Surrey Smashers made a hugely convincing start in the inaugural National Badminton League (NBL) match on Monday night (07.10.14), beating Milton Keynes Badminton 4-1 at the Centre MK. The Smashers had Commonwealth Games medal winners Chris Langridge and Gabby Adcock in their side and proved too strong on the night.
On an historic night for badminton, Smashers opened their NBL campaign in style in front of a packed Milton Keynes crowd and the Sky Sports cameras. The away team took four of the possible five match points available, with only MK’s captain Peter Mills and Paul Van Rietvelde beating Mills’ former men’s doubles partner Chris Langridge and Matt Nottingham.
In a new, faster format with games played to 9 points, best of 5 games and a powerplay shuttle enabling double points when played, the Smashers squad started the campaign as they mean to go on with a huge 4-1 win.
Match Stats
Seasoned pro, Carl Baxter started the night in emphatic fashion in a close game against a well-supported Sam Parsons. Baxter took the opening match 3-0 winning 8-9, 4-9, 8-9 in a passionate and clinical performance.
Smashers continued to convince in the women’s doubles with impressive performances from the pair of Emily Westwood and world number 15, Effje Muskens to take another straight 3-0 win over Sophie Brown and Sophie Sankey 6-9, 6-9, 4-9.
With Smashers needing only one more win to take the overall match night, up stepped the mixed pair of Tom Wolfenden and Commonwealth gold medalist Gabby Adcock. Adcock and Wolfenden raced away to a quick 2-0 lead taking the opening games with ease 3-9 and 2-9.
With the Milton Keynes crowd behind them, Ben Lane and Jess Pugh pulled back the third game in a close 9-8 win. The fourth game was equally tight as the fans cheered on the MK pairing, but Adcock and Wolfenden closed out an 8-9 win to take the match 3-1 and win the game night for Smashers.
Tom Wolfenden said, “There was a bit of pressure on us at some points but our team definitely got behind us and that helped us to get the win.”
With each match earning each team a match point for the overall league table, it was still all to play for as Smashers’ Dutch women’s singles star Soraya De Visch Eijbergen made her way onto court to face Milton Keynes’ Liz Cann.
Soraya took a tight first game 8-9 before showing her strength in game two to win 4-9. The Smashers star finished the match at the earliest opportunity closing it out 6-9 to take the fourth match 3-0 and put Surrey 4-0 up overall on the night.
With Surrey looking for a white-wash, the eagerly anticipated final men’s double match saw club captains and regular GB partners Chris Langridge and Peter Mills go head-to-head alongside Matt Nottingham and Paul Van Rietvelde respectively.
In the most closely contested match of the night, which ebbed and flowed, both pairs traded point after point and game after game to take it to a deciding fifth game. With the fifth game played to the first to a 3-point margin or first to 5 points, it was a tense finish to the match-night with the crowd really getting behind the home side.
With the score at 3-4 to Smashers and at match-point, Nottingham couldn’t get out of the way of a long Milton Keynes shot and the MK pair made it count by taking the deciding point for a consolation match-point for the home team.
The result means Smashers take an early lead at the top of the NBL with 4 match points.
Commonwealth Gold Medalist, Gabby Adcock said, “It was a really good atmosphere and it was really fun to play in. Tonight has been a great start and I think we could be really successful.”
Next up for Surrey Smashers is the visit of Loughborough Sport to Surrey Sports Park on Monday 1 December, with tickets available now HERE.