Results 2020/21

North Oxford beat Newbury 2-1 at Newbury 12/06/21:

P.Scholey & T.Hoskins lost to W.Seath & P.Hall 0-3 (7-12, 5-12, 6-12)

S.Chapman & T.Bush beat D.Pemberton & D.Rawlins 3-0 (13-11, 15-10, 12-4)

A.Bishop & V.Scholey beat L.Rawlins & T.Rawlins 3-2 (12-8, 6-12, 6-12, 12-5, 13-12)

North Oxford beat Newbury 2-1 at Newbury 12/06/21:

K.Hird & S.Thatcher beat P.Hall & J.Hopkins 3-1 (12-6, 12-3, 8-12, 12-6)

R.Wood & T.Bush lost to N.Cox & C.Tye 1-2 (6-12, 12-1, 12-13)

S.Chapman & T.Hoskins beat S.Tye & J.Tye 12-4

NOEFC continued to make the most of the summer return to the courts with a double header at Newbury on Saturday. The morning game produced three excellent matches with the overall result in doubt right up to the final point of the final game of the final pair. First pair saw an Edwardian past and present combination representing North Oxford as Pete Scholey & Tom Hoskins took on St.Bart's old boys Poom Hall & Will Seath. The Newbury pair got off to a flying start in the first game, shooting out to a 7-0 lead as Pete & Tom found their feet but a strong recovery gave cause for optimism for the NOEFC pair as they headed into the second. As Pete & Tom's level improved, however, so did Poom & Will's, with Will playing a very measured controlled game and Poom impressing with his set piece work, volleying and movement around the court. The second and third games were of a very high standard indeed, but ultimately the Newbury pair were able to return more cuts, taking their chances efficiently to win in three high quality games. Second pair featured Spencer Chapman, sniffing a couple of Ws for his stats, and Toby Bush up against veteran David Pemberton and youngster Dan Rawlins. The first two games were tight, but North Oxford had the edge in both, with Toby's power and Spencer's experience just enough to get them over the line. The third game was a rather more tired affair, but the North Oxford pair had done the damage in the first two and were able to close it out comfortably for a 3-0 win. With the tie delicately poised at 1-1, it was all eyes on the third pair match with President Bishop partnering Vanda Scholey against the father/son combo of Lee & Tom Rawlins. This was an epic encounter, with momentum see-sawing back and forth throughout. Vanda went for the Harry Asquith bloody knees approach early doors but the Bishop body - and its ability to make it through five sets without anything falling off - was of greater concern. The confidence gained from his injury-free run to the Kinnaird Festival final a couple of weeks ago was enough to keep him going, though, and the North Oxford pair recovered well from the loss of the second and third games to dominate the fourth and take it all the way. They didn't have it all their own way in the fifth, though, and there was a sense of inevitability about the eventual 12-12 sudden death situation. Both pairs had chances to win before a Newbury mistake from the back of the court handed victory to Andy & Vanda and gave North Oxford the edge overall. Round two in the afternoon saw an injection of fresh legs into both teams. Poom was back in action at first pair again, this time with recent St.Bart's leaver Jack Hopkins. Jack is a talented player but lacked the experience and solidity shown by Will Seath in the morning; Poom played well in patches but found the going harder against another Edwardian in Stephen Thatcher and Karen Hird, who dominated the first two games. Stephen doesn't do regulation three game wins, though, and the Newbury pair gained a foothold in the match in the third game, taking it to 8 to take the match into a fourth game. Normal service was then resumed, however, with Karen always in control and the Newbury pair making too many mistakes to stay in contention and force a fifth game. Second pair saw the Bush Bullet back on display alongside Rachel Wood as they took on uberveteran Nigel Cox and grandson Christopher Tye in a topsy-turvy match. Nigel & Christopher took the first to 6, Toby & Rachel then raced through the second 12-1 and then the third developed into the second 12-12 sudden death thriller of the day. This time, though, it was Newbury's turn to claim the winning point and take a thrilling victory. The other two Tyes - twins Sam and James - played a one game match against Tom & Spencer, which the North Oxford pair won comfortably, then took on the very Old Citizens in the shape of Spencer and David Cooper, before finally splitting up and playing a closely fought game with Karen & Stephen. There was just time for Jack & David to take on Rachel & Christopher before a final 12-11 game between Karen & Nigel and Sam & James to bring proceedings to a close and finish off an excellent day's Fives. Thanks to Will Thomas and everyone at Newbury for giving us such a warm welcome!

