Results 2015/16

North Oxford beat Rydal School 3-0 at Rydal Penrhos 10/06/16:

N.Shaw & S.Chapman beat I.Wagland & J.Sissons 2-1

I.Mitchell & G.Hoskins beat W.Sissons & J.Jones 3-0

A.Lumbard & C.Ballingall beat M.Fiducia/R.Mortuza/E.Luke 3-0

The final match of the NOEFC 2015/16 season was played at yet another new venue for the club - Rydal Penrhos School in Colwyn Bay. The club's first ever match outside England was played on the eve of the summer coast to coast tour and after braving the Friday afternoon traffic northward, the North Oxford pairs found themselves up against some tough opposition. Rydal have a fine crop of players at the moment and with their side strengthened by the addition of coach Isaac Wagland they were always going to provide a good warm up for the tour proper. Nick and Spencer - powering towards his second century of wins - had their work cut out at first pair to beat Isaac and Jack Sissons narrowly in three. Gareth and Ian beat 2015 national U14 runners-up Will Sissons and Jack Jones in three at second pair with the games getting closer and closer and Ashley and Chris beat various combinations at third pair to complete the win.

North Oxford beat Old Edwardians 4-2 at Torry Hill 22/05/16:

G.Hoskins & R.Morgan lost to P.Scholey & T.Thurnham 10-13

S.Chapman & K.Hird beat S.Purkis & R.Scholey 12-6

G.Hoskins & K.Hird lost to S.Purkis & T.Thurnham 13-14

S.Chapman & R.Morgan beat P.Scholey & R.Scholey 12-9

R.Morgan & K.Hird beat T.Thurnham & R.Scholey 12-1

G.Hoskins & S.Chapman beat P.Scholey & S.Purkis 12-5

The tenth annual unusual courts fixture against the Old Edwardians took the usual band of intrepid Fives explorers into deepest darkest Kent and a game on the court at Torry Hill, which must be a major contender for best located court in the UK. Set in beautiful countryside with views out over the Medway and in the stunning gardens of the Leigh-Pemberton estate at Torry Hill next to the heated swimming pool, an idyllic day was spent playing some Fives, eating, drinking, swimming and generally lazing about. With four players per team and only one court to play on, the superleague format was adopted and this turned out to be a great success. Team captains Pete Scholey and Gareth Hoskins - the only players to have played in all ten fixtures over the years - kicked things off, Pete partnering unusual courts newcomer Tim Thurnham and Gareth playing with supersub Ralph Morgan in an absolute humdinger which went to 10-10 before the Eds kicked on to claim first blood. Spencer Chapman and Karen Hird then restored parity with a strong win over Simon Purkis and Robert Scholey (sr) before the Edwardians nosed back in front as Gareth and Karen missed several chances to win at 11-9 and 13-12 ahead against Tim and Simon. The combined effects of some tough early matches, between games swimming, the Scholey brew, the Hird cake and an entire bakery's worth of bread from Robert then began to work in favour of the North Oxford quartet, who began to find their rhythm and finished strongly, winning the last three matches by fairly comfortable margins to take an overall 4-2 win. The North Oxford four, along with Robert, then went on to investigate the court at High Elms in Orpington, which was built in 1860 and now stands alone and roofless in High Elms country park. The last time Spencer, Karen and Gareth had been there, back in January 2014, the recent mudslide covering the back court rather prevented any kind of proper game. The court was much drier and clearer this time and a bit of sweeping out was enough to get things going, although the additional hazards were still very evident - the low front wall and excess foliage meant underarm serving only, the puddle on the right hand size of the step was tricky and there were interesting bounces to be had everywhere. Some mid-game drizzle added an extra slippery dimension but we persevered and produced three games of what roughly resembled proper Fives, much to the bemusement of the local dog-walkers. After ten hugely successful years of this fixture, maybe it's time to take it overseas in 2017 for the first time ever and play it on the courts at Grillon in Provence?

NOEFC and the Eds battle it out on the court at Torry Hill

North Oxford beat Old Citizens 2-1 at Aldenham 30/04/16:

G.Pulsford & C.Austin lost to D.Davis & B.Friedman 1-3 (13-14, 12-4, 3-12, 6-12)

S.Chapman & G.Hoskins beat N.Gill & A.Nice 3-0 (12-9, 12-4, 12-1)

S.Thatcher & K.Hird beat R.Pattison & S.Kelly 3-2 (10-15, 9-12, 12-8, 12-4, 12-8)

The final league match of the season saw North Oxford finish on a winning note, with Spencer Chapman, as befits his status as the biggest bandit in the club, becoming the first player in the history of NOEFC to win 100 matches. In keeping with his record of picking his pairs, partners and opponents more carefully than most, Spencer elected to play at second pair with club captain Gareth Hoskins and after a tight first game, where the nervous nineties were in evidence, a change of footwear and a more attacking mindset brought about more comfortable victories in the second and third games. Karen Hird and Old Edwardian Oxford student Stephen Thatcher - making a fine North Oxford debut - produced an impressive comeback in the third court, losing the first game from a position of strength and then the second to 9 before finally getting on top and taking advantage of tiring opponents to power through and win 3-2. A clean sweep looked on, but Grandad Graham and Chris Austin were still feeling the psychological effects of their defeat at the hands of Scholey and Hoskins a few weeks ago and they never got close to playing their best Fives against Dexter Davis and Bobby Friedman at first pair. Things looked promising for a while as they won the second game to 4 after narrowly losing the first, but Dexter and Bobby played a fine hand and dominated the third and fourth to win the point that puts the Citizens just above us in the final table. An outdoor lunch at the Roundbush to celebrate the Chapman century was a good way to round off the league season, which sees a top half finish in a very tight division with only a handful of points separating the majority of the teams.

Grandad and Chris unable to find their mojo at first pair

North Oxford beat Aldenham 2-0 at Aldenham 26/03/16:

P.Scholey & G.Hoskins beat G.Pulsford & C.Austin 3-1 (12-8, 12-4, 5-12, 12-6)

S.Chapman & K.Hird beat M.Blundell & D.Patel 3-1 (12-10, 12-4, 0-12, 12-7)

The recent run of drawn matches was broken in emphatic style at Aldenham with a terrific against the odds win against a very strong home side. It was an all-NOEFC shootout at first pair as Gareth and Pete took on Grandad and Chris; Gareth and Pete got on top in their match straight away, combining well and returning cuts almost at will, with Pete under the wall and getting everything back and Gareth staying in the buttress and dominating the top step. Add into the mix the run of the ledges going nicely in favour of the North Oxford pair at the start of the second game and a two game lead was quickly established. Chris and Graham hit back in the third as the cut returns temporarily dried up, but normal service was resumed in game four and despite Chris finding some late form to make life a bit harder, Gareth and Pete were able to use their set piece dominance to complete a fine win. Second pair looked even tougher on paper as Spencer and Karen took on Darshan Patel and Mark Blundell. Nothing was going to get in the way of Spencer's 99th North Oxford win, however, and he and Karen nullified the threat of the Patel left hand and made mincemeat of the "Butcher of Berkhamsted" Blundell in the first two games. The third game is best glossed over from a North Oxford point of view but the fourth game saw a return to winning ways and a rush for the winning line. Just one more win to go for the ultimate Fives bandit to bring up his ton. Lunch in the Round Bush featured an educational discourse from Grandad on the difference between compost and manure, although his performance on court had clearly been closer to one than the other.

The crowd trebled briefly at one stage while NOEFC's captain left his mark at Aldenham

North Oxford drew with Highgate 2-2 and Highgate Ladies 1-1 at Highgate 19/03/16:

P.Roper & J.Black lost to O.Light & J.Hopkins 1-3 (11-13, 12-8, 5-12, 11-12)

G.Hoskins & N.Turnbull beat M.Andrejevic & D.Marshall 3-0 (12-7, 12-6, 12-9)

S.Chapman & R.Morgan beat J.Bluston & T.Blackshaw 3-1 (12-6, 11-14, 12-8, 12-7)

S.Nowinski & C.Cook lost to A.Waters & I.Apukhtin 0-3 (6-12, 9-12, 12-13)

K.Hird & H.Asquith lost to P.Bracken & A.Reimer 2-3 (10-12, 12-6, 14-15, 13-12, 3-12)

E.Scoones & F.Turnbull beat C.Valensise & V.Ruggi 3-0 (13-11, 12-6, 12-1)

A fine six pair turnout at Highgate on Saturday morning, no doubt attracted mainly by the prospect of sausage, chips and beans in the Highgate canteen afterwards, produced some excellent matches and two more draws to add to last Saturday's stalemate. It was good to see Phil Roper back in NOEFC colours after missing the EFA Trophy final due to illness and he teamed up with Julian Black at first pair to take on Oliver Light and James Hopkins, who are one of the strongest pairs Highgate have produced in a long time. Already the school's top pair, and hot favourites for the U16 title at the schools' championships this year, the Highgate boys took the first game 13-11 before the North Oxford pair struck back to win the second 12-8. In a high quality match, the younger pair reasserted themselves in the third game before clinging on in the fourth to take it on the sudden death tiebreak with Phil and Julian closing in on a fifth game. Gareth Hoskins and Nathan Turnbull were too strong for their Highgate opponents at second pair, the schoolboys playing some good Fives but always making too many mistakes and giving too many soft points away to stay in contention. Spencer recorded NOEFC win number 98 at third pair with Ralph Morgan in an up and down performance but one which was ultimately good enough to win in four. Stefan Nowinski and Charlie Cook improved game by game at fourth pair and were disappointed to have lost the third game 12-13, just at the point where they had got into a position maybe to go on and win. Charlie made amends with a terrific performance in an extra game with Nathan against the Highgate second pair, which they won to 7. In the ladies fixture, Emily Scoones and Francesca Turnbull overcame a slow start to prove themselves too strong for Carolina Valensise and Viva Ruggi at second pair. The first pair battle was a repeat of recent Black Cup first pair matches and was just as close as some of those have been. Karen and Harry were a bit slow out of the blocks, with Harry a bit rusty after a few weeks off court due to exams. They looked like they had turned things around with a convincing win in the second game before establishing a commanding lead in the third and looking in control. The Highgate girls came back strongly, though, and ended up taking the third game 15-14; the pattern was reversed in the fourth with Phoebe and Amira taking the lead and Karen and Harry coming from behind to save match points and take it 13-12 to go into a fifth game. All seemed set for a classic climax, but sadly for the North Oxford pair, it was the Highgate girls who took control of the final game and won it comfortably to 3. The morning's entertainment concluded with the hotly anticipated sausages, although no-one managed to get close to the legendary Mark Williams Highgate record. There was the added bonus of jelly, though, to keep everyone happy and keen to come back and play again next year.

