York ladies B, placed 4th in the league, arrived at Teesside University confident of a win as they faced the bottom team in the league. Even before arrival the team was already 2-0 up, courtesy of a Teesside forfeit as they were a singles player short.
As the first matches got underway, it was clear from the first few points that the team would not be tested. Lucy Rogers won comfortably against their only singles player, securing the match 21-13, 21-8. Despite the Teesside player’s powerful play, tactical knowledge proved key, as Rogers put pressure on her opponent by pushing her around the court and killing the weak returns.
The doubles games provided even more impressive scores, with York’s Lauren Cain and Nia Powell cruising to a 21-4, 21-7 victory against the stronger of the opponent pairs. The Teesside defence was no match for Cain’s impressive net kills and an easy victory was won with long runs of straight points.
York’s Charlie Parker and Blonnie Walsh provided another convincing win, showing a solid defence and an unreturnable attack, the pair dominated Teesside, losing only two points in the entire match, the score 21-0 and 21-2.
The first set of games saw the morale of the Teesside team take a clear hit, with the players clearly disheartened by their losses. Showing little enthusiasm for the remaining matches but nevertheless showing good spirit, they returned to the courts for the final games.
Next up was Sarah Thomas against the Teesside singles player, which saw a more even contest as both players produced impressive shots and defended well. Consistent play from Thomas saw a tight first game go her way 21-18, but the resistance quickly faded in the second, as Thomas’ impressive smashes resulted in a more comfortable result, 21-14.
The remaining doubles games rounded up the demolition of the Teesside team, with a 21-5, 21-5 victory from Cain and Powell, and a 21-7, 21-14 victory from Parker and Walsh.
Captain Lucy Rogers expressed pride in the team’s 8-0 victory, commenting that they “played very well”, and following a quick stop at McDonalds to refuel the team were on the train home to further celebrate this impressive victory.