England tackle Denmark in Carlton International
England's top players tackle their final test before leaving for the Commonwealth Games on Friday when they face Denmark at Preston Guildhall tomorrow night (Thurs March 2, 6.45pm) in the Carlton International.
The match, which will be screened on BBC Grandstand on Saturday and Sunday, pits the Commonwealth gold medallists against the European champions in a match which offers badminton fans the first chance to see the new 3 x 21 scoring system at an event in England.
The England team, which includes Olympic silver medallists and world No 1 pair Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms in mixed doubles, will be bidding to beat Denmark in a full international for the first time since they met at the same Preston venue back in 1986-87 season.
But the England squad are boosted by the fact that the women’s team beat the Danes 3-0 just over two weeks ago in the European round of the Uber Cup women’s world team championships in Thessaloniki, Greece. The England women went on to secure their place in the Uber Cup finals in Japan at the end of April … and the men’s team will join them there after qualifying for the Thomas Cup finals to be played in Sendai City and Tokyo.
The England team in Preston is packed with English National champions: Robertson and Emms in the mixed doubles, Tracey Hallam in the women’s singles, Robert Blair and Anthony Clark in the men’s doubles, and Emms and Donna Kellogg in the women’s doubles. Aamir Ghaffar, the men’s singles runner-up this year but champion in 2004 and 2005, completes the line-up.
For good measure 1998 and 2002 Commonwealth mixed doubles gold medallist Simon Archer, who is also in the England squad for Melbourne, is in the commentary box alongside Gillian Clark, the former England international who beat Archer in the 1994 Commonwealth mixed doubles final.
Two matches stand out in Preston: the clash between Robertson and Emms and Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Juhl in a repeat of the 2005 All England final which the England pair won, and the men’s doubles clash between Blair and Clark and world No 2 pair and twice All England champions Jens Eriksen and Martin Lundgaard.
Eriksen and Lundgaard beat Clark and Robertson in the European men’s doubles final in Geneva two years ago. But Clark and new partner Blair, who are up to No 15 in the world, took the Danes to three games in Thessaloniki when they clashed in the Thomas Cup two weeks ago.
The players will have a special incentive to do well in Preston. Apart from the chance to beat their Danish rivals, the England players have the chance of winning £1000 per event on the night with a further £1000 going to the winning team.
Denmark have been forced into one change. Tine Hoy comes in for the women's singles in place of the injured Tine Rasmussen.
Tickets are available on the night from the Preston Guildhall box office.
Order of play:
Women's Doubles: Gail Emms (Herts) & Donna Kellogg (Derbys) v Lene Frier Kristiansen & Kamilla Juhl
Men's Doubles: Robert Blair (Leics) & Anthony Clark (Notts) v Jens Eriksen & Martin Lundgaard Hansen
Women's Singles: Tracey Hallam (Staffs) v Tine Hoy
Men's Singles: Aamir Ghaffar (Middx) v Niels Christian Kaldau
Mixed Doubles: Nathan Robertson (Notts) & Gail Emms (Herts) v Thomas Laybourn & Kamilla Juhl
Article from Badminton England