Results 2023/24

North Oxford/Old Edwardians drew with Old Wulfrunians 2-2 (NO/OE won 2-1 on penalties) at Wolverhampton 30/06/24:

S.Thatcher & G.Hoskins lost to C.Austin & S.Simmons 1-2 (13-11, 6-12, 7-12)

P.Scholey & T.Hoskins beat R.Hobbs & A.Husselbee 2-0 (12-5, 12-8)

I.Mitchell/S.Nowinski/M.Barnes beat M.Yates & E.Frith 3-0 (12-8, 12-9, 15-12)

E.Johnson/C.Schroeder/M.Barnes/I.Mitchell lost to T.Granger & R.Pye 1-2 (2-12, 5-12, 12-2)

Penalty Shoot-Out:

S.Nowinski & T.Hoskins beat T.Granger & A.Husselbee 12-3

E.Johnson & M.Barnes beat R.Pye & E.Frith 15-11

P.Scholey & I.Mitchell lost to M.Yates & R.Hobbs 0-2 (5-12, 5-12)

Two North Oxford summer institutions combined into one on Sunday, as the a combined North Oxford/Old Edwardians "unusual courts" team took on the Old Wulfrunians at Wolverhampton across four (and a bit) pairs. With the NO/Old Ed line up consisting of 9 players, there was a certain element of swapping in and out in the third and fourth pairs for the best of three match; some additional games were played afterwards, allowing us to break the 2-2 deadlock in the main fixture. The first court saw newly crowned Veterans champions Sid Simmons & Chris Austin taking on Stephen Thatcher and the NOEFC club captain. Stephen was impeccably clad in both North Oxford and Old Edwardian kit and he and Gareth got off to a strong start, belying their underdog status to come from behind and nick the first game 13-11. They couldn't quite sustain that form, with Sid in particular getting on top in the set piece in games two and three, but they generally acquitted themselves well in a decent quality game. There was an all Edwardian pair in the second court, with a mere 45 years between them as Pete Scholey & Tom Hoskins teamed up against Andy Husselbee & Rich Hobbs. Tom was showing the benefit of his recent high altitude training trip to Switzerland and the Wulfrunian pair had no answer to his power and speed around the court, with Pete providing a steady hand on the team tiller.  The mix and match pairings at three and four worked well - various combinations of Ian, Stefan and Mandie were strong enough to get past Mark Yates & Ellie Frith, while the Wulfrunian dup of Toby Granger & Robert Pye got the better of different variations of Ed Johnson, Mandie and Cyril Schroeder, only meeting their match when Ian dropped down a court to team up with Ed. Some extra matches were then played with different combinations - just for fun, really, but since we won two of them and lost one, we decided that was enough to break the 2-2 deadlock and give victory to the visiting NO/OE side. More importantly, it was a 8-8 for lunch in the pub, an impressively high-scoring draw, with the only minor disappointment the lack of a Wolverhampton salad on the menu. A good outing all round, though.

North Oxford 1 beat Old Cholmeleians 1 3-0 at Aldenham 20/04/24:

Old Cholmeleians 1 conceded all three pairs 

The league season finished slightly disappointingly, with the Old Cholmeleians unable to raise a side for the final Division 1 match of the season, despite the originally planned six pair double header having been split into two separate matches. The three points gained, takes us to 20 points for the season and well clear in fourth place - an excellent return and a credit to everyone who has turned out for the club in the top flight this season. 

North Oxford 2 beat Old Cholmeleians 2 3-0 at Aldenham 13/04/24:

G.Pulsford & F.Prickett beat V.Kassardjian & D.Lioubimov 3-2 (9-12, 12-13, 12-2, 12-4, 12-6)

S.Thatcher & C.Austin beat E.Scoones & J.Robinson 3-0 (12-4, 12-3, 12-4)

Old Cholmeleians 2 conceded third pair

A comfortable mid-table Division 2 finish was secured on Saturday at Aldenham as the NOEFC 2 team finished the season in style with a 3-0 win over a depleted Old Cholmeleians. The OCs were only able to raise two pairs, leaving Matt to rest his aching back in Cardiff and Tom to revert to his student getting out of bed time in Birmingham. That left the other half of Exeter University's Fives team to make his long-awaited North Oxford debut, Old Summerfieldian (and former SF gapper) Fred Prickett lining up alongside Grandad Graham at first pair. They were up against Vatche Kassardjian & Dan Lioubimov, certainly a useful pairing but one which Fred & Graham would expect to beat. And that is what they ended up doing with a regulation 2,4 and 6 win...just one that happened to be prefaced by two somewhat mistake-ridden games in which little went right, with the exception of a spell in game two where a 2-7 deficit was turned into a 9-7 lead. This was a reminder of what they needed to do and once the cut returns started coming, the buttress started being hit more regularly and the ball kept in court more often, there was little doubt as to the likely eventual outcome. Stephen and Chris did things in rather more orthodox fashion at second pair against Emily Scoones & John Robinson,  enjoying a pleasant game in the sunshine and a straightforward 3-0 win. There was a second whitewash of the day with a 5-0 win in the Round Bush and a first alfresco lunch of 2024, with celebratory sticky toffee puddings. and a chance for everyone to nominate their least favourite Fives opponents (and to revisit Giles Coren's famous response when asked the same question in a Reddit online Q&A a few years ago) and for Graham & Chris to relive the time they were defeated on their home courts by two of North Oxford's finest.

North Oxford 2 lost to Old Etonians 1-2 at Westminster 27/03/24:

S.Thatcher & K.Hird lost to W.Ponsonby & W.Sorrell 0-3 (4-12, 10-13, 7-12)

P.Scholey & M.Chinery lost to M.Asquith & M.Krefting 0-3 (7-12, 4-12, 9-12)

H.Turcan & S.Chapman beat R.Macmillan & L.Turcan 2-1 (1-12, 14-12, 14-13 timed out)

Possibly the most experienced three pair NOEFC team of all time - a combined total of 766 North Oxford appearances between them (over 800 if you could include the NO appearances in the opposition ranks) - took on the Old Etonians at Westminster last night. This was a generously rearranged fixture, having been originally scheduled for a Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago when the might of North Oxford would have most likely ended up taking on the U15C team. It was presumably in the hope that the OEs would keep the same opposition for this one that Spencer agreed to play, so who knows what he thought when he found out they were strong enough to leave James Piggot on the bench and that he was up against an open semi-finalist from the Schools' Championships at Repton last week in Lochie Turcan. Happily, Spencer was playing with Lochie's dad, and Henry's desire to win the familial bragging rights on the drive back to Oxfordshire - no doubt increased even more by Turcan jr drilling a ball into dad's face in game one - brought about one of the great NOEFC comebacks, as he and Spencer turned round a 1-12 first game tonking to win the next two 14-12 and 14-13. 37-29 down in points but 2-1 up in games and with some exaggeratedly worried glances at the clock and thoughts of Byam Shaw-esque delaying tactics beginning to take hold, Spencer & Henry convinced their opponents to shake hands with not enough time to complete a fourth game. That was our only point of the evening, though, as Pete & Matt went down 3-0 to the strong OE second pair of Matt Asquith & Max Krefting and Stephen & Karen  also lost to the two Wills - Ponsonby & Sorrell - at first pair, despite putting in a strong performance and almost nicking the second game. The point gained leaves us in a comfortable mid-table position in Division 2, with just one game to go, against the Cholms at Aldenham in a couple of weeks time.

North Oxford 2 lost to Old Salopians 2 0-3 at Aldenham 17/03/24:

B.Swallow & G.Pulsford lost to G.Williams & G.Williams 0-3 (8-12, 8-12, 8-12)

D.Patel & P.Holland lost to A.Morris & L.Lloyd-Jones 0-3 (9-12, 5-12, 3-12)

J.Levinson & L.Drummond lost to M.Hughes & O.O'Callaghan-Brown 0-3 (6-12, 9-12, 6-12)

The Division 2 team came up against the Old Salopian juggernaut at Aldenham on Sunday, competing well but ultimately going down 3-0 without winning a game, a rather frustrating outcome given all three pairs had spells where they looked to be well in the match or even the stronger pair. "Barry" Swallow was in at first pair, completing the hat trick of playing in all three divisions for NOEFC in the same season, and teaming up with Grandad Graham to take on the Williams father and son combination.  Despite Grant playing seemingly on one leg, he and Guy are a well-oiled partnership with many years of playing together; by contrast, the Swallow/Pulsford duo never really clicked, making the NOEFC pairing rather less than the sum of its parts, while their opponents were the opposite. All three games followed a similar pattern, with the Salopians taking a (sometimes hefty) lead and then North Oxford staging a fightback, during the course of which they looked like the pair they could be and produced some Fives that caused the opposition lots of problems. Sadly, the consistency wasn't there, the leads were always too much to pull back and the Salopian pair ultimately too good and too dogged, taking the win in three. There was further frustration at second pair, where Darshan Patel & Paul Holland looked the better pair at the start and end of the first game and for most of the time in the middle. Sadly there was a short spell in the middle where the wheels came off, giving Adam Morris & Luke Lloyd-Jones the chance to do enough to get over the line 12-9. Hopes of a comeback were high, given the context of the first game but that's not how it worked out. Adam & Luke settled down and went from strength to strength whereas Darshan & Paul's challenge faltered and faded away. The third pair saw a second opportunity of the season for Cambridge students Lewis Drummond & Jamie Levinson. A train cancellation meant they arrived earlier than planned at Potter's Bar and waited for the arrival of he club captain's taxi in the nearby Wetherspoon's, immediately proving their North Oxford credentials. They were up against tough opposition in the vastly more experienced Mike Hughes & Olly O'Callaghan-Brown but they acquitted themselves well. Indeed a purple patch in the second game from Jamie raised hopes of an unlikely victory. As with the other two pairs, however, the glimpse of victory proved to be illusory, as a 9-4 lead became a 12-9 defeat in the twinkle of an eye. The youngsters played some more good stuff in the third game, but weren't ever able to get in front again. They will both be much better for the experience, though, and we hope to see more of them in the future.

