TWO high-flying teams in the Bolton Badminton League are vying for double success this season.
In the latest round of the cup competitions, A Section champions Markland Hill A played Sharples B and won by 23 points. And in another match in the Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup, B Section leaders Park entertained Westhoughton B and were the victors by 27 points.
Forrest B, also pushing for promotion from B Section, took on a determined Deane A with Helen Hartley and John Pilkington setting the pace for Forrest with both opening games.
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Chris Travis and Matt Green caused problems for Deane when they took the final mixed of the night to six, but Deane dug in to take a ladies' and a men's game. The handicap of +30, though, failed to make an impact on Forrest's 347 final score.
Elsewhere, good handicapping led to some nail-biters, not least between Markland Hill E and championship challengers ABC.
Markland Hill managed to contain their talented visitors in the first half dozen games, scoring double figures, but ABC's Kerry Kirkwood and Dave Hunter started the damage with top men's to nine and five and Ann Hurst and Lucy Hunter continued it with second ladies' to seven and five.
When Chris Wray and Hunter took the final men's to eight and six, it was always going to be a tight result. The handicap for the home side of +200 was not quite enough to stop ABC winning the clash by just nine points.
In the Robert Cup, Smithills A made a positive start against visitors Moorside A in spite of some gritty opposition.
Smithills' Jacquie Gibson and Chris O'Beirne started the campaign, winning one of their mixed games to just four. Moorside, however, kept the scoring in double figures. Sue Beamer and Jo Taylor snatched a ladies' game to 17, before Russ Beswick and Rob Halliwell took the final men's games to 13.
But the +40 handicap proved insufficient to match the efforts of Smithills, who were the winners by 26 points.
Moorside B had similar misfortune when they visited Oakgate's Bury Drill Hall base. Oakgate were quick off the mark, taking the opening set to 10 and eight and continued to score well throughout often restricting Moorside single figures.
The strategy paid off when the handicap was revealed as +100 - well away from Oakgate's 380 score.
RESULTS - Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup: Markland Hill A 378 Sharples B 355; ABC 378 Markland Hill E 369; Park 379 Westhoughton B 352; Forrest B 347 Deane A 306; Markland Hill B 378 Sharples A 363; Hawkshaw C 493 Markland Hill C 330; Forrest A 373 Markland Hill D 349. Robert Cup: Smithills A 358 Moorside A 332; Farnworth C 511 Metro B 335; Oakgate 380 Moorside B 304.
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