Results 2009/10

16/05/10 at Wolverhampton: North Oxford drew with Old Wulfrunians 1-1

S.Chapman & G.Hoskins drew with A.Simmons & A.Husselbee 1-1 (7-12, 12-4)

H.Tobias & S.Chapman drew with G.Hammond & J.Brazier 1-1 (12-4, 14-15)

North Oxford's season came to an end in the spring sunshine at Wolverhampton on Sunday, with a friendly fixture against the Old Wulfrunians. With the match format slighlty altered by the non-arrival of one of the North Oxford players (mentioning no names, Jon), Spencer doubled up at first and second pair in what proved to be two evenly matched and enjoyable contests. At first pair, Gareth and Spencer took a while to get used to the different courts and different tactics required, and having fought back well to 7-7 in the first game were disappointed to go 1-0 down. In the second game, however, Spencer's returning from under the wall reached Scholeyesque heights - figuratively rather than literally - and with Gareth returning more effectively from an orthodox position, the second game was secured comfortably. A potentially long and close match had to be curtailed in order for the patiently waiting second pair players to benefit from Spencer's presence on court and in the first game Spencer continued where he had left off in court one, well supported by Hugo, back from exile up North as if he'd never been away. The Wulfrunian pair came back strongly in the second game and were always fractionally ahead. Spencer and Hugo pulled it back to 14-14 and with both sides missing chances it was the North Oxford pair who finally made the crucial mistake to produce a second 1-1 draw of the day. All eyes now turn to North Oxford's glitzy new summer reinvention as the Aston House Studs, going head to head with six other teams in the Westway Summer Superleague. First game next week!

27/03/10 at Eton: North Oxford lost to Old Olavians 1-2

G.Pulsford & G.Hoskins lost to P.White & L.Stradwick 1-3 (5-12, 4-12, 12-4, 9-12)

C.Davies & C.Lloyd lost to S.Fautly & B.Kailey 2-3 (3-12, 12-6, 12-4, 10-12, 10-12)

Old Olavians conceded 3rd pair

North Oxford's winning league run was brought to a halt at Eton on Saturday by a very strong Old Olavian team, thus leaving our hopes of retaining the Aston House Cup hanging by a thread, with only an unlikely 3-0 win for the Carthusians against Berkhamsted able to deprive the Berko boys of the title. Disappointingly, another opposition third pair was conceded as the Olavians failed to muster anyone to take on Spencer and Jeremy; the two pairs who did make it proved to be very hard to beat, though. Graham Pulsford and Gareth Hoskins at first pair failed to make much of an impression on Peter White and Luke Stradwick in the first two games. Once the Olavians dropped their standards slightly in the third game, however, Graham and Gareth were able to take advantage and improved their own play sufficiently to take the third 12-4. The fourth game was highly competitive but the North Oxford pair could never quite get their noses in front and went down 12-9 to lose the match 3-1. At second pair, the Chrises got off to an even slower start, but recovered their form to dominate the next two games and set themselves seemingly on the way to victory. A slow start in the fourth reversed the momentum, however, and the young Olavian pair were able to clinch the last two games 12-10, 12-10 to give them a 2-1 overall win. All eyes now turn to the Carthusians, although more in hope than expectation it has to be said!

21/03/10 at Eton: North Oxford beat Old Ipswichians 3-0

G.Pulsford & N.Shaw beat T.Fletcher & D.Leach 3-0 (12-4, 12-7, 12-5)

G.Hoskins & S.Chapman beat S.Woolfries & D.Cox 3-0 (12-5, 12-2, 12-5)

North Oxford won 3rd pair at Aldenham 22/11/09

A fourth successive 3-0 win in the League at Eton on Sunday confirmed a top two finish for North Oxford this season. Our hopes of winning the title for the second successive year hinge on us scroing more points from our final match against the Olavians next weekend than Berkhamsted manage in their last fixture against the Carthusians. Sunday's win completed the match that started with Jeremy Hindle and Will Hedley's third pair win at Aldenham back in November and featured another convincing win at first pair from Nick Shaw and Graham Pulsford, with Gareth Hoskins and Spencer Chapman repeating the dose at second pair. Whether we win the divsion or not, our current points tally of 25 from 12 games is evidence of another highly successful league campaign and we await the last couple of results with baited breath!

