Here is the news (most recent at the top):

21st April 2006: Strings vs Oakwell - Friendly Match Report

The season friendlies started with the match against Oakwell, and so it finished. This time, however, things didn't all go our way. With one of our better SBL players having defected to the opposition for the friendles, we knew this was going to be a tough match. However, after some good points and close games, Oakwell were the victors by 11 games to 7.

As this was the last match of the season it would have been nice to finish with a win, but we all enjoyed ourselves anyway. Never mind - there's always next year!

20th April 2006: Strings vs Warwick - Men's 4s Match Report

The last Men's 4s game of the season proved to be a long and tiring affair. The match which was rescheduled from October finally took place on a Thursday rather than a Saturday, meaning that we had to juggle courts at the beginning and leaving us very pushed for time at the end.

The game turned into a marathon of an evening, and we were extremely grateful to the Leisure Centre staff for letting the game carry on to its natural conclusion, some 35 minutes over time.

Both teams were evenly matched and, after 5 hours of court time, the score was all square at 3-3. A decider was called for and, after some tense moments, Strings emerged as the lucky victors, though I think both teams would have settled for a draw.

It was nice to end the HABL season with only our second win of the Men's 4s league. Hopefully the challenge has improved the players and we can look forward to the next season with the belief that we can and will do better.

2nd April 2006: Knebworth vs Strings - Friendly Match Report

The penultimate friendly of the season saw us up against an under-strength Knebworth side. Strings had a good night, taking the tie 17-1.

1st April 2006: Strings vs Aston - Friendly Match Report

You'd have been a fool to miss this one. Still smarting from the frustrating defeat at the village hall, the return leg had all the makings of a cracking game. In the end the spoils were shared, with the final score a 9-9 draw.

A much better game than last time the two sides met!

25th March 2006: Strings vs Hertford - Men's 4s Match Report

Another one of those games where nothing went right. We played reasonably well but couldn't seem to get anything out of the game. Our third 6-0 defeat of the Men's 4s season.

19th March 2006: Warwick vs Strings - Men's 4s Match Report

The Sunday afternoon drive to Bishops Stortford ended in another frustrating day for Strings. Yet again a 5-1 defeat that could have been a 4-2 win, with 4 of the rubbers going to 3 ends. In each of these rubbers Strings won the 1st game but were unable to capitalise on their good start.

The return leg next month is going to be close.

16th March 2006: Purwell B vs Strings - SBL Match Report

Coming just 5 days after the previous encounter, the return match promised to be another close one. Unfortunately, the result proved the same, with the 5-1 score hiding some close games.

11th March 2006: Strings vs Purwell B - SBL Match Report

Another one of those results that could have gone either way, the match against Purwell B was hard fought by both sides. However, it was the visiting team that just had the edge and, once again, the final result hides some close games.

6th March 2006: Hertford vs Strings - Men's 4s Match Report

This is the fixture we had all been waiting for, not least because it was postponed from last October. The match was full of ups and downs, with some games lost 15-1 and others won 15-13, all in the same rubber. However, despite our best efforts we didn't manage a single win during the evening. The 6-0 scoreline doesn't do the team justice for the hard work and close games that they played.

Still, if you can't beat them, bankrupt them. We did help to destroy a couple dozen feathered shuttles...

4th March 2006: Strings vs Bluebirds B - Men's 4s Match Report

A good performance by the Strings players nearly avenged the 6-0 defeat we suffered at Bluebirds' place. However, on the day things didn't quite fall into place and Bluebirds again won the tie, but this time only 4-2.

18th February 2006: Strings vs Codicote - Friendly Match Report

After the terrible performance on Thursday we knew this one was going to be tough. We were down on confidence and up against a strong team. However, things got worse and we were a lady short on match day, handing Codicote a 6-0 lead before a point had been played.

Although seemingly on a hiding to nothing, this was the match that some of us needed to help restore our confidence. Knowing that we were unlikely to win somehow helped us to relax and our performance was vastly better than that of two days ago. Though the result was the same (16-2 to them) the attitude wasn't. We all came away having had a great game.

16th February 2006: Aston vs Strings - Friendly Match Report

A very frustrating night was had at Aston village hall. The close proximity of the walls to the edges of the court made it very claustrophobic at times, with the court feeling smaller than usual. This and the rather slippery floor combined to ensure a serious 'off-night' by some of the players.

