Browse Sections

• Rochdale FC
• Rochdale Hornets
• Local football
• Local cricket

Alpha win thrilling team handicap final

30/ 4/2004

Badminton

A HIGHLY entertaining Kwikprint Open Team Handicap Trophy final was played in a great sporting, yet competitive manner last Saturday between Alpha and Spotland.

Both had struggled in the league this year so it was always going to be a close match.

Unknown to the teams, due to handicap rules, there were only three points between them after six games.

After 12 games the difference had been reduced to two.

The final six games decided the match as Alpha collected 78 points from a possible 90 whereas Spotland could manage only 48. When the handicap was added to Spotland's tally, Alpha had won by 10 points.

Alpha's Damon Webster was unbeaten and scored the maximum 90 points for his team. Spotland's Neil Butterworth and David Johnson each collected 86 points.

The second semi-final of the men's doubles, and the men's singles final, were finally played this week.

Lancashire Racquets' Michael Edge and Nicholas Shoreman played beyond their years to defeat Alpha's Yunas Musa and Lee Povey in an excellent doubles match which was much closer than the 15-8, 15-4 score suggests.

The final against Simon Halls and Paul Brophy remains to be played.

Yunas Musa found it hard to pick himself up from the earlier defeat as Michael Edge won the singles 15-1, 15-4. The play belied the scoreline.