16/03/10 at Westminster: North Oxford beat Old Westminsters 1-0

J.Shaw & W.Campion beat P.Ell & F.Krespi 2-1 (12-5, 5-12, 13-11)

Unfortunately, North Oxford suffered from opposition pairs withdrawing at the last minute for the second time in four days at Westminster on Tuesday evening. With only 2 Westminster pairs available in the first place, a further late withdrawal meant that Gareth Hoskins and Emily Scoones were denied the chance to get in some practice together before their assault on the Mixed Championships at Eton in a few weeks (the Cooleys are quaking in their boots!). Thankfully, however, the opportunity was there for Will Campion to continue his unbeaten run - two matches and counting - as a North Oxford player as he partnered Justin Shaw to a topsy-turvy victory against the last remaining OW pair. A comfortable start in the first game was followed by a controversial request for a change of ball by Will, which promptly led to them losing the second game and going 11-5 down in the third before pulling back in dramatic fashion to clinch the game 31-11 and the match 2-1.

13/03/10 at Charterhouse: North Oxford beat Old Carthusians 3-0

G.Pulsford & N.Shaw beat A.Burrows & M.Platt 3-0 (12-5, 12-7, 12-5)

G.Hoskins & C.Lloyd beat S.Clarke & R.Smart 3-0 (12-2, 12-3, 12-5)

Old Carthusians conceded third pair

With the Division 2 season entering the final stages and North Oxford locked at the top of the table with Berkhamsted, a welcome 3-0 victory was achieved against the Old Carthusians at Charterhouse on Saturday. With the Carthusian side lacking some key personnel, a strong looking North Oxford line-up cruised to victory with neither Graham Pulsford and Nick Shaw at first pair nor Gareth Hoskins and Chris Lloyd at second pair unduly troubled. Unfortunately Spencer Chapman and Jeremy Hindle were left kicking their heels back in Oxfordshire as the Carthusians were unable to provide a third pair. We are currently level on points with Berkhamsted and both have two games to go. North Oxford have the first two pairs of the unfinished Ipswichian match next weekend at Eton followed by the Olavians the weekend after. Can Ronald Pattison's Carthusians or Peter Scholey's Edwardians do us a favour and tale some points off Berkhamsted? All will be revealed over the next few weeks.

10/03/10 at Westminster: North Oxford beat Old Etonians 2-1

S.Parrish & R.Pattison lost to J.Asquith & F.Wickes 0-3 (6-12, 6-12, 8-12)

N.Cox & A.Sale beat H.Mostyn & M.Powell 3-1 (15-10, 9-12, 12-7, 12-7)

S.Chapman & E.Scoones beat A.Fort & C.Hewlett 3-0 (12-5, 12-8, 12-5)

After a lengthy spell without a match, North Oxford returned to court and to winning ways with a fine 2-1 victory over the Old Etonians at Westminster on Wednesday evening. At first pair Simon Parrish finally made his North Oxford debut in tandem with fellow Old Carthusian Ronald Pattison. Unfortunately they were unable to find their best form (maybe keeping their powder dry for the North Oxford vs Old Carthusians league match on Saturday?) and went down in straight games to the canny Etonian pair of Forman Wickes and Jonathan Asquith. At second pair, Nigel Cox only partly fulfilled the terms of his North Oxford contract by being the last pair to finish but failing to go to five games for once. In partnership with Alex Sale, he did, however, produce the right result with a hard fought four game win over ex-Oxford student Henry Mostyn and EFA Treasurer Martin Powell, which featured some fine cut returning from both North Oxford players and some crisp attacking volleying from Alex, in his final North Oxford game of the season before heading off on his travels. We hope to see a lot more of him in seasons to come! At third pair, skipper Spencer Chapman was anticipating a tough game partnering Emily Scoones in her first ever North Oxford men's match. As it turned out, though, the only person who should have been worried about being dragged down by the standard of their partner was Emily, as she produced a barnstorming performance with typically strong Highgate cutting and volleying to carry Spencer through to a three game win against North Oxford's own Adrian Fort - turning out for his Old Boys team on this occasion - and Charlie Hewlett. It is good to see another potential North Oxford star of the future (Emily, not Spencer obviously)!

13/02/10 at Eton: North Oxford beat Cambridge University 4-2

J.Reynolds & T.Cox beat R.Desmond & L.Brock 3-0 (12-7, 12-6, 12-7)

G.Hoskins & C.Davies beat T.Fletcher & O.Watts 3-0 (12-8, 12-2, 12-8)

S.Chapman & N.Cox beat W.Illingworth & A.Jackson 3-2 (4-12, 13-12, 5-12, 12-5, 12-8)

A.Sale & B.Kelly lost to E.Winfield & G.Illingworth 0-3 (7-12, 6-12, 7-12)

J.Hindle & D.Ghui lost to S.Sakhrani & S.Craigen 0-3 (12-15, 3-12, 10-12)

A.Bishop & A.Fort beat R.Morgan & A.Patel 3-0 (12-5, 12-7, 14-13)

