The Isle of Man’s first and second teams competed in the Badminton England Senior County Championships at the York Railway Institute recently.

The Capital International Group-sponsored teams competed well in Division Two North of the event, with the first team pushing for promotion while the second team also fought valiantly in close matches.

Isle of Man 1

The Isle of Man’s first team secured a dominant victory in their opening match against Yorkshire 4.

Key players such as Tobey Cheng, Alex Buck and Jessica Li were in excellent form, with all three winning their singles events.

Cheng’s straight sets win (21-11, 21-10) in the men’s open singles was a particular highlight and Buck’s narrow but determined victory (17-21, 21-17, 21-18) also stood out.

In the women’s singles Jessica Li and Annelise Mellor produced solid performances, with Li cruising to a 21-14, 21-4 win while Mellor lost 15-21, 15-21 in a tough contest.

But the Isle of Man’s women’s doubles teams excelled, with Jessica Li and Philippa Li (21-18, 21-12) plus Mellor and Mia Kirk (21-4, 21-8) securing victories in their respective matches.

The mixed doubles section proved a strong point for the Isle of Man, with Jessica Li and Matthew Nicholson, Philippa Li and Cheng plus Kirk and Martin Cheung all claiming victories in straight sets.

The first team’s consistency across all disciplines was impressive, with their final score of 9-2 against Yorkshire 4 reflecting their solid team play.

The squad also achieved another resounding win against Lancashire 4, with standout performances from Cheng, Buck, and Jessica Li.

Cheng was clinical in his singles then and the doubles pairings, Cheng and Nicholson plus Cheung and Buck, secured wins in their respective events.

Jessica Li’s powerful showing in both singles and mixed doubles also contributed significantly to the team’s success.

After the second weekend of the season, the Isle of Man 1 team are now four points clear at the top of the table with three matches left to go in the final weekend on March 22-23.

Isle of Man 2

The Isle of Man’s second team faced a challenging day following their promotion into the same league as the first team last season.

Despite the tough opposition the team showed great promise, especially with the debut of Juan Domingo.

Although he faced difficult matches in his open singles against Nottinghamshire 2, he pushed hard in both but ultimately fell short (13-21, 17-21).

Tommy Cheng and Leah Brennan fought hard in their respective singles events. Cheng won a set against Nottinghamshire but lost in the third set (11-21, 21-19, 13-21), while Brennan narrowly missed out in the women’s singles (16-21, 17-21).

In contrast, Charlotte Watson earned an impressive victory in her women’s singles (21-19, 21-13), showcasing her ability to step up when needed.

The second team's doubles events were competitive, with notable performances from Steven Quayle and Baillie Watterson plus Emma Nicholson and Charlotte Watson who all secured victories in their doubles matches (21-11, 21-15) and (21-18, 21-18) respectively.

Brennan and Kitty Thomas also had a solid win (21-9, 21-18), demonstrating their excellent teamwork and coordination.

The mixed doubles events featured some of the second team's closest encounters. Thomas and Watterson fought back in a thrilling match and secured a hard-earned victory (15-21, 21-19, 21-18), but Nicholson and Quayle narrowly missed out in their match (21-23, 18-21).

The Manx team then encountered a formidable Yorkshire 5 squad in their second match.

In the men's singles, Tommy Cheng and Juan Domingo faced challenging opponents. Cheng went up against James Anderson, losing in straight sets (11-21, 5-21), while Domingo battled George Richards but was also defeated (11-21, 12-21).

In the women's singles, there were mixed fortunes for the island players. Thomas shone in a decisive victory against Anson Tsz Yan Fong (21-12, 21-16), but Watson faced a tough match against Crystal Wong and came up short (15-21, 16-21).

The doubles events were intense and closely contested. Quayle and Watterson were narrowly edged out by Sumedh Reddy Chittamuru and Gaius Ip (20-22, 20-22).

Cheng and Matthew Riley had a thrilling match against Joshua Backhouse and George Richards, but ultimately lost after a hard-fought three sets (22-20, 20-22, 13-21).

The women’s doubles featured solid performances from the Isle of Man team. Watson and Nicholson faced Youki Kok and Molly Whitaker, losing a closely-contested match (16-21, 18-21).

On a brighter note, Brennan and Abigail Li claimed victory over Crystal Wong and Lucy Parker (22-20, 21-12).

The mixed doubles events showcased the team’s determination. Kitty Thomas and Baillie Watterson had a nail-biting match against Youki Kok and James Anderson, ultimately losing (18-21, 21-19, 2-21).

Brennan and Quayle faced Whitaker and Backhouse, losing in straight sets (13-21, 19-21).

Abigail Li and Riley delivered one of the day’s most thrilling performances, narrowly winning in an extended match against Anson Tsz Yan Fong and Gaius Ip (21-19, 15-21, 27-25).

Although the Isle of Man 2 team faced a series of challenging matches against Nottinghamshire 2 and Yorkshire 5, they produced several resilient performances.

In addition to the overall team performance, a special mention goes to Martin Cheung who was called up to the first team for the first time.

His efforts in both doubles and mixed doubles, including a solid win alongside Buck in the men's open doubles (21-15, 21-15) against Lancashire 4, demonstrated his adaptability and skill.

Cheung’s inclusion in the first team was well earned and added depth to their already strong lineup.

Overall, the Isle of Man teams showed both strength and heart throughout the day, with the first team making a powerful push for promotion and the second team gaining valuable experience.

The team would like to thank Capital International Group who have recently agreed to support Isle of Man Badminton as its flagship sponsor.