North Oxford drew with Ronald Pattison's All Stars 1-1 at Charterhouse 12/03/16:

G.Hoskins & C.Cook lost to C.Davies & S.Woolfries 1-3 (9-12, 9-12, 13-10, 9-12)

S.Chapman & K.Hird beat R.Pattison & D.Hewitt 3-0 (12-7, 12-5, 12-5)

March is a friendly month for NOEFC and it kicked off with a first match at one of our favourite venues - Charterhouse - for a couple of seasons. This was the first of what is hoped will become an annual fixture between NOEFC and a Ronald Pattison invitational team and got off to a fine start with an extremely enjoyable game. We generously donated the maestro to Ronald's team, giving them a strong Brigands flavour, and he teamed up with Simon Woolfries at first pair. Spencer is closing in on his hundredth win for North Oxford and was clearly even more desperate than usual to avoid playing at first pair; the rest of us took pity on him and let him play at second with Karen, which also meant that the fast-improving Charlie Cook got an opportunity to partner Gareth Hoskins against the wily Davies and Woolfries. Charlie responded really well, showing how much his game has come on in the last year or so and the two pairs were evenly matched. With the maestro on fine form, especially at the set piece, he and Simon had the edge in the first two games. A strong third game comeback looked like it might let Gareth and Charlie back into the match with the more senior pair seemingly beginning to tire, but Chris in particular roared out of the blocks in the fourth, motivated equally by a desire to win and the desperate need to avoid having to play a fifth game, and got to 11-4 up in no time. The North Oxford pair didn't give up, though, clawing their way back to 11-9 and to the brink of an amazing fightback, before one final mistake handed the game and the match to Chris and Simon. Second pair was rather more routine as Spencer got his wish, winning 7, 5 and 5 against Ronald and Danny Hewitt despite he and Karen shipping a 5-0 lead in the third and also having to cope with the additional difficulties of playing against Ronald ("like playing against an eclipse"). There were additional bonuses in the shape of a nose around the derelict old courts round the back and an opportunity for Karen to play on the new stone floor that she last saw with John Reynolds in a Yorkshire quarry at the end of the NOEFC Northern Tour back in 2014. Lunch at the Stag in Eashing was a fine postscript and hopefully more pairs will follow next year as this fixture establishes itself in the NOEFC calendar.

North Oxford 1 beat Old Millhillians 1 2-1 at Aldenham 06/03/16:

G.Hoskins & P.Scholey lost to V.Bhimjiyani & S.Tailor 1-3 (9-12, 12-7, 11-12, 7-12)

C.Austin & C.Rennie beat J.Travers & C.Plummer 3-0 (12-8, 12-4, 12-4)

Old Millhillians 1 conceded third pair

Our second year in Division 1 finished at Aldenham on Sunday with a second victory of the season, a 2-1 win over the Old Millhillians aided in part by the inability of the opposition to put out a third pair or a second pair up to their normal standard. Beggars can't be choosers, however, and there were plenty of things to celebrate - a first ever Division won win for Chris Austin, who partnered Carl Rennie to an emphatic second pair victory, a fourth ever success in the top flight and a season total of 8 points from 12 matches, by any standards an improvement on last year's 5 from 10. If the Cholmeleians have a nightmare end to the season and end up conceding a pair or two, there's still a very outside chance of us not finishing bottom of the table. While Chris and Carl were making short work of their more inexperienced opponents at second pair, Gareth and Pete had a rather tougher assignment at first pair against recent Kinnaird Cup quarter-finalists Vishal Bhimjiyani and Sunil Tailor, who pushed second seeds Toop & Wiseman to a 13-12 third game at Eton a fortnight ago. The scoreline looks pretty close, as Gareth and Pete won the second game and lost the third 12-11, and the North Oxford pair did indeed play some decent Fives at times, without perhaps hitting top form; the Millhillians, though, were always playing within themselves and the knowledge that they had a couple of extra gears to go had they needed them made the match quite a frustrating one to play in. North Oxford now return to the friendly circuit for the next few weeks before looking to finish our Division 2 campaign off in style in April.

Carl and Chris in cruise control

North Oxford lost to Oxford University 0-3 at Eton 28/02/16:

G.Hoskins & F.Imrie lost to S.Welti & T.Kirkby 1-3 (7-12, 13-10, 10-12, ret)

S.Chapman & B.Harrison lost to J.Flowers & O.Sale 0-3 (7-12, 8-12, 9-12)

C.Davies & C.Lloyd lost to S.Oppenheimer & W.Ponsonby 0-3 (5-12, 11-12, 10-12)

North Oxford have now been in the final of the EFA Trophy five times in twelve years, but with just the one victory in 2009 and faced with a very strong Oxford University team, it was always going to take a huge effort to get our names on the trophy for the second time. So it proved, as the University side came through to win 3-0 and take the trophy but the North Oxford team put up a strong fight, giving an excellent account of ourselves on all three courts and proving that we deserved to be in the final. The University team came into the final on a high having seen off pre-tournament favourites the Old Salopians in a humdinger of a semi-final, their second pair of Jack Flowers and Ollie Sale (strong NOEFC connections there, of course...) coming back from 1-9 down to win the fifth game of the decisive second pair match. With Ian back on tournament organiser duties, the young legs of Old Summerfieldian Barnaby Harrison were drafted in to support Spencer at second pair. Barnaby and Spencer played well and pushed Jack and Ollie hard in each of the three games, but were never quite able to get into a winning position in any of them. The old firm of Chrises Davies and Lloyd were back together at third pair; the morning efforts had taken a lot out of both of them and when they lost the first game 12-5 to Oppenheimer and Ponsonby it seemed like a it might be a match too far. The Chrises are made of stern stuff, however, and showed all of their grit and determination plus a hefty dose of skill in games two and three. All that was missing was the small slice of luck that could have turned 12-11 and 12-10 defeats the other way round. The first pair game was an absolute cracker with Gareth and Fergus continuing their morning form against 2015 schools winner Tom Kirkby and Old Salopian Brookes student Sam Welti. The first two games were shared and a very tight third went the way of the Oxford pair. Gareth and Fergus would have fancied their chances of taking the match the distance, but with the other two pairs already lost it wouldn't have had any bearing on the overall result so the pair was conceded and the opposition congratulated on a fine victory. This was a great effort by the North Oxford team and our best outing in the EFA Trophy for some years; hopefully we can be contenders again next year.

North Oxford beat Monday Knights 2-1 at Eton 28/02/16:

G.Hoskins & F.Imrie beat M.Rimini & M.Skjott 3-0 (12-8, 12-6, 12-4)

S.Chapman & C.Lloyd lost to B.Emlyn Jones & J.Saunders 2-3 (12-7, 7-12, 12-6, 9-12, 9-12)

C.Davies & I.Mitchell beat P.Gibbs & R.Hazell 3-1 (12-9, 11-13, 12-9, 12-9)

Following several seasons in the EFA Trophy wilderness, North Oxford returned to the big time in style with a fine semi-final win over the Monday Knights. Our strength in depth was tested with the unavailability of group stage first pair Grandad and Phil Roper but with skipper Gareth Hoskins back in the side having served out his three year ban for reaching the Kinnaird quarter-finals and Ian Mitchell briefly absenting himself from ladies tournament organising duties, there was enough quality in the side to do a number on the Highgate based outfit. Gareth and Fergus set the tone at the top of the order with an impressive demolition of Mike Skjott and the classy Marco Rimini, the North Oxford pair combining well with some fine cutting and attacking volleying that left the opposition all at sea. Chris Lloyd and Spencer Chapman got themselves into a strong position against Bill Emlyn Jones after winning the third game 12-6 to go 2-1 up, but a few chances went begging in the fourth and with Saunders in particular producing some fine winners, the Monday Knights pair came back to win in five. Third pair was an agreed late start so was still underway with the match evenly poised at one apiece. Despite the loss of a tight second game, Ian's steadiness and some touches of class from the maestro were enough to keep North Oxford's noses in front in the third and fourth, taking them both to 9 and clinching a fifth EFA Trophy final in 12 years for NOEFC and our first since 2012.

North Oxford lost to Oxford University 0-2 at Iffley Road 24/02/16:

P.Scholey & S.Chapman lost to O.Sale & S.Oppenheimer 1-3 (2-12, 6-12, 12-7, 2-12)

F.Fairhead & S.Nowinski lost to W.Ponsonby & T.Macdonald-Buchanan 0-3 (5-12, 7-12, 2-12)

Oxford University have great strength in depth this year, a fact they demonstrated with a convincing win in the local derby at Iffley Road last night. Some comfort can be gained, however, in another promising showing from Freddie Fairhead and in the fact that the University team featured three players with strong North Oxford connections - Old Summerfieldians Ollie Sale and Ted Macdonald-Buchanan and Will Ponsonby, an occasional visitor to the SF Monday night courts with his father Luke. Pete and Spencer took a while to get going at first pair and were blown away in the first game by the high tempo attacking Fives of Sale and his OE partner Sam Oppenheimer. The North Oxford pair began to get a toehold in the second game before turning the tables completely in the third, taking a 10-1 lead and holding on to win it 12-7. Hopes of an epic comeback were dashed, however, by a return in game four to the high energy dominance of the younger pair and they took the game to 2 and with it the match. Freddie and Stefan were rather outclassed in the second court and it was a case of Will and Ted having an excellent adventure and partying on, dudes, although watching OUEFC skipper Jack Flowers was calling for the speed gun to measure the velocity of some of bullet arm Freddie's cuts.