Last year's eight pair friendly against Cambridge University was repeated on Saturday with six mens pairs and two ladies pairs producing a feast of Fives across the courts at Eton. First pair was arguably the strongest pair ever to represent North Oxford with eleven time Kinnaird Cup winner John Reynolds partnering 2004 Schools Champion and Summer Fields old boy Tom Cox. A high quality encounter saw the North Oxford duo combine well to defeat the current Universities and Under 25 champions Rob Desmond and Laurie Brock in straight games. Second pair saw Gareth Hoskins come out on top against two fellow Old Ipswichians with the not inconsiderable help of maestro Chris Davies. Nigel Cox took well over three hours to win his match in this fixture last year and had a pretty good stab at staging a repeat performance this time round in tandem with Spencer Chapman at third pair. After a slow start, they came through strongly in the fourth and fifth games to win in five. The all Old Summerfieldian pairing of Alex Sale and debutant Barnaby Kelly had a tough match at fourth pair but acquitted themselves well and gained valuable experience whilst Jeremy Hindle and Dan Ghui also lost in three despite having chances in both the first and third games. Finally, as if to prove the old adage that you can't beat experience, sixth pair saw Andy BIshop and Adrian Fort teach the younger generation a Fives lesson and despite a close run thing in the third, they clinched a 3-0 win and a 4-2 overall victory for North Oxford.

13/02/10 at Eton: North Oxford Ladies drew with Cambridge University Ladies 1-1

C.Cooley & E.Scoones beat E.Thompsell & L.Bishop 2-0 (12-2, 12-4)

M.Clemett & E.Double lost to J.Walsh & J.Toynton 0-2 (5-12, 7-12)

At one stage in the week before the match it looked odds on that North Oxford ladies were going to be able to play a three pair match for the first time in their short but glorious history. Unfortunately late netball demands on the Emanuel pair of Lucy Pugh and Gina Vuqitrna meant that two pairs it was against the Cambridge University Ladies team. Ex-Cambridge player Charlotta Cooley at first pair was too strong for Lina Thompsell and Lucie Bishop, despite a spirited performance from the Cambridge pair. Charlotta was ably supported by Old Cholmeleian Emily Scoones, who made an impressive and highly accomplished North Oxford debut - hopefully the first of more appearances for NOEFC in the future. At second pair, Mandie and Emma went into their match in confident mood, having defeated the same Cambridge pair at the Northern Tournament in Shrewsbury the weekend before. This time, however, the Cambridge girls turned things around and reversed the previous result, winning 2-0 to tie the match up as a 1-1 draw overall.

Spencer winds up for one at the back of the court; Nigel looks understandably worried. John Reynolds and Tom Cox show everyone how it should be done

10/02/10 at Westminster: North Oxford beat Old Stoics 3-0

G.Pulsford & N.Shaw beat R.Perrie & E.Hewens 3-1 (12-6, 14-12, 7-12, 12-9)

G.Hoskins & J.Hindle beat A.Cybulski & S.Baring 3-0 (12-6, 12-9, 12-4)

S.Chapman & J.Shaw beat M.Skjott & S.Warren-Thomas 3-1 (9-12, 12-5, 12-7, 15-11)

For the first team this season, North Oxford now sit proudly at the top of Division 2 after a tremendous 3-0 away win against a very strong Old Stoics line-up. Graham Pulsford and Nick Shaw at first pair got off to a fine start, taking the first game 12-6 and followed it up with a narrow 14-12 win in the second. With Ryan Perrie in the opposing pair, partnered by rediscovered Harrovian Ed Hewens, victory was never going to be a foregone conclusion and the Stoics fought back to take the third 12-7. With the Westminster cut off time of 10pm fast approaching there was not going to be time for a fifth game so it was all to play for in the fourth, which see-sawed back and forth with Nick and Graham nosing in front towards the end but missing out on several chances to finish things off before finally making it over the finish line. At third pair, the old firm of Spencer and Justin - still suffering the after effects of flu - beat the clock by an even narrower margin, completing their comeback after losing the first game at 9:58pm! Gareth Hoskins and Jeremy Hindle at second pair look the most comfortable winners on paper, but they had to be at their best to see off a very good Stoic pair. The key to the match was the second game, where Gareth and Jeremy rallied from 6-9 down to win 12-9 and turn what could easily have been a very tight 4 or 5 game match into a very satisfying straight games win. The race for the Division 2 title is now well and truly on, with a three way battle between North Oxford, Berkhamsted and Highgate School.

