Cornwall’s top badminton players travelled to Bath again at the weekend to play the next set of matches in Badminton England’s Senior County Championships, the flagship county tournament which sees 120 teams of players representing their home counties across England.
1st team stars
First up were a young Avon team, and the Cornish boys got off to a flyer in the singles with three stunning victories for Tyler and Liam Sillifant from Launceston, and Truro’s Harry Dyer. Tyler’s victory was an impressive 2 ends in the number one slot, and Liam and Harry dug deep to come through in three.
In the top women’s singles, Cara Collins the young international from Liskeard, showed excellent consistency and court coverage to win in two tight ends, while Truro’s Melissa Lin, making her first team debut fought hard but lost in two, to make the score 4-1 going into the doubles.
Tom Lyle and his fellow Launceston compatriot Liam, gave no quarter in their men’s doubles, cruising to a fine win, but St Austell’s James Whetter and Guy Michell found it tougher going in the number two slot against an experienced and wily Avon pair.
Guy and James poised for action
The women’s doubles were also split, with Cara and Melissa battling the whole way and coming out on top after a tense and exciting three ends which gave Cornwall the overall victory with 6 games. Camborne’s Bronwen Wotton, this time partnering Amy Cox from London also pushed their opponents hard but just lost out, to go into the final two mixed doubles games.
Melissa and Cara winning
First up were Tom and Bronwen playing a good Avon pair – this game also went the distance, with some great rallies and thrilling attack and defense before the result just going to Avon. Harry and Amy finished the match on a high, a brand-new pairing which triumphed in three ends of nerve-biting badminton and amazing retrieval as the final end finished 23-21 to Cornwall, to give the match score 7-4 to Cornwall.
Some smiles after the win
The afternoon match was against a strong team from Gloucestershire, and this time Tyler and Liam were up against talented singles players and lost out, before Harry won the first end, lost the second, then stunningly won in the third. Cara once again saved the day winning comfortably in two, and Amy put up a brave battle but went down fighting.
The two Cornish men’s doubles pairs were no match for the Gloucestershire boys as everyone tired, in the women’s doubles Cara and Melissa were very unlucky to go the distance but lose in three, and the opponents had to concede the second doubles due to injury.
The match finished with the mixed doubles, and again Tom and Bronwen resisted hard but lost in two, leaving Harry and Melissa to complete the day, buy unluckily losing after an epic battle which had the Cornish supporters gripped, to make the match score 8-3 to Gloucestershire.
Amy and Harry in the mixed
This result gives Cornwall a very creditable mid table position to take to the final weekend at the end of March.
1st team – Tyler Sillifant, Liam Sillifant (both Launceston), Harry Dyer (Truro), Guy Michell, James Whetter (both St Austell), Cara Collins (LIskeard), Melissa Lin (Truro), Bronwen Wotton (Camborne), Amy Cox (London).