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Cholmeleians 1-2 at Aldenham 13/02/16:

G.Hoskins & S.Yick lost to J.Ho & J.Marks 0-3 (7-12, 2-12, 7-12)

D.Patel & C.Rennie lost to T.Lethbridge & M.Kovar 0-3 (12-13, 9-12, 10-13)

G.Pulsford & N.Turnbull beat O.Hallam & E.Davis 3-1 (12-6, 12-7, 6-12, 12-6)

An experimental North Oxford Div 1 line-up took on the Cholmeleians in the basement battle at Aldenham on Saturday, losing 2-1 but picking up another point in the process, taking us to 6 and past our total from last year (albeit from a game more). Some key absentees meant a widely cast net to put together a side capable of taking on the Highgate team: University matches (Cobb & Piggot), football (Cox & Williams), ballet (Austin) and skiing (Scholey) meant call-ups for Nathan Turnbull, doubling up alongside skipper Gareth Hoskins from the morning Div 2 match, and NOEFC debuts for Aldenham's Darshan Patel and young Old Salopian Samson Yick. Samson was thrust straight into the deep end at first pair with Gareth as they took on the formidable pairing of Jonny Ho and Joe Marks. Having taught the young Cholmeleians everything they know after their year with NOEFC last season, we knew what we were up against; Gareth and Samson had teamed up effectively at the 2015 Northern Tournament and played some pretty good stuff at times on Saturday, especially in the first and third games where they did manage to get some joy against the Marks cut. Ho, however, was operating at a different level and showing exactly why he is regarded as one of the best young players to come through into the adult game in recent years. When he put his foot down, Gareth and Samson were simply unable to live with him and the match was duly won in three games. Earlier in the season, Carl and Pete Scholey had teamed up in the away fixture to beat Matt Kovar & Tom Lethbridge 15-14, 15-14, 12-13, in an epic encounter that would probably still be going on if the lights hadn't gone out. This time round, Carl was playing with Darshan Patel against the same pair, but normal service was resumed in the first, which was won 13-12 by the Highgate pair. The pattern was repeated in the next two: Carl and Darshan played well, combining effectively and producing some fine Fives. Maybe they just lacked the key ingredient that is the Scholey killer instinct, however, as the Cholmeleian pair won the key moments right at the end of each of the three close games to take revenge for that previous defeat. The star performance of the day for North Oxford came at third pair as Nathan Turnbull - nicely warmed up after his morning match and making a cracking Division 1 debut - teamed up with Grandad Graham to storm to victory against the Highgate third string of Ollie Hallam and Eddie Davis, overcoming a third game blip to win in four and claim that precious point, the classic NOEFC blend of youth and experience triumphing yet again. Sadly, bottom place in Division 1 beckons once again, but with 5 points won last year from 10 matches and 6 so far this season from 11, there is a chance that we can improve upon last year's performance by taking at least one point from our final game against the Old Millhillians in March.

North Oxford take on the Cholms at Aldenham

North Oxford 2 beat Old Ipswichians 2-1 at Aldenham 13/02/16:

G.Hoskins & N.Turnbull lost to Tom Fletcher & T.Gregory 0-3 (10-12, 5-12, 14-15)

S.Chapman & K.Hird beat P.Prior & C.Cooley 3-2 (5-12, 12-5, 12-7, 13-15, 15-11)

P.Lyndon & E.Scoones lost to R.Morgan* & J.Levick 1-3 (8-12, 5-12, 13-11, 6-12)

*ineligible player

Two matches, ten players, two debutants, pick-ups at three different times from three different railway stations, a pub lunch, one win, one defeat and a rare Division 1 point: all in a normal weekend's work for North Oxford EFC. The morning's entertainment consisted of a Division 2 match against the Old Ipswichians. The OIs were one short the night before, so in came the supersub to save the day and edge closer to playing at least one match this season for every team in the division. The third pair point was thus in the bag before play started, but that didn't stop the four players involved fighting fiercely for the win, Emily Scoones and Phil Lyndon rallying from two games down to win the third and raise hopes of a comeback that were dashed by Ralph and veteran John Levick in the fourth. The OIs levelled the scores with a win at first pair, NO captain Gareth Hoskins giving a bit back to his former team mates as he and Nathan Turnbull couldn't quite get past the strong pairing of Tim Gregory and Tom Fletcher. Better cut returning had given the OI pair the first two games; Gareth and Nathan could feel a little unlucky to have lost the third 14-15 having played much more solidly, but ultimately the Ipswichian pair were slightly better on the day and deserved their win. This left the match to be decided at second pair, with the mouthwatering prospect of the three times ladies champions Karen Hird and Charlotta Cooley taking each other on. Partners Spencer Chapman and Piers Prior were a mere sideshow as the two leading lights of the ladies game traded blows to gain bragging rights for the weeks to come. The Ipswich pair started better, taking the first game to 5 but Spencer and Karen then began to assert themselves, dominating the next two games to take a 2-1 lead. They let the fourth slip with the match there for the taking, as Piers and Charlotta gritted their teeth and hung on to take it 15-13 and force a decider. With everyone else already in the pub tucking into their lunch, none of the four players was prepared to give an inch as the decider also went to 10-10. The briefest of glances at Charlotta's face as the players entered the Round Bush at the conclusion to their match was enough to tell the story; Spencer and Karen saved their best until last, closing out the fifth game 15-11 to claim an excellent victory.

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Harrovians 0-3 at Harrow 11/02/16:

G.Hoskins & T.Cox lost to R.Tyler & N.Shaw 1-3 (10-13, 8-12, 12-9, 8-12)

P.Scholey & C.Rennie lost to A.Poole & O.Denby 0-3 (5-12, 4-12, 1-12)

S.Chapman & G.Pulsford lost to A.Taylor & H.Collins 1-3 (14-11, 12-13, 10-12, 10-12)

A battling performance away at Harrow last night wasn't enough to prevent another 3-0 Division 1 defeat, although we can perhaps consider ourselves a bit unlucky not to have come away with a point from a close contest. The Old Harrovians have some fine players but the absence of 11 time Kinnaird winner Tom Dunbar always gives a chink of light when taking on the OHs. In Tom's absence, first pair duties were undertaken by Richard Tyler and NOEFC's very own Nick Shaw, whose evening started off with him going to Highgate instead of Harrow and then continued with him wearing North Oxford kit while playing for the opposition, which should surely open him up to some sort of internal NOEFC disciplinary action, possibly involving the provision of cake for a future fixture. They were up against Wiseman slayers Gareth Hoskins and Tom Cox, who took advantage of Nick's late arrival and hurried start to establish a 10-6 lead in the first game. Unfortunately Gareth and Tom were unable to convert that lead and there followed a disastrous period of play for the North Oxford pair, which may ultimately have cost them the match, as they won only one of the next 16 points, losing the first game 13-10 and then going 8-1 down in the second. A change of strategy and greater attacking intent from Gareth and Tom turned things round - indeed at one stage they levelled the second game at 8-8 - but Richard and Nick hung on to go 2-0 up. Gareth and Tom continued their more high risk attacking game into the third, finishing strongly to take it to 9; they continued to play well in the fourth but were unable to find the cutting consistency required to stop their opponents picking up points on a regular basis, and the Harrovian pair won the fourth game to 8 and with it the match. Carl Rennie and Pete Scholey looked to be a strong pairing at second, but they were blown away by a terrific performance from Alex Poole and schoolboy Oskar Denby, who never let the North Oxford pair into the match and won at a canter. The Harrovians had two more schoolboys at third pair, taking on Spencer and Grandad Graham in an extremely evenly-matched contest. The Harrovian pair won 3-1 after losing the first game, but only two points in total separated the two pairs over the course of the match and the final three games were lost by a combined margin of five points. Spencer may have been hitting the pot for fun at times but it was the Harrow pair who won the key points when it mattered at the business end of games 2,3 and 4, leaving the North Oxford team to wonder at what might have been. The result takes the Harrovians almost out of our reach in the league table, leaving the Cholmeleians as the only remaining target if we want to haul ourselves off the bottom. The relegation six pointer is at Aldenham this Saturday, with a couple of new faces joining the team in the enforced absence of a few regulars to see if they can help turn things around.

North Oxford take on the Harrovians

North Oxford 2 lost to St.Olave's School 1 1-2 at Orpington 27/01/16:

C.Austin & F.Fairhead lost to C.Jewkes & H.Ravi 1-3 (3-12, 8-12, 13-11, 12-15)

G.Hoskins & K.Hird beat J.Prior & K.Walton 3-0 (12-8, 12-1, 12-8)

S.Chapman & H.Asquith lost to C.Stocks & W.Carew 3-0 (14-15, 6-12, 7-12)

A second trip down to Orpington of the season produced a second defeat (perhaps we should stick to playing the Olavians at Fortress Eton?) but this second division clash was an excellent encounter with all three pairs well-matched - on a different day all three could have gone the other way. Freddie Fairhead continued his NOEFC baptism of fire with another first pair appearance, this time in tandem with Chris Austin. The initial signs weren't good as they quickly fell two games behind to Old Olavians Charlie Jewkes and Harry Ravi but things began to improve in the third and the Fairhead bullet arm and the Austin wand began to work their magic. The third game was won 13-11 and then a 10-4 lead established in the fourth; all was looking good for a fifth game with all the momentum in the North Oxford pair's favour. Unfortunately, Chris and Freddie had struggled all match with finding a cutting length into the buttress with their opponents under the wall and suddenly they started to pay the price, allowing the Olavians to return cut after cut, which put the North Oxford pair under real pressure and quickly brought the scores back to 10-10. Buoyed by the unexpected comeback, it was Ravi and Jewkes who then had the upper hand, going on to win the game 15-12 and clinch the match. Things were going rather better for North Oxford at second pair where the old firm of Gareth Hoskins and Karen Hird put together a very solid performance to beat Joey Prior and top U16 player Kieran Walton, who rather let their heads drop after losing a first game that they were leading for long stretches, a disappointment from which they never recovered as Gareth and Karen kept the pressure on with some consistent Fives and a strong set piece. Spencer and Harry were back together at third pair, looking to improve on their last outing against the Old Millhillians a few weeks ago. Spencer - fuelled by Birch Water with a hint of ginger extract (http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/may/07/birch-water-so-called-superfood-superdrink-sustainability) - Spencer got off to a strong start, with Harry cutting well and offering strong support as they took the game to the more than useful Olave's U16 pair of Charlie Stocks and Will Carew. The first game went right to the wire and a game ball chance came and went before the school pair took it 15-14. This was crucial as it gave the boys the confidence to push on and take control of the match, winning the next two games to 6 and 7. The NOEFC contingent then went about their various individual warm down routines: Karen opting for dog walking, Spencer for a quinoa and edamame bean salad and Freddie for the Courtney Friend approach. The temporary closure of the Rose & Crown meant a detour to the Royal Oak (a definite improvement) and a post-match round of steaks and burgers plus the aforementioned salad. The point gained takes us to the dizzy heights of second in the Division 2 table, but with plenty of other teams gathering below with games in hand, a respectable mid-table finish looks to be on the cards. Next up are the Ipswichians at Aldenham in a couple of weeks time.

