MARKLAND Hill C and Oakgate fought out a thrilling draw in the Bolton Badminton League A Section.

Markland Hill’s Sue Webber and Graham Holt won the opening games 21-19, 21-11, against Oakgate’s number two couple, Paula Cranham and Iqbal Khan.

Oakgate levelled the scores when their first couple, Laura Woodburn and Nayn Minn, beat Angela Brown and Andy Rodger in a hard fought first game 23-21 then an easier and 21-11.

The third couples’ games were shared when Oakgate’s Mandy Wilkinson and Reza Ghanavan claimed the first 21-18, and Kath Spillane and Bill Hamblet took the second 21-11.

In the clash of the first couples, Woodburn and Minn won comfortably 21-12, 21-13, against Markland Hill’s Webber and Holt.

The second couples shared their games, Markland Hill’s Brown and Rodger claiming the first 21-19 and Cranham and Khan taking the second 21-18.

Going into the level doubles the match was 6-4 in Oakgate’s favour and they extended the lead to 8-4 in the first pair of ladies’ games when Wilkinson and Woodburn beat Spillane and Webber twice.

Markland Hill won the first pair of men’s games, Hamblett and Holt edging both 22-20, 21-19 against Ghanavan and Minn.

The second pair of ladies’ games was shared, Spillane and Brown claiming the first 21-17, and Wilkinson and Cranham the second 22-20.

Oakgate were in a draw position going into the final pair of men’s games but Hamblett and Rodger would not submit to defeat and claimed both games comfortably 21-15, 21-9, against Ghanavan and Khan.

Another draw came in B Section where Westhoughton C and DL Farnworth A shared the spoils.

The first six games were shared with Westhoughton’s Linda Redford and Shaun Chadwick winning the first 21-10, and Georgina Ryding and Ajith Babu taking the second 21-11.

Playing second for Westhoughton, Gill Moar and Sam Duda claimed the first 21-14, against Farnworth’s first pair, Kate Bridge and Jason Horsfall, who won the second 21-12.

When the third couples met Jeanette Owen and Andrew Clarke took the first 21-16, and Gaynor Parry and Adam Carney the second 21-7.

In the clash of the first couples Bridge and Horsfall claimed both 21-18, 21-17 against Westhoughton’s Redford and Chadwick.

The second couples shared their games, Westhoughton’s Moar and Duda taking the first 21-18, and Ryding and Babu the second 21-9.

Farnworth were 6-4 ahead after the mixed and went further ahead when Owen and Bridge claimed the first pair of ladies’ games 21-17, 21-10 against Parry and Redford.

Then Westhoughton’s Carney and Chadwick claimed the first pair of men’s games 21-14, against Clarke and Horsfall.

In the second pair of ladies’ games Westhoughton’s Parry and Moar won the first 21-16, and in a closely-fought second Owen and Ryding dug in to win 24-22.

It was down to the final men’s games to decide a winner and Carney and Duda came up trumps winning both 21-11, 21-13.