31/01/10 at Eton & Harrow: EFA Trophy Qualifying Round

North Oxford A came third in their pool with 14 points out of 18 - Berkhamsted A, Old Salopians, North Oxford A, Windsor & Eton, EFA Ladies, Oxford University

North Oxford B came fifth in their pool with 2 points out of 15 - Old Wulfrunians, Cambridge University A, Old Etonians, St.Olave's School, North Oxford B, Cambridge University B

North Oxford A - Graham Pulsford, Chris Davies, Chris Lloyd, Spencer Chapman, Alex Sale, Jeremy Hindle, Theo Bossom

North Oxford B - Andy Bishop, David Cox, Neil Margerison, Ewan Thompson, James Rogers, Dan Ghui, Michael Millership

North Oxford's defence of the EFA Trophy title came to an end yesterday at the first hurdle as the A team were edged out of the qualifying places in a tight three way finish at Eton. An early setback with a 3-0 defeat to the Old Salopians looked like it had been compensated for with an excellent 2-1 win over the Berkhamsted A team. With all other matches won 3-0 (including a last gasp 15-14 comeback win for Theo Bossom and Alex Sale against Ian Mitchell's Windsor & Eton 2nd pair), we were relying on the Salopians to defeat Berkhamsted in the final round of games. Having got their pairings horribly wrong against North Oxford earlier, the Berkhamsted team didn't make the same mistake twice and narrowly won all three pairs against the Salopians to top the group and leave North Oxford a point adrift in third. A disappointing end to the day, but encouraging signs for the club, with the team including 3 ex-Summer Fields players in their late teens/early twenties - definitely a North Oxford first! The B team at Harrow featured an eclectic mix of players under the captaincy of Andy Bishop, with James Rogers making his comeback after nearly 2 years without playing, Ewan Thompson featuring for the first time this year and North Oxford debuts for Dan Ghui, ex-Oxford student David Cox, and Neil Margerison. As is frequently the case for the B team in this competition, the final points tally does not necessarily reflect the quality of Fives played nor the closeness of many of the matches and the team acquitted themselves well. Despite not qualifying this year, the mere fact that 14 players represented North Oxford yesterday, with two others playing for Windsor & Eton, one for the EFA Ladies and another three featuring in the Barber Cup semi-finals at Eton, reflects well on the strength of the club as a whole. And there's always next year to get the trophy back!

24/01/10 at Summer Fields: North Oxford beat Oxford University 2-0

G.Hoskins & J.Shaw beat R.Worth & J.Batting 3-0 (12-7, 12-8, 12-7)

S.Chapman & A.Bishop beat A.Franklin & R.Scott 3-0 (12-5, 12-5, 12-4)

The first local derby of the season took place at Summer Fields on Sunday, with North Oxford taking on and beating a University team featuring two former National Schools' champions. Gareth Hoskins and Justin Shaw found some good form at first pair and used home court advantage to good effect to win in straight games against Oxford captain Rex Worth (Salopian) and fellow half-blue James Batting (Harrovian). At second pair, Spencer Chapman and Andy Bishop also won in three games, despite some highly impressive play from Oxford Ladies captain, and occasional North Oxford player, Rosie Scott partnering Old Cholmeleian Alex Franklin. A good warm up for the EFA Trophy for both teams!

17/01/10 at Summer Fields: North Oxford beat Old Edwardians 3-0

G.Pulsford & C.Davies beat P.Scholey & N.Bunyan 3-2 (12-10, 5-12, 4-12, 12-8, 12-6)

G.Hoskins & C.Lloyd beat C.Friend & R.Sunkaraneni 3-0 (12-6, 12-2, 12-1)

S.Chapman & J.Shaw beat C.Mellor & A.Wali 3-0 (12-4, 12-6, 12-7)

The League programme resumed after the Christmas break with a rare and welcome opportunity to play a League match at Summer Fields. With four of the Eds line-up recent North Oxford players, and four of the North Oxford team former Eds players, the fixture had the perfect balance of friendly rivalry and nowhere was this more evident that in the first pair match, which turned into a five game thriller. This came as no surprise to those who have been following the Edwardians results this season, with Peter Scholey seemingly contractually obliged to make every match go the distance. Graham Pulsford and Chris Davies - revelling in being the youngest player on court - took the first game 12-10 but then found themselves on the receiving end of a dominant, high energy second and third games from Peter, with Nick Bunyan supporting ably. When the fourth game started in a similar vein, it looked as though there was no way back for Graham and Chris, but with Nick visibly tiring and Peter not quite able to sustain the high standard of the previous two games, the North Oxford pair sensed that the opportunity for a comeback was on, raised their game once more and stormed through to win the fourth game 12-8 and the decider 12-6. Second and third pair featured two young and very promising Edwardian schoolboy players, but their lack of experience was exposed as Gareth Hoskins and Chris Lloyd won comfortably at second pair and the old firm of Spencer Chapman and Justin Shaw finished each of their games strongly to complete the 3-0 win. We are now second in the table, level on points with Berkhamsted in first, although they do have a game in hand and we are looking good to finish high up the table once again.

