perhaps surprising victory.  Demonstrating how close the match was, two out of the three mixed again went to three sets, Wyett and Ruthen and Cox and Newstead winning both of their games to assured the visitors two out of the three points.  Ruthen and Curran were unable to add to the tally, leaving the final score 9-6 to Norfolk.

Out of the fifteen games played, thirteen of them went to three sets showing how close the match was.  Credit must be given to the home team Bucks who fought for every point and upon reflection deserved the last league point available.

Norfolk will now travel to league leaders Bedfordshire hoping to finish this series of away matches before their next home game in February.