North Oxford 3 lost to Old Citizens 1-2 at Highgate 16/03/24:

S.Thatcher & I.Mitchell beat R.Morgan & C.Lumbard 3-1 (12-8, 8-12, 12-5, 13-10)

S.Nowinski & L.Maxwell lost to J.Greenhouse & S.Shah 0-3 (5-12, 13-14, 7-12)

M.Barnes & N.Mason lost to P.Chen & J.Robinson 2-3 (12-8, 8-12, 12-7, 11-13, 4-12)

Bishop's Buccaneers finished their season - and a solid grasp on mid-table mediocrity - with a slightly bizarre 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Old Citizens at Highgate on Saturday. It was something of a miracle that the match got played in its entirety: firstly the NOEFC recruitment department had to go into overdrive during the course of the week with only three confirmed names on the teamsheet. An initially reluctant Stephen Thatcher was pressed into service to make it four before Ipswichians Nadia Mason and Cambridge University's Luke Maxwell - following in a distinguished tradition of North Oxford Old Wycombiensians (Robert Wilson, Colin & Nathan Turnbull)  - were drafted in to make their club debuts. Further disruption was added to the mix when the team assembled to start play at 11am only to find that the opposition were of the opinion that it was a 2:30pm start (suspicion as to who was at fault was seemingly confirmed with the later message from the OC club secretary asking how the morning's match had gone...). Anyway. and rather remarkably, none of the NOEFC team had anything pressing to do so they headed to the pub for some pre-match bonding, tactical discussions and sticky toffee pudding eating, recording a 6-0 pub win before the opposition had even turned up. When play did finally get underway, it proved to be worth the wait as all three pairs turned out to be very decent matches. Stephen & Ian were up against familiar foes in the form of Ralph Morgan & Chris Lumbard and generally held the upper hand, losing the second to 8 and edging the third 13-10 but well in control of the other two games (a 3-0 win being anathema to Stephen of course). Luke teamed up with Stefan at second pair to take on Jacob Greenhouse & Saajan Shah and they competed well despite Luke's competitive inexperience. Had they won a tight second game, who knows what might have happened, but they lost it 14-13 and that turned out to be their chance gone. The third pair was an epic, Mandie & Nadia getting 2-1 in front against Peter Chen & John Robinson and within touching distance of an excellent victory but they couldn't quite close it out and were then unable to find the buttress with sufficient regularity to stop their opponents winning the fifth game to 4.

North Oxford 1 beat Old Millhillians 3-0 at Aldenham 25/02/24:

A.Abrahams & A.Cameron-Blackie beat V.Bhimjiyani & J.Lefort 3-0 (12-8, 12-6, 13-11)

G.Pulsford & F.Manderson-Harkin beat B.Briggs & C.Graville 3-0 (12-6, 12-10, 12-2)

Old Millhillians 1 conceded third pair

A third successive win in Division 1 and a run of 8 points out of 9 was achieved at Aldenham on Sunday with a 3-0 win over the Old Millhillians. The OMs were somewhat complicit in their downfall, missing some of their star names and then being further weakened by the last minute withdrawal dues to illness of Edwin Gosnell. He had been due to play at first pair with Charles Plummer against Alex and "Bro" Swallow and the OMs decided to also stand down Plummer before we had the chance to suggest some alternatives. That meant Beau and Darshan missing out )having both played on Saturday), leaving just Alex to double up. He did so in the company of Archie Cameron-Blackie and they were up against Vishal Bhimjiyani & Justin Lefort. Back in the day, this was a formidable pairing, with a couple of Kinnaird quarter-finals to their name, but while Vish is still a tournament regular and highly ranked player, this was Justin's first outing on a Fives court for several years.  There were plenty of glimpses of his quality throughout the match, but also plenty of rust to shake off and plenty of mistakes and Vish also fell into the understandable trap of sometimes trying to take on a bit too much himself and also making too may errors. Alex & Archie played very solidly to win the first two games and although they were slightly less clinical in the third, which also featured a bit of niggle (always a chance of that with Vish around), they finished strongly to take the win in three. An experienced second pair in teenagers Charlie Graville & Bill Briggs allowed local Aldenham schoolboy Frankie Manderson-Harkin to come in for a league debut. It also produced one of those enjoyable statistical quirks whereby one of  the four players on court was - by a comfortable margin, especially as it as his birthday - older than the other three put together. There was no doubt who was in control of this match, though, from start to finish. Frankie played nicely throughout - he is a player with a promising future for sure - but Grandad was the puppet master supreme, pulling the strings, going through his full box of tricks, allowing the Mill Hill boys to have a sniff in game two before mercilessly closing the door just when they thought they might win a game and then upping the tempo in the third as he had a birthday lunch to get to. Job done, and a move into third place in the table. The teams below have games in hand, so staying in third place is unlikely, but the late season run of wins has given us every chance of achieving some well-deserved mid-table respectability by the end of the season.

North Oxford 1 beat Old Cholmeleians 2-1 at Highgate 24/02/24:

B.Swallow & N.Caplin beat Ar.Bhattacharya & V.Kassardjian 3-0 (12-0, 12-6, 12-4)

A.Abrahams & D.Patel lost to B.Merrett* & S.Shah* 0-3 (3-12, 7-12, 10-12)

G.Hoskins & S.Thatcher lost to E.Scoones & J.Ledigo 2-3 (4-12, 7-12, 11-12, 11-13 ret)

*Ineligible players named in advance

The Division 1 revival that started last weekend at Orpington picked up pace at Highgate on Saturday with a 2-1 win over the Old Cholmeleians that could (perhaps should?) have been 3-0. Again, the opposition big guns decided that North Oxford weren't really worth the effort, with the likes of Jonny Ho and James Hopkins nowhere to be seen. In fact, the OCs were only able to get two pairs out for their home game and had to rope in Ben Merrett & Sahil Shah of the Westminsters to play as an ineligible extra pair. A 3-0 win could probably have been guaranteed by insisting - as we could have done - that Ben & Sahil play at third pair. In the interests of a better game all round (not least for the NOEFC third pair!) it was agreed that Ben & Sahil should play higher up the order, with Aroop Bhattachrya making the call that he fancied taking on the first pair game rather than the second pair. With the pairs set, Aroop & Vatche Kassardjian had the tough task of taking on Noah and Barry* at first pair and while they recovered from an opening game bagel, they weren't able to prevent a comfortable 3-0 win for the NOEFC/ex-OUEFC pairing. Alex dropped down to second pair alongside Darshan to take on the Westminsters; again this was a 3-0 result - this time in favour of the opposition - but Alex & Darshan improved throughout, getting to 10 in the third game and banking the league point due to their opponents' ineligible status. The closest match of the day was at third pair where Stephen Thatcher and the club captain took on Emily Scoones & Jack Ledigo. The first game was a Thatcher masterclass, with a triple change with Stephen serving producing a comfortable win. The second game saw the opposition getting into the game but Stephen & Gareth played their best Fives of the match to win to 7. The third game saw Stephen's traditional Thatcheresque wobble, and although they got within one point of overall victory it was the OC pair who nicked it 12-11. All looked to be going North Oxford's way in the fourth as they got out to a good lead, but with Stephen's early purple patch a distance memory and Gareth's back beginning to cause problems, the wheels rather fell off and the Cholms began to reel them in. There was still a chance at 11-11, where a match point opportunity was denied by a controversial let, but when the fourth game was lost 13-11, the captain's back meant a fifth game would have been a formality. While the third point would have been nice, there was still plenty of good Fives to be enjoyed and it was especially heartening to see Emily Scoones back to her formidable best after her health problems earlier in the season. Once a North Oxford player, always a North Oxford player...

*See the Newbury match report below

North Oxford lost to Oxford University 0-2 at Iffley Road 23/02/24:

A.Rennie & S.Thatcher lost to B.Swallow & G.Wiseman 1-2 (11-14, 12-14, 12-9)

P.Scholey & I.Mitchell lost to J.Robb & A.Deshmukh 0-3 (7-12, 5-12, 7-12)

The University again took the honours in the local derby at Iffley Road on Friday night as they continued their preparations for next weekend's Varsity Match. We generously helped them by lending them back Gwydion Wiseman of Oxford Brookes, who was supposed to be making his NOEFC debut but switched teams when the students could only rustle up three of their first team players. There was still a North Oxford debut with Andrew Rennie - a Monday night regular in recent times - finally earning his North Oxford cap and going through the standard initiation ritual of partnering Stephen Thatcher in a close match. They were up against Gwydion and another NOEFC player in "Barry" Swallow, sandwiching a game against us in between Tuesday and Saturday league appearances for us. Both of the first two games were set at 11-11 and both won by the University; Andrew & Stephen won the third 12-9 but were prevented from storming through the next two and winning in five by the need to go to the pub. Ian & Pete teamed up at second pair and  were beaten in three by Joel Robb & Aaditya Deshmukh.

North Oxford 3 beat Newbury 2-1 at Newbury 20/02/24:

B.Swallow & H.Turcan beat E.Porter & J.Hopkins 3-0 (12-6, 12-2, 12-5)

M.Chinery & I.Mitchell beat C.McCormack & J.Holland 3-0 (12-6, 12-9, 14-12)

A.Bishop & F.Butler lost to J.Tye & S.Tye 0-3 (1-12, 0-12, 4-12)

The Club President's 100th North Oxford appearance was marked with a win at Newbury last night as the Division 3 team scored a 2-1 away win. With the Newbury team missing their regular first pair in Will Thomas and Paul Holland, Etonians Beau (or "Barry" or "Bro" as the President's WhatsApp voice recognition software seemed intent on rechristening him) Swallow & Henry Turcan comfortably dispatched the replacement top home pair of Jack Hopkins & Ed Porter in straight games. The brass section at second pair gave their opponents a sniff at second pair but eventually saw off James Holland & Chris McCormack, also in three games. Sadly the President's Fives mirrored his ability to get his teammates' names right as he and Freya Butler - like Beau tuning up for the forthcoming Varsity Match - got roundly thrashed by the much improved James & Sam Tye. Andy's summary of the match..."They played well. Freya and I didn't." He did at least get Freya's name right. 

