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Birmingham Lions closing in on first Finals Day berth
Denied a place in the inaugural end-of-season AJ Bell National Badminton League Championship Finals Day in 2015, the Birmingham Lions are intent on making it this time.
They head into match-night 5 lying second in the table as they travel to Loughborough Sport in the penultimate fixture of the regular season.
Heather Olver, one of England's top women's doubles specialists, played a hand in Birmingham Lions' fighting 3-2 victory over current champs Team Derby – despite losing out in the women's doubles event to Kate Robertshaw and Gail Emms.
And Olver, who played in her first match of the season in the second AJ Bell NBL season, is under no illusions of the task in hand as the Midlands' franchise aim for that pivotal Finals Day berth.
“We didn't really get going and with the scoring system in the NBL it is crucial that you find your momentum quickly,” she said.
“It is strange because we did win the first game but I think we settled too much and let them come at us rather than the other way round.
“They played it really well. Our tactic was to try to get Gail at the back of the court but Kate did well to rotate to the back and we didn't have the vision to see where the gaps were and we got into a bash-bash game which was ideal for them.”
With two match-nights remaining, Olver's participation in the AJ Bell NBL will depend on results on the international circuit ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympics.
She said: “The build-up to Rio is really exciting. There are just four months of qualifying left so I will see how I get on after the busy schedule.
“We are just on the brink of qualifying now so there are stressful but enjoyable times ahead.
“It is a very exciting time but it is hard as there are a lot of tournaments taking place and a lot of travel.
“I am looking forward to it and crossing my fingers that we can qualify so that we can concentrate on training and preparing for the Olympics.”
Can Birmingham Lions secure a place on Finals Day at the Barclaycard Arena?
Tickets are available to catch all the action on match-night 5.