14/01/10 at Eton: North Oxford lost to The Brigands ½-1½

N.Bunyan & I.Mitchell drew with M.Powell & A.Knight 1-1 (9-12, 12-7)

R.Pattison & A.Fort lost to N.Cox & R.Smart 0-3

Details are still rather sketchy about what actually happened on court at Eton in our inaugural friendly fixture with the Brigands, but despite dropping down to 2 pairs from 3, the fixture took place and the Fives was followed by copious amounts of curry in the best traditions of the Brigands and friendly Fives in general. A fine addition to the North Oxford fixture list!

13/12/09 at Summer Fields: North Oxford drew with Old Wulfrunians 1-1

G.Hoskins & J.Hindle lost to M.Yates & A.Simmons 0-3 (7-12, 5-12, 6-12)

P.Scholey & C.Davies beat G.Hammond & J.Brazier 3-0 (12-1, 12-2, 12-6)

Sunday saw the return of the Wulfrunians for their second visit to Summer Fields and, as last year, the spoils were shared 1-1. In front of a good smattering of Summer Fields spectators, Gareth Hoskins and a sleep-deprived Jeremy Hindle played well at first pair, but were always playing second fiddle to the Wulfrunian pairing of Mark Yates and Sid Simmons, who played an impressively error-free three games to win a highly enjoyable encounter. The story was reversed at second pair, where a strong North Oxford pairing saw Peter Scholey - back in NOEFC colours for the first time this season - happily play second fiddle to Chris Davies, seemingly over his injury troubles and hitting some inspired form. They tore through the first two games against Greg Hammond and James Brazier for the loss of only 3 points, before closing the match out comfortably in the third. Despite (only the cruel and unfair would say because of...) Jeremy falling asleep over the lunch table in the Dewdrop, the post-match festivities helped confirm this fixture as one that has hopefully become established for seasons to come. The return match in Wolverhampton in April awaits!

29/11/09 at Eton: North Oxford lost to Highgate School 1-2

C.Lloyd & G.Hoskins lost to S.Little & H.Hatchwell 1-3 (12-6, 4-12, 6-12, 9-12)

G.Pulsford & S.Chapman beat M.Kovar & N.Lindo 3-1 (12-9, 13-10, 7-12, conceded)

H.Meakin & B.Bossom lost to A.Bhattacharya & A.Coleman-Bennett 0-3 (0-12 (conceded due to late arrival), 2-12, 2-12)

Only a failed alarm clock stood between North Oxford and a possible victory over the perenially tough Highgate School team at Eton on Sunday. With Jeremy Hindle failing to make it out of bed, let alone to Eton on time, frantic last minute reshuffles saw a North Oxford debut for Old Summerfieldian youngster Barnaby Bossom, heroically stepping in to save the day to replace Jeremy at the last minute and saving us from the ignominy of conceding a penalty point. Hopefully this will be the start of a long and glorious North Oxford career for Barnaby, who put up a good fight at third pair with fellow SF Old Boy and Etonian Hugo Meakin against some pretty tough opposition. At first pair, Gareth Hoskins and Chris Lloyd gave a good account of themselves, winning the first game in fine style, and coming back strongly in the fourth game to lead 8-2 with a chance to take the match to a fifth game. Unfortunately, the impressive Highgate pair of Little and Hatchwell stepped up their game and just managed to sneak through 3-1. At second pair, Graham Pulsford and Spencer Chapman put in a fine performance to take the first two games and although they then lost the third, their opponents were forced to withdraw, giving North Oxford a fully deserved point from the morning's Fives.

29/11/09 at Eton: North Oxford Ladies drew with Highgate School 1-1

C.Cooley & H.Cutmore-Scott beat E.Most & L.Foch 2-0 (12-6, 12-5)

M.Clemmett & E.Double lost to H.Rapley & F.Howell 0-2 (3-12, 2-12)

Once again, we were delighted to be able to play two Ladies pairs alongside the main men's league match against Highgate School. Oxford University's Hannah Cutmore-Scott made her first appearance of the season, teaming up with guest player and North Oxford debut-maker Charlotta Cooley to make a formidable first pair. They were too strong for the very young but very promising Highgate girls and played some impressive attacking Fives to beat them in straight games. Mandie Clemmett and Emma Double found the going rather tougher at second pair and had an educational introduction to the Highgate way of playing Fives and conducting themselves on court in the course of going down 2-0. All good experience of course!