North Oxford 1 beat Old Olavians 3-0 at Orpington 17/02/24:

N.Caplin & A.Abrahams beat A.Anoop & T.Arjaria 3-2 (0-12, 0-12, 12-1, 12-1, 12-7)

G.Pulsford & A.Cameron-Blackie beat M.Scurr & A.Akanda 3-2 (12-3, 6-12, 5-12, 12-1, 12-8)

G.Hoskins & N.Turnbull beat D.Robson & E.Phillips 3-0 (12-7, 12-6, 12-3)

The cunning ploy of playing both Barber Cup finalists away in the week leading up to the final may have backfired slightly on Tuesday but it worked a treat at Orpington on Saturday, with a 3-0 win against an inexperienced Olavian team, who were resting their big players for the following day. That is not to say that the three points came easily, though, with Noah in particular having an adventurous morning, which first of all involved missing his train, then taking his bike in order to be able to cycle from Orpington station to the school only to then get on the wrong train and end up in Hayes with a 6 mile bike ride to make it to Orpington before 11:30am at which point the Olavians could have claimed a walkover. Thankfully, pedal power got him there at 11:27 and he and Alex then raced through their first two games against schoolboys Aaditya Anoop & Tanish Arjaria 12-1, 12-1. The third game was closer, with further carnage cause by Alex chasing one out of the back of the court and treading on the glass beer bottle that Noah had brought his water along in, but they won it 12-7 to get a point on the board that was easily won on court but anything but off it. Second pair at least started on time, which was just as well as it ended up going to five games. Graham & Archie won the first comfortably but then had an extended sticky patch before refinding their form in the fourth and closing things out well in a tight fifth. The most straightforward game of the day was at third pair, where Nathan continued to get his win percentage up towards the 50% mark with a measured and controlled performance, with the team captain offering tactical guidance and the odd cut return. A 5-0 win to celebrate in the Rose & Crown topped the morning off nicely, with Noah causing more chaos by asking for the bill  more or less before the food had arrived and then leaving in a hurry, presumably because he had no idea how to get home. I'm pleased to report that he wasn't spotted cycling around the hard shoulder of the M25, so hopefully he'll make it back in time to get to Highgate on Saturday morning to take on the Cholms.

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Westminsters 1 0-3 at Highgate 13/02/24:

S.Cooley & J.Piggot lost to R.Houlden & H.Young 0-3 (2-12, 7-12, 5-12)

A.Abrahams & M.Asquith lost to L.Brock & I.Salim 0-3 (2-12, 0-12, 1-12)

K.Hird & C.Austin lost to B.Merrett & J.Alster 0-3 (7-12, 11-14, 3-12)

The Division 1 team ran into an Old Westminster juggernaut on wet and slippery courts at Highgate last night, losing 3-0 to a side on top form and tuning up for an assault on the Barber Cup final this coming weekend. It was pleasing to have Seb back in the line-up on his half-term; I'm sure he was delighted that the OWs decided they needed to turn the full force of Riki Houlden & Hugo Young on him and James Piggot at first pair. On another day this might have opened up opportunities at second and third pair but Alex & Matt clearly hadn't quite recovered from their EFA Trophy exertions at the weekend and were blown away by Laurie Brock & Issy Salim. Karen & Chris got the closest at third pair, pushing Ben Merrett & James Alster to 11-11 in the second game but still succumbing in three. On to Orpington at the weekend, where we will wait and see what sort of Olavian team awaits us...

North Oxford beat Old Ipswichians 2-1 at Aldenham 11/02/24:

A.Abrahams & M.Asquith beat I.Wagland & W.Gibbons 3-0 (12-6, 12-6, 12-3)

N.Turnbull & S.Thatcher beat S.Burnell & C.Cooley 3-1 (5-12, 12-7, 12-9, 12-3)

K.Hird & P.Scholey lost to T.Gregory & P.Forrest 0-3 (4-12, 9-12, 7-12)

There was consolation of sorts in the afternoon, with victory over the Old Ipswichians in the 3rd/4th place play off. Pete was struggling with his shoulder and he and Karen couldn't hold off Tim Gregory & Peter Forrest at third pair. Alex & Matt put in a great performance against Isaac Wagland & Will Gibbons, considering the amount of Fives they had played in the morning and the disappointment of not quite getting over the line in the semi. The other big plus of the afternoon was the sight of the potentially volatile Thatcher/Turnbull (#ThatchBull) partnership recovering from a pretty disastrous first game against Steve Burnell & Charlotta Cooley to win in four, with the two wins out of two on the day doing wonders for Nathan's stats.

North Oxford lost to St.Olave's 1-2 at Aldenham 11/02/24:

A.Abrahams & M.Asquith lost to H.Ravi & A.Agarwal 2-3 (4-12, 11-15, 14-11, 14-11, 11-14)

P.Scholey & S.Thatcher lost to G.Wiseman & A.Akanda 1-3 (9-12, 12-13, 12-9, 5-12)

K.Hird & N.Turnbull beat J.Lawrence & S.Kundu 3-0 (12-4, 12-5, 12-7)

Another year, another near miss in the EFA Trophy as the NOEFC team fell agonisingly short in a thrilling semi-final against the Olavians, who put out a much changed side from the school team that qualified before Christmas, mixing a couple of school players with Gwydion Wiseman and a trio of old boys.  The North Oxford team featured two changes from the qualifiers, with Nathan Turnbull and Stephen Thatcher coming in for Gael Guetard and the unavailable Archie Cameron-Blackie. North Oxford struck first blood, with Nathan & Karen putting in a thoroughly efficient and stress-free performance at third pair to beat Jeff Lawrence & Sanjay Kundu in straight games. Things were not going so well elsewhere, though: Alex & Matt never really got going in the first game against Aadi Agarwal & Harry Ravi at first pair while the Edwardian duo of Pete & Stephen also went one down against Gwydion Wiseman & Aryan Akanda (the same pair who had beaten Nathan & Grandad narrowly in the leagu a couple of weeks before). Both North Oxford pairs upped their game in the second, but things failed to improve on the scoreboard - Alex & Matt lost 12-15, while Pete & Stephen did all the hard work then blew an 11-7 lead to go down 12-13. One of them needed to turn it round and win in five if we were going to make the final and this didn't look beyond the realms of possibility as both won their respective third games, Pete & Stephen this time managing to close things out efficiently and Matt & Alex saving several match points to turn 9-11 into 14-11. Two chances quickly became one, though, as the second pair challenge faltered in the fourth, Stephen & Pete losing their momentum at the wrong time and going down relatively tamely to 5 and a 3-1 defeat. Alex & Matt were still fighting hard, though, and despite holding off an Olavian comeback from 11-7 to 11-11 they held on to win 14-11 and take it to a match-deciding winner takes all fifth game.  With a large crowd watching at the back of the court and an online audience on tenterhooks, the North Oxford pair got off to a great start in the fifth, leading 5-0 and 7-2, They got stuck on 7, however, as the Olavian pair upped their game, improving their set piece while Aadi hit a purple patch of volleying into the hole. Gradually the gap closed and then opened up in the Olavians' favour. More match points were saved at 8-11 before Matt & Alex found one more run of points to send the game into setting for the fourth time in a row. It remained at 11-11 for several hands, waiting for the decisive move...unfortunately for us it came from the Olavians, a cut out of court an unfortunate way to end a brilliant match and consign us to yet another 3rd place play off. Still, there's always next year!

North Oxford lost to Oxford University 0-2 at Iffley Road 02/02/24:

G.Guetard & C.Broomfield lost to H.Barma & F.Butler 1-3 (9-12, 12-4, 8-12, 9-12)

S.Nowinski & B.Millar lost to C.Schroeder & H.Bain 1-3 (7-12, 2-12, 15-14, 9-12)

The first local derby of the season took place at Iffley Road on Friday with a fixture against the Oxford University second team. There was a significant experience deficit at first pair with Summer Fields teacher Caleb Broomfield making his NOEFC debut alongside Gale Guetard against Hatam Barma and Freya Butler. Gael & Caleb showed what they are both capable of in the second game with a decisive 12-4 win but either side of that Freya & Hatam just had a bit too much nous and courtcraft for the North Oxford pair, who both have great potential and will have benefited from the match practice. There was plenty of NOEFC experience at second pair in the form of Stefan Nowinski as he and Bee Millar took on NOEFC occasional Cyril Schroeder and Old Etonian Hamish Bain. Stefan & Bee did well to win the third game 15-14 and extend the match into a fourth game having lost the first two 7 and 2. They almost managed to take it to a decider but in the end went down 12-9 in the fourth to hand overall victory to the students.