EFA Trophy at Eton 23/01/16:

North Oxford A finished 2nd in Group B; North Oxford B finished 5th in Group A

North Oxford A: G.Pulsford, S.Chapman, P.Roper, F.Imrie, C.Lloyd, C.Davies

North Oxford B: I.Mitchell, K.Hird, I.Watts, S.Nowinski, A.Bishop, C.Cook (in spirit)

North Oxford have a long and distinguished association with the EFA Trophy and this year saw a triumphant return to form, as we managed to be the only club to enter two sides into the tournament, with the A team coping well with the wet courts and making it through to the semi-finals for the first time since 2012. The A team benefited from Aldenham and the Etonians being unable to raise sides as it meant that Grandad Graham and Phil Roper became available for selection; with ex-Oxford captain Fergus Imrie also drafted in alongside veterans of previous campaigns in Spencer Chapman, Chris Lloyd and the maestro, the team had a very solid look to it and all went well over the first few rounds, with 6-0 wins over Berkhamsted and Lancing and a crucial 4-2 defeat of Cambridge University ensuring qualification before the final match, which was a group decider against perennial EFA Trophy favourites the Old Salopians. Fergus and Chris L inflicted the Salopians' only defeat of the day in drawing 1-1 at second pair and Spencer and the maestro came within a whisker of turning over the third pair. The 5-1 defeat left us in second place in the group, but far from despondent, with a place in the semis assured, where the Monday Knights await. Who knows, maybe we'll even see a rematch with the Salopians in the final? In the other group, the North Oxford B team were finding life harder against some strong opposition and were also having to cope with Charlie Cook's unorthodox timekeeping. Thankfully there was a ready supply of willing volunteers ready to step in and help out and the team of Andy Bishop, Ian Mitchell, Karen Hird, Izzy Watts and Stefan Nowinski gave a very good account of themselves all day, finally gaining their well-deserved reward in the final round of matches as Karen and Izzy combined to defeat convincingly the Wulfrunian third string of Phil Bullock and James Brazier. Charlie arrived just in time to watch the end of that match, but did get on court in the last round as a guest player for the Lancing Lionhearts.

North Oxford beat Old Westminsters 3-0 at Westminster 19/01/16:

P.Roper & J.Shaw beat A.Jackson & S.Shah 3-1 (1-12, 13-11, 12-8, 12-5)

S.Chapman & F.Imrie beat W.Illingworth & C.Shawcross 3-0 (12-8, 12-9, 12-2)

R.Scott & K.Hird beat M.Mostafavi & N.Williams 3-0 (12-5, 12-6, 12-5)

A fourth fixture of the season against the Old Westminsters last night (a friendly after three league matches) saw a good run out in preparation for the weekend's EFA Trophy and a return to winning ways for North Oxford with a fine 3-0 away victory. The first pair match featured a slow start in the show court for Phil Roper and Justin Shaw - perhaps Justin was a little distracted by the thought of returning to the offices of the Evening Standard after the game? Either way he wouldn't give anyone the scoop. Anyhow once they stepped up the pace (Phil) and accuracy (Justin) and edged a tight second they were able to close out the match, coming out on top of some classy exchanges against very decent opponents. Westminster schoolboy Sahil Shah in particular looked to have bags of ability. Will Illingworth's booming cut down the left side of the court made full use of a bouncy ball at second pair and troubled former OUEFC captain Fergus Imrie and Spencer Chapman through the first couple of games. The North Oxford pair managed to keep things pretty tight, however, and burgled both of them. By the third game, Will's cut got very wayward and Spencer and Fergus rattled through the points in double quick time, Fergus finally shaking off the rust on his NOEFC debut to showcase his thunderous mid court volleying. Karen Hird and Rosie Scott at third pair were the first to finish by some way, making short work of their opposition in a terrific display. Rosie's efforts whetted her appetite and she was disappointed to find out that the North Oxford tuck box was bereft of power salads, goji bars or even a protein shake. In the end she had to make do instead with a handful of Karen's gourmet Irish chocolates...

Report courtesy of Spencer

North Oxford 2 lost to Team Westway 1 1-2 at Eton 17/01/16:

G.Hoskins & F.Fairhead lost to G.Chapman & W.Betts 0-3 (9-12, 3-12, 8-12)

C.Austin & A.Bishop lost to T.Betts & D.Patel 0-3 (5-12, 8-12, 3-12)

S.Chapman & K.Hird beat T.Thurnham & C.Wheeler 3-0 (12-5, 12-2, 12-7)

The second leg of Sunday's Eton double header saw the arrival of a strong Westway side to take on the North Oxford Division 2 team. All went well for NOEFC at third pair as Spencer Chapman and Karen Hird made sure of their point with a workmanlike but comprehensive win over Tim Thurnham and Chris Wheeler. Chris Austin - straight off his five game marathon in the morning - teamed up with club president Andy Bishop at second pair and they made a pretty good fist of things against the very strong opposing pair of Darshan Patel and Tom Betts. There was a sniff of a chance for the North Oxford duo in the second game as they got within touching distance of levelling the scores at 1-1, but once that chance had come and gone it was always unlikely that Chris in particular was going to manage another five gamer. The regular Westway first pair of Guy Chapman and Will Betts are just about the strongest in the division and North Oxford went for the wildcard option to take them on, debutant Freddie Fairhead partnering skipper Gareth Hoskins. Since returning to Summer Fields as a gapper last term, Freddie has impressed everyone with his play on a Monday night and his huge power and terrific reflexes were unleashed on a surprised Betts and Chapman. Amazingly, this was Freddie's first competitive game of Fives since the last time he played at Eton, as a twelve year old semi-finalist in the Prep Schools' Tournament in 2008, playing for Summer Fields. The first pair match was closer than the scoreline suggests; Gareth and Freddie both cut well and the rally play was 50/50 for most of the match apart from a poor start to the second game. The difference between the two pairs was the return of cut with the North Oxford pair unable to consistently get enough back into play, Betts in particular finding a terrific cutting rhythm. On the couple of occasions where they did manage to string a few returns together, the points flowed, making it ultimately a slightly frustrating result. Nevertheless, with a bit more practice and the extra finesse that will give to his game, Freddie showed more than enough to suggest that he can be a real star of the future for North Oxford.

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Westminsters 1 1-2 at Eton 17/01/16:

G.Hoskins & C.Rennie lost to L.Brock & C.Brock 1-3 (8-12, 12-3, 6-12, 6-12)

G.Pulsford & C.Austin lost to E.Rose & J.Alster 2-3 (10-12, 12-8, 11-13, 12-2, 6-12)

Old Westminsters 1 conceded third pair

North Oxford's winning run came to an end at Eton on Sunday morning, but not after a battling Division 1 performance against the Old Westminsters. The drama pre-match almost matched the drama on court: Chris and Karen were stood down late on Saturday evening as the Westminsters were unable to field a third pair; skipper Gareth was then left waiting in Oxford on Sunday morning as James Cobb failed to materialise as promised (some deep sleeping and an unreliable alarm clock. Students, eh?). A slightly panicky phone call then followed, with Chris Austin saving the day with a dash to Eton to fill the gap. Ironically, Chris was then kept waiting as the Westminsters fourth player James Alster was even later arriving due to train delays on his journey to Eton from...Oxford, where unbeknown to him Gareth had been waiting in his car earlier that morning. Truly a comedy of errors. Once everyone made it on court, the Westminsters went for the bold strategy of splitting their normal first pair of Laurie Brock and Ed Rose in the hope of winning both pairs, a move which turned out to be the right one in the end but which also gave North Oxford a chance of winning both. With Cobb still tucked up in bed, Gareth moved up to first pair to partner Carl Rennie against Laurie and his younger brother Callum - a talented player but less experienced than his brother, who has benefited from several years learning his trade with the Aston House Superleague teams. The Brock brothers had the edge in the first game, but Gareth and Carl came storming back in the second, cutting and returning well, and forcing errors from both Westminster players, Callum being put under pressure and struggling as a result, and Laurie therefore feeling forced into taking on too much. The gameplan was obvious for the North Oxford pair - more of the same - in the next two games but Gareth and Carl couldn't quite see it through; Callum steadied the ship and improved significantly and Laurie's terrific returning meant the Westminster pair were always creating chances to score points. Gareth and Carl had some chances themselves but weren't quite clinical enough at key points and went on to lose in four. With the point for the conceded third pair in the bag already, it was down to the late-starting second pair to decide who got the win overall. Grandad Graham's New Year health kick has obviously transmitted itself to his Fives with a third successive match going to five games. Although not quite the three and a half hour marathon against the Olavians last week, this match lasted long enough with Chris and Graham narrowly losing the first and third games, but taking the second and then dominating the fourth with their opponents looking almost out for the count. Rose is another experienced match player, though, and he managed to regroup well at the start of the fifth game, with Alster taking heart from his partner's example and finding the energy that had been lacking in the fourth. An early lead might have been enough to see the North Oxford pair through but eventually it was Chris and Graham who blinked first and the Westminsters who finished the last few points off quickly to claim the win, leaving Chris about 20 minutes to grab some lunch before the afternoon game and Grandad to head off to the gym having narrowly failed to win a third five game match in eight days.