24/11/09 at Westminster: North Oxford beat Old Westminsters 3-0

J.Hindle & G.Hoskins beat M.Chen & P.Dickinson 3-0 (12-1, 12-4, 12-7)

J.Shaw & W.Campion beat F.Krespi & N.Tandy 3-0 (12-4, 12-3, 12-2)

S.Chapman & A.Sale beat A.Aitken & J.Sanderson 3-0 (12-7, 15-13, 12-7)

With a complete lack of opposition traffic nightmares in the absence of Chris Davies from the starting line-up at Westminster last night, North Oxford were able to record their third 3-0 league win of the season so far at the expense of an understrength Old Westminsters side. The captain's role for the night was mainly reduced to the role of team taxi driver and match photographer/annoyer of the opposition. On court he was able to nurse his injured shoulder and admire a fine display of returning and controlled finishing from the in form Jeremy Hindle, who won the first pair match pretty much single-handedly and at a canter. Second pair saw the long awaited North Oxford competitive debut of Will Campion, and he and Justin were equally untroubled as they cruised through in straight games. Third pair was a bit more of a struggle and didn't finish until everyone else had been happily ensconced in the pub for some considerable time. Although never in danger of losing (honestly!), Spencer and Alex Sale had to come to terms with the slow pace of play and frequent lets in the third court and just about managed to overcome their frustrations to complete the 3-0 win. A winning league debut from Alex was only marred by his despoiling the team taxi on the way back up the M40 with the overpowering aroma of his evening meal of choice.

22/11/09 at Aldenham: North Oxford lead Old Ipswichians 1-0

J.Hindle & W.Hedley beat M.Fenn & R.Wood 3-0 (12-9, 12-8, 12-4)

As at Berkhamsted earlier in the season, the Chris Davies travel curse struck the opposition in the match against the Old Ipswichians at Aldenham on Sunday. As soon as opposing teams hear that Chris is in the line-up this year they seem to immediately break down, get flat tyres or get stuck in impenetrable traffic on the M11, leaving the North Oxford team stranded with no-one to play. One pair did manage to make it, and Jeremy Hindle and Will Hedley from Oxford University, making his North Oxford debut, won convincingly against the experienced (some would say ancient rather than experienced, but that would be rather cruel) OI third pair. We will try and rearrange the other two pairs for later in the season and will carefully check the travel bulletins next time Chris is due to play!

11/11/09 at Highgate: North Oxford Ladies lost to Old Cholmeleian Ladies 0-1

M.Clemmett & E.Double lost to J.Varma & E.Scoones 0-2 (2-12, 4-12)

Whilst the North Oxford men - in the form of Ian Mitchell, Spencer Chapman and Ed Rose - were pitting their skills against the might of the Old Cholmeleians in a Friendly Fives evening, the North Oxford Ladies were suffering their first defeat of the season, as Mandie and Emma came up against an excellent pair of recent Highgate school leavers, with the superior return of cut of the Cholmeleian pair bringing them a comfortable 2-0 win. Comfort can be gained for the North Oxford pair in the knowledge that they took part in an historic event - the first ever Ladies match in the long and distinguished history of the Old Cholmeleian club!

03/11/09 at Mill Hill: North Oxford beat Old Millhillians 2-1

N.Shaw & G.Pulsford beat J.Lefort & S.Tailor 3-1 (12-7,10-13,14-11,12-3)

G.Hoskins & A.Bishop lost to O.Sanders & C.Vincent 0-3 (12-13, 9-12, 4-12)

S.Chapman & J.Hindle beat J.Hutcheson & J.Adler 3-1 (12-7,12-7,12-14,12-8)

North Oxford got back on the winning trail in the League last night with a hard earned win away at last season's Division 2 runners-up, the Old Millhillians. Relishing the opportunity to play on the splendid new courts at Mill Hill, Nick Shaw and Graham Pulsford came through a tough game at first pair against strong opposition to win 3-1, finally getting on top in the fourth game after fighting hard to establish a 2-1 lead. Gareth Hoskins and Andy Bishop (back on his old stamping ground) found life even tougher at second pair and despite establishing an early lead and getting close to victory in both the first two games, in the final analysis they were unable consistently to return enough cuts to give themselves a chance of winning the match. At third pair, Spencer Chapman and Jeremy Hindle also got off to a good start and were able to maintain their form through to the end of the second game and a 2-0 lead. An early third game wobble cut their lead to 2-1 and the fourth game was nip and tuck through to 8-8. With the watching crowd resigning themselves to a fifth game and a wait before repairing to the pub, Spencer and Jeremy produced a fine run of points just at the right time, Graham's fashion advice giving the North Oxford pair the crucial edge when it counted (ask Graham and Spencer for further details on how sartorial choices contribute to on court success). Pleasingly, all twelve players made it to the Three Hammers afterwards for the post-match debrief, although alas too late to take part in the pub quiz. Not too late, however, for the North Oxford captain to dazzle the assembled throng with his intimate knowledge of the 1980s touring itinerary of popular music combo Wham!

