EUROPEAN TEAM SF – If anyone CANN, England CANN

In an epic semi-final played in the afternoon session England beat Poland in the final set of the final match to set up the mouth-watering tie everyone wants to see with reigning champions Denmark in tomorrow’s final. Elizabeth Cann turned the tide in England’s favour as she fought back from a set down to beat Kamila Augustyn which acted as a catalyst for team England as they went on to win the tie 3-2.

By Mark Phelan. Photos: badmintonphoto.com (Live in Liverpool)

England certainly knew they were in a battle today as they took to the court against a Polish team who had reached this semi final stage without causing a fuss. From the outset this turned out to be a battle royal. In the opening mixed doubles the experience of world number three pairing of Clark and Kellogg had too much in their locker for Logosz and Pocztowiak in two straight sets.

Przemyslaw Wacha restored parity as he overcame the stubborn challenge of Andrew Smith. Wacha took the opening set with apparent ease 21-11 but had to call on all his experience to finally kill of the match with a 22-20 win in the second to level the match at 1 match apiece.

Eliabeth Cann was next up for England and needed to improve on the form that had seen her lose her previous two women’s singles matches in these championships. Cann was certainly under pressure to deliver today and in true Elizabeth Cann fashion she did just that. Things started terribly for the English number 1 as she lost the first set 21-11. In the second set she bounced back to level the match with a sublime display of controlled badminton to allow her opponent only 4 points in the entire game. Cann finished the job in the third, to rapturous home support, as she destroyed Kamila Augustyn 21-9. England now had a slender lead and were in no mood to surrender it lightly.

England were confident that they could wrap up the match in the men’s doubles but Clark and Robertson failed to sparkle to allow Logosz and Mateusiak cruise to an easy two set win 21-18 21-12 to take the match into the deciding game.

Who would win? Who would have the mental reserve and determination to take their team through to the final? The answers to these questions lay in the hands and hearts of the final two pairings Donna Kellogg and Jenny Wallwork of England and Kamila Augustyn and Malgorzata Kurdelska of Poland. It was the English who set the pace in the match by taking the opening set 21-12 but the Polish pair came right back in the second set to win 21-17 to take the tie and match into the final set of the final game. At 5-5 the home support were on the edge of their sets but Kellogg and Wallwork seemed to find an additional gear and pulled clear to eventually take the set 21-12 and with it a place in the final against Denmark.

Tomorrow’s final takes place at 2pm local time and while Denmark are clear favourites the English team are sure to have an extra man on their team in the form of the home support.