There were some close games (and some not-so-close) but in the end the strong Aston side ran out 16-2 victors. To add insult to injury, the pub had shut by the time the match finished. Not a good night...

11th February 2006: Strings vs Bishops Stortford B - Men's 4s Match Report

The visit of Bishops Stortford B was long awaited. After the disappointing game at their place we felt that we stood a good chance on a grippy floor with plastics. Things were looking good at the beginning of the match, with some of the BSB guys taking some time getting used to the plastics. However, once they got into the game things got a bit tougher. Some close games were played, on a number of occasions requiring the 3rd end to decide the points.

Unfortunately, a recurring injury on the Strings side (plus a new one) put paid to a glorious morning. In the end Strings lost 4-2, which is a shame as we could have got the win.

5th February 2006: Knebworth vs Strings - SBL Match Report

The day after the friendly win over Knebworth at home, it was time for them to host us in the SBL. Spurred on by the previous day's victory, the SBL team took the bull by the horns and romped to a relatively easy victory. As is usually the case against Knebworth, the mixed doubles proved to be the more difficult games. However, Strings remained in control throughout and ended the evening 6-0 victors.

4th February 2006: Strings vs Knebworth - Friendly Match Report

Thanks to Ken managing to persuade one of our substitutes to play, a full and confident Strings side turned out for the home tie against Knebworth. That pre match confidence proved to be well placed as after some slight confusion over the order of matches the Strings team came away 14-4 victors. The score line shows a fairly one sided match which isn't entirely true thanks to Knebworth's second pair really mixing it up, getting a few games back for the visitors. Overall a satisfying and fairly rare victory for Strings.

31st January 2006: Redhoods vs Strings - SBL Match Report

Not the best of evenings for the Strings players. A catalogue of unforced errors provided Redhoods with a relatively easy win, when the score should have been the other way round. Once again, Strings were able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory...

The final result of 4-2 to Redhoods was a much improved result compared to the home leg at the start of the season. However, with a bit more consistency it could have been so different. The post-match autopsy provided some interesting observations on where we can improve our play. Hopefully we can put these into practice in our two games this coming weekend.

28th January 2006: SBL Men's Doubles Tournament

Strings had five players in action for the SBL Men's Doubles Tournament. For the ten Division 3 pairs, this year's tournament was divided into 2 groups of 5 pairs. The groups were played as a round-robin, then the winners of each group played each other, second in each group played each other, etc.

John & Sean and Adrian & James both managed to finish 3rd in their respective groups while Ken, partnered by a Lingwood colleague, came 1st in his.

In the play-offs, Adrian & James were able to overcome John & Sean, While Ken came an overall 2nd after losing his play-off match to another Lingwood pair. Medals were awarded to pairs down to 3rd in each group, so all the Strings players came away with a medal, which is an excellent result.

All in all, a successful day for the Strings players.

23rd January 2006: Bluebirds B vs Strings - Men's 4s Match Report

The long trek to Old Harlow on a freezing January night was not fruitful for the Strings quartet. Another match played with unfamiliar feathers on a slippery floor resulted in another 6-0 defeat.

Apart from the heavier shuttles causing far too many serves to end up in the net, the guys all thought they played reasonably well. The shuttles, once a rally was going, seemed easier to play with than the ones we encountered at Bishops Stortford. However, on the day it was Bluebirds who had the decisive edge and were the victors.

We came away feeling that we put on a decent show, but back in Stevenage with a grippy floor and plastic shuttles we feel that the result of the return match should be a lot closer.

11th January 2006: Codicote vs Strings - Friendly Match Report

Another disappointing night for the Strings guys. Playing Codicote away is always a tricky fixture due to the low ceiling in the hall. It is a totally different style of play, with lots of driving flat across the net and no opportunity to lift long when in trouble.

Unfortunately, this is a style of play we're not used to and it took a long time for the players to adjust. The final score of 16-2 was an improvement on last year, but there is still some work to be done if we are to challenge for the win in next year's fixture.