North Oxford drew with Old Millhillians at Mill Hill 06/05/21:

A.Abrahams & N.Turnbull lost to S.Tailor & V.Bhimjiyani 0-3

P.Scholey & K.Hird beat R.Thorogood & C.Austin 2-1 (9-12, 12-7, 12-7)

E.Scoones & J.Greenhouse beat R.Morgan & O.Black 3-0 (12-7, 13-11, 12-5)

North Oxford made their return to (sort of) competitive Fives with a friendly match against the Millhillians on Thursday evening. With NOEFC providing eight players and the OMs four - two of whom were on opposite pairs in the third court - an honourable draw seems like the best result. Alex & Nathan got a good pre-Kinnaird run out against the formidable OM first string of Sunil Tailor & Vishal Bhimjiyani, Karen & Pete came from behind to beat Robert & the Wizard of Wolverhampton, and Emily & Jacob Greenhouse (an occasional Monday nighter in his Oxford days) won through at third pair against Ralph and Old Westminster Ollie Black. A selection of other games were played to round off an enjoyable evening, with everyone just enjoying being back on court once again.

North Oxford 2 lost to Old Westminsters 2 1-2 at Westway 08/12/20:

N.Caplin & N.Turnbull lost to H.Young & G.Coren 0-3 (3-12, 7-12, 9-12)

P.Scholey & M.Chinery lost to S.Shah & B.Merrett 1-3 (12-9, 2-12, 9-12, 5-12)

R.Thorogood & I.Mitchell beat E.Osen & N.Lilienthal 3-0 (12-2, 12-4, 12-10)

Tuesday evening saw a return to league action after the latest lockdown with a tough Division 2 match against a strong Old Westminsters side at Westway; the top end of the fixture had more of a Division 1 look about it as Hugo Young & Giles Coren took on Noah Caplin & Nathan Turnbull, with the Westminster pair starting strongly and holding off the gradually improving North Oxford pair to win in three. Second pair started more promisingly for North Oxford, as Pete Scholey & Matt Chinery took the first game against Ben Merrett & recently crowned Universities champions Sahil Shah. It proved to be a false dawn, however, as the Westminster pair hit back strongly to canter through the second game and then win what ultimately turned out to be a decisive third to 9. There was some consolation for NOEFC as our strength in depth came to our rescue, with the Westminsters struggling to find a sixth player and giving a late call up to Natalie Lilienthal. Robert Thorogood - showing impeccable Chapmanesque instincts - sniffed blood and made sure he got himself in at third pair alongside Ian Mitchell to pick up a stat-boosting victory and get a point on the board.

North Oxford 1 trail Old Salopians 1 0-2 at Westway 03/11/20:

N.Caplin & N.Turnbull lost to E.Taylor & S.Welti 0-3 (4-12, 5-12, 8-12)

T.McCahon & A.Abrahams lost to R.Worth & H.Blofield 1-3 (10-13, 7-12, 12-4, 6-12)