18/10/09 at Eton: North Oxford drew with Old Etonians 2-2

G.Hoskins & G.Pulsford beat T.Bossom & E.Salt 3-0 (12-7,12-4,12-7)

C.Lloyd & J.Hindle lost to F.Wickes & W.Hopton 0-3 (10-12, 12-15, 6-12)

S.Chapman & M.Fiennes lost to A.Knight & F.von Guionneau 0-3 (7-12, 4-12, 7-12)

A.Bishop & A.Sale beat D.Byam Shaw & J.Abbott 2-0 (12-3, 12-7)

Fortress Eton was stormed by the away side yesterday - possibly not that surprising when you consider that the away side was actually the Old Etonians. Despite taking the precaution of attempting to select as many Etonians as possible, North Oxford came unstuck 2-1 in the League match, with a friendly fourth pair victory making the overall scoreline a draw. At first pair, Gareth Hoskins and Graham Pulsford needed no extra motivation to beat one of this season's North Oxford "defectors" Theo Bossom, partnered by fellow Bristol student Ed Salt. This they duly managed in straight games with a run of points at the right time in each of the three games taking them through to a comfortable win. The tightest match was at second pair, where OE Jeremy Hindle partnered Chris Lloyd for the first time. Unfortunately, neither Jeremy nor Chris were at their absolute best, and they managed to squander winning positions in both the first two games before running out of steam in the third. Lack of court time this season proved costly at third pair as Martin Fiennes and Spencer Chapman were unable to find the consistency necessary to deal with their Etonians opponents, with the scoreline the mirror image of the first pair result. Some respectability was restored to the scoreline - although unfortunately not counting in terms of the League result - as Andy Bishop and Old Summerfieldian and current gapper Alex Sale on his North Oxford debut won comfortably against Eton schoolboys Jamie Abbott and North Oxford star of the future Dan Byam Shaw.

11/10/09 at Eton: North Oxford beat St.Olave's School 3-0

N.Shaw & G.Pulsford beat S.Newby & D.Hewlett 3-0 (12-8,12-3,12-5)

G.Hoskins & J.Hindle beat T.Barker & H.Ravi 3-0 (12-4,12-4,12-5)

C.Lloyd & A.Bishop beat C.Cooley & M.Wallis 3-0 (12-2,12-4,12-4)

North Oxford returned to winning ways back at fortress Eton on Sunday with a comfortable 3-0 victory over St.Olave's School, where the old cliché of men against boys (with apologies to Charlotta Cooley) was applicable across all three pairs. Graham Pulsford and Nick Shaw took their time to see off a useful school first pair but their superiority on top step was such that they were never in danger of having to engage top gear to be sure of victory. At second pair, Gareth Hoskins and Jeremy Hindle took on last year's Schools Under 15 winners, who, whilst clearly talented, were underpowered at this level and unable to stop Gareth and Jeremy competing with each other to try and hit as many winning volleys as possible. At third pair, a very welcome first appearance of the season for club veterans Chris Lloyd and Andy Bishop ended in another convincing three game win, with the North Oxford pair simply having too much class and experience for their Olavian counterparts.

Photos by Chris Lloyd

11/10/09 at Eton: North Oxford B beat St.Olave's School B 3-0

J.Staley & H.Tobias beat P.Leveque & S.Stein 2-0 (12-0,12-1)

R.Scott & M.Clemmett beat A.O'Malley & V.Pitts 2-0 (12-6,12-7)

E.Double & L.Pugh beat C.Wickert & F.Sarantis 2-0 (12-6,12-4)

It was once again a real pleasure to be able to field three extra pairs against St.Olave's, above and beyond the League fixture taking place at the same time. Originally featuring four extra pairs, some late withdrawals prompted a hasty rejig of the pairings including Pierre Leveque becoming an honorary Olavian for the day. Pierre and his partner had a tough time against Jon Staley and Hugo Tobias at fourth pair, but as all three B team matches were played over three games, the opportunity was available for all players to play further games in different combinations, ensuring that everyone got a good afternoon's Fives. As at Berkhamsted two weeks before, we were also able to put out two Ladies pairs. It was great to see a first North Oxford appearance from Oxford University captain Rosie Scott in tandem with our own Mandie Clemmett and they combined well to see off the St.Olave's first pair 12-6,12-7. At second pair, Emma Double maintained her 100% North Oxford winning record alongside the hugely promising Lucy Pugh from Emanuel School - making her first North Oxford appearance of the season - as they also won in straight games. Our thanks should go to St.Olave's for providing so many pairs: it's fantastic to see so many people filling courts at the same time and enjoying a game of Fives.

