Thursday 9 October 2014 16:28, UK
Surrey Smashers produced a dominant display to beat MK Badminton 4-1 live on Sky Sports in match night 1 of the inaugural National Badminton League (NBL).
Carl Baxter got the visitors off to the best possible start with a 3-0 whitewash of Sam Parsons in the men’s singles before Eefje Muskens and Emily Westwood whitewashed Sophie Brown and Sophie Sankey 3-0 in the women’s doubles to put the visitors further ahead.
Surrey’s dominance continued in the mixed doubles, with Tom Wolfenden and Gabby Adcock running out 3-1 winners over Ben Lane and Jess Pugh before Soraya de Visch Eijbergen also whitewashed Elizabeth Cann 3-0 in the women’s singles to put gloss on their victory.
However, captain Peter Mills and Paul Van Rietvelde earned MK Badminton a consolation win against Mills’ former men’s doubles partner Chris Langridge and Matt Nottingham in the final clash of the night, prevailing 3-2.
I’m so pleased, you know I’d have loved to come away with a 5-0 but I’ll take a 4-1 at the start of the season any day, so that’s brilliant.
A delighted Surrey head coach Hayley Connor told Sky Sports: “I’m so pleased, you know I’d have loved to come away with a 5-0 but I’ll take a 4-1 at the start of the season any day, so that’s brilliant.
“I think all the guys played fantastically well but I must say Carl Baxter (was the star player). Opening match, he played fantastically and you know, he’s got the experience and that’s why he’s part of this team.
“(But) I’m so proud of all the team – they played for each other, they went out there and they haven’t played in those partnerships before, so it’s been fantastic.”
MK Badminton head coach Sarah Sankey praised her young players and the crowd in the defeat.
"I think it was a brilliant night. I think the young players did really well, they stepped up. What a fantastic crowd, you know the first NBL match, it was just an unbelievable MK crowd, really good."
In Monday’s other action, Birmingham Lions roared back from 2-0 down to claim a 3-2 victory over Team Derby.
After Rajiv Ouseph and Germany’s Karin Schnaase had put Team Derby ahead, victory for the Lions appeared unlikely but the match turned on the third event.
With the NBL we have got top class badminton that the public can come and see, and that is really, really important.
Gail Emms and Chris Coles narrowly lost the mixed doubles to Alyssa Lym and Nico Ruponen 3-2, and the Lions’ Heather Olver and Julie Bradbury then beat Lydia Powell and Helena Lewcynska 3-0, despite Bradbury getting injured in the third game to be replaced by substitute Natalie Chan-Lam.
Gary Fox and Koen Ridder then won the decider 3-1 against Andy Ellis and Rhys Walker in the men’s doubles to seal victory for the home side.
Welcoming the victory, Ridder said: “We were not phased at being 2-0 down after the opening events as we already have built up a fantastic team spirit and we knew we could come back strong with the fantastic players we have and with the great crowd behind us.
“We are very pleased to win it. Andy (Ellis) is always a tough competitor and when he took Power Play at 7-7 in the fourth end he put us under some pressure but we were very relieved to win it. It was a big point.”
Olympic Silver medallist Emms added: “I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think the crowd enjoyed it, i’m just disappointed I lost, I wanted a winning start but couldn’t quite get there!
“Nights like this are really going to help badminton in the UK. It’s very equal, you just don’t know who is going to win and it all hangs in the balance, which keeps the crowd entertained.
“With the NBL we have got top class badminton that the public can come and see, and that is really, really important.”
