BADMINTON - UPHILL Badminton Club ladies internal handicapped doubles tournament was a great success with 16 ladies playing.

UPHILL Badminton Club ladies' internal handicapped doubles tournament was a great success with 16 ladies playing. The draw took place to provide eight pairs. These pairs were then handicapped by a committee and played a round robin tournament of one game to 21 with no setting, the winners to be the pair with the most points.All games were hotly contested and produced some excellent badminton. Nicole Blunden and 14-year-old Kate Robinson, who played better than their handicap, won all but one of their games to obtain 146 points, won the tournament. The runners-up were Christy Langford and Mary Dunn who also won all but one of their games, but their final points tally was 144. Third and fourth places went to Nicky Mills and Sue Garrett (133) and Teresa Davison and Chris Retallack (128). The evening ended with the players thanking chairman Eddie Prest for an enjoyable evening's badminton and his excellent organisation of the tournament.Uphill's B and D teams have been in action this week, with the B team at home to Wyvern A and lost by 9 rubbers to 0. This was always going to be a hard match against the team who came down from Division 1 last year and will maybe win Division 2 this year. It was however made even more difficult as Uphill had their first two men and second lady missing. Despite this, Steff Hadley, Simon Biddle and Jonathan Kittos, who stood in, gave a good account of themselves at this level. Simon Biddle and Scott Horsnell were the only Uphill players to take a game from the Wyvern team, beating Steve Wilson and Ross Maclennan 21-19 in the first game of the rubber, but lost the next two 10-21, 12-21. The only other competitive games were the third mixed where Denise Burton and Scott Horsnell lost a game 19-21, and Claire Garrett and Steff Hadley who also lost their first game in the first ladies' doubles 19-21. Uphill D played Wyvern D at home and won 7-2. This was a good win as the Wyvern team are the challengers for top spot in this division. Captain Fiona Singleton, Matthew Valentine, Chris Retallack, Dave Barnes, Sue Garrett and Tom Higgins have been together for almost all the season and are really playing well as a team and working hard for each other. Uphill started well when Fiona and Matt won a hard fought first mixed rubber 21-11, 20-22, 21-18. Kerry Phillips and Chris Loud then hit back for Wyvern winning the next rubber 17-21, 21-17, 11-21. The third mixed also went to three games with Sue and Tom beating Ellen Davis and Ray Badman 21-18, 19-21, 21-15. The first ladies' proved a close affair but Fiona and Chris eventually won 19-21, 22-20, 21-15. The other two ladies' were won comfortably for Uphill with Fiona and Sue winning 21-14, 21-17 and Chris and Sue winning 21-15, 21-16. Mike Heineman and Chris Loud pulled one back for Wyvern, beating Matt and Dave 18-21, 16-21. Matt and Tom won the next men's 21-15, 21-19. To complete the evening Dave and Tom won a hard fought rubber against Chris Loud and Ray Badman 11-21, 21-17, 23-21. For Uphill, Fiona, Sue and Tom won all their rubbers with support from Matt, Dave and Chris. This puts the D team in a commanding position in Division 5, having played nine, won seven, got 56 rubbers and 70 points. Their nearest rivals Wyvern, have played eight, won six, got 45 rubbers and 57 points.NORTH Somerset Mixed League, Division 2: Wyvern A 9, Nailsea and Backwell B 0.Division 4: Chew Valley A 6, Clevedon Feathers C 3; Mendipway 7, Nailsea and Backwell C 2; Nailsea and Yatton C 6, Portishead A 3.Division 5: Chew Valley B 3, Wells City 6; Porishead B 4, Mark B 5; Winscombe B 4, Wells City 5; Uphill D 7, Wyvern D 2.