PROMOTION to a higher section can be a baptism of fire as some Bolton Badminton League teams are discovering in the early fixtures.

Metro A had an 18-0 trouncing by current league champions Markland Hill A in their first fixture back in A Section, and both C Section champions Sharples B and runners up Westhoughton B faced strong opposition in their opening salvo in the higher section.

Section D winners Forrest E turned the trend in C Section with a useful 14-4 win against Westhoughton C, and E Section runners up Forrest F picked up a point in their sally into D Section via a draw with Westhoughton D.

Bolton Lads & Girls Club may have finished at the bottom of the league last season, but they have started the new season with real determination.

They faced Farnworth D at home, and made a positive start when Caitlan Smith and Keiran Patel took the first set to six and seven. The second narrowly went to Farnworth's top couple Jill Hitchen and Raj Kurian, but with the rest of the games also split, BLGC had a narrow 6-4 lead after the mixed.

The top ladies' games were shared, but Keiran Patel and Josh Carter took both top men's, and when Faye Ingham and April Foster took both second ladies, the points were decided.

Josh Carter and Sunjeet Patel tidied up the scoreline with the final games of the night, but the 13-5 scoreline signals what could be BLGC's best yet season.

For Forrest C, who came down from B Section, there was a clear indication of their determination to return when they beat Farnworth B 14-4 at home.

RESULTS: Division A: Forrest A 11 Markland Hill C 7; ABC 8 Markland Hill B 10; Bury A 18 Hawkshaw A 0; Hawkshaw B 9 Bury B 9; Markland Hill A 18 Metros A 0. Division B: Park 16 Markland Hill E 2; Markland Hill D 7 Forrest B 11; Sharples A 12 Hawkshaw C 6; Deane A 10 Sharples B 8; Westhoughton A 13 Westhoughton B 5. Division C: D L Farnworth A 18 Forrest D 0; Metros B 5 Deane B 13; Forrest C 14 D L Farnworth B 4; Westhoughton C 4 Forrest E 14; Hawkshaw D 12 Deane C 6. Division D: Moorside A 7 Oakgate 11; Markland Hill F 11 Moorside B 7; Smithills A 16 Metros C 2; Sharples C 9 Smithills B 9; Forrest F 9 Westhoughton D 9; Moorside A 12 Sharples C 6; Division E: Moorside C 17 D L Farnworth D 1; Lads & Girls 13 Forrest G 5; D L Farnworth C 9 Moorside D 9.