North Oxford beat The Brigands 3-1 at Eton 14/01/16:

P.Scholey & K.Hird beat C.Davies & S.Woolfries 3-1 (12-8, 11-12, 12-5, 12-10)

B.Harrison & C.Cook beat R.Pattison & A.White 3-0 (12-6, 12-8, 12-10)

I.Mitchell & I.Watts beat M.Powell & N.Higgins 3-0 (12-6, 12-10, 12-9)

A.Bishop & M.Barnes lost to R.Smart & R.Murray 0-3 (3-12, 8-12, 2-12)

North Oxford's winning start to 2016 continued with an excellent 3-1 win at Eton last night in the annual friendly against the Brigands. With a combined age of around 150 years less than our opponents, a youthful NOEFC side had the legs on their Charterhouse-based opponents and won the top three pairs to take the honours in this fixture for the second year in succession. A late injury withdrawal from Rosie Scott meant a call up for Karen Hird, who went straight into first pair where she partnered Pete Scholey, just about recovered from his Sunday heroics, against Simon Woolfries and the NOEFC meastro himself, Chris Davies. Karen and Pete were both coming off fine league wins at the weekend and that confidence and form was enough to take them through to a four game win, overcoming the disappointment of losing the second game 12-11. Second pair saw a fantastic win for teenage Old Summerfieldians and NOEFC debutants Barnaby Harrison and Charlie Cook who put in a self-confessed awesome performance to beat the potentially tricky combination of Ronald Pattison and Andrew White in straight games, an excellent start for both players; we hope to see a lot more of them in a North Oxford shirt in the future. Ian Mitchell and Izzy Watts at third pair proved the effectiveness of the trademark NOEFC mixed pair combination of youth and experience with another strong 3-0 win over Martin Powell and Nick Higgins. Only the fourth pair of Andy Bishop and Mandie Barnes came unstuck, getting close in the second game before going down in three to Rod Smart and Richard Murray. All was happily completed in time to head down Eton High Street for a well-earned curry after an enjoyable friendly interlude before league battle is rejoined at Eton on Sunday with a double header against the Westminsters and Team Westway.

North Oxford 1 beat Old Olavians 2-1 at Eton 10/01/16:

J.Piggot & C.Rennie lost to J.Toop & T.Gallagher 1-3 (12-9, 9-12, 7-12, 12-15)

G.Hoskins & T.Cox beat M.Wiseman & W.Betts 3-0 (12-9, 12-5, 12-9)

P.Scholey & G.Pulsford beat H.Wiseman & J.Prior 3-2 (11-13, 12-9, 9-12, 12-8, 12-7)

Sunday was an historic day in the annals of North Oxford Eton Fives Club thanks to a spectacular 2-1 Division 1 win over defending champions the Old Olavians, who included a former Kinnaird Cup winner in every pair. Relegating Oxford United's 3-2 FA Cup win over Swansea to second best Oxford sporting giant-killing of the day, North Oxford's finest produced a performance that ranks among the best ever in the club's history. First onto the scoreboard were the second pair of Gareth Hoskins and Old Summerfieldian Tom Cox, who played superbly from start to finish to win in three games against former Oxford University captain Will Betts and Matt Wiseman, multiple Kinnaird winner and one of the best players ever to play the game. It is only fair to point out that Matt was struggling with a shoulder injury and far from his best, but the North Oxford pair played an excellent high tempo attacking game, putting the Olavian pair under constant pressure and forcing mistakes while simultaneously making very few unforced errors themselves. Add in a strong set piece game and there you have all the ingredients for the first upset of the day. At first pair, James Piggot and Carl Rennie were up against London Tournament finalists James Toop and Tom Gallagher. Having now played a couple of matches together, James and Carl showed good signs of beginning to gel as a partnership and they took the first game 12-9. The Olavians returned the favour in the second game but, as the match progressed, they continued to have problems dealing with the intelligence and unorthodoxy of Piggot's left-handed game, with Carl providing strong and consistent support. In some ways it was disappointing that the North Oxford pair lost the third and fourth games, having been ahead early on in the third and 8-0 up in the fourth and some of their play during those passages of the game was terrific. Unfortunately they were unable to convert either of those positions into the win that would have taken things into a fifth game and although the disappointment was palpable, it is important to remember that they were up against James Toop, who is a fantastic player and also a real battler on court who never knows when he's beaten, as well as Tom Gallagher, who is rapidly making a name for himself as a player of huge promise. Despite the result, this was a very encouraging performance from James and Carl. Meanwhile at third pair, an epic encounter was unfolding. The early portents weren't good: Grandad Graham was coming off the previous day's marathon and Great-Uncle Pete had been on the port until 3am in the morning. Faced with Howard Wiseman and Joey Prior and a narrow 11-13 first game loss. the odds didn't look to be in our favour. What followed was one of the great NOEFC performances as the veteran pair fought back twice to level the match at 2-2 in a game of tight margins, long rallies and a scrap for every point. The canny Wiseman threw everything at the North Oxford pair but they refused to buckle; not even a near 20 minute break between games four and five to choose a new ball threw them off their stride and once the fifth game deadlock at 6-6 had been broken, it was Prior and Wiseman who were making the errors when it really counted in the last few rallies as Graham and Pete clinched an epic victory, over three and a half hours after first stepping onto court. This really was a stunning result for us - only a second ever top division win and a first in eight games this season against very strong opponents. It even takes us off the bottom of the Division 1 table, setting up the tantalising prospect of not finishing last this time round. Next up are the Old Westminsters at Eton next Sunday - can we back up this performance and make further progress towards overtaking last year's points tally and moving up the table?

North Oxford 2 beat Old Millhillians 2 2-1 at Aldenham 09/01/16:

C.Austin & G.Pulsford beat S.Tailor & O.Sander 3-2 (2-12, 12-7, 13-12, 3-12, 12-7)

G.Hoskins & K.Hird beat A.Rennie & M.Bhimjiyani 3-0 (12-6, 12-7, 12-5)

S.Chapman & H.Asquith lost to J.Patel & C.Vincent 0-3 (0-12, 2-12, 4-12)

2016 got off to an excellent start for NOEFC with a fine 2-1 second division win at Aldenham against a pretty strong Old Millhillian team on Saturday. Graham Pulsford and Sunil Tailor have a recent history of five game thrillers in this fixture and they were at it again this time round. Sunny had arrived early and controversially warmed up with a £3.99 all you can eat breakfast nearby; he was rocket-fuelled early on as he and Oli Sander took the first game comfortably against Graham and Chris but the extra sausages began to weigh more heavily in game two as the North Oxford pair hit back to take the second, before nicking the third 13-12 to take the advantage. With the other games finished and an expectant crowd now watching, it was the Millhillian pair who now took charge, dominating the fourth to level the match and take all of the momentum into the decider. At this point, Chris and Graham were distinctly second favourites but with some astute tactical adjustments and renewed vigour after taking an early lead, they kept their noses in front all the way through, closing out the game to 7 and winning an impressive point. At second pair, Gareth and Karen were in fine form, dominating the set piece with Gareth's cutting and Karen's returning. Andrew Rennie and Mitesh Bhimjiyani put up a good fight, but the North Oxford pair made a strong start in all three games and were always in control of the match. The OM team selection had been skewed slightly by the injury doubts surrounding Jitesh Patel, usually Sunil's first pair partner. Playing down at third pair to manage his injury, he was too strong for the North Oxford pair of Spencer and Harriet, who fought hard and improved as the match went on, but who were unable to make much of a dent on the scoreboard against Patel and the solid Chris Vincent. A celebratory round of sticky toffee puddings and chocolate fudge cakes then followed (someone had obviously tipped off the Round Bush bar staff about Grandad's New Year "health kick", giving him by far the smallest portion) to celebrate our steady rise up the Division 2 table.

Graham and Chris on their way to a five game win

North Oxford 2 beat Berkhamsted 2 2-1 at Berkhamsted 13/12/15:

C.Austin & S.Chapman lost to A.Theodossi* & J.Doe 2-3 (12-7, 12-9, 10-12, 9-12, 3-12)

G.Hoskins & K.Hird lost to J.Skelton & M.Skelton 1-3 (6-12, 6-12, 12-9, 6-12)

W.Carling & F.Turnbull beat S.Wiggill & E.Casey 3-1 (12-3, 8-12, 12-6, 12-5)

*ineligible player

Our first Division 2 match since October produced a second successive win, moving us up into a comfortable mid-table position and within striking distance of a top three finish if things continue to go well after Christmas. Spencer Chapman and Chris Austin at first pair were greeted with good and bad news on arrival at Berkhamsted - the bad news was that Alex Rattan wasn't going to make it on time, meaning Berkhamsted organiser Anthony Theodossi would be playing instead; the good news was that Ant is ineligible for Division 2 matches and the point was in the bag before a ball had been struck in anger. It also meant that the North Oxford pair got a much better game than they might otherwise have had and they came tantalisingly close to winning in straight games after playing some terrific stuff to win the first two to 7 and 9 and then lead in the third. Frustratingly. however, Spencer and Chris couldn't quite close out the third game and once the Berkhamsted pair got a sniff of victory, they didn't hold back, taking the fourth to 9 and the fifth to 3 in double quick time. Spencer and Chris can take comfort in having played some excellent Fives, especially early on, and in the knowledge that they would almost certainly have beaten the bona fide Berkhamsted first pair pretty comfortably. Gareth and Karen had warmed up for their second pair match at the NOEFC Christmas dinner the night before and got off to a good start against father and son pair James and Milo Skelton in the first game before being pegged back and eventually overtaken, losing it 12-6. James and Milo are a pair of some pedigree, with James an Old Salopian and former Cambridge half-blue and Milo one half of the Berkhamsted first pair this year. Together they reached the final of the Aberconway Cup a couple of years ago and the second game went the same way as the first. Gareth and Karen rallied in the third, getting off to another flyer with an 8-0 lead and managing to hang on for the win, but the Skeltons upped their game in the fourth to take the match 3-1. Third pair saw winning Division 2 debuts for Wendy Carling and Francesca Turnbull, who combined impressively to beat Sarah Wiggill and Ellie Casey in four games, earning an important point for North Oxford and clinching the overall match win and taking us into the Christmas break in a relatively healthy league position.