North Oxford 1 beat Old Olavians 2-1 at Aldenham 27/01/24:

A.Abrahams & B.Hart lost to T.Arjaria & A.Agarwal 2-3 (12-1, 5-12, 2-12, 12-7, 10-12)

S.Simmons & C.Austin beat D.Robson & E.Phillips 3-0 (12-1, 12-4, 12-3)

B.Swallow & M.Asquith beat A.Anoop & A.Lewis 3-0 (12-2, 12-2, 12-0)

The second half of the double header was a Division 1 clash, which was preceded by a logistical transport operation of some complexity involving 16 players being picked up from both Watford Junction and Radlett as well as some complicated Holland family manoeuvres to do with swimming in High Wycombe. Anyway, the right people ended up in the right place and a North Oxford team with a strong Wulfrunian/Etonian flavour looked to get our first Division 1 points on the board for a while.  The initial stages looked like it might be a rather one-sided contest all round with three easy points on the cards, with all three pairs winning the first game for the combined loss of only four points. Matt & Beau at third pair continued in that vein, cruising to a comfortable win over school pair Anton Lewis & Aaditya Anoop (a Schools Open winner in 2023 but only just returning after injury), while the old Wulfrunian firm of Austin & Simmons made short work of Dom Robson & Edmund Phillips at second pair. The subsequent Wulfrunians v Etonians match then went the way of the senior pair (just!), justifying the pair ordering and making Sid's journey down from Wolverhampton more worthwhile and getting his competitive juices going ready for his attendance at the battle of the Hawthorns on Sunday lunchtime. The first pair game was turning out to be rather different, however, as the 12-1 win by Alex Abrahams & Ben Hart in the first game against last week's U21 finalists Aadi Agarwal & Tanish Arjaria proved to be something of a wake-up call for the talented young Olavian pair, who suddenly switched gear in the second and third game, looking like a completely different pair as they completely turned the tables on Alex & Ben, winning 12-5 then 12-2 to take a 2-1 lead.  The momentum shifts weren't finished, though, as the North Oxford pair regrouped and clawed their way back into the match, taking the fourth 12-7 and then establishing an 8-2 lead in the fifth. Just when it looked as if it was game over, however, the Olavian pair again found a different gear and with Alex & Ben becoming a little passive and making a few untidy errors, the 8-2 and then 10-6 leads were gradually frittered away, as Tanish & Aadi came from behind to take the fifth game 12-10. Still, a 2-1 win overall was an improvement on some recent results and a welcome boost to our league tally. Some more musical cars to get everyone back to the right place was then followed by a 10-2 overall win in the Round Bush, where Beau proved his NOEFC credentials by going straight for the STP. 

North Oxford 2 beat St.Olave's School 1 2-1 at Aldenham 27/01/24:

G.Pulsford & N.Turnbull lost to G.Wiseman & A.Akanda 1-3 (9-12, 12-4, 10-12, 14-15)

P.Scholey & S.Thatcher beat O.Rushton & H.Etherington 3-0 (12-9, 12-2, 12-5)

P.Holland & I.Mitchell beat L.Whitnall & K.Bhavsar 3-0 (12-5, 12-5, 12-9)

The 2024 league point drought was finally brought to an end at Aldenham on Saturday in a Division 1 and 2 double header against a very young and inexperienced Olavian side, with most of their big hitters keeping their powder dry for the Barber Cup semi-final the following day. The Division 2 side mainly consisted of their U15 Hughes Cup winning team - some promising talent but no match for masters of Old Man Fives such as Stephen Thatcher and the returning-from-injury Pete Scholey and Paul Holland and Ian Mitchell. The big challenge came at first pair, where Gwydion Wiseman - ineligible for the Division 1 game - was lurking alongside Aryan Akanda. Grandad and Nathan took the job on and looked in control at one stage, winning the second game to 4 after a slow start led to defeat in the first game. Both the third and fourth games were nip and tuck and the North Oxford pair will be disappointed not to have won at least one of them to force a fifth game, but 10-12 and 14-15 defeats meant we had to settle for a 2-1 overall victory rather than a 3-0 whitewash. Salt was rubbed into the wound at the the Round Bush, where Graham somehow managed to not get any lunch, apart from a couple of large glasses of wine to drown his sorrows.

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Harrovians 0-3 at Harrow 20/01/24:

B.Swallow & A.Abrahams lost to T.Dunbar & G.Stanhope 0-3 (4-12, 7-12, 7-12)

G.Pulsford & D.Patel lost to O.Denby & J.Barley 0-3  (8-12, 9-12, 2-12)

G.Hoskins & S.Thatcher lost to J.Fleming & E.Hewens 0-3  (8-12, 6-12, 2-12)

Another league match and another defeat, with a slightly makeshift Division 1 team coming up against a very strong Harrovian outfit at Harrow on Saturday. This was a slightly galling afternoon, with the Harrovians playing an afternoon double header against us and then the league-leading Old Salopians. Despite the opposition knowing the relative strengths of their two opponents, we still ended up playing against pretty much a full strength side, before Tom Dunbar, 2022 schools champion Jonny Barley and current school number one Gus Stanhope were replaced by the Harrow U16 third pair, who unsurprisingly didn't detain the Salopians for long. With quite a few of the NOEFC big hitters unavailable, Beau Swallow made his Division 1 first pair debut alongside Alex Abrahams, hoping to take down the 17 time Kinnaird cup winning Harrovian skipper at the first attempt. He didn't quite manage it, but he & Alex put in a good performance and were slightly disappointed not to have done even better having got out to a 6-0 lead in the third game. The Aldenham engine room of Darshan & Grandad took on the young Harrovian pair of Barley & Oskar Denby and had a slightly frustrating match, getting close in both of the first couple of games without managing to win either and then folding in the third. Stephen Thatcher and the club captain - hotfooting it from a Barber Cup match against Toop & Wiseman at Orpington in the morning - also put in a decent showing in the first two games against the strong pair of Gareth's former Vets winning partner Jamie Fleming and tricky customer Ed Hewens. The question was always how many games Gareth had in him after his morning exertions and the answer turned out to be two with the less said about game three the better. There was at least the consolation of a 5-0 in the pub after - only slightly marred by a sighting of arrival of the new OH third pair for their second match - and agreement that this must surely have been the result of a long-held grudge by the Harrovian captain against a certain NOEFC member who once had the temerity to take a game off him in the Barber Cup. It's always good to have a scapegoat. Next up is a Div 1 and 2 double header against the Olavians at Aldenham on Saturday, with six strong NOEFC pairs lined up and ready to go. Surely this will be our chance to get the 2024 scoreboard moving...

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Salopians 0-3 at Highgate 16/01/24:

N.Caplin & A.Abrahams lost to E.Taylor & S.Welti 0-3 (13-14, 7-12, 6-12)

J.Piggot & M.Asquith lost to C.Hughes & R.Worth 0-3  (1-12, 6-12, 9-12)

W.Ponsonby & I.Wagland lost to H.Blofield & G.Williams 0-3  (4-12, 5-12, 4-12)

The pointless (mathematically anyway) start to 2024 continued at Highgate last night as the Division 1 team took on what is currently the toughest assignment in the league - an away match against defending champions and league leaders the Old Salopians, who were pretty much at full strength. The young NOEFC squad - all six under 30 - made a pretty good fist of it and put up strong strong resistance at times but were ultimately unable to find a way past their formidable opposition. Noah & Alex at first pair got closest perhaps, agonisingly losing the first game 14-13 against Ed Taylor & Sam Welti. Perhaps if that had gone their way, the rest of the match may have turned out differently, but it didn't and they didn't manage to get as close in the second and third games. The Etonian middle order of James Piggot & Matt Asquith took the opposite approach to their second pair match against Chris Hughes & Rex Worth, starting slowly in the first game but improving as the match went on, reaching nine points in the third game. Again, if they had just managed to nick a win in the third game, who knows what might have happened? Third pair required a late rejig with Nathan Turnbull coming down with the lurgy and Will Ponsonby stepping in. He and Isaac Wagland fought hard, but it's rare that you'll have to play against a third pair of the calibre of Henry Blofield & Guy Williams and the result was never really in doubt. Next up for the Division 1 team is another tricky away trip, this time to Harrow at the weekend against a resurgent Old Harrovians outfit. Will we be able to get the scoreboard moving this time?

North Oxford 2 lost to Old Ipswichians 0-3 at Ipswich 13/01/24:

G.Hoskins & J.Levinson lost to J.Hughes & I.Wagland 1-3 (13-11, 5-12, 5-12, 6-12)

S.Chapman & L.Drummond lost to C.Cooley & E.Caldwell 0-3  (4-12, 0-12, 10-12)

H.Asquith & L.Free* lost to S.Burnell & A.Phillips 0-3  (6-12, 1-12, 4-12)

*ineligible player

Making the league trip to Ipswich every couple of years is something that only North Oxford manage to do out of all of the Division 2 clubs; we kept that important tradition up at the weekend, but only just, with some assistance from a couple of Cambridge University's finest and an extra Ipswichian. It was worth it, though; it was an enjoyable match all round, an opportunity for some players to gain league experience, a nice lunch in The Greyhound and a point proved that league Fives isn't all about midweek evenings at Highgate and Westminster. The club captain was pressed into service at first pair and lined up alongside Cambridge student and Westway alumnus Jamie Levinson against occasional NOEFC Div 1 player Isaac Wagland and the fast-improving Jeremy Hughes. The OI pair got off to the better start, but a real purple patch from Gareth & Jamie enabled them to come back from quite a long way behind to burgle the first game 13-11; the North Oxford pair continued to play consistently but Isaac hit a different gear in games two and three, especially with his cutting and when he wavered slightly in game four, Jeremy stepped up to prevent a North Oxford comeback. A second Cambridge student, this year's captain Lewis Drummond, had the dubious honour of making his league debut alongside Spencer. They had a pretty tough assignment against Charlotta Cooley & Elliot Caldwell and at 0-2 down and with a second game whitewash on their record, it is greatly to their credit that they produced some excellent Fives in the third and were unlucky not to take it to a fourth game, going down 10-12 in the end.  Harry Asquith heroically braved the rail replacement bus service on the London-Ipswich line and teamed up with Ipswichian Luke Free in a non-counting but fun and competitive outing at third pair, before North Oxford scored their first win of the day with a 5-4 pub victory over lunch.

