AFTER opening the season with a comfortable 14-6 win against visiting St Agnes, Bude’s Handicap League team had to travel west for the return fixture on Friday, June 27.

This is always a challenging fixture due to the difficult slopes on two of the three courts, and so it proved as the home side used their knowledge to full effect.

After the first round of six very close games, only Helen North and Andy Middleton managed to win.

Things were looking grim after the second round when once again, only North and Middleton secured a positive result.

St Agnes’ 8-4 lead meant that, to inflict Bude’s first league defeat since joining the South West Federation, they needed only three more wins from the remaining eight games.

However, the tide was about to turn! Dave Langdown led the way with a superb 7-2 singles win, and all three doubles games fell to Bude with North and Middleton inevitably winning again with partners Chris Ham and Eddie Piper-Mayo, Frances Hornblow and Paul Knight also emerging victorious.

This meant the scores were level with one doubles and three singles remaining.

The first game to finish was won by St Agnes, leaving them two wins away from victory, while Bude needed to win all three.

Knight and Hornblow duly obliged with a nervewracking 7-5 win, leaving just Middleton and North on the courts.

Both had played so outstandingly well that the Bude camp believed that they now held the initiative.

Middleton saw off his opponent 7-5, and all eyes were on North facing St Agnes’ star player with a handicap three points below hers.

Despite every hoop being a battle, North emerged a dominant 7-2 winner, securing an 11-9 victory for Bude and the double against their main rivals in the division.