Third pair to be played at a later date

The final match before Lockdown II was played at Westway last night against league champions the Old Salopians. The withdrawal of the Salopian third pair meant that Karen and the Wizard were denied a final hit out before the enforced break and a certain victory (well almost certain) for their stats. Instead it was left to the four young guns to take on the big beasts of the first division and although unable to take another scalp to add to the Ho/Kovar win a few weeks ago, Noah, Nathan, Tom & Alex did enough to show that they are a coming force in the Fives world. Noah & Nathan were up against Salopian number one Ed Taylor and Sam Welti and it was a case of the master Taylor beating the apprentice Caplin in the battle of awkward left-handers. The North Oxford pair weren't able to get close in the first two games but gave a much better account of themselves in the third. Tom & Alex at second pair took on Rex Worth & Henry Blofield and lost in four, although there were a couple of points in the match where it looked as though they might get the better of their opponents, taking the first game to 10-10 before losing it 13-10 and then storming back to win the third game to 4 before going down 12-6 in the fourth. It was touch and go as to whether we would be able to get this game in before things close down for he month, but the fact that we did meant that the North Oxford youngsters were able to gain yet more valuable experience against some of the top players in the game, which will hopefully stand them in good stead when Fives returns, hopefully sooner rather than later.

North Oxford 3 beat Team Westway 2 2-1 at Eton 31/10/20:

S.Gore & T.Hoskins lost to A.Field & J.Schreinen 1-3 (8-12, 12-10, 8-12, 6-12)

R.Thorogood & M.Barnes beat J.Cooley & N.Lilienthal 3-0 (13-12, 12-3, 12-9)

S.Nowinski & M.Gore beat R.Gordon & L.Craughwell-Franks 3-0 (12-0, 12-0, 12-1)

With a second lockdown looking, Bishop's Buccaneers seized the opportunity to get a final game in during Eton's half-term, offering an alternative spectacle to the Kinnaird and Ladies championships finals taking place further down the courts. A lot of effort went into putting the fixture together, with the pairs split between morning and afternoon, but it was worth it as NO3 notched up a 2-1 win against a spirited Westway side. The morning pair saw Robert Thorogood "doing a Spencer" and dropping down to second pair in an attempt to ensure victory and massage his club stats; it worked, as he and Mandie Barnes - after a close shave in the first game - took control of their match against John Cooley & Natalie Lilienthal from the second game onwards to record a 3-0 win. The Westway afternoon pairs offered a real contrast with a very inexperienced third pair of Ross Gordon & Lucy Craughwell-Franks and a formidable looking first pair, the impressive Adam Field alongside youngster Josh Schreinen. Mark Gore had an armchair ride on his league debut at third pair, as he and Stefan had far too much knowhow for the Westway pair, who did improve as he match went on and who appreciated the possibility of playing some extra games and continuing to improve afterwards. The first pair game was the highlight of the fixture with the Westway pair taking on rising star Steve Gore and fifteen year old Tom Hoskins. This was a great match up, with Adam and Steve trading blows and their two young partners raising their games significantly and contributing well. Westway got off to a better start and held on to win the first but Tom & Steve were beginning to hit their stride by the start of the second, which they went on to win 12-10. The third game was crucial with all four players cutting hard and volleying and moving well. In the end, the Westway pair had just a little more consistency on the set piece and a little more accuracy around the court and went on to win the third and fourth games, but Steve & Tom certainly played their part in an entertaining and high quality match.

North Oxford 3 beat Newbury 3-0 at Eton 19/10/20:

M.Chinery & R.Thorogood beat W.Seath & W.Thomas 3-0 (12-11, 12-8, 12-5)

O.Lawton & R.Wood beat D.Pemberton & E.Porter 3-0 (12-3, 12-5, 12-8)

S.Nowinski & C.Turnbull beat L.Rawlins & R.Saint 3-0 (12-3, 12-6, 12-1)