North Oxford drew with The Brigands 2-2 at Eton 11/01/24:

J.Edsberg & L.Turcan beat O.O'Callaghan-Brown & A.Constantine 2-1 (12-14, 14-13, 12-10)

H.Turcan & S.Thatcher beat T.Leach & A.White 2-0 (12-9, 12-4)

I.Mitchell & S.Nowinski lost to S.Clarke & M.Davis 1-2 (11-13, 11-14, 12-10)

A.Bishop & T.Bush lost to M.Powell & J-B.Garway-Templeton 1-2 (12-1, 5-12, 12-15)

The first fixture of 2024 - and the first of a busy run of matches in January - was the traditional Thursday evening friendly fixture against the Brigands at Eton. Undeterred by the ongoing court refurb and the flooded sewers at Eton (the latter of which has prevented the boys returning to school for the start of term) both teams put out four pairs for what turned to be a beautifully even and close contest. There were NOEFC debuts at first pair for Eton U17 pair Jago Edsberg (an Old SummerFieldian) and Lochie Turcan (son of Monday night regular Henry) and as well as making the effort to come in to school even while still officially at home due to the sewer situation, they then performed heroically to come from 0-1 down, save match points in the second and win 12-10 in the third against a strong and experienced pair in Salopian Ollie O'Callaghan-Brown and Zuozer Alex Constantine.  A terrific effort that and vindication of the traditional "youngsters at one" policy. Turcan sr was bumped down to second pair as a result where he teamed up with Stephen Thatcher for a clinical two game dispatching of the potentially dangerous pairing of Tom Leach & Andrew White. Third pair was another incredibly close contest, matching the first pair almost point for point; this time it was the North Oxford pair of Stefan & Ian who came out on just the wrong side of the ledger, losing 2-1 to Stuart Clarke & Matt Davis, although they would of course inevitably have gone on to win if it had been best of five. The weirdest game of the evening was at fourth pair, where Andy & Toby raced through the first game to win 12-1 against veteran Martin Powell & Lancing old boy J-B Garway-Templeton before promptly losing the second to 5 as the wheels fell off. The deciding third game was much closer and saw yet another game set at 10-10; it was the Brigands who won it 15-12, however, and although Andy & Toby had established a 5-2 lead in the fourth game, the other pairs were finishing and the Golden Curry was calling...

North Oxford 2 beat Old Millhillians 2 2-1 at Mill Hill 12/12/23:

G.Pulsford & C.Austin lost to C.Plummer & O.Sander 0-3 (1-12, 1-12, 10-15)

D.Patel & S.Thatcher beat E.Gosnell & A.Field 3-0 (12-8, 13-11, 12-7)

I.Mitchell & P.Holland beat J.Patel & R.Levy 3-1 (10-12, 1-0 ret)

Grandad Graham reports: "After last week's narrow loss at Westway, last night saw a welcome return to winning ways with a much needed 2-1 Division 2 victory over the Old Millhillians. Our first pair were clinically dispatched by the in-form Charlie Plummer with resistance limited to the third game which should have been won to ensure at least a fourth – when you reach 10 first you should really ‘put the game away’. At pair two Darshan, possibly upset by not being selected to play at first pair, had a point to prove and he dominated the game with a selection of crisp volleys and clean back court winners. Stephen provided the steely nerve* to close out the second game and the third game became a formality.  Our third pair, Ian and Paul, had the air of experience and longevity and set themselves to tire out and then beat the opposition. As it turned out a narrow 10-12 loss in the first game was ended abruptly at the start of the second as the Mill Hill pair conceded due to injury. Ian & Paul would have won 3-1 anyway! This on court victory was followed by a 4-0 walkover in the Three Hammers with Ian providing us with a glorious combination of snacks including assorted crisps and Nobbies nuts! The only sour note was Paul celebrating his early victory by having his photo taken on the M4 on the way home."

*Editor's note: A clear violation of the dictionary definition of "Thatcheresque"

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Salopians 1 1-2 at Mill Hill 09/12/23:

S.Cooley & T.McCahon beat S.Welti & H.Blofield 3-0 (12-7, 12-7, 12-7)

M.Asquith & I.Wagland lost to C.Hughes & T.Cox 0-3 (3-12, 8-12, 4-12)

S.Thatcher & P.Holland lost to M.Hughes & A.Morris 0-3 (6-12, 8-12, 4-12)

Taking on the defending champions is always a tough ask, but the Division 1 side made a good fist of it against the Old Salopians on Saturday. Our first attempt at cutting them down to size failed to work as for some reason they refused to play on the courts at Aldenham, which were apparently a bit damp for some of the opposition's prima donnas. A couple of phone calls - to a slightly confused Mill Hill receptionist ("What is that? Is it like hockey?") then to a slightly more helpful Mill Hill sports centre employee - some hasty online court booking and a 15 minute drive down the A41 later, the match finally got underway on rather drier surroundings. Our second attempt at taking some points off the league leaders was more successful - a first appearance of the season for the pro at first pair, where he teamed up with Tom McCahon against Sam Welti & Henry Blofield, both NOEFC players putting in a fine display with their biggest problem seeming to be constantly getting in each others' way rather than anything their opponents could throw at them. A pleasingly consistent 7,7,7 scoreline got us a very handy point at first pair, therefore, but things were not going quite so well elsewhere, with Matt Asquith & Isaac Wagland at second pair and Stephen Thatcher at third both quickly going 0-1 down without overly troubling the scorers. The second games in both pairs were rather different, however, as the new look NOEFC pairings began to gel and put their opponents under more pressure. Stephen & Paul in particular looked like they might level at 1-1, putting together a run of points to take them into an 8-7 lead before a couple of basic errors just at the wrong time surrendered the momentum and cost them the game, with Mike Hughes & Adam Morris going on to win the third relatively comfortably. It was a similar story at second as Matt and Isaac - a talented young Ipswichian in just his second NOEFC outing - ran Chris Hughes & Tom Cox close in the second before falling away again in the third. Still, some encouraging performances, a valuable point and at least we got through the whole match without anyone chasing one out the back and drowning. We even suffered a rare 5-4 defeat in the pub afterwards, but Tom Cox is an Old Summerfieldian so perhaps we can claim the win anyway. 

North Oxford 2 lost to Team Westway 1 0-3 at Westway 06/12/23:

D.Patel & W.Thomas lost to A.Abrahams & T.Campbell 1-3 (9-12, 12-10, 6-7 ret)

J.Hopkins & H.Turcan lost to F.Lebon & B.Bannerman 0-3 (7-12, 7-12, 5-12)

I.Mitchell & R.Thorogood lost to P.Griffiths & A.Sivathasan 0-3 (3-12, 8-12, 9-12)

The Division 2 side were in action again last night and just came up short, despite a fighting performance against Team Westway 1. With NOEFC's own Division 1 star Alex Abrahams in the opposition ranks, it was always going to be a challenge for Darshan and Will at first pair, and it was one that they were rising to magnificently, sharing the first two games and neck and neck in the third with Alex and Tancred Campbell before an untimely (and painful) finger dislocation for Will put a premature end to proceedings, although not to Will's evening, which finally ended with him getting home at 5:30am after a trip to A&E. The second pair combination of Jack Hopkins & Henry Turcan also fought hard but were never quite able to get on terms with the Old Bryanstonian combination of Frank Lebon & Bertie Bannerman, although thankfully they kept all of their extremities intact. Ian & Robert at third pair got off to a slow start, going 11-1 down against Pete Griffiths & Abilash Sivathasan. They weren't playing badly, however, and their luck began to change in the second game, their opponents making more mistakes and the NOEFC pair able to finish rallies in a way they had struggled to do in the first game. An 8-1 lead should probably have been enough to level at 1-1, but it wasn't to be as the Westway pair fought back strongly with a devastating run of 11 straight points. Undeterred, Ian & Robert again got themselves into a decent position in the third game, which progressed neck and neck up to 9-9 before finally succumbing to the home pair. A 3-0 defeat, then, but a decent showing and with another game coming up next Tuesday at Mill Hill, an early opportunity to get back on the horse. Although maybe a bit too early for Will's finger.

North Oxford 2 beat Old Westminsters 2 2½-½ at Westminster 21/11/23:

C.Austin & N.Turnbull beat S.Balaji & A.Jones 3-0 (12-2, 12-0, 12-8)

S.Thatcher & W.Thomas beat H.de Quetteville & S.Hunter 3-0 (12-4, 12-2. 12-6)

G.Guetard & T.Bush drew with B.Chen & P.Shah 2-2 (9-12, 12-10, 10-12, 12-8, 5-1 timed out)

It was an evening of firsts at Westminster last night: a first Division 2 match of the season, a first Division 2 appearance for Toby and a convincing win in his first appearance as team captain for Stephen Thatcher.

The team captain reports:

"First pair were efficiency personified, I didn't even see them on the court. 

Second pair was delayed as the schoolboy was playing a chess match. That may have been on his mind as he struggled with our old man fives. 

Third pair was an epic battle. A slugfest brought to a premature end by the Westminster curfew with neither side able to land the killer blow. An array of back court drives, rapid volleying rallies on top step, and trick shots galore kept the vociferous crowd (is two a crowd?) entertained until lights out.

Pub was a 0-0 draw, but we did at least avoid Mr Bishop's pickpockets!"