7th January 2006: Strings vs Cam Gears B - SBL Cup Match Report

Strings came out fighting after the Christmas break for a cup game which we knew would be tough. Was it too many mince pies over the preceding weeks? Was it because this was the first badminton anyone in the team had played for 3 weeks? Whatever the reason, Cam Gears B (who on the day did eat all the pies -- pork ones, that is) took full honours and won 6-0.

However, the score hides some close games and good badminton from both sides. We were expecting a good whipping from a team in the division above us, but we came away feeling that, although we had lost, we had had some good games and had done ourselves proud.

15th December 2005: Academy vs Strings - SBL Match Report

As I predicted back in October, this match proved to be much closer than the tie at home. The teams were both evenly matched, with the slightest mistake from either side being punished. We tried our best but couldn't seem to make the most of our chances. We may have lost 5-1 but, as with the previous meeting, there were some good rallies between the two sides. Academy worked hard for the win, but both teams should be proud of their performances tonight.

11th December 2005: Lingwood vs Strings - SBL Match Report

Strings started the tie a man short and the order of play had to be changed to allow our 4th man time to arrive. Undaunted, the team tried their best but seemed to lack the edge that brought a draw at home in November. The Lingwood side were more able to convert their chances, which Strings seemed to squander more often than not. A disappointing result in the end which, although appearing one-sided, hides some excellent rallies between the two sides. Another 6-0 loss.

10th December 2005: Strings vs Oakwell - Friendly Match Report

Pre-match rumours of Oakwell being unable to field a full team proved to be true when they turned up one lady short, forfeiting the relevant games. This 6 game head start provided the Strings side with the belief that they could win the tie. After some good badminton from both sides and a couple of close games the remainder of the points were shared between the two teams, leaving Strings as the victors by 12 games to 6.

8th December 2005: Bishops Stortford B vs Strings - Men's 4s Match Report

Not many happy faces in the Strings camp after a disappointing match against Bishops Stortford B. Everyone came away feeling they could (and should) have done better. We could blame it on having to play with feathers, but I don't think that was the issue. On the night we just made too many mistakes and didn't take our opportunities when they came. Not a total disaster, clawing back the last game to finish with a 5-1 loss. Shame it took so long to get into the match.

In any case, I thought we were going to get whooped 6-0, so I suppose it's not as bad as it could have been!

26th November 2005: Strings vs Lingwood - SBL Match Report

A weakened Strings side took the second mens, the ladies and the mixed to record a 3-3 draw. It could easily have been 4-2 or 2-4, but this result leaves both teams thinking about what could have been, but ultimately wasn't. A fair conclusion in the end.

17th November 2005: SBL Match against Lingwood postponed.

New date 26th November.

12th November 2005: Strings vs Brickendon Lane - Men's 4s Match Report

Strings went into this game looking to avenge their 6-0 defeat at Brickendon Lane's place. It proved to be less one-sided than last time, with both teams playing some good badminton. After 6 games the score was tied at 3-3, which seemed a fair result. However, under HABL rules, a decider of one game to 15 (with no setting) was required to determine the winner. After a hard-fought game, Strings came out on top and we were pleased to register our first Men's 4s win of the season. Final score 4-3.

5th November 2005: Strings vs Icarus - SBL Match Report (2nd attempt)

After the whooping we received at their place we knew this was going to be a tough match, and so it proved to be. Icarus again drew on their superior experience against a Strings side who had their chances but were unable to take them. Another sobering 6-0 defeat, though slightly expected.

31st October 2005: SBL Cup draw.

The draw for this year's SBL Cup has been made. Strings have been drawn against Cam Gears B, who are in SBL Division 2. It's going to be a tough match!

29th October 2005: Strings vs Knebworth - SBL Match Report

Well, this game was pretty much a non-event. Knebworth phoned us on Thursday evening to let us know that they couldn't put out a full team and could only muster 3 men, although by Saturday morning they had managed to find a lady as well. Therefore the match started with a 3-0 lead to us.

We had quickly drafted in some of our other players to make up the numbers so we could at least play the six games and make a morning of it. However, in the games that mattered Strings were too strong and the match finished 6-0.

28th October 2005: New strings

Five of the team descended on Goode Sports to collect our restrung racquets and to buy some new ones. I didn't go for the MicroLegend XL in the end. I went instead for the PowerGut 65, brand new over here (see the Ashaway USA site for specs). It is a bit more textured so should help with the Carlton F1 shuttles, which some of the team find slippery. Will try it out tomorrow morning.

