Saturday morning witnessed the emergence of badminton onto the Rose’s scene, a sport which could have potentially held the key to Rose’s success, due to the 14 points that were up for grabs. In what proved in the end to be a comfortable contest, the men’s 2nds were able to cruise to a 7-2 victory, dominating their Lancastrian opponents and setting the standard for a day that would prove to be so successful for York overall.
The 2nds found success from the off, with Olli Metcalf and Tom Dainty making light work of their first encounter. Some terrific shots from the pair caused visible frustration for their opponents, and the two were able to comfortably take the game in straight sets 21-18, 21-12. Captain James Somerside and Adam Hirst achieved a similar feat, blowing away their opponents with a 21-16, 21-15 straight sets victory to put York 2-0 up. The final pairing Talf Provis-Evans and Tim Rosson struggled in their opening game, and despite some late resistance fell in straight sets 17-21, 19-21.
With the match poised at 2-1, the outcome was far from clear with both sides exhibiting some terrific play. Somerside and Hirst appeared comfortable after an initial 14-21 victory, however were stunned when the Lancastrians reversed the score line in the second set. With what proved to be a pivotal moment for the 2nds, the York due claimed a 21-15 victory in the final set to widen the overall lead, taking pressure off Metcalf and Dainty who expertly took down their opponents with relative ease, 21-14, 21-19 to put the Gold and Black just a point away from victory. With some fine drop shots and precision accuracy, Somerside and Hirst strolled to a 21-12, 21-15 victory, to ensure a victory for the York 2nds over Lancaster in the first badminton contest of the day.
Provis-Evans and Rosson struggled to gain momentum once again, and despite the pressure taken off their shoulders, were unable to get past a defiant Lancaster pairing. After a confident 21-12 stroll, the York due looked set to widen the lead, however fell short of two nail-biting tie breaks, losing the final two sets 20-22, 22-24. Metcalf and Dainty had no such problems however, and continued their impressive performance with a victory of 2-1 in sets, and Provis-Evans and Rosson found some late form to complete the rout and bring home a comfortable 7-2 victory for York, earning them 2 Roses points over Lancaster.
Overall Lancaster struggled heavily against a York side which at times exhibited real touches of class. Despite the visible determination of the Red Rose, the York 2nds were too strong on the day, and the score line every bit reflected the dominance of the home side.