North Oxford won the Richard Black Cup at Highgate 19/11/23:

Group stages: beat Ipswich 2-1; beat Repton 2-1; beat Cambridge University 3-0; beat Shrewsbury 2 3-0; drew with Shrewsbury 1 1½-1½

Final: North Oxford beat Shrewsbury 1 2-1

F.Turnbull & H.Asquith beat K.Oswald & E.Graham 15-8

B.Millar & N.Lilienthal lost to L.Ware & E.Hurford 0-15

M.Barnes & G.Day beat A.Beardsmore & M.Parry 15-11

The women's team have long been the standard bearers for NOEFC Fives and they duly delivered again on Sunday, with a third successive win in the Richard Black Cup.  Ever presents Harry Asquith and Francesca Turnbull were once again at the forefront of the North Oxford challenge but otherwise there were plenty of personnel changes, with Karen once again leading the Repton team, Rachel on maternity leave and Annalise unavailable. As with last year's victorious team there was also a last minute change involving Natalie Lilienthal - last year it was an unwell Natalie being replaced at the last minute by Erin Leatherbarrow; this year it was Natalie coming into the team due to Sophie coming down with the lurgy at just he wrong time. Sophie heroically dragged herself to Highgate in case she was required but was very relieved to be able to head back home to bed once it was clear that there were sufficient numbers to cover her absence. With the off court dramas all resolved, attention turned to the action on court. Harry, Francesca and Natalie were joined by the returning Mandie Barnes and tournamen newcomers Bee Millar and Grace Day. First up was a tricky assignment against Ipswich and a 2-1 win there followed by another 2-1 win over Repton (Karen preventing us getting the 3-0 of course!) put the team in a strong position after two rounds. Easier matches against Cambridge University and the young Shrewsbury second string produced 3-0 wins and an opportunity to shuffle the pairings around a bit before the original line-up took on Shrewsbury 1 in the last group match with one more point needed to ensure a place in the final. The Shrewsbury team were in the same position (only a 3-0 win for one team and a 3-0 win for Ipswich over Repton could change the finishing order). Mandie & Grace produced a convincing win at third pair to ensure qualification; defeat for Natalie & Bee at the hands of a very strong Shrewsbury second pair allowed the first pair match to stop at a tight 7-6 before the two teams started from zero again in the final. Both teams decided against making any changes to their pairings for the final. With Mandie & Grace unbeaten at third pair all day and Lizze Ware & Esther Hurford unchallenged at second pair, it felt at the start that the destiny of the trophy might well come down to the first pair match between Harry & Francesca and Old Salopians Emma Graham & Katie Oswald. Despite their best efforts (they'd done their bit earlier in the day!), Bee & Natalie were unable to make any more of an impression on Lizzie & Esther second time round; Mandie & Grace were not having things their own way, though, as their young Shrewsbury opponents put behind their previous poor showing and upped their game impressively, heading out to a 6-2 lead. With the first pair game poised at 8-8 things were looking a bit dicey but it was at this point that North Oxford showed their champion credentials. Harry & Francesca suddenly clicked into top gear just at the right time, producing a stunning ten minutes of Fives with both absolutely at the top of their game, returning cuts, attacking the volleys and finding perfect lines into the buttress past the flailing left-hands of their opponents. 8-8 became 13-8 in one glorious hand and the rest was a formality to level the overall tie at 1-1.  A good sized crowd then descended onto the third pair court where the trophy was going to be won and lost. Mandie & Grace had got over their early wobble and had got themselves back into the match at 9-9 . Momentum was with the NOEFC pair and with Mandie cannily exploiting her opponents' weaknesses (not least their difficulty returning the slow three wall cut) and Grace cutting and volleying well under pressure it was the North Oxford pair who made it over the winning line 15-11, ensuring a third successive Black Cup win and a fifth win in the last six editions of the competition.

North Oxford beat Cambridge University Men 3-0 at Cambridge 12/11/23:

A.Abrahams & S.Cass beat L.Drummond & G.Poole 2-0 (12-7, 12-1)

I.Mitchell & S.Chapman beat G.Smith & L.Siriwardana 3-0 (12-6, 12-4. 12-6)

G.Hoskins & S.Nowinski beat S.Tuchel & C.Lowe 2-0 (12-3, 12-1)

With the morning match and the important business of lunch for 10 at the Blue Lion in Hardwick - now under new management and with an Italian flavour - out of the way, the NOEFC troops reassembled at the Cambridge sports centre for the fourth and final match of the weekend against the University men's team. It was a bit disappointing that the University's top two pairs weren't there to take us on and the result was again a slightly one-sided "official" match but the six NOEFC players seized the opportunity - some with more transparent glee than others - to pad out their stats with a comfortable W before again taking the opportunity to mix around the pairings and produce some enjoyable extra games. Worthy of note were a first NOEFC appearance for some time for former Monday nighter Simon Cass and a first NOEFC win for as long as anyone could remember for Spencer Chapman, despite being taped up like a mummy to stop him falling to pieces.

North Oxford beat Cambridge University Women 2-0 at Cambridge 12/11/23:

N.Lilienthal & C.Farquharson-Roberts beat L.Bland & E.Spencer 2-0 (12-1, 12-1)

M.Barnes & S.Clifford-King beat A.Fitzpatrick & S.? 2-0 (12-0, 12-0)

Sunday morning and Match Three of the weekend saw NOEFC taking to the courts of Cambridge for our annual friendly double header. The women's match took place in the morning, with five Cambridge player there to take on our two pairs. Natalie & Charlie at first pair and Sophie & Mandie at second pair were predictably a bit too strong for their Cambridge counterparts, but there was plenty of opportunity to swap pairs around after the initial couple of games and with the NOEFC club captain offering coaching tips for the Cambridge beginners on the third court (a bit disappointed Spencer didn't get there a bit early to seize the opportunity) everyone seemed to enjoy their morning on court.

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Westminsters 1 1-2 at Aldenham 11/11/23:

N.Caplin & S.Kaaber-Gore lost to R.Houlden & H.de Quetteville 0-3 (8-12, 4-12, 9-12)

A.Abrahams & T.McCahon lost to L.Brock & S.Shah 2-3 (12-4, 6-12, 12-7, 4-12, 11-15)

M.Asquith & B.Swallow beat A.Vinen & O.Meredith 3-0 (12-3, 12-4, 12-3)

Saturday's other match was a Division 1 battle against the high-flying Old Westminsters team and was an absolute cracker. For once the NOEFC captain had been forced into a long and difficult meeting of the (one-man) selection committee with a surfeit of high quality players to choose from (Spencer may well have also been available). The decision was made to go with the youngsters and they came within a whisker of claiming victory against some serisouly tough opposition. The strength in depth was shown at pair three, where Etonians Beau Swallow and Matt Asquith made short work of Alex Vinen & Oliver Meredith, efficiently dispatching them in straight games.  It was great to welcome Steve Kaaber-Gore back into the Division 1 ranks for the first time this season and he was thrown straight into the deep end, teaming up with Noah Caplin against Riki Houlden & Harry de Quetteville. Although they didn't win, Noah & Steve acquitted themselves extremely well, playing some excellent Fives, getting into leading positions in games one and three and perhaps only denied a third game win by the onset of cramp for Steve, testament to how hard he'd worked up to that point (and to what having a baby does to your fitness levels!). The star match of the day was at second pair, where the overall victory rested on the match up between Alex & Tom and Laurie Brock & Sahil Shah. Alex & Tom bossed the first game with Laurie & Sahil slightly off the pace. After that it was a roller-coaster match of large momentum shifts and runs of points on both sides all of which lead to 2-2 and a fifth game decider. For a long time it looked as though Alex & Tom's attacking intent was going to win the day but at 10-6 up there was one final shift in momentum, which carried the OW pair back to 10-10 and then onto a 15-11 win. A shame for Alex & Tom, but a brilliant match and another top quality performance.  It was another high-scoring draw (5-5) in the Round Bush, which was an excellent and convivial way to end a super morning of Fives. Next up for the Division 1 team is another tough assignment, at Aldenham against defending champions the Old Salopians on December 9th.

North Oxford 3 lost to Team Westway 2 1-2 at Aldenham 11/11/23:

H.Asquith & I.Mitchell lost to P.Griffiths & M.Millership 1-3 (12-6, 2-12, 3-12, 7-12)

A.Bishop & T.Bush beat N.Lilienthal & K.Mikowski 3-1 (12-5, 15-11, 6-12, 12-8)

M.Barnes & S.Clifford-King lost to B.Palmer & R.Pye 0-3 (6-12, 9-12, 10-13)

A four match NOEFC weekend got underway at Aldenham on Saturday morning with all six courts in use. Bishop's Buccaneers were in action against Team Westway in a lively and close encounter which eventually saw Westway emerge with a 2-1 win. Harry & Ian got off to a great start at first pair against Pete Griffiths and Mateo Millership, son of NOEFC pioneer Michael, winning the first game 12-6. This was as good as it got, however, as the Westway pair began to hit their straps, cutting well to stop the supply of point-winning opportunities and controlling the second and third games to win comfortably. There was a rally in the fourth from the North Oxford pair but it wasn't enough to wrest back control of proceeedings and they went down in four. The Bush/Bishop engine room also got off to a good start, with the Bush legs and the Bishop brainpower outfoxing opponents Natalie Lilienthal and Kacper Mikowski in the first game. The visitors gradually got back into the match, losing the second narrowly and winning the third, but Andy & Toby were able to close the match out with a solid display in game four. The third pair was a near repeat of the match at Wolverhampton at the back end of last season, with Mandie & Sophie teaming up to take on Wulfrunian Robert Pye, this time with Becky Palmer taking the place of Ellie Frith. Mandie & Sophie were triumphant that day, but with Robert sharpened up from playing in the EFA Trophy last weekend, Sophie being a bit rusty and Becky putting in a steady display, this one went the other way. It was closer than the 3-0 scoreline suggests, though, as Mandie & Sophie got closer in each of the three games and had they managed to convert a 10-10 third game scoreline into a win, who knows what might have happened next. The pub score was a 6-6 draw, with all 12 players heading to the Round Bush as part of one of the biggest post-match gatherings in North Oxford history, a total of 22 Fives players taking over a large section of the pub. Harry distinguished herself by not bothering with a main course and heading straight for the dessert menu. WWKD.

EFA Trophy at Aldenham 05/11/23:

North Oxford beat Old Cantabs 3-0, Old Ipswichians 3-0, Newbury 3-0, Old Wulfrunians 3-0, Old Citizens 3-0 and finished 1st in Group B.

North Oxford: A.Abrahams, M.Asquith, K.Hird, A.Cameron-Blackie, P.Scholey and G.Guetard

North Oxford qualified yet again for finals day at the EFA Trophy in impressive and emphatic style at Aldenham yesterday. With Eton currently unavailable, the two groups were split across Highgate and Aldenham, with NOEFC using their experience of playing at Aldenham to their advantage. It was a changed squad this year, with Pete Scholey celebrating his return to eligible status and Archie Cameron-Blackie and Gael Guetard making competition debuts alongside team regulars Alex Abrahams, Matt Asquith and Karen Hird. The team had to negotiate five three pair matches against some potentially tricky opponents; not only did they come out on top, but did so with a perfect record of played 15, won 15, including two 15-14 wins against the Wulfrunians as well as a 15-12 and a couple of 15-10s in other matches. The Ipswichians qualified in second place, producing a semi-final line-up of Ipswichians v Salopians and North Oxford v St.Olave's School, matches which will be played in February. Could this be the year for a first win in the competition since 2009?