Photography courtesy of Colin Turnbull. Silly headgear courtesy of Karen Hird.

North Oxford beat Cambridge University 2½-½ at Cambridge 29/11/15:

G.Hoskins & P.Roper beat T.Barker & J.Parham 3-0 (12-4, 12-9, 12-9)

C.Friend & S.Chapman drew with S.Balaji & N.Turnbull 2-2 (6-12, 15-13, 12-8, 9-12)

S.Nowinski & H.Asquith beat K.Bilimoria & F.Turnbull 3-0 (12-2, 12-4, 13-10)

North Oxford Ladies beat Cambridge University Ladies 2-0 at Cambridge 29/11/15:

I.Watts & E.Scoones beat H.Rapley & S.Kelly 3-0 (12-1, 12-1, 12-1)

M.Barnes & F.Turnbull beat S.Xu & R.Shiels 2-0 (12-1, 12-2)

The light at the end of the Division 1 tunnel arrived on Sunday at Cambridge with a return to the traditional North Oxford delights of friendly Fives and serious eating. The men's match in the morning looked evenly matched on paper; the non-arrival of one of Cambridge's third pair (thanks to Francesca for subbing in) tipped the balance North Oxford's way in that court, with Stefan and Harriet dominating the first two games before closing things out in a tighter third. At first pair, Gareth Hoskins and Phil Roper got off to a flying start against Tony Barker and NOEFC's own Jack Parham, going 9-0 up in the first couple of hands with Jack struggling to see through his eyeliner (something to do with the Footlights pantomime allegedly) to locate the ball. Jack's performance improved after that but the Cambridge pair always had a mistake in them and Gareth and Phil combined impressively to put their opponents consistently under pressure and win in three. Second pair was the one that lived up to its pre-match billing as the legendary Courtney Friend - out of retirement for the fourteenth consecutive season - gave the young Cambridge pair of Sudhir Balaji and Nathan Turnbull a demonstration in the art of unorthodox left-handed Fives, losing the first game with Spencer Chapman but winning the next two having shaken the rust off. At this point the fundamental disadvantage of indoor courts for Courtney became clear - how was he going to be able to keep himself going for another game without being able to take his normal between games fag break? With time moving on and lunch beckoning, the fourth game would be the last and it was the Cambridge pair who took it 12-9 to level at 2-2 and claim the draw. Lunch was taken - as is becoming a tradition at this fixture - at the Red Lion in Grantchester where the morning's players met up with the afternoon contingent, Izzy Watts and Emily Scoones having taken part in a remake of the 1987 John Candy/Steve Martin classic "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" just to get there on time. Suitably fortified, the North Oxford ladies then proceeded to give their less experienced Cambridge counterparts a Fives lesson in the afternoon, Izzy and Emily winning easily at first pair and Mandie Barnes and Francesca Turnbull repeating the dose at second pair. The opportunity was then taken to mix the pairs around to make sure that all involved got some good close matches to bring the day's proceedings to a close. A special mention should be made of Colin Turnbull, who took advantage of the impressive Cambridge spectator facilities to watch all day while successfully managing to avoid all attempts to get him on court to play at any stage.

The morning first pair in action as Jack feels the pace...

North Oxford 1 lost to Berkhamsted 1 0-3 at Berkhamsted 22/11/15:

G.Hoskins & C.Rennie lost to D.Foster & J.O'Neill 0-3 (5-12, 6-12, 7-12)

C.Austin & J.Flowers lost to G.Campbell & C.Nicholls 0-3 (6-12, 3-12, 3-12)

P.Scholey & I.Mitchell lost to P.Roper & M.Allen 0-3 (1-12, 2-12, 7-12)

The rather chastening run of November Division 1 fixtures came to an end with another 3-0 defeat at the hands of Berkhamsted on Sunday, leaving us rooted firmly to the bottom of the table with only two points from seven matches. Once again, the effort of the NO team could not be faulted but the familiar story of superior opposition gave Sunday's team nowhere to hide. Carl and Gareth performed well at first pair, always competitive and pushing their opponents hard; in each of the three games the Berkhamsted pair took quite a long time to break down the North Oxford resistance and Carl and Gareth never made it easy for them, but ultimately their superior cut returning and consistency of shot, especially from the experienced Foster, took the home pair away at the end of each game. University captain Jack Flowers has been a valuable addition to the squad this year and he has definitely not shirked a challenge with his two appearances so far being away at Orpington and Berkhamsted. Playing alongside Chris Austin, he found himself up against former Kinnaird finalist George Campbell and Berkhamsted's top schoolboy Charlie Nicholls and after a decent showing in the first game, they were unable to impose themselves on the game, with Campbell always looking in control. Third pair looked like it might give NOEFC an opportunity, with Ian Mitchell and the in form Pete Scholey up against Phil Roper and Matt Allen. Ironically, Phil could easily have been playing for North Oxford in this fixture had things worked out differently and once again we were victims of our own success in nurturing players, having given Phil his first games in the league last year, and he and his schoolboy partner made short work of Ian and Pete. despite a bit of a fightback in the third. Thankfully for those involved in recent weeks, Division 1 now takes a break until after Christmas, allowing NOEFC to take a breather and do what we do best for a while i.e. playing non D1 matches and going out for meals. Hopefully, by January we will be ready to tackle the second half of the top flight season with renewed hope and vigour.

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Millhillians 1 0-3 at Highgate 16/11/15:

T.Cox & C.Rennie lost to V.Bhimjiyani & S.Tailor 0-3 (3-12, 2-12, 9-12)

C.Austin & P.Scholey lost to R.Worth & E.Taylor 0-3 (2-12, 5-12, 4-12)

R.Morgan & S.Chapman lost to I.Hutchinson & C.Plummer 0-3 (5-12, 9-12, 3-12)

Another Division 1 match and another reminder of the harsh realities of life at the top, as North Oxford's first team went down to another 3-0 defeat at Highgate last night, this time at the hands of the Old Millhillians. The OMs are top of the league and flying high this season so it was no surprise to see them turn up with a full strength team intent on stretching their lead ahead of the other main contenders. Their first pair of Bhimjiyani and Tailor have claimed some fine scalps this season already and they can now add Carl Rennie and Tom Cox to their collection, although not without an impressive third game fightback from the North Oxford pair, who led for long periods and could easily have taken it to four with a bit of luck. Chris Austin and Pete Scholey had their work cut out against Salopians Worth and Taylor at second pair and never really managed to get into the game, although Chris did make the evening's most sizable contribution to the NOEFC swearbox. When Ian Hutchinson is lined up against you at third pair, you know things are going to be tricky and with Grandad Graham not taking his tablets and succumbing to the lurgy late on, it was left to supersub Ralph to team up with Spencer to take on Hutch and young Charlie Plummer. A fine second game effort from the NOEFC pair and a wobble from Plummer jr produced 9 points, but there was always the feeling that Hutchinson had extra gears if required. Beaten but unbowed, we next go to Berkhamsted at the weekend for one more big effort to finish off the tough run of November Division 1 fixtures, after which there is some respite until after Christmas when we will be looking to finish off the campaign in style.

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Westminsters 1 0-3 at Highgate 11/11/15:

T.Cox & C.Rennie lost to L.Brock & E.Rose 0-3 (6-12, 3-12, 12-14)

C.Austin & P.Scholey lost to J.Reynolds & C.Hughes 1-3 (4-12, 12-4, 9-12, 1-12)

R.Morgan & G.Pulsford lost to G.Coren & M.Rimini 0-3 (7-12, 6-12, 13-15)

It was another case of close but no cigar in Division 1 at Highgate last night, with a battling performance against the Old Westminsters first team ultimately going unrewarded. Laurie Brock and Ed Rose are an established top flight first pair, with a good record this season so it was perhaps no surprise that NOEFC first pair Tom Cox and Carl Rennie found life difficult to start with, losing the first two games to 6 and 3. The third game showed some promising signs that the North Oxford partnership was beginning to gel: Carl found his cutting mojo and Tom's error count dropped as his attacking effectiveness increased, forcing the OW pair onto the back foot to reach 11 first. Unfortunately they couldn't quite convert the opportunity and lost the third game 14-12 but Tom and Carl can take plenty of encouragement going into next Monday's match with the Millhillians. Pete Scholey's recent record of travelling to Highgate matches has been a story of road closures and motorways becoming car parks. This match was no exception and it took all of Pete's powers of persuasion to talk the local constabulary into allowing him onto an otherwise closed off bit of M40 and get to Highgate in time. Once there, he and Chris Austin started slowly against John Reynolds and Chris Hughes, losing the first game without making much of an impression. As with the first pair, however, Pete and Chris improved as the match developed, upping the pace and cutting out the silly mistakes in game two to reverse the scoreline and level the match. The third game was key and at 6-6 was in the balance; Reynolds and Hughes just managed to edge in front and although the North Oxford pair pulled it back to 10-8 and 11-9 they couldn't quite recover sufficiently to win the game. This was the decisive phase of play - Reynolds may well have struggled had he needed to go to five games to win but instead it was the North Oxford pair who had nothing left in the tank after their efforts in game three and the match ended fairly quickly thereafter. There was a similarly frustrating scenario unfolding at third pair, where Grandad Graham and Supersub Ralph were up against the experienced pairing of Marco Rimini and celebrity Fives-player Giles Coren. Once again it was a case of the North Oxford pair being second best in the early stages, then closing the gap and threatening to take the initiative, before finally coming up a bit short, in this case 13-15 in the third game. So once again, we have to take a 0-3 defeat on the chin, but we can take much pride in the performances as we look forward to our next game, back at Highgate against the Millhillians next Monday. Spencer will be back for that one so as you can imagine the OMs are quaking in their boots. As long as Pete sets off for Highgate at about 11 in the morning, all should be well as we try and turn over the current league leaders.

