Wilmslow’s Matthew Nottingham believes his and Harley Towler’s performances at the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships prove they have the talent to test the best men’s double’s pairings in the world.

Sunday saw the culmination of the first-ever NBL season with four teams, including Macclesfield’s Matthew Nottingham’s Surrey Smashers, vying for the chance to lift the trophy.

Macclesfield’s Matt Nottingham will now prepare himself for June 7 and Finals Day, with the Surrey Smashers set to play fourth-placed Loughborough Sport for a spot in the showpiece later that day.

Macclesfield’s Matthew Nottingham is determined to turn top spot into silverware when he competes in the National Badminton League Finals Day with his Surrey Smashers.

Nottingham and men’s doubles partner Harley Towler fought valiantly but went down 21-11, 21-18 to Chinese duo Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan in round one of the main draw at the Barclaycard Arena on Wednesday.

Nottingham, a former pupil at Wilmslow High School, will continue his blossoming partnership with Harley Towler at Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena when the 2015 YONEX All England gets underway on March 3, the pair having teamed up last autumn.

The 22-year-old, who trains at the National Badminton Centre in Milton Keynes, switched partners in September as the British team gears up for another Olympic cycle in the build up to Rio 2016.

Nottingham lost in first round of mixed doubles and last round of qualifying for men’s doubles

Matthew Nottingham and doubles partner Chris Coles to play top qualifying seeds Wahyu Nayaka Arya Pankaryanira and Ade Yusuf first up

Macclesfield badminton player crashed out of the men’s semi-final

Nottingham and partner Chris Coles hope good friendship off the court will aid teamwork on it