North Oxford 1 beat Old Harrovians 1 2-1 at Aldenham 04/11/23:

T.McCahon & A.Abrahams beat J.Fleming & F.Prickett 3-1 (10-12, 12-4, 12-8, 7-3 ret)

Old Harrovians 1 conceded second and third pairs

The Division 1 points tally was given a welcome boost at Aldenham on Saturday with a 3-0 win over the struggling Old Harrovians. The OHs are finding it difficult to get sides out at the moment and had to concede pairs two and three in advance, leaving just the one pair to be played. Quality is rarely an issue for a Harrow team, though, so Tom & Alex found themselves up against tough opposition in the form of Jamie Fleming and Old Summerfieldian and ex SF coach Fred Prickett. Tom & Alex got off to a good start and established an 8-4 lead; they weren't quite ruthless enough, though, passing up numerous opportunities to put the first game away and regretting their profligacy as Fred & Jamie began to establish a foothold, eventually moving 11-9 ahead and then closing the game out 12-10. It didn't take a tactical genius to work out what they needed to do, which was just as well because they only had the watching club captain on hand to offer a few words of advice. It was enough, though, as they played a much smarter and much tighter second game, continuing to set up points-scoring chances but this time not missing out on taking them, taking them to a convincing 12-4 win. The third game was the key to the match; again Alex & Tom started well but this time it was the OH pair who upped their game, taking control of the set piece for the first time in the match and taking control on the scoreboard to lead 6-3. Jamie & Fred's good work was undone in one hand, however, with Tom reeling off a succession of cut returns and a double change and six quick points followed. A slightly fortuitous volley from Tom delivered the third game coup de grace and the fourth was very much going their way when Jamie injured his groin stretching for the ball and had to stop, bringing a slightly premature end to an excellent match. The potholes and flooded roads were negotiated to reach the Round Bush, with a 3-1 North Oxford win rounding off a successful morning.

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Millhillians 1 1-2 at Mill Hill 17/10/23:

N.Caplin & A.Abrahams lost to V.Bhimjiyani & C.Plummer 1-3 (8-12, 12-8, 8-12, 7-12)

T.McCahon & M.Asquith beat O.Sander & A.Field 3-0 (13-10, 12-7, 12-1)

C.Austin & N.Turnbull lost to S.Tailor & J.Hutcheson 1-3 (9-12, 12-9, 11-12, 3-12)

After two tough matches against Berkhamsted, NOEFC were able to put out a more hoped for Division 1 line-up at Mill Hill on Tuesday, with the Wizard providing the experience and Alex, Noah, Tom, Matt and Nathan the youth. The result was a 1-2 defeat, but it was away against tough opposition and all three pairs gave themselves a chance of winning their match. Noah & Alex battled hard against Vish Bhimjiyani & Charles Plummer, winning the second game and getting close in the other three, without quite being able to force a deciding fifth game. Tom McCahon's return to the team has resulted in the two Division 1 points scored so far - no coincidence surely - and he dominated the second pair match against Adam Field & Oli Sander, hitting the hole time and again as he and Matt controlled the top step on their way to an increasingly convincing win.  Probably the most frustrating game of the evening was at third pair, where Chris & Nathan found themselves up against an awkward pairing in OM captain Sunil Tailor and former secretary James Hutcheson. After losing the first game to 9, the North Oxford pair seemed to have taken control of proceedings, winning the second by the same margin and establishing an 8-2 lead in the third. That was as good as it got, though, as the tide turned in the home team's favour; they came back to nick the third 12-11 and then finished things off efficiently in the fourth to claim the 2-1 win overall.

Mixed Team Tournament (The Boughton Bowl) at Highgate 08/10/23:

North Oxford A (K.Hird, H.Asquith, F.Turnbull, N.Caplin, A.Abrahams, N.Turnbull) finished third

North Oxford B (A.Whitehead, G.Day, S.Clifford-King, N.Shaw, E.Gosnell, S.Nowinski) finished fifth

Sunday saw a second near miss in successive seasons in our attempt to win a second Boughton Bowl title. Despite the slight disappointment of not getting our hands on the silverware, this was nevertheless a fantastic day of Fives with NOEFC providing two of the six teams and all twelve players putting in some strong performances during the course of the day. The format was a six team round robin, with each match played across three mixed pairs playing a single game to 15. The key game early on for the A team was against a very good young Ipswich team, featuring Charlotta Cooley and five of their current crop of excellent school players. The result was a little bit of an upset, with the Ipswich team winning 2-1, with a 15-14 defeat for the Turnbull siblings at third pair and a mad ten minutes costing Noah & Karen dearly at first pair as they let a 12-9 lead slip. Wins in the other rounds meant that the trophy was still in reach in the final round of games, with a 3-0 clean sweep over the Old Cholmeleians required to deny them victory. Alex Abrahams & Harry Asquith maintained their 100% winning record at second pair with a convincing win over Aroop Bhattacharya & Carolina Valensise; it wasn't quite happening for Noah & Karen, though, as the star pairing from our 2022 title-winning team struggled in the early stages against Emily Scoones & Abs Bhattacharya. They rallied in the second half of the game and began to claw back the deficit but had left themselves too much to do. With Nathan & Francesca unable to make much of an impression against Marj Briscoe & Vatche Kassardjian it meant that we finished level on points with Ipswich, finishing just behind them thanks to the head to head result.  The B team performed excellently all day, with the relatively inexperienced trio of Annalise Whitehead, Grace Day and Sophie Clifford-King gaining some valuable tournament experience and no doubt picking up some useful tips from Nick Shaw, Edwin Gosnell and Stefan Nowinski. They scored a fine 3-0 win over the Old Cantabs team (including multiple Kinnaird finalist Riki Houlden), narrowly lost 2-1 to Westway in an extremely close match and picked up plenty of points despite not winning any games against the top three teams. We'll be back next year to give it another go!

North Oxford 3 lost to St.Olave's School 2 0-3 at Orpington 07/10/23:

R.Thorogood & I.Mitchell lost to D.Robson & L.Whitnall 1-3 (2-12, 3-12, 15-14, 13-15)

A.Bishop & M.Barnes lost to C.McMichael & K.Bhavsar 0-3 (2-12, 5-12, 3-12)

North Oxford 3 conceded third pair

The rather stuttering start to the league season continued at Orpington on Saturday with the Division 3 team suffering another 0-3 defeat. The early omens weren't good - we failed to find a third pair to concede a penalty point for the first time since the Staley sniffle incident in 2017; Robert then channelled his inner Tony Stubbs by stopping for a coffee at Cobham services on the way down to Orpington and re-emerging on to the M25 heading in the wrong direction. Ian and Robert then found themselves up against a tough opponent in Dom Robson and were 2-0 down in no time. A change of ball - from an excessively spongy (even by Orpington standards) plastidip offering - at the end of the second did change things round and the third was won 15-14, but they couldn't repeat the trick in the fourth, losing 13-15. Andy & Mandie also found themselves up against a pair who perhaps weren't the best match up that could have been put forward from the waiting Olavian ranks and were never really able to gain much of a foothold in their match. Even the post match STP in the Rose & Crown was only so-so. Just one of those days...

North Oxford 1 lost to Berkhamsted 1 1-2 at Berkhamsted 01/10/23:

A.Abrahams & T.McCahon beat G.Wiseman & J.Pemberton 3-1 (12-10, 12-10, 8-12, 12-6)

P.Scholey & D.Patel lost to A.Theodossi & T.Aston 0-3 (10-13, 9-12, 3-12)

M.Chinery & A.Cameron-Blackie lost to D.Foster & C.Davey 0-3 (8-12, 8-12, 3-12)

The early season run of Berkhamsted matches concluded on Sunday with the return Division 1 match following on from our 0-3 defeat at Aldenham a few weeks ago. A couple of big names were still missing from the NOEFC line up but the headline news was the return after a year out through injury of Tom McCahon, and his impact was clear to see. Tom was the the only change in the first pair match from the game three weeks before but made a huge difference as he and Alex Abrahams put in a strong performance to beat the young Berkhamsted first pair of Gwydion Wiseman & Jack Pemberton. The North Oxford pair finished strongly to win the first game 12-10, gaining in consistency as the game went on and holding their nerve well at the end. After a blistering start, they needed a similar finish in game two, as their opponents recovered strongly from 1-9 and 5-11 down to get within a point. That comeback signalled a shift in momentum, however, as Gwydion & Jack played their best Fives of the match in game three, capitalising on a drop in set piece intensity from Alex & Tom and reducing their error count. The early stages of the fourth game were close; Tom & Alex were refinding their earlier form but their opponents were buoyed by their third game win and playing well. Just when it looked as if it was going to be a long, tight, game, though, the damn burst, with Tom suddenly hitting a purple patch of cut returning and Gwydion & Jack buckling under the pressure as Tom & Alex raced to the finish line to claim an excellent win and a first Division 1 point of the season. Second and third pairs were both slightly frustrating, with 0-3 defeats in matches that were tricky but not unwinnable. Pete & Darshan were up against Ant Theodossi & schoolboy Tom Aston and played well at times but with both suffering from iffy shoulders, their play was just too profligate and they passed up chances to win both the first two games before folding in the third. The story in pair three was not totally dissimilar as new EFA Chairman Matt Chinery revived his former Northern Tournament plate winning partnership with NOEFC debutant Archie Cameron-Blackie against Berkhamsted staff pair Doug Foster (a former Kinnaird semi-finalist it has to be said) & Chris Davey. Again, there was an opportunity there for the North Oxford pair but they couldn't quite grasp it, a bit of competitive ring rust and the enduring quality of Foster enough to take the Berkhamsted pair to a 3-0 win. A resounding 7-1 overall victory in the King's Arms finished things off in style, with a vegan sourdough STP causing consternation amongst some of the NOEFC pudding purists and Gwydion gaining some valuable insights into the importance of taking the post-match debrief sufficiently seriously.

