Results 2021/22

North Oxford beat Old Edwardians 3½-2½ at KES Birmingham 08/05/22:

S.Gore & A.Abrahams lost to S.Cooley & S.Thatcher 0-3 (8-12, 3-12, 9-12)

M.Chinery & K.Hird beat R.Tyler & R.Malik 3-0 (12-5, 12-9, 12-3)

G.Hoskins & C.Lumbard beat P.Scholey & R.Morgan 2-0 (12-3, 12-7)

C.Lumbard & R.Morgan drew with P.Scholey & T.Hoskins 1-1 (9-12, 12-9)

R.Wood & S.Nowinski beat T.Wyndham & E.Johnson 3-0 (13-10, 12-5, 12-3)

V.Scholey & J.Scholey lost to KES schoolboys (various) 0-2 (7-12, 6-12)

The 2022 post-season started with the return of an old favourite - the first unusual courts fixture against the Old Edwardians since 2019. The venue this year was the Old Eds home courts at KES Birmingham and was one of the biggest and best unusual courts matches we've had. While KES M-i-C Tim Wyndham was putting the current crop of KES boys through their paces at the school, the two teams (plus one or two distinguished and now retired Edwardians) warmed up with lunch at the Plough in Harborne, a fine addition to the pre/post match circuit before heading down to the courts to take part in a coaching session with the schoolboys, for many of whom this was a first chance to play with and against a wide variety of adult players. With Pete & Courtney finally dragging themselves away from the bar at the Plough and down to the courts (Courtney even briefly donned his gloves for a gentle game of top step) and three of the keenest and strongest KES boys roped in to complete the Old Eds line up, the afternoon concluded with a five pair fixture in the Birmingham sunshine. We generously loaned Seb to the opposition and he and NOEFC stalwart Stephen Thatcher took on Alex Abrahams and Steve Gore in a cracking first pair game, with the Eds always having the edge. Karen & Matt produced an excellent performance at second pair to win in straight games against Richard Tyler & Rez Malik and Rachel & Stefan beat Tim Wyndham & Ed Johnson after coming through a tight first game. Third pair saw a bit of rotation, with Gareth & Chris Lumbard taking initial advantage of Pete's extra time at the Plough to win the first couple of games against Pete & Ralph Morgan. The arrival of another bona fide Edwardian in the shape of Tom Hoskins meant a rejigging of the pairs and he and the increasingly effective Pete then shared two tight games with Chris & Ralph, who finished with the distinction of playing for both sides in the same fixture. The other two Scholeys present - Vanda & Jana - donned North Oxford colours to play at pair five against a rotating cast of KES schoolboys, who showed how much they had improved by winning 12-7, 12-6.

North Oxford 1 beat Old Cholmeleians 1 2-1 at Aldenham 23/04/22:

N.Caplin & A.Abrahams beat J.Ho & G.Chapman 3-1 (12-1, 12-4, 8-12, 12-6)

N.Turnbull & K.Hird lost to J.Marks & M.Kovar 1-3 (8-12, 4-12, 14-12, 2-12)

Old Cholmeleians 1 conceded third pair

The second part of the Cholms double header reflected the first, with third pair conceded by the Highgate team and an Asquith left on the bench (Matt in this case) alongside the club captain. A strong second pair of Matt Kovar & Joe Marks had a little too much firepower for Karen & Nathan, although the North Oxford pair put up some excellent resistance, even managing to win the third game 14-12, which was an excellent effort. Noah & Alex have had some memorable matches this season at first pair and added another notable scalp to their collection, finishing the season in tremendous style with a convincing win over Jonny Ho & Guy Chapman. In fact, it was only a third game dip and comeback from Jonny & Guy that prevented it being a complete rout, as the North Oxford started with a pace and intensity that their opponents simply couldn't handle, wrapping up the first two games to 1 and 4 in no time at all, and finishing the job off with a win to 6 in the fourth. A great way to end the league season on court and enough to leave us in with a chance of a first ever second place finish in the top division, depending on the outcome of the Olavians v Cholmeleians match next weekend. Jonny & Emily's past NOEFC training served them well as they helped the Cholms to a creditable 9-4 defeat in the garden of the Round Bush (8-5 if you count Toby as an honorary Cholm for the day), although they blotted their copybook by leaving before the serious pudding business of the day was taken care of.