Like the proverbial London bus, you wait months for a league match then you get two in two days. Bishop's Buccaneers returned to the courts last night at Eton, taking on a Newbury team playing their first ever league match as part of an extravaganza of Fives at Eton. Sadly the President's fetlock issues continue to preclude his own on court involvement but he did at least organise two pairs to do battle, with the rest of the team selected on the basis of who turned up at Eton at what time and who looked keenest. Or least-inclined to argue in Colin's case. Having a Turnbull on the teamsheet is a prerequisite this season, though, and it was good to see Colin putting his new eyes to the test alongside Stefan Nowinski at third pair, where they had too much savvy for the less experienced Newbury pair of Rob Saint and Lee Rawlins. You can catch some video highlights from the Tina Turnbull set piece showreel below. Second pair saw Oli Lawton back in a North Oxford shirt for the first time in a while and he and Rachel Wood got off to a flying start, racing through the first game against a shellshocked Ed Porter and David Pemberton. The Newbury pair fought back well and improved as the match went on, but not enough to prevent a 3-0 win for the North Oxford duo. First pair was a titanic battle - a literal battle of Wills as Seath & Thomas took on the NOEFC Uppinghamians Matt Chinery and Robert Thorogood. Unlike the other two pairs, it was Newbury's Wills who got off to the better start, but they were gradually pegged back by Matt & Robert who won an extremely long first game 12-11. The prospect of a midnight finish was looming as the second game continued the attritional theme, although this time Matt & Robert were always in front, despite a late comeback from Newbury causing a couple of nervous moments. Much to the relief of the crowd, the third game was shorter and more routine as Will & Will finally found themselves unable to repel the tide of North Oxford winners raining down on them, sending Matt & Robert surging over the winning line and allowing Matt & Rachel to get on the M4 and disappear into their imminent Welsh lockdown with a league victory under the belts. Those NOEFC members with long memories will remember our first ever league match - a trip to Westminster in 2006 to take on the Abbey with a side including Messrs Hoskins, Chapman, Scholey and Bishop - and hopefully in years to come the Newbury club will be able to look back on this evening as the start of something much bigger.

North Oxford 1 trail Old Harrovians 1 0-1 at Eton 18/10/20:

P.Roper & N.Turnbull lost to R.Tyler & J.Fleming 1-3 (13-11, 6-12, 3-12, 8-12)

Other two pairs to be played at a later date

The Old Harrovians were only able to field one pair at Eton yesterday, and hopefully we'll be able to play the other two at a later date. The match that was played, however, was a cracker as Phil Roper & Nathan Turnbull took on veteran campaigners Richard Tyler & Jamie Fleming. With Tom McCahon having to withdraw due to a foot injury sustained running (no comment) the opportunity was missed for Tom & Nathan to follow up their win over Jonny Ho & Matt Kovar and try and claim some more noteworthy scalps. However, Phil seized his chance for a first game of the season and a reprise of the pairing that performed so well in last year's EFA Trophy. The North Oxford pair got off to a strong start, claiming a long and tight first game 13-11; the Harrovian pair are a pretty resilient duo, however, and with Tyler digging deep and Fleming excelling on top step they made strong starts in the next two games, which Phil & Nathan were unable to come back from. The pattern looked set to repeat itself in the fourth as the OH pair raced to a 9-0 lead and within sight of victory. They only had to take their foot slightly off the gas, though, for Phil & Nathan to sniff the chance of a comeback and within a couple of hands the match looked completely different, with the score now 9-7 and the North Oxford pair looking fresher and more confident. Coming back from 0-9 down doesn't leave much room for error, though, and with a couple of half chances spurned to further close the gap and maybe take it to a fifth game, the Harrovian pair were able to stumble over the line to their great relief and to the frustration of Phil & Nathan who just left it a bit late at the end of a fine match.

North Oxford 1 beat Old Cholmeleians 1 3-0 at Mill Hill 07/10/20:

T.McCahon & N.Turnbull beat J.Ho & M.Kovar 3-2 (12-4, 6-12, 10-12, 12-6, 14-13)

A.Abrahams & G.Hoskins beat J.Marks & R.Morgan 3-0 (12-5, 12-7, 12-3)

K.Hird & C.Lumbard beat E.Scoones & T.Halstead 3-0 (12-3, 12-4, 12-9)

