Cambs O40s win historic National Championship

Cambridgeshire Badminton Association is celebrating an historic victory after success in the Badminton England Masters County Championships this weekend.

In a finals competition spanning the weekend held at the University of Birmingham, the county's O40 team triumphed in the finals of the season-long competition.

The Cambridgeshire team comprising Daniel Bates, Neil Place, Sam Scharf, James Wilson, Natalie Taylor, Sara Cunnington, Alison Meijers and Jenifer Hewitt reached the finals after winning the Midlands-East regional division held from October to February, comprising teams from Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. The division was won with a clean sweep of victories, and only 7 games dropped all season.

This was then followed with success in a nail-biting national playoff against Staffordshire in Nottingham on 2nd April, with Cambridgeshire winning 7-5.

Finally, masters teams of all ages were brought together in Birmingham this weekend at the culmination of the Masters County Championships for the semi-finals on Saturday, and finals on Sunday. In the O40 category on Saturday Cambridgeshire achieved a commanding 10-2 semi-final win against Devon, putting them through to a final against Lancashire at lunchtime on Sunday. In another hard-fought match, Cambridgeshire reproduced the same 10-2 result to be crowned O40 National Champions.

This result marks the first time that a team from the county has won a national title at junior, senior or masters levels. The country has a thriving badminton representation, with four masters teams, three senior teams, and three junior teams all taking part in inter-county competition.

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Start of season newsletter

With the start of the season rapidly approaching, a newsletter from the new County Committee was sent to the secretary of each affiliated club, asking them to pass it on to all of their members playing badminton in the County.

The message contained important information about major changes to the County Committee, and information about junior, senior and masters badminton in the County.  If you didn't get the letter then feel free to nudge your secretary to pass such information along!  In the mean time, the message is below:

Dear Club Secretary,

Please see below some updates about Cambridgeshire Badminton Association for the upcoming season.  I would be grateful if you could circulate this to your members so that they can keep up-to-date about badminton in the County.

AGM

Apologies for the delay in you receiving this information, but ahead of the new season I wanted to let you know that following the Cambridgeshire AGM this year it was agreed to raise the county affiliation fees as follows:

Senior: £2.80
Junior: £0.75
Associated Seniors: £2.00

At the AGM, the majority of the long-standing committee members stood down, after dedicating a very significant period of service.  The leaving members had served on the committee for a breathtaking combined 111+ years of work supporting the sport, and club members!

The County Committee is therefore now as follows:

Chairman/Publicity Officer: Daniel Bates
Secretary: Louise Place
Treasurer: Graham Barr
Registration Secretary: Campbell Wilson
Match Secretary/ South Cambs League Rep: Simon Parker
Tournament Secretary: Neil Place
Coaching Coordinator: James Wilson
Masters Coordinator: Nick Pratt

General Committee Members: Sahan Gamage, Ruth LeFevre, Geoff McCall, Damian Saunders.

Please remember the Association is run by volunteers and we need your support to keep Badminton going in the County. If you can help out with anything or have constructive comments please let us know.

COUNTY RESTRICTED

For those that are interested the annual County Restricted Tournament will be held on the weekend of 1st and 2nd October at Swavesey Village College:

Singles: Saturday 1st October 9am-3pm
Level and Mixed Doubles: Sunday 2nd October 9am-6pm

Anyone wishing to be considered for a County team should certainly make the effort to enter, as this is the best chance to pit your abilities against the most players from around the County. Entries will open within the next couple of weeks (announced on the website and Facebook) and will be via Tournament Software as per last year. 

We are also looking for volunteers to help with running the tournament, even if it's just for an hour or two. Please speak to myself or Neil (neilplace101@gmail.com) if you can help.
Please pass these details on to any of your club members who may be interested.  

MASTERS TEAMS

The county is also running Over 45s and Over 50s teams this year and are hoping to have an Over 40s team next year. If you are in either of these age groups (or approaching soon) and would like to get involved please contact Nick Pratt (nick.pratt68@gmail.com).

JUNIORS

We are also very excited that the County is fielding two junior teams this season, for the first time in several years.  Cambridgeshire will have an U18 and U16 team, and the teams will participate in regular squad practice sessions.  If you have juniors who you think are strong enough to try out for a team, please send in their details so that they can be invited.

COACHING

The Association has a long-standing commitment to coaching and development within the County.  If you are interested in taking your coaching badges, the County offers bursaries to help with the cost for anyone who can demonstrate they will be coaching in the area.  Please contact me for more information.

To keep up-to-date with other badminton news in the County, please do check the website at www.cambridgeshirebadminton.org and ‘like’ the Facebook page (search for “Cambs Badminton”).

Wishing you all an enjoyable and successful season!

Any comments or queries, please let me know.