Richard Black Cup at Eton 08/11/15:

Group Stages: beat Highgate 2 3-0, EFA 3-0, Shrewsbury 3-0. First in group.

Semi-Final:

North Oxford beat Old Westminsters 3-0

K.Hird & H.Asquith beat A.Lumbard & O.Prankerd Smith 2-0 (12-8, 12-4)

R.Scott & F.Turnbull beat H.Allan & N.Loh 2-0 (12-4, 12-2)

M.Barnes & W.Carling beat E.Osen & S.Basemera 2-0 (12-5, 12-3)

Final:

North Oxford lost to Highgate 0-3

K.Hird & H.Asquith lost to P.Bracken & A.Reimer 1-2 (12-5, 7-12, 9-12)

R.Scott & F.Turnbull lost to E.Smith-Bingham & V.Ruggi 0-2 (11-14, 6-12)

M.Barnes & W.Carling lost to M.Briscoe & C.Valensise 0-2 (0-12, 7-12)

For the third successive year North Oxford's ladies team made it to the final of the Richard Black Cup but once again found the challenge of the formidable Highgate School team just too much, leaving them with the runners-up chocolates. There was one team change from last year, with Mandie Barnes coming back into the side - a heroic effort given that she only landed back in the UK from her charity bike ride through Vietnam at 6:30am on the morning of the competition. The team was quickly into its stride, brushing aside Highgate 2, Shrewsbury and the EFA in the morning group stages without losing a game. There was a similarly convincing performance in the semi-final against the Old Westminsters, with Karen Hird and Harry Asquith looking strong at first pair, Rosie Scott and Francesca Turnbull dominant at second pair and Mandie and Wendy Carling untroubled in seeing off an injured Elana Osen at third pair. The final got off to a promising start for the NOEFC team: Mandie and Wendy were finding life tough against the strong pairing of Marjolaine Briscoe and Carolina Valensise but Karen and Harry at first pair and Rosie and Francesca at second pair both established early first game leads. Karen and Harry managed to convert theirs into a 12-5 first game success, but Eve Smith-Bingham at second pair for Highgate was beginning to find her rhythm and clawed things back to 11-11, before going on to take the game 14-11. That was as good as it got for North Oxford as Wendy and Mandie lost in straight games, albeit with a much improved display in the second game and Francesca and Rosie were unable to repeat their great start, losing the second game in their match to 6. Even the first pair wasn't going according to plan as Karen and Harry let their Highgate opponents back into the match as they took the second game to 7 to level at 1-1. With everyone else finished, the third game at first pair had a good sized crowd watching and the four players produced a game to match with some of the best Fives ever seen in this or any other ladies Fives competition. All four players played some fantastic Fives but it was the Highgate pair who won 12-9 to seal the 3-0 win, take the trophy for the fourth time in a row and leave the North Oxford team plotting their route to glory in 2016.

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Harrovians 1-2 at Eton 07/11/15:

J.Piggot & C.Rennie lost to T.Dunbar & R.Wijeratne 0-3 (6-12, 2-12, 7-12)

G.Hoskins & P.Scholey beat R.Tyler & O.Denby 3-0 (12-2, 12-5, 12-6)

S.Chapman & G.Pulsford lost to N.Shaw & A.Huo 1-3 (0-12, 12-6, 10-15, 9-12)

North Oxford's tough run of Division 1 fixtures continued at Eton on Saturday with another defeat, this time at the hands of the Old Harrovians, but the progress shown in the Cholms game last week was continued, with another valuable point eked out to move us a step closer to overtaking last year's total. Birthday boy Carl Rennie, fresh from his fine showing against the Cholms, teamed up once again with top new signing James Piggot at first pair. Both played well, with Piggot once again showing that he is a player of immense promise, but they found themselves up against eleven time Kinnaird winner Tom Dunbar and that was always going to be a challenge, although once again the experience gained by both players should prove invaluable in the long run. The second pair saw an outstanding performance from Gareth Hoskins and Pete Scholey, who combined beautifully as a pair and who individually both played at their very best throughout to destroy highly regarded schoolboy Oskar Denby and former Kinnaird finalist Richard Tyler 2,5 and 6. This was just one of those matches where everything went right for the North Oxford pair, who will rarely if ever play better; not even a sharp poke into a Scholey eye midway through the third game could upset their rhythm. Third pair Spencer Chapman and Graham Pulsford had a rather more bumpy start to their match against NOEFC stalwart Nick Shaw and another fine school player in Alan Huo, losing the first game 12-0 in double quick time. The North Oxford pair were sparked into life by the embarrassment of getting nilled, and as Spencer began to get his feet moving and Grandad's pills started to kick in, the tide was turned in the second game with a spectacular comeback and a 12-6 win to level the match. The match was tight from thereon in and the margins were small, but it was the Harrovian pair who just about had the edge at the business end of each of the third and fourth games to sneak home in four. The Division 1 action continues to come thick and fast in the next couple of weeks with successive away games against the Westminsters, Millhillians and Berkhamsted as we continue the quest to get past the 2014/15 mark of 5 points.

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Cholmeleians 1-2 at Highgate 29/10/15:

G.Williams & T.Cox lost to J.Ho & J.Marks 0-3 (2-12, 5-12, 4-12)

C.Rennie & P.Scholey beat M.Kovar & T.Lethbridge 2-1 (15-14, 15-14, 12-13, 5-10 timed out)

I.Mitchell & R.Morgan lost to O.Hallam & O.Light 0-3 (3-12, 7-12, 5-12)

North Oxford suffered a Division 1 basement battle defeat at the hands of the Old Cholmeleians at Highgate on Thursday evening but a fine success at second pair secured a first league point of the season to move us off the dreaded nul points, if not off the bottom of the table. In the absence of our Etonian contingent, it was a more Salopian-flavoured team that took to the rather damp Highgate courts, with Old Summerfieldian Tom Cox in at first pair alongside fellow Salopian, and NO debutant, Guy Williams. Tom manfully raised himself from his sick bed to get on court but he and Guy were unable to live with Jonny Ho and Joe Marks, a win for which we can at least claim some of the credit having given Jonny and Joe top flight experience last year. With Spencer rather less manfully unable to overcome a nasty (allegedly) dose of man flu, supersub Ralph Morgan stepped in for a Division 1 NOEFC debut alongside Ian Mitchell - yet another Salopian - at third pair. The North Oxford duo put up a strong fight against Ollies Hallam and Light but were powerless to prevent another 3-0 OC success. The evening's drama was all going on at second pair, however, with Carl Rennie and Pete Scholey involved in a titanic battle against Matt Kovar and Tom Lethbridge. To say that this was close would be the ultimate understatement - a quick glance at the score tells you all you need to know as the North Oxford pair took the first two games 15-14 before losing the third 12-13. At 5-10 down in the fourth, it looked likely to go to five, but with the 10pm deadline kicking in and the lights going out, Pete and Carl's 2-1 game lead was enough to clinch a terrific point.

North Oxford 2 beat Old Westminsters 2 3-0 at Eton 18/10/15:

G.Hoskins & S.Chapman beat F.Krespi & E.Levy 3-0 (12-5, 12-4, 12-7)

J.Nelmes & S.Nowinski beat N.Williams & E.Miles 3-0 (12-6, 12-1, 12-3)

R.Scott & H.Asquith beat E.Osen & H.Allan 3-0 (12-1, 12-9, 12-4)

North Oxford's losing streak was ended in emphatic style at Eton on Sunday with a resounding Division 2 victory against the Old Westminsters in the battle of the second teams. Normal service was resumed with the North Oxford pairs in control right from the off all the way down the order. Gareth and Spencer at first pair found the going much easier than it had been the previous day down in Kent, controlling their match from the start and making sure that they were always doing enough to stay comfortably in front of opponents Freddie Krespi and Edward Levy. Odd couple Stefan Nowinski and Jonny Nelmes combined beautifully at second pair, finding some majestic form to dispatch their hapless opposition in double quick time, the quality of their Fives only outshone by the magnificence of their warm down routine after the match. North Oxford and Berkhamsted made league history last year with the first ever all female league four and we were there again for the second such occasion as Rosie Scott and Harry Asquith took on Elana Osen and Harriet Allan, a Summer Fields Monday night regular in her time at Oxford now returning to the game after a stint in Japan. Despite a second game wobble, the North Oxford pair were in control for most of the match and soon completed the 3-0 whitewash. After an enjoyable post-match lunch and debrief in the Henry, Rosie headed off for the latest instalment of her rapidly evolving love life (she's moved on to dancers rather than Fives-players this week; keep up at the back) while Stefan and Jonny celebrated their win with a team-bonding trip to John Lewis on their way back to Oxford.