Following a seven month hiatus, which consisted of a sadly Fives-free spring followed by a summer of fubbling*, clandestine knockabouts, trips to far-flung corners of Kent to find an available court (ideally with attached ice-cream van), and peripatetic autumn practices, North Oxford finally returned to the competitive arena at Mill Hill last night. And what a return it was - a 3-0 Division 1 away win against the mighty Old Cholmeleians, NOEFC alumnus Jonny Ho and all. Up against the players from Highgate - one of the great Fives schools and producers of more Kinnaird Cup winners than anywhere else - were a selection of players from some of the less mainstream Fives training grounds: Ipswich, Lancing, Emanuel, RGS High Wycombe and a third pair who had never even seen a Fives court until adulthood. The late withdrawal of Pete Scholey meant that the club captain came off his regular seat on the bench to play the "Grandad" Graham senior pro role in a predominantly young team, which was spearheaded by last season's player of the year Tom McCahon and Nathan Turnbull at first pair. They had the daunting task of taking on superstar Jonny Ho & Matt Kovar, fresh from a convincing win over Westminsters Brock & Young in their first match of the season two weeks ago. The North Oxford pair flew out of the blocks in the first game, taking the Highgate pair by surprise with the speed, intensity and accuracy of their play. A 12-4 win was a start almost beyond Tom & Nathan's wildest dreams, visibly filling them with confidence for the rest of the evening. Things were going just as well on the other two courts: Gareth & Alex Abrahams had a fairly comfortable ride at second pair against an under par Joe Marks & Ralph Morgan, who were unable to capitalise on some early profligacy from the North Oxford pair. By the time Gareth & Alex settled down into a better and more consistent rhythm, they were already in front and moved through to a straight games win relatively unchallenged. There was a similar story at third pair where Karen Hird & Chris Lumbard were always in control against Emily Scoones & Tom Halstead. Back in the first court, the Cholmeleian pair had turned the tables in the second game to win 12-6 and when they took a tight third game 12-10, you might have been forgiven for thinking that Tom & Nathan's chance had come and gone. Not a bit of it, though, and the confidence from winning the first game and going close in the third took them to new heights in the fourth, which they dominated to win 12-6. The other pairs were now finished and had the privilege of watching a memorable see-saw fifth game, which finished bang on the 10pm cut off time. The Fives was of a very high quality with the odd unexpected unforced error to keep everyone guessing, the lead changed hands on multiple occasions and all four players were returning lots of cuts, producing lots of rallies, excitement and point-scoring opportunities. Two unreturned cuts in the same hand were unusual and felt like a major victory, especially as the score crept upwards - 9-7 to the Cholms then 9-9, then 10-9 to North Oxford and 11-9 after a potential let generously declined by the impressively sporting Jonny. A couple of half chances to win the match there and then came and went for Nathan and Tom - nothing clear cut - before the Cholmeleian pair hit back to take it to 11-11, which then became 12-12. The next two points came from cuts that went out of court - first from Nathan, who then atoned for his error with a match-saving left hand into the hole on match point down. A couple of hands later, Matt Kovar sent a cut flying out of court to push the match to 13-13 and sudden death and it was fitting after such a fantastic performance from the North Oxford pair that the winning shot was a McCahon volley which he buried unreturnably into the hole. At this point in the season, it seems highly unlikely that a full league programme will be completed and this result may not ultimately mean much in terms of league position but it was a first pair win from the two North Oxford youngsters to rank alongside any in the history of the club, confirming Tom's position as one of the leading young players in the country and marking a real step up for Nathan into the top ranks, building on the promise he showed in the semi-final and final of the EFA Trophy at the back end of last season. It was also a result that deserved a celebratory drink in the Three Hammers and it was something of a disappointing anti-climax that the evening ended with everyone rushing off in the rain as the courts were locked up behind us. Such are the times we currently live in, however, and it was just a treat to finally get back on court and play, for which we thank Jonny and his OC team and the staff at Mill Hill for making their courts available. Hopefully we will be able to play some more "league" matches over the next couple of months, but they already have quite a lot to live up to after this one!

*Fubble (noun) - shortened version of "Fives Bubble"

To Fubble (verb) - to play Fives as part of a Fubble