Kind Regards,

Louise Place
Hon. Secretary
Cambridgeshire County Badminton

Cambs Players Representing England in Sweden

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Olga Bryant: Bronze medalist, Turkey 2013

Cambridgeshire players Daniel Bates and Olga Bryant have been selected again to represent England at the BWF World Senior Championships in Helsingborg, Sweden from 20-26 September.

This is the second World Championships for the pair, who represented England in Turkey in 2013, and also in the European Senior Championships in Portugal last year.

This year Olga is entering all three disciplines: Singles O45, doubles O40 with Karina Bye, and mixed O40 with Steve Hulbert.  Daniel is playing doubles O35 with Mark Trebble, and mixed O35 with Sara Hall.

The pair can be followed via Tournament Software, and games from the tournament will be streamed online live from the Quarter Final stages.

Cambridgeshire Badminton wishes them every success!

Masters County Challenge O45 2015 Report

Saturday

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Back row (left to right) Peter Colerman, Nick Pratt, Kevin Barron and John Foo

Front row (left to right) Sharon Chandler. Sandra Ashcroft, Lucy Matthews and Olga Bryant

It was with great trepidation, anticipation and excitement that the Over 45 team of Olga Bryant, Sharon Chandler, Lucy Matthews, Kevin Barron, Peter Coleman, John Foo, Nick Pratt and Captain Sandra Ashcroft (who had the onus task of trying to keep them all in line) headed off to Lilleshall for the annual Master games. They were in Group 1A containing Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and Wiltshire and would play one match against each other county consisting of 1 Ladies, 1 Mens and 2 Mixed doubles.

Out first match was against Leicestershire and following a long journey of some 3 hours it was always going to be tough, a very nervous debutant Lucy Matthews played in the ladies with Sandra Ashcroft it didn’t take them long to work out their partnership and narrowly lost 21-15 21-17,  but this hopefully meant positive things for the weekend, next it was the turn of Peter Coleman and Kevin Barron who won 21-14 21-17,

Score  1 all going into the Mixed Cambridgeshire strength normally Olga Bryant paired up with her partner of old Nick Pratt at number 1 mixed and cruised at 21-7 21-13 followed by Sharon Chandler and John Foo who closed the match out in favour of Cambridgeshire 21-16 21-16.

Match score 3-1.

With a sit out of 3 hours this gave the team time to talk tactics and team selection HA HA!!  or grab 40 winks.  Team spirit was high going into the next match against Shropshire 

• Ladies Doubles                  -    Lucy and Sandra              lost    15-21  15-21
• Mens Doubles                  -   Nick and John                   won   21-8    21-14
• Mixed 1 Doubles              -    Olga and Peter                 won    21-9    21-9
• Mixed 2 Doubles              -    Sharon and Kevin            won    21-17  21-4                         

Match Score 3-1

Final Match of Saturday with much relieve of the team was against their old enemies Nottinghamshire

• Ladies Doubles                  -    Lucy and Sandra              lost    15-21  13-21
• Mens Doubles                  -   Peter and John                 won   21-14  21-19
• Mixed 1 Doubles              -    Olga and Nick                    lost     17-21  13-21
• Mixed 2 Doubles              -    Sharon and Kevin            won    21-17  17-21 and 21-13 

Match Score 2-2

Undefeated Day one, time to party and hopefully for Captain Sandra to prevent too bigger hangovers for a

10 O`Clock start on Sunday. Hic  Hic                                                                                   

Sunday

First match of the day was going to be against Warwickshire who had partied hard the night before,  with  Cambridgeshire hangovers prevented and muscles kept warm dancing the team were positive and up for the challenge

• Ladies Doubles                 -    Lucy and Sandra              lost     8-21   11-21
• Mens Doubles                  -   Nick and John                  lost    19-21   18-21
• Mixed 1 Doubles              -    Olga and Peter                 won   21-10  21-17
• Mixed 2 Doubles              -    Sharon and Kevin            won   21-12  21-14

Match Score 2-2

Second match against so far an undefeated team of Wiltshire and an unknown commodity for Cambridgeshire

• Ladies Doubles                  -    Lucy and Sandra              lost    13-21  12-21

This was followed by a outstanding performance and the match of the tournament by John and Nick

• Mens Doubles                  -   Nick and John                  won    18-12 21-19 and 21-13

This left it to the Mixed pairings to bring the result home, unfortunately this did not start well with Peter rubbing deep heat where beers cannot reach, giving the Cambs Over 50s ladies looking down from the balcony a sight not fit for sore eyes and playing against an injured opponent proved too much hence

• Mixed 1 Doubles              -    Olga and Peter                 lost    18-21  21-10 and 16-21    