North Oxford 2 beat Old Cholmeleians 2 2-1 at Aldenham 23/04/22:

P.Scholey & G.Pulsford lost to Ab.Bhattacharya & E.Scoones 0-3 (7-12, 10-15, 7-12)

M.Chinery & S.Thatcher beat T.Halstead & T.Bush 3-0 (12-7, 12-5, 12-3)

Old Cholmeleians 2 conceded third pair

An excellent second placed finish was guaranteed in Division 2 with a 2-1 win over the Old Cholmeleians in the Aldenham double header on Saturday. The Cholms were a pair short, leaving Toby & Harry on the bench, but a late illness pull out meant Toby got to pull his gloves on after all and slot for the Cholms alongside Tom Halstead. Tom & Toby played some good stuff at times, but inevitably became the latest victims of the Chinery/Thatcher juggernaut, finding themselves efficiently steamrollered in straight games. First pair featured the old guard of Pulsford & Scholey back in tandem for the first time in a while, and finding life tough against Abs Bhattacharya and the in form Emily Scoones. The North Oxford pair were desperate enough to cite the Bunyan defence (it was the ledges what dunnit...) after the first two games and there was no way back in the third, leaving certain nameless spectators to speculate as to whether age was finally catching up with the dynamic duo. We'll just have to wait until next season to find out...

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Salopians 1 1-2 at Eton 09/04/22:

T.McCahon & R.Perrie beat C.Hughes & S.Welti 3-0 (12-0, 12-2, 12-8)

A.Abrahams & M.Asquith lost to H.Blofield & J.Flowers 2-3 (7-12, 10-12, 12-9, 12-5, 10-12)

K.Hird & S.Thatcher lost to M.Quinn & O.O'Callaghan-Brown 0-3 (11-12, 9-12, 9-12)

The penultimate match of the Division 1 campaign took us back to Eton on Saturday morning and the rearranged game against the Old Salopians. There was plenty at stake - a chance to strike a blow in the battle for second place with the Old Cholmeleians before we play them in a couple of weeks time and also an opportunity to record a first ever top flight double over the Old Salopians after our 2-1 away win earlier in the season. On another day, this could easily have been a 3-0 win for NOEFC but frustratingly the Salopians were just able to find the edge in two incredibly tight matches at second and third pairs. The highlight of the day, however, from a North Oxford point of view was an imperious performance at first pair from Ryan Perrie & Tom McCahon, who took Chris Hughes & Sam Welti to the cleaners in a devastating display. The first two games especially were an absolute exhibition of cutting, returning and finishing with the Salopian pair unable to find an answer to the North Oxford blitzkrieg. They rallied a little in the third, but Ryan & Tom were still always in control and saw the win out comfortably. The other two pairs were far closer: Karen and Stephen - his recent form earning him a Div 1 debut - were up against the canny pairing of Marc Quinn & Olly O'Callaghan-Brown, who cause us problems in the Division 2 fixture at Eton earlier in the season. They were at it again here, with the North Oxford pair frustrated that they weren't able to produce the consistency required nor find the killer couple of points at the end of each of the three tight games that could easily have turned defeat into victory. The second pair game was an absolute belter. Matt Asquith was partnering Alex Abrahams and the first couple of games saw Alex starting to shake off some of the rust from his recent injury layoff, as the North Oxford pair found themselves 2-0 down against Henry Blofield and former NOEFC player Jack Flowers, who were both producing some fine Fives. The third game was tight and could easily have gone the way of the Salopian pair to end the contest there and then; Alex & Matt deserved to take it, though, their increased precision and improving cut returns leading to a terrific run in the fourth game which levelled things up at 2-2. As so often happens in these circumstances, however, it's the pair who won the first two games then lost the next two who hit back hard in the fifth and Henry & Jack did just that, getting off to a good start and getting their noses in front early on. Alex & Matt fought hard and started to reel them in, but were never quite able to get on terms, losing agonisingly 12-10. The result leaves the chance of a second place finish still in our hands, but it may well require a 3-0 win over the Cholms when we meet them at Aldenham on Saturday 23rd April.

