Mens Feathers 0 – 9 University Staff

Calvin B & Gavin B | David W & John W | Jack E & Simon T

Today’s excuse: It’s just not right playing on a Sunday afternoon when you’re meant to be sleeping off a roast dinner.

Last year we beat the Uni Staff 9-0 at home, so we turned up confident of a victory. And then we realised that wasn’t going to happen.

Against the Uni Students last year, their first pair Rich and Fred beat us hollow but we knew at least they were going to graduate so we wouldn’t have to face them in the students team this year. Turns out they only graduated as far as the Staff team, and once again beat us hollow, winning their games to a total of 126-74 without really getting past third gear.

The staff’s first pair were not to be outdone, and finished us off equally comfortably with scores of 126-74 overall as well. They previously played in the top plastics division, and moved to the Staff’s feathers team for the first time this year. Calvin and Gavin made the best effort against them, with a 17-21 12-21 loss, as the rest of us had to put in all our effort to scrape a score of 21 in total across both games put together.

Our chance of breaking the whitewash was against their slightly weaker second pair. David and John weren’t quite able to convert their strong start, and lost out 18-21 15-21. Jack and Simon went closest, at 22-24 15-21, but hadn’t got quite enough to get a game.

Thanks to Calvin and Jack, substituting for Tipue MA and Simon O. Jack unfortunately ruined last week’s excuse of us being rusty with feathers, by playing very well despite never having hit a feather shuttle before, and coming out with our best points of the day, 88-126 overall.