22nd October 2005: Strings vs Academy - SBL Match Report

Strings finally registered their first win of the season, beating a young Academy side 5-1. The women's doubles was lost to a pair that used shuttle placement, rather than power, to beat our pair into submission. The other five games were by no means one-sided, with some games going to three ends and other scores close.

All credit to Academy for a good match. We are sure that the return match in December will be closer than this one was.

20th October 2005: Racquet Review - Yonex AT800DE

The Webmeister was bought another AT800DE and has provided us with this review:

This is my second AT800DE (4U-G4). The first one was (and still is) factory strung and the tension is getting a bit loose, so I thought I'd get another one to keep me going while I had the first one restrung.

Bought this one from Direct Sports and had it strung with BG80 at 22lbs. Going for the 'yellow' theme, added a Karakal Kumfy grip, in yellow, to give me a more balanced racquet with a mahoosive grip.

This one is certainly more suited to net play. The BG80 is quite bouncy, so the lightest taps seem to go over the net. However, rear court action is a bit more problematic. Tight-to-the-net drops are good, but getting the power to the opponents' rear court is a bit more difficult. However, as I seem to play mostly at the net during Mens doubles this is an ideal racquet/string/tension combination.

I should be taking my other AT800DE to be restrung tomorrow. Think I'll go for Ashaway Micro Legend XL at 20/22lbs. This should give me the extra power needed to comfortably do baseline to baseline when playing mixed doubles.

Following the Wongermeister's ratings:
Oomf! (power): 3/5
Ping! (reactions): 4/5 (I'm used to 3U head-heavy, so a 4U slightly-head-heavy is pretty whizzy)
Thud! (durability): 3/5 (4U and I play with lefties...)
Ouch! (cost): 2/5 (£112 including the string job and grip...)

Overall: 3

20th October 2005: Icarus vs Strings - SBL Match report

Last night's game did not quite go according to plan (ours, that is). We knew it was going to be a difficult game, with Icarus desperate to go straight back up to Division 2 having been the surprise relegation of last season. However, their superior strength, determination, stamina, skill, experience and the home advantage all conspired against us. Needless to say, we lost. Badly. Again.

15th October 2005: Hello to Heather

We are please to welcome Heather Macfarlane to the SBL team.

12th October 2005: Saturday's HABL Mens 4s match against Hertford has been postponed until a later date.

12th October 2005: Stevenage Badminton League tournament dates announced

The SBL committee has announced the following dates for the forthcoming SBL tournaments:

Men's Doubles Tournament Saturday 28th January 2006
Mixed Doubles Tournament Saturday 25th February 2006

Click here to register your interest. More details to follow.

Other dates for the diary include:

SBL Cup Final: 22nd May 2006 at Barnwell School, Stevenage.
Taylor Trophy Final: 5th June 2006 at Barnwell School, Stevenage

12th October 2005: New shuttles

Due to the unavailability of yellow Yonex Mavis 370 shuttles, it was decided for this season to use the new Carlton F-1 shuttles. The aim is to make the shuttles easier to see against the off-white of one particularly nasty Stevenage Leisure Centre wall.

The hope is to get used to these shuttles before the end of the season and make a decision on whether to keep them or not.

12th October 2005: No Date for SBL CUP (as yet)

Unfortunately, there has been a slight hiccup in the organisation of the SBL cup this year, due to teams not sending in their registration forms on time. We have been assured that this will be corrected soon.

12th October 2005: Racquet Review - Yonex MP88

The club Wongameister has recently purchased a Yonex Muscle Power 88 and has provided this review:

Have to say I enjoy using it, good for attacking and the extra "oomf" has produced a backhand smash which is actually half decent. Head heavy, flexible (you can feel it really flex when you hit a smash - phwoar!), good control.. a nice all-rounder (for me).

Is a bit more cumbersome at the net than my Carlton Airblade - but hey, that broke 3-times!!

Anyway, gets my vote:
Oomf! (power): 4/5
Ping! (reactions): 2/5
Thud! (durability): 3/5 (only used it for 6 hours though)
Ouch! (cost): 3/5 (£70 is exactly the right price)

Overall: 3.5

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