North Oxford 1 beat Old Millhillians 1 3-0 at Aldenham 20/03/22:

Old Millhillians conceded all three pairs

Disappointingly, the Aldenham weekend double double header couldn't be completed as the Old Millhillians were unable to raise a side to take on the Division 1 team, leaving Tom & Karen unable to follow up their Saturday heroics, Grandad able to avoid playing twice in two days, Nathan missing out on a game, Matt reduced to making up the Division 3 numbers in return for a lift back to London and Steve denied a top flight debut (for now). Still, the three points gained put us up into the dizzy heights of second in the league, a position we could have a chance of retaining with good results in our final two matches.

North Oxford 3 beat Old Citizens 3-0 at Aldenham 20/03/22:

M.Chinery & H.Asquith beat J.Greenhouse & S.Kelly 3-0 (12-5, 12-7, 12-4)

A.Bishop & R.Wood beat J.Robinson & M.Jacobs 3-0 (12-2, 12-2, 12-2)

I.Mitchell & M.Barnes lost to M.Asquith* & J.Powell 0-2 (1-12, 3-12)

*ineligible player

The Division 3 team finished off their league campaign in style at Aldenham on Sunday, cruising to top spot in the league (for now) with a thumping 3-0 win over the Old Citizens. Harry picked up her second win of the weekend, teaming up with Matt to score a convincing straight games win at first pair, well-grazed legs and all, with Jacob Greenhouse & Stephen Kelly having no answers to the North Oxford pair's dominant display. The President also made it two in two for the weekend, partnering Rachel Wood in a demolition job against Mark Jacobs & John Robinson. The OC pair simply never got into the game, with Rachel's cutting and returning imperious and Andy using all of his well-honed courtcraft skills to manoeuvre his opponents around on the top step and fine the bottom of the buttress with unerring accuracy from the back court. The Citizens were only able to muster five players, so the third pair point was in the bag before the start; Matt Asquith's route back to London from Oxford was via lifts with Andy and Harry, so with his Division 1 game cancelled, he stepped in to fill the gap, winning a couple of games against Ian & Mandie alongside Jonny Powell, before changing the pairs round and partnering Mandie to a narrow 12-14 defeat against Ian & Jonny. The on court action was followed by a 6-0 win in the Round Bush.

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Olavians 1-2 at Aldenham 19/03/22:

T.McCahon & K.Hird lost to J.Toop & J.Prior 2-3 (14-11, 12-8, 6-12, 10-13, 6-12)

G.Pulsford & D.Patel lost to T.Barker & G.Nsenga 0-3 (6-12, 6-12, 8-12)

P.Scholey & T.Gregory beat J.Ravi & H.Ravi 3-2 (12-9, 9-12, 12-6, 9-12, 12-9)