Back to winning ways against the Westminsters

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Olavians 0-3 at Orpington 17/10/15:

C.Rennie & J.Flowers lost to J.Toop & S.Ranasinghe 0-3 (3-12, 4-12, 8-12)

G.Hoskins & S.Chapman lost to P.White & J.Black 0-3 (4-12, 6-12, 10-12)

C.Cooley & M.Barnes lost to D.Redmond & G.Wiseman 0-3 (3-12, 8-12, 12-13)

When you're on a losing run of three successive 0-3 defeats at the start of the season, an away Division 1 fixture against reigning champions the Old Olavians is probably not what you're looking for. Certainly, an extremely large number of potential players decided in advance that it was most definitely not what they were looking for, declining the giant-killing opportunity in favour of trivial things such as matriculating, going to the US and being at Twickenham for the Rugby World Cup quarter-final. So it was that with more players missing than the Welsh three-quarter line, a rather threadbare looking NOEFC line-up headed down to Kent to test themselves against the best that Division 1 Fives has to offer. On the notable occasion of winning his 50th North Oxford cap - joining the select group of Hoskins, Chapman, Hird, Pulsford and Davies - Carl Rennie led the side from the front, teaming up with Oxford University captain and NOEFC debutant Jack Flowers (the 129th player to represent the club in its illustrious history) at first pair. Sadly, Carl was unable to mark the occasion with a victory, as the pedigree of multiple Kinnaird Cup winner James Toop proved too much despite a spirited third game performance, which saw the North Oxford pair 6-0 ahead at one point. At second pair, North Oxford's two hundred-cap men were looking to show the value of experience; normally Spencer's kit provides the colour but the first two games of this match were definitely all Black & White, as Julian B and Peter W had things all their own way. Again, the third game saw the North Oxford pair get to grips with things and produce a much stronger performance and they finished a little disappointed not to have taken the match into a fourth game. In a day of notable statistical milestones, another record was set at third pair as North Oxford fielded the first ever all female pair in a Division 1 match. Mandie and Charlotta - back at Orpington and biting the hand that used to feed her - were up against Charlotta's arch rival Dom Redmond and the latest star player from the Wiseman family production line, youngster Gwydion Wiseman, already a fine prospect and and almost taller than his father already. Charlotta was performing heroically just to be there, having answered a very late call-up to save the day and being in a rather delicate state as play got underway. As with the other two pairs, steady improvement was not enough to avoid a 3-0 defeat, with the third game an agonising 13-12 reversal. Had we played all of the pairs as best of 7, we would undoubtedly have been coming away with a 3-0 win and the team's bad luck was bemoaned over lunch in the Rose & Crown, where disappointingly there was no sign of chicken wrap minus the chicken on the menu. They've obviously learned nothing from our last visit there. On the plus side, alphabetical order prevents us from propping up the Division 1 table and we head to Highgate next week in search of our first points against fellow basement dwellers the Old Cholmeleians.

North Oxford 2 lost to Old Etonians 0-3 at Eton 04/10/15:

C.Austin & O.Lawton lost to M.Asquith & J.Parham 0-3 (7-12, 12-14, 4-12)

G.Hoskins & K.Hird lost to A.Knight & A.White 2-3 (12-6, 6-12, 12-5, 11-13, 4-12)

C.Davies & H.Asquith lost to J.Asquith & F.Wickes 0-3 (8-12, 2-12, 6-12)

North Oxford's pointless season continued on Sunday with a frustratingly narrow 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Old Etonians at Eton. The team showed three changes from Wednesday, with supersub Ralph replaced by maestro Chris Davies, Spencer's spot taken by debutant Ollie Lawton from Aldenham and Rosie being replaced by Harriet Asquith, possibly on account of there not being enough tall, blonde and handsome players in the Etonians line-up for Rosie's liking. All of that squad rotation meant that Harry was up against her father at third pair and she and the maestro got off to a flying start, taking the lead in the first game to put a rather worried look on the face of Asquith sr, for whom this was definitely not part of the script. Once they got going, however, the match had his and partner Forman Wickes's name all over it and Chris and Harry were unable to stem the flow of Etonian points. The pre-match pairs selection committee had gone for the attacking strategy of splitting Wednesday night's first pair across pairs one and two in a bold attempt to win both. Unfortunately the gamble turned out to be more England v Wales than Japan v South Africa; Ollie Lawton made an impressive debut but was in at the deep end at first pair with Aldenham team mate Chris Austin. They had chances, notably in the second game, to get on to the scoreboard and put some pressure on the young Etonian pair of Matt Asquith (yes, another one) and NOEFC player and turncoat for the day Jack Parham, who blotted his copybook severely by winning in three. Once again, skipper Gareth Hoskins was the team's last chance for a face-saving point as he and Karen Hird took on Alex Knight and Andrew White at second pair. This turned out to be an unpredictable encounter, dictated mainly by the huge fluctuations in form of Etonian White, who swung between the extremes of ordinary and error-strewn (games one and three) and full of high-quality returning and shot-making (games two and five). Game four was the close one, but the North Oxford pair were behind for the vast majority of the game and were never quite able to get their noses in front when it mattered. Some compensation was found with a delightful late lunch in the sunshine at the Henry, but after a third successive 3-0 defeat, the NOEFC gaffer was understandably beginning to feel the heat, responding to a query about how the game went with the following: "The team, mentally, psychologically, is unbelievably down. It looks like good players are bad players. I want to make it clear. One, I don't run away. Two, if the club wants to sack me, they have to sack me because I'm not running away from my responsibility and my team. To be champions will obviously be very, very difficult because the distance is considerable, but I am more than convinced that we will finish in the top four. And, when the season is so bad, if you finish top four, it is ok. Three, even more important than the first and the second, I think this is a crucial moment in the history of this club. Do you know why? Because if the club sacks me, they sack the best manager that this club has, and secondly, the message is again: bad results and the manager is guilty. I think this is a moment for everybody to assume responsibilities. I assume my responsibilities, I think the players should assume their responsibilities, there are other people in the club who should also assume their responsibilities, and to stick together. This is what I want"

North Oxford 2 lost to Old Salopians 0-3 at Westway 30/09/15:

G.Hoskins & C.Austin lost to R.Worth & G.Williams 0-3 (7-12, 12-7, 4-12, 9-8 timed out)

S.Chapman & K.Hird lost to T.Cox & B.Alderson 0-3 (5-12, 5-12, 3-12)

R.Morgan & R.Scott lost to T.Gerrard & M.Quinn 0-3 (2-12, 2-12, 3-12)

North Oxford's tough early season run of fixtures continued at Westway last night as the second team went down to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of a strong Old Salopian side, featuring five former schools' winners or finalists. Matters weren't helped by the late withdrawal of Justin due to a back injury sustained cycling in Spain with Michael, although that did at least remove the potential complication of a 4pm arrival at Stansted and a dash to the courts at Westway. Thankfully, supersub Ralph Morgan - the David Fairclough of Fives - was available to step in at the last minute, and although not eligible to score a point, he did save us from having to concede third pair and suffer a penalty. The strength in depth of the Salopian side meant that Ralph's (in)eligibility was pretty academic as he and Rosie Scott found themselves up against Marc Quinn and Tom Gerrard, who proved too strong, winning comfortably in straight games, and it was a similar story at second pair as Spencer and Karen were unable to make much of an impression on Ben Alderson and Old Summerfieldian Tom Cox. First pair was proving to be a much closer affair, however, with Gareth Hoskins and Chris Austin making a decent fist of things against former Oxford University captain Rex Worth and partner Guy Williams. Despite losing the first game to 7, there were encouraging signs for the North Oxford pair, who levelled the match at 1-1 thanks to some improved cut returning, fewer unforced errors and a flying start. The Salopian pair adapted better and more quickly to a change of ball in the third game to move 2-1 ahead and with the 10pm cut off approaching and younger legs seemingly beginning to have an effect, the chances of North Oxford getting anything out of the game seemed slim. Gareth and Chris dug in, though, and were within 3 points of getting a draw (and 4 points from losing 3-1 it must also be said) when the lights frustratingly went out. An 83.33% pub conversion rate from both sides was impressive, even more so the 75% chucking out time conversion rate; an enjoyable and convivial end to a good if pointless (in one respect anyway) evening's Fives. More tough challenges await, with the second team taking on the high-flying Etonians at the weekend and reigning Div 1 champions the Old Olavians next up for the first team.

We may have lost but at least we had better kit...

North Oxford 1 lost to Berkhamsted 1 0-3 at Eton 20/09/15:

J.Piggot & C.Rennie lost to D.Foster & A.Joyce 0-3 (7-12, 3-12, 8-12)

J.Cobb & G.Pulsford lost to A.Theodossi & R.Perrie 0-3 (1-12, 6-12, 1-12)

P.Scholey & S.Chapman lost to J.O’Neill & C.Nicholls 0-3 (2-12, 8-12, 5-12)

North Oxford's second season in Division 1 kicked off on Sunday with a tough match against perennial title challengers Berkhamsted, who brought a near full-strength side down to Eton in the knowledge that only that would suffice when taking on the might of NOEFC's first team. The result was a 0-3 defeat for North Oxford, but there were plenty of encouraging signs for future matches against less daunting opposition, with young Oxford students James Piggot and James Cobb making promising debuts and the North Oxford old guard shaking off the rust and showing that while victories are going to be hard-earned at this level, we will always manage to be competitive. With the club captain away for the weekend, reconnecting with his Welsh roots on the courts of Rydal Penrhos, match strategy was in the hands of the ad hoc management duo of Scholey and Chapman, who wisely decided the best course of action was to put themselves in the lowest possible pair. With Pete suffering from pollen-related lumberjack lurgy and Spencer breaking in some new shoes, the odds were stacked against them from the start, especially as they were giving away one or two years to the opposition pair of Jeremy O'Neill and Charlie Nicholls. Pre-match tactical discussions had centred on what would come as less of a shock to the system of newcomers Cobb & Piggot - throwing them in at the deep end together at first pair for the first match or splitting them up and allowing them a close up look at their new team mates. A tough call, that one. In the end James P teamed up with NOEFC's own young thruster Carl Rennie at first pair, where they put up a creditable performance against Kinnaird semi-finalists Doug Foster and Andrew Joyce, which left James C to partner Grandad Graham at second pair against Ant Theodossi and Ryan Perrie, which was always going to be a challenge. Hopefully James and James were not left too traumatised by the experience and will be back for more; with Karen also absent in North Wales there weren't even any cakes to make sure they're back next time, a situation that will have to be rectified for the next match, since Spencer's alternative options are unlikely ever to do the job. Onwards and upwards, then, with a couple of Division 2 matches next on the agenda before Division 1 combat resumes with a nice easy trip to Orpington in mid-October to take on the Old Olavians.