Eastland super vets in Div 2 playoffs action at home

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Eastland host Oroua, Hawke’s Bay, Auckland (3) and Northland super veteran teams at the Badminton Centre tomorrow.

The super vets’ competition started in April. Ten provinces were split into two groups.

After the first two weekends of round-robin play, Eastland were fifth in Group B. They have now moved into the Division 2 playoffs for sixth to 10th.

They play Hawke’s Bay at 9am, and Oroua at 2pm. They lost to both in group competition so would like to turn the tables on them.

The Eastland team are Kevin Lee (Gisborne Badminton Club), Ron Prebble, Alan Ledger, Sheree Gray, Annabelle Riwaka, Ruth Ledger, Ra Leach and manager Linda White (all from the Patutahi club), and regular loan player Matheus Batlajeri (Manawatu).

At 11am, Hawke’s Bay play Northland, and Oroua face Auckland (3).  At 2pm, Northland play Auckland (3). Spectators are welcome.

In June, the Eastland team returned to Gisborne with two losses after their trip to Feilding for the second round.

They played Bay of Plenty and Oroua.

The team were hit by injuries, illness and unavailabilities. Those able to make the trip were Lee, Prebble, Gray, White and Riwaka, and loan players Batlajeri, Nick Miller and Rosemary Asplin from Manawatu.

Eastland were no match for Bay of Plenty, who whitewashed them 9-0.

The men’s doubles were all close while the women’s doubles had some tight matches.

White and Asplin lost their first game heavily, refocused to win the second but couldn’t hold off their opposition in the third.

The mixed doubles were closer. Lee and Riwaka played well tactically, but with the score at one game each, they couldn’t keep the momentum going.

Top pairing Prebble and Gray had a fantastic match in which all three games were won by two points. They lost to Bevan Boyce and Sue Stevens 22-20, 27-29, 19-21.

Eastland lost 6-3 to Oroua in the afternoon.

The men’s doubles were all long and close matches with both sides trying to outwit the other. Lee and Miller won a game but couldn’t keep the lead in the third.

In the women’s doubles, Gray and Asplin dominated their opponents from the start for a comfortable win. Gray and Riwaka lost both games by two points.

White and Asplin lost a marathon first game by two points, won the next game, but couldn’t take the third.

In the mixed doubles, Batlajeri and Riwaka had an easy win in two games.  Prebble and Gray also won in two games.

Results (Eastland scores first) —

Eastland 0 Bay of Plenty 9

Men’s doubles: Ron Prebble/Kevin Lee lost to Bevan Boyce/Paul Roia 17-21 16-21; Prebble/Matheus Batlajeri lost to Graeme Miller/Boyce 11-21 13-21; Batlajeri/Nick Miller lost to Roia/Noel Stevens 12-21 14-21.

Women’s doubles: Sheree Gray/Annabelle Riwaka lost to Sue August/Sue Stevens 16-21 17-21; Gray/Rosemary Asplin lost to Stevens/Lynette Toto Waenga 18-21 17-21; Asplin/Linda White lost to Vianne Miller/Toto Waenga 9-21 21-16 17-21.

Mixed doubles: Prebble/Gray lost to Boyce/Stevens 22-20 27-29 19-21; Nick Miller/White lost to Graeme Miller/August 15-21 12-21; Lee/Riwaka lost to Noel Stevens/Vianne Miller 18-21 21-16 15-21.

Eastland 3 Oroua 6

Men’s doubles: Prebble/Lee lost to Ian Angove/Mike Smith 15-21 18-21; Lee/Nick Miller lost to Angove/Peter Beirne 15-21 19-21 21-17; Batlajeri/Miller lost to Smith/Beirne 17-21, 17-21.

Women’s doubles: Gray/Riwaka lost to Lorraine Warrington/Anne Sutherland 22-24 19-21; Gray/Asplin defeated Warrington/Shirley Shields 21-10 21-14; Asplin/White lost to Shields/Donna Luft 25-27 21-16 14-21.

Mixed doubles: Ron Prebble/Sheree Gray def Angove/Warrington 21-16 21-19; Lee/White lost to Beirne/Sutherland 14-21 11-21; Batlajeri/Riwaka def Smith/Luft 21-14 21-7.