The other half of the Olavian double header was an excellent Division 1 encounter, with NOEFC scoring a well-deserved point. We could easily have come away empty-handed, which would have been a tough one to take, but we also came within a whisker of a 2-1 victory which would have ranked among our finest wins. On balance, a point was a fair result, and an impressive achievement given the lengthy list of absentees, with an OE v school match counting out the Etonian contingent and various other excuses issuing forth (birthdays, injuries, illness, holidays, dog ate my fives gloves...). There was even a late change the day before, with talented Berkhamsted schoolboy Jack Pemberton falling ill the day before, requiring another late reshuffle. We ended up therefore with a welcome first appearance for some time from Aldenham's Darshan Patel, the Scholey comeback after his South American adventures and broken ankle, a Division 1 debut for Old Ipswichian Tim Gregory and an appearance at first pair for Karen, adding to Tom's already lengthy list of NOEFC first pair partners. The Olavians split their two star players, with James Toop partnering Joey Prior at first pair and Tony Barker teaming up with Genesis Nsenga at second. This meant trouble for the Aldenham duo of Darshan & Grandad at second pair, who played some very good Fives and who were always competitive but who were unable to compete with the extra class from Tony (well-supported by his schoolboy partner), losing in straight games. The other two pairs were both epics; Tom & Karen went behind early on in the first game but soon began to find their rhythm, returning a lot of cuts, forcing mistakes from Joey and putting James under a lot of pressure. The first game was a bit of a steal at 14-11, but the second one was won impressively to 8 and a shock looked like it might be on the cards. Tom & Karen were playing superbly, but knew that they had been given some soft points in the first couple of games; when those started to dry up a little in the third and James began to take control, the Olavian pair began to claim the upper hand and pulled a game back. The fourth game turned out to be the crucial one; Karen & Tom got off to a great start, going 7-2 ahead and just about holding off the inevitable comeback to get 10-9 ahead and just a couple of points from victory. It wasn't to be, however, as Joey kept calm and didn't give anything away, allowing James to take control of the rallies and take his pair from 9-10 down to a 13-10 win. The fifth game followed a similar pattern, with James now fully in control of the match, seeing his pair through to a 3-2 comeback win. The third pair game was therefore our last chance to claim a point and was a fascinating match up as Pete & Tim took on the mercurial Ravi brothers. There was little to choose between the two pairs all the way through, with Pete & Tim twice going ahead before Josh & Ravi twice managed to level up. When it came to the business end of the fifth game, though, there are few pairs with the will to win of Pete & Tim, and they held their nerve well, with some consistent and persistent Fives enough to see off their opponents to win through 12-9. Josh earned some extra brownie points by providing an Olavian presence at the Round Bush, which saw a 6-1 NOEFC win, although the President would like to point out that it would have been 8-1 had everyone else finished their matches as efficiently as he & Stephen had done.

North Oxford 2 beat St.Olave's School 1 3-0 at Aldenham 19/03/22:

P.Holland & W.Thomas beat D.Robson & C.Nkwocha 3-1 (15-14, 12-5, 10-15, 12-8)

A.Bishop & S.Thatcher beat V.Shetty & S.Shetty 3-0 (12-11, 12-6, 12-6)

I.Mitchell & H.Asquith beat C.McMichael & M.Tsioupini 3-2 (14-11, 13-11, 8-12, 9-12, 12-8)

A busy weekend kicked off at Aldenham with a Division 1 and 2 double header against the Olavians. With six pairs required and more matches to follow on Sunday, NOEFC resources were fully stretched, which meant a chance for one or two new names to appear on the teamsheet. The Newbury pairing of Will Thomas & Paul Holland have been improving fast and put in a fine performance at the Kinnaird last weekend, which meant that their Division 2 debut as a pair was straight in at the top of the order. They didn't disappoint, either, putting in a dogged performance to beat tough opponents in the form of Dom Robson and Chiedo Nkwocha. The first game was a 50/50 nailbiter and both pairs had chances to win; when Will & Paul took it 15-14, it gave them some crucial momentum which they then took into the second game, convincingly won 12-5. There was a wobble at 10-10 in the third, which allowed their opponents to claim a game back, but they had enough of a cushion to regroup and close the match out in the fourth to score a fine debut win. Keeping the Newbury pair together gave us the luxury of fielding Kinnaird Pepperpot champion Stephen Thatcher at second pair alongside the club president against the Shetty brothers. Stephen & Andy were in control for the vast majority of the match, getting to 11-6 in all three games; having done their best in the first game to allow the Shettys back into it by throwing away a succession of points and even giving them a decent shot at a gameball point, they were rather more efficient in the second and third to make sure of the 3-0 win. Harry & Ian at third pair also dabbled with losing a match that they were generally in control of for the most part, struggling to find the killer touch sometimes in rallies that they were in charge of and allowing their schoolboy opponents back into rallies and games when they probably should have put them away more efficiently. Nevertheless, they dug in well and took control when it counted in the latter stages of the fifth game to eventually run out 3-2 winners in a match that they perhaps should have won more easily, but also could have lost. The 3-0 win puts the Division 2 team top of the table with one match to go; a good result there would set an interesting target for the chasing pack, although the chances are that at least one of the teams with games in hand will win enough points to go past us. We shall see, though!

North Oxford 3 beat Lancing 2-1 at Aldenham 06/03/22:

I.Wong & M.Chinery lost to A.Lumbard & E.