Cornwall’s 100% start to new season

 Cornwall’s top players make storming start

The first matches of the new season in Badminton England’s Senior County Championships took place last weekend, as Cornwall’s best players travelled to Bridgwater in Somerset to begin their campaign for promotion this year.

Cornwall’s top team

Milo’s team huddle

First up in the morning were a young Devon team and Cornwall’s four singles players, Milo Semonin, Harry Dyer, Hope Warner and Joanna Vyvyan set the tone by winning all the games in two comfortable ends. 

Harry wins his singles

The Cornish men continued their form in the doubles, as Milo and Liam Sillifant, plus Harry and older brother Jack Dyer, won again in two impressive ends. In the women’s doubles two new pairings of Hope and Melissa Lin, and Joanna and Bronwen Wotton, both went the distance in their games but won in three ends.

Liam and Milo in action

Dyer brothers winning

Hope and Melissa too good!

To complete the match, the three mixed doubles pairs of Milo and Hope, Elliot Dyer and Melissa, and Guy Michell and Bronwen, once again gave the Devon team no quarter, and won, to make the overall match score a storming 11-0 score.

Melissa and Elliot clean up

In the afternoon Cornwall took on one of the Avon teams, and again won all 4 singles games, with only Harry going to three ends before winning well against an experienced player, to give another great start.

Milo and Liam had two close ends in the men’s doubles, but won despite setting in both, while Harry and Jack won their game in convincing style. Hope and Melissa again stormed to victory, and Joanna and Bronwen followed suit despite being pushed in a hard-fought win.

Joanna and Bron win in three

Milo and Hope no contest

The three mixed pairs of Milo and Hope, Elliot and Melissa, and Guy and Bronwen completed the match in fine form by all winning in two to give another 11-0 overall score, and a fantastic 100% start to the season.

Guy and Bron show how it’s done 

Cornwall team –

Milo Semonin (Illogan), Harry Dyer (Truro), Liam Sillifant (Launceston), Jack Dyer (Truro), Elliot Dyer (Truro), Guy Michell (St Austell), Hope Warner (Illogan), Joanna Vyvyan (Camborne), Melissa Lin (Truro), Browen Wotton (Bristol)

Badminton Bonanza 2023

 A Bonanza of Badminton, Sir Ben Ainslie Sports Centre, Truro, 19th November 2023

Over 50 badminton players from all over Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, gathered at Truro School’s 8 court sports centre at the weekend to take part in Cornwall Badminton Association’s popular Bonanza event.

The idea of Badminton Bonanza tournaments is to give both social players and those who play league badminton a chance to try out and develop their skills against different players. The many regulars were joined this time by some very welcome new faces, some playing in a tournament for the first time, as the Bonanza goes from strength to strength, with any profits going towards developing badminton in Cornwall.

League mixed final action

This year’s tournament at Truro was another great success, with some close fought battles in all the different disciplinesand a great day of badminton.

Social men’s doubles finalists

For the social players, the men’s doubles was a closely fought event, won by Camborne’s David Wong and Joseph Tsewith Phil Wright and Simon Rafferty from Falmouth as runners-up. In the mixed doubles, the top slots were once again shared by members of the Choughs club based at Carn Brea, with a repeat of last year with Russell Tucker and Zelda Bennett coming first, followed by regulars Mark and Della Griffiths. The men’s singles saw Phil Wright triumph with the top results, with fellow Falmouth club member Barry Buist as runner-up. The overall women’s singles title went to Sheila Wu, who competed in the combined mens and womens social singles.

Social mixed doubles finalists

 The social women’s doubles title went to Chough’s Linda Bishop and Martha Rail, who outpointed the runner’s up from Falmouth, Anna Mitchell and Meg Trevaskis.

In the league women’s doubles, after some close games, mother and daughter combination Jane Barber and Jess Hargrave came first, with players from the Tecans club based in Pool, Sara Best and Anne Herlihy runners up.

Social and league women’s doubles finalists

The league men’s and mixed events also had some hard fought, skilful badminton, and in the men’s singles the two group winners went through to the final, where Torquay’s Jake Turpie played Falmouth student Quinn Hurwood Foster in an absorbing game which Jake eventually won. Following some close group games in the men’s doubles, the final was contested by Tecan’s Gary Braunton and Tony Wong from Mount’s Bay, against Lee Chappel and Steve Chan also from Mount’s Bay. After two close games, Gary and Tony ran out winners overall. The mixed doubles final was between group winners Jake and partner Lorna Riggs from Truro, and Tony partnering Sara Best, with Jake and Lorna winning after some impressive mixed badminton and complete an excellent day’s badminton.

All the singles finalists

League men’s doubles winners and runners-up

Results –

League men’s singles – winner Jake Turpie, runner up Quinn Hurwood Foster                                                                                                  

Social men’s singles  - winner Phil Wright, runner up Barry Buist

League women’s singles – winner Sheila Wu

League men’s doubles – winners Tony Wong/Gary Braunton, runners up Lee Chappel/Steve Chan

League women’s doubles – winners Jane Barber/Jess Hargrave, runners up Anne Herlihy/Sara Best

Social men’s doubles – winners David Wong/Joseph Tse, runners up Simon Rafferty/Phil Wright

League mixed doubles – winners Jake Turpie/Lorna Riggs, runners up Tony Wong/Sara Best

Social mixed doubles – winners Russell Tucker/Zelda Bennett, runners up Mark/Griffiths/Della Griffiths