North Oxford 3 beat Berkhamsted School 3-0 at Berkhamsted 01/10/23:

H.Turcan & T.Bush beat S.Conde & L.Faulkner 3-0 (12-4, 12-8, 12-3)

A.Bishop & B.Millar beat H.Miles & H.Mole 3-0 (12-7, 12-8, 13-12)

Berkhamsted School conceded third pair

Persistence paid off on Sunday as Bishop's Buccaneers finally recorded North Oxford's first league win of the season as part of the Berkhamsted double header. The School team are new to Division 3 this year and struggled for player availability, despite it being their home match, conceding the third pair and leaving Stefan & Gael kicking their heels back in Oxford. The talent well runs deep at Berkhamsted, however, and the two young pairs who did turn out put up a strong showing. First pair saw a long-awaited - and long-delayed due to injury - NOEFC debut for Monday nighter Henry Turcan, who teamed up with Toby Bush to record a three game victory, which wasn't as straightforward as the scoreline makes it look, especially in the second game which could have gone either way. Ultimately, though, the extra experience and set piece power of the North Oxford pair proved decisive. The club president was in his element at second pair, pulling the strings and partnering Bee Millar against a talented pair of girls, who were initially nervous but who grew into the game (not least thanks to Andy's masterful ability to control the rallies appropriately). Also benefitting from Andy's game management was Bee, who found herself working hard throughout and having to win a lot of the rallies herself. The match result was never in doubt, though, with the North Oxford pair coming through in three games with Andy particularly proud of the Cooleyesque 13-12 third game scoreline.

North Oxford beat Harrow School 2-0 at Harrow 23/09/23:

N.Shaw & G.Hoskins beat G.Stanhope & V.Ballingall 3-0 (12-2, 12-7, 12-6)

E.Gosnell & P.Lyndon beat H.Burt/S.Phillips/C.Allday 3-0 (12-4, 13-12, 12-4)

NOEFC finally recorded a first win of the season ay Harrow on Saturday, having taken the Chapmanesque decision to do it by playing a friendly match against schoolboys. The intended third pair had to be scrapped, following a deep cut to the base of the Scholey thumb the day before which meant that the old firm of Hoskins & Shaw were reunited at first pair, reliving former glories and actually playing rather well, taking control of their match against the Harrow first pair - including Old Summerfieldian Gus Stanhope - early on and never really letting go, despite taking their foot of the gas slightly towards the end of the third game. Phil Lyndon & Edwin Gosnell both came in for their first game of the season at second pair and were up against a rotating cast of Harrow players. Some combinations cause more problems than others but Phil & Edwin combined well to see of allcomers, a tight 13-12 second game sandwiched between two more routine 12-4 wins, with a fourth 12-10 game thrown in for good measure. There was a 3-0 win in the pub afterwards at the end of an enjoyable afternoon's Fives, a welcome break from the current seemingly never-ending run of matches against Berkhamsted teams, which continues next weekend.

North Oxford 3 lost to The Abbey ½-2½ at Westminster 21/09/23:

I.Mitchell & S.Nowinski lost to A.Vinen & P.Hadia 0-3 (3-12, 12-15, 7-12)

A.Bishop & T.Bush drew with B.Chen & S.Hunter 2-2 (12-4, 12-7, 4-12, 12-13 timed out)

B.Millar & M.Barnes lost to H.Barma & H.Tamlyn 0-3 (2-12, 1-12, 10-12)

North Oxford's tough start to the league season continued at Westminster last night with a third defeat in three matches. Even winning a pair is so far proving beyond us but we did at least get our first half point on the board thanks to a controversial draw at second pair. A chaotic evening  began with some late arrivals due to traffic problems, leading to a late start for first and third pairs, although without any agreement being made about whether any games should be conceded (failure to follow league rules No 1...). The Abbey is usually the Westminster School team in disguise but this year's opponents were rather more experienced with two schoolboys accompanied by three Old Westminsters and an Old Olavian. Ian & Stefan were up against Alex Vinen and Prajval Hadia and found it tough going in the first game, losing to 3. The second game presented their best chance to get back into the match, getting to 10-10 and being set to 15, but a 15-12 win for the youngsters left the North Oxford Salopians with too much to do and they lost in three. Second and third pairs initially seemed straightforward: Andy & Toby went 2-0 up at second pair, controlling things nicely against Brian Chen & Sacha Hunter, while Mandie & Bee at third pair were finding it hard to keep up with Hatam Barma & Henry Tamlyn, losing the first two games quite quickly. At this point, however, failure to follow league rules No 2 kicked in.  The home team "realised" that they had got their pairs wrong and that really Hatam should be at second and Sacha at third, so they swapped. All well and good for achieving the purpose of everyone having a nice, close game (the main object of the exercise ultimately) but definitely not the way to decide to the league points. So instead of agreeing to the change but chalking up the second pair as a win to NO and third pair as a win to the Abbey, the matches continued, with Toby & Andy now faced with the tougher pairing of Hatam & Brian. The North Oxford pair should really have won the fourth to make the change immaterial, but managed to blow a 7-0 lead to lose it 12-13 and with time up a draw was declared. Bee & Mandie tried to do the same, and came close in the third against the new pairing of Sacha & Henry, but narrowly lost the third 12-10. North Oxford won 6-2 in the pub before the evening ended in yet more chaos as Bee entered into a fantasy world of having a post-match tea chez Giles Coren, the Club President became the victim of a pickpocket and lost his credit cards and the M4 was shut causing further delays on the way home. An eventful evening all round...

North Oxford 3 lost to Berkhamsted 2 0-3 at Berkhamsted 16/09/23:

I.Mitchell & S.Thatcher lost to A.Pemberton & W.Roen-Tate 2-3 (12-7, 11-12, 11-13, 12-11, 10-12)

A.Bishop & S.Nowinski lost to G.Cadge & R.Seddon 1-3 (1-12, 13-10, 6-12, 10-12)

J.Wheale & M.Barnes lost to Z.Nicholls & B.Capaldi 0-3 (6-12, 2-12, 2-12)

Another week, another 3-0 defeat at the hands of Berkhamsted...this time Bishop's Buccaneers narrowly failing to get on the scoreboard. The temperature was  rather lower but there were plenty of other parallels with last week's Division 1 match, with a 3-0, 3-1 and 3-2 result (in ascending order rather than descending this time), an encouraging NOEFC debut and a slight sense of disappointment at not coming away with a point. The debut was from James Wheale at third pair; still a relative newcomer to the sport, this was more valuable experience banked and despite he and Mandie going down in three games to Zoe Nicholls & Bronte Capaldi, we are sure that it won't be long before James's results match his rapid progress.  In a further echo of last week Stefan & Andy opted for the unorthodox second pair tactic of losing the first game and barely troubling the scorers. Thankfully they regrouped well to win the second 13-10 but were unable to take it to five games, despite getting close in the fourth, a few too many careless errors costing them in the end. The first pair match - as the scores suggest - was a long, close and frankly epic encounter As Stephen & Ian did battle with Adam Pemberton & Will Roen-Tate. Stephen had some frustrations with his opponents' positioning on the top step; in the end, though, he and Ian actually won one more point overall than their opponents. Sadly, though, it was the Berkhamsted pair who took the deciding fifth game 12-10 to complete the win. The late finish meant that the Oxford taxi had to head off pronto, but Ian & Mandie kept the NOEFC end up in the pub afterwards.

North Oxford 1 lost to Berkhamsted 1 0-3 at Aldenham 10/09/23:

A.Abrahams & G.Hoskins lost to J.Pemberton & G.Wiseman 0-3 (7-12, 6-12, 8-12)

G.Pulsford & D.Patel lost to R.Perrie & C.Davey 1-3 (0-12, 7-12, 12-9, 5-12)

C.Austin & P.Holland lost to A.Theodossi & W.Roen-Tate 2-3 (12-4, 12-7, 9-12, 8-12, 1-5 ret)

The 23/24 season opener took place at Aldenham on Sunday, a Division 1 outing against Berkhamsted. Last year's Division 1 campaign was stymied slightly by the unavailabilty of some key players and sadly the new season started in similar vein, with work, holidays and assorted better offers meaning that the old guard of Grandad, the Wizard of Wolverhampton and even the club captain were pressed into service once again, alongside Alex Abrahams, Darshan Patel and Division 1 debutant Paul Holland from the Newbury club.  The age profile of the team didn't suit the conditions either, with the off court temperature already well over 30 degrees before things got underway and one or two team members starting to flag before the warm up had finished, the twin pre-match threats of cancelled trains and Hare Krishna induced road closures around Letchmore Heath having already been overcome. Alex & Gareth were up against the young legs of Jack Pemberton (19) & Gwydion Wiseman (20); the North Oxford pair played some good, smart and effective Fives at times but the youngsters had the fitness and the firepower to move away at the business end of each of the three games. Darshan & Grandad at second pair decided the smart thing to do was to conserve energy by not bothering much in the first game altogether. When they started to hit top gear to win the third 12-9 against Ryan Perrie & Chris Davey, the plan seemed to be working, but the Berkhamsted pair regrouped well in the fourth to clinch the win.  At third pair, Paul & the Wizard gelled immediately and went for the more orthodox tactic of trying to win quickly against Ant Theodossi & Will Roen-Tate. With the wand firing and Paul looking to the manor born on his first appearance in the top flight they moved confidently into a 2-0 lead. Unfortunately they couldn't see it through, however, as Ant began to find his range and Chris in particular began to suffer in the oppressive heat, which eventually became too much as the fifth game began to get away from them. With the OA changing room showers set to the hottest possible temperature settings, post-match recovery began with the unusual sight of the more knackered members of the NOEFC team standing by the sink dousing themselves liberally with cold water from the tap; it continued in more orthodox fashion with a 4-0 win in the Round Bush, ensuring that there was at least one victory recorded.