Mixed start for Suffolk

THE Suffolk Badminton Association's county senior badminton teams had mixed fortunes at the start of this season's Inter Counties competition.

Having gained promotion last season, the county's first team have had two matches both against probably the strongest teams in their section of the Inter County competition.

Both matches were away, the first against Surrey second team played at Wimbledon, where they lost by 12 matches to three. Against an equally strong Middlesex second team, played at Hounslow, Suffolk lost a close match by nine matches to six.

Credit to the ladies of Suffolk in picking up two of the three matches won against Surrey II, with Gary Howe and Janet Mulvey gaining the other success in the mixed events.

Against Middlesex again the Suffolk ladies were victorious, winning both singles and three of the four ladies doubles. The other Suffolk success came in the mixed with Alan Jones and Toni Sturgeon excelling.

The county's second team had two successes, beating Lincolnshire second team in Lincoln 12 matches to three and beating Bedfordshire second team, played at Milton Keynes, by nine matches to six.

Against Lincolnshire it was a splendid all-round team effort, with Suffolk winning three of the four matches in each discipline of the singles, ladies doubles, men's doubles, then rounding of the success taking all three mixed.

It was a much closer encounter against Bedfordshire, with Suffolk losing all four singles, then a change of fortune, with Suffolk winning all four men's doubles, three of four ladies' doubles, and two of three mixed doubles.

Results: Suffolk I lost to Surrey II 3-12, Suffolk I lost to Middlesex II 6-9, Suffolk II beat Lincolnshire II 12-3, Suffolk II beat Bedfordshire II 9-6.