Gower returns to glory

BADMINTON

Gillian Gowers, who was omitted from the Commonwealth Games team, made an unexpected return to the England side in Lausanne and helped keep her country among the game's elite when they turned a 0-2 deficit into a 3- 2 win against Thailand on Saturday night, writes James Leigh.

The win ensured that England would be in the top group of the Sudirman Cup at the next World Championships, which are in Glasgow in 1997.

The likelihood had been that Gowers would not compete until Nick Ponting suffered sinus problems on the morning of the match. Gowers partnered Chris Hunt to a 15-6, 15-8 win following a 15-12, 13-15, 15-7 win by Darren Hall over Sompol Kukasemkij after Joanne Wright and Julie Bradbury began the fightback with a straight-games win in the women's doubles.

Earlier, despite Susi Susanti losing in three games to Bang Soo Hyun, Indonesia beat South Korea and progresed to the final, where they lost to China 3-1.