THE Bolton Badminton League season came to an end with the finals of the handicap tournaments.

The Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup was contested between Forrest A, who finished third in Section A, and Deane B who struggled in the section below and were sure to benefit from a favourable handicap, though the exact advantage would only be revealed at the end of play.

The opening games went according to handicap, with Forrest’s Paula Wright and Pete Taylor winning 21-9, 21-11 against Samantha Robertson and Tony Waring.

There was a similar result when Nicola Hill and Chris Mealor, Forrest’s first couple, claimed both games 21-7, 21-7, against Deane’s Patricia Beck and Rob Brocklehurst.

When the third couples met Forrest’s Carolyn Wood and Brad Walton continued in the same vein by claiming both games, 21-7, 21-8, against Bharthi Bhudia and Umer Azeem.

This left everything to play for and Deane well in the match. In the clash of the first couples Hill and Mealor took both games, 21-1, 21-5, courtesy of some impeccable serving against Robertson and Waring.

Wright and Taylor then beat Beck and Brocklehurst 21-4, 21-12 as Deane continued the fight.

Going into the level doubles Forrest had 210 points and Deane 71.

In the first pair of ladies’ games Bhudia and Robertson produced Deane’s best results as they took 17 and 15 points from the two games in their defeats to Wood and Hill.

Forrest hit back when Walton and Mealor took the first pair of men’s games 21-2, 21-4 against Azeem and Waring.

Forrest’s Wood and Wright then claimed the second pair of ladies’ games 21-7, 21-12, against Bhudia and Beck.

The final pair of men’s games went to Forrest’s Walton and Taylor, 21-6, 21-2, against Azeem and Brocklehurst.

Deane had achieved a total of 136 points and the envelope revealed a 216-point handicap in their favour, giving an overall total of 352.

This was, unfortunately for them, not quite enough to overcome Forrest’s 378 who claimed victory and the cup.

The Robert Cup final was contested between Forrest E, who finished mid-table in Section C and Sharples C, who were unbeaten throughout the league season as they won the Section D championship.

This was a closely-fought match throughout with some very close scores.

Forrest’s Steph Hill and Mark Allan got them off the mark, beating Linzi Casey and Christian Elcock 21-18, 21-13.

Sharples’ first couple, Eileen Beeney and Nick Hitchen, then won 21-15, 21-13 against Clare Stopford and Jack Hamer.

The match see-sawed back in Forrest’s favour when the third couples met.

Lindsey Tait and David Travis won the first 21-17, and a nail-biting second 24-22, against Anne Marie Saunders and David Fairclough, a set which illustrated how closely-matched the teams were.

In the clash of the first couples, the games went in Sharples’ favour as Beeney and Hitchen beat Hill and Allan 21-17, 21-17.

When the second couples played the match swung back in Forrest’s favour as Stopford and Hamer claimed 21-11, 21-13 wins against Casey and Elcock.

At the conclusion of the mixed Forrest were just ahead, leading 191-178.

The first pair of ladies’ games was shared when Sharples’ Saunders and Beeney took the first 21-12, and Tait and Hill claimed the second 21-19.

Only six points separated the two teams going into the first pair of men’s games and these again were shared, Sharples’ Fairclough and Hitchen taking the first 21-10, and Forrest’s Travis and Allan then winning 21-16.

At the start of the second pair of ladies’ games the scores were even at 255 but Sharples’ Saunders and Casey edged their team in front claiming both games 21-18, 21-17, against Tait and Stopford.

Although Forrest’s Travis and Hamer won both final men’s games comfortably 21-10, 21-11, against Fairclough and Elcock, putting Forrest 332-318 ahead, the all-important envelope revealed a handicap of 54 points to Sharples, giving them a final winning score of 362.