Commonwealth Games / Badminton: England recover: Ponting and Wright on top

ENGLAND won the badminton team gold medal yesterday, though they nearly let it slip through their fingers, writes James Leigh. Their 3-2 victory over Malaysia produced an improbable finish, with the All-England mixed doubles champions, Nick Ponting and Joanne Wright, first on the verge of victory and then on the edge of disaster.

Ponting and Wright took the first game in the deciding contest against Tan Kim Her and Zamalia Sidek, and led 14- 13 in the second, but could not clinch it. They then led 13-8 in the third game, sliding to a deficit of 16-13 - within two points of defeat - before a bold recovery carried them to a 15-4, 16-18, 18-16 victory.

Earlier, Joanne Muggeridge secured a vital win in the women's singles. Muggeridge, unpredictable as ever, hit a purple patch from 8-3 down to Lee Wai Leng in the second game and won 11-2, 11-8.