27/09/09 at Berkhamsted: North Oxford lost to Berkhamsted 0-3

G.Hoskins & G.Pulsford lost to M.Herring & D.Foster 0-3 (7-12,5-12,3-12)

C.Davies & J.Staley lost to A.Theodossi & A.Joyce 0-3 (3-12,5-12,1-12)

S.Chapman & J.Hindle lost to J.Steadman & P.Bird 1-3 (15-10,9-12,12-13,12-6)

What looked to be a tough match on paper turned out to be an even tougher match on court at Berkhamsted yesterday, as North Oxford went down to their first 3-0 defeat for over 18 months. Gareth Hoskins and Graham Pulsford at first pair were never able to disrupt the fast attacking game of Mark Herring and Doug Foster and couldn't turn their short periods of ascendancy into points on the scoreboard. Playing against two good players who are both used to playing regular high level First Division Fives and taking them on on their home courts was always going to be a tough ask, however. Second pair was disrupted by the late arrival of one of the opposing players due to a flat tyre on the M25. Having been forced to sit twiddling their thumbs for the first part of the afternoon, Chris Davies and Jon Staley then found themselves up against more very strong opposition and were unable to make much impression on Theodossi and Joyce. Third pair looked like our best chance of coming away with a point, and the initial signs were promising as Spencer Chapman and Jeremy Hindle took the first game 15-10. Having lost the second, things again appeared to be swinging their way at 8-4 up in the third. However, in the defining phase of play of the match, the Berkhamsted schoolboys took advantage of some loose North Oxford play to sneak the third game 13-12 and they then finished things off in the fourth to complete the win for Berkhamsted. After a 3-0 defeat there's always a cliché or three you can turn to, so we'll concentrate on taking the positives from this match, taking each game as it comes and remembering that the League is a marathon not a sprint. Bring on the Old Carthusians next week...

27/09/09 at Berkhamsted: North Oxford Ladies beat Berkhamsted Ladies 2-0

E.Thompsell & K.Hird beat K.Sophoclides & M.Boyle 2-0 (12-4,12-7)

M.Clemmett & E.Double beat E.Eaves & L.Streule 2-0 (12-7,12-2)

A measure of pride was restored for North Oxford at Berkhamsted by the fine performance of the North Oxford ladies against the Berkhamsted schoolgirls. Emmalina Thompsell and Karen Hird from Cambridge University won comfortably at first pair, whilst the second pair match produced a historic moment as Mandie Clemmett became the first bona fide "homegrown" North Oxford player to represent North Oxford Ladies and in her first ever representative Fives match played like a seasoned veteran, partnering Old Olavian Emma Double to a convincing 2-0 victory. Hopefully the first of many!

All Berkhamsted photo credits to Jon and Klaudia

22/09/09 at Westway: North Oxford beat Old Salopians 3-0

N.Shaw & G.Pulsford beat C.Webster & H.Turnbull 3-0 (12-1,12-4,12-7)

J.Hindle & D.Bloor-Young beat J.Pollock & I.Mitchell 3-0 (14-12,15-12 ret)

Refusing resolutely to give in to the well known footballing phenomenon of "Second Season Syndrome", North Oxford got off to a flying start to their defence of the Division 2 title with a maximum points away win over old EFA Trophy foes the Old Salopians at Westway last night. Disappointingly, the Salopians were unable to raise a third pair to take us on; even more disappointingly they failed to communicate this fact to us, which meant three North Oxford pairs arriving at Westway to be greeted by only two opposition pairs. With a wealth of talent therefore left watching from the bench - and also Spencer Chapman - Nick Shaw and Graham Pulsford revived memories of their inspired EFA Trophy win over the Salopians with a comprehensive demolition of the opposition first pair, finishing them off in just over an hour. It should be noted at this point that the spare North Oxford pair of Spencer and Gareth got more points off Graham and Nick in their subsequent game than the Salopians managed. Brave selection and a commitment to this season's youth policy (who says you win nothing with kids?) put together Jeremy Hindle and North Oxford debutant Duncan Bloor-Young at second pair to take on the experienced and match-hardened combination of Jamie Pollock and North Oxford "defector" Ian Mitchell. Ex-Oxford University secretary Duncan was playing his first Fives for well over a year after a sojourn in Hong Kong, but the memory of all those hours being drilled at Highgate hadn't faded and he combined well with Jeremy from the off. Despite the close scoreline, Jeremy and Duncan were clearly the dominant pair - with some more clinical finishing (especially at foot down!) and fewer cuts straight out of court, they would have won the match much more easily. As it was after two long games, the Salopians were unable to resume due to injury and the third point was in the bag. With 7 of the 10 participants making it to the pub afterwards - all from North Oxford - the après-Fives was also convincingly won. The bandwagon rolls on to Berkhamsted on Sunday with potentially one of our toughest matches of the season, but the start could not have been much better!