Match score 2-2

But the pairing with 100% records to this date kept Cambridgeshire in the race

Mixed 2 Doubles              -    Sharon and Kevin            won   21-17  21-15

With one match to go Cambridgeshire remained undefeated with both Sharon and Kevin on 100%, so the pressure was on, so following a team talk it was decided to swap pairings around against Derbyshire

• Ladies Doubles                  -    Olga and Sandra             won   21-10  21-12
• Mens Doubles                  -    Peter  and John              won   21-6    19-21 and  21-19
• Mixed 1 Doubles              -    Sharon and Nick              won   21-14  14-21 and  21-12
• Mixed 2 Doubles              -    Lucy and Kevin                 won  21-16  21-11

Match score 4-0

Final positions

• Warwickshire: 10 points
• Nottinghamshire: 10 points
• Cambridgeshire: 9 points
• Wiltshire: 7 points

Followed by Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Shropshire

It was a great weekend of quality badminton, team undefeated  with a tremendous team spirit commented on by the organiser and here`s looking forward to 2016.

Many thanks team

Cambs Trio to Represent England at European Senior Championships

Daniel Bates and Neil Place at the BWF World Masters Championships

Cambridgeshire players Daniel Bates, Olga Bryant and Neil Place have all been selected to represent England in the Badminton Europe 2014 European Senior Championships in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal from 21-27 September.

The trio return to England action following their appearances at the BWF World Senior Championships in Turkey last September, at which Daniel and Neil reached the quarter finals for O35 Mens Doubles, and Olga secured a bronze medal with a semi-final finish in the O40 Mixed.

Olga also represented England at the European Championships two years ago, when she travelled to Sofia in Bulgaria and won a silver medal in the O40 ladies doubles.

Cambridgeshire Badminton wishes them every success!

Cambs Trio Win England Selection for Ankara

Cambridgeshire players Daniel Bates, Olga Bryant and Neil Place have all been selected to represent England in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Senior Championships in Ankara, Turkey, in September.

​Held every two years, the World Senior Championship is the pinnacle event in the badminton Masters tournament calendar, and the best players from every country have been invited to compete. Positions to represent England are highly sought after.

Olga has represented England before, travelling to Sofia in Bulgaria last year where she won a silver medal in the O40 ladies doubles.  In Ankara, she will compete in the O40 ladies singles and doubles competitions.​

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​Olga Bryant representing England

Neil and Daniel have been selected for the first time, after coming runners up in the English National Masters Championships in December, and reaching the semi-finals of the All England Masters in April.  The will be competing in the O35 mens doubles.

O40s Sent to Coventry (A Good Time Had By All!)

The weekend of the 12th/13th January saw the masters over 40s travel to Coventry for their annual ICC competition. Over recent years the team has shown their strength and narrowly missed promotion to the premier league.

The team for 2013 was Nick Pratt, Rob Couch, Kevin Barron, John Foo, Paul Martell, Sandra Ashcroft, Olga Bryant, Amanda Godfrey and Sharon Chandler.

With the smell of muscle rubs cream and the country gold reserve spent on knee bandages, the masters team kicked off with Staffordshire at 09:30 in the morning.

This proved not to be a good start, losing the mens doubles (Paul/John), the ladies doubles (Sandra/Amanda) and 2nd mixed (Rob/Sharon). The only win coming in the 1st mixed doubles (Olga/Nick). Match result, lost 3-1.

Things improved slightly with the next match against what is normally a very strong Notts team, with wins coming from Sandra/Amanda and 1st mixed pairing of Olga/Nick. Others pairs were Rob/John and Sharon/Paul.

For the final match of the day, super sub Kevin turned up and with a change in the line up resulted in. 4-0 win. Pairings of Kevin/John, Sandra/Olga, Amanda/Rob and Sharon/Paul.

Day 1 ends with 1 win, 1 draw and 1 defeat (7 points)

Day 2 started with a 9am match against Lancashire who won all their matches the previous day. It was clear the Cambs players were feeling the affect of thinking they were teenagers and stayed up for late night team talk and bonding session losing the match 3-1. The only win coming from Kevin/Sharon at 2nd mixed. The other pairings were Nick/John, Sandra/Olga, Amanda/Rob.

With the team starting to wake up, the next match was against the very impressive Leicestershire side who boasted two national champions. This was always going to be a hard match, but after some close games, and some not very close the result was a 4-0 defeat. Pairings off Amanda/Sandra, Paul/Rob, Olga/John and Sharon/Kevin.

The final match was against Northumberland, who had alot of draws during the weekend, so we did not want to ruin it, and finished 2-2. The wins comings from the mixed pairings of Olga/Paul and Sharon/Kevin. The doubles pairings were John/Rob and Amanda/Sandra.

Final results. Played 6. Won 1. Drew 2. Lost 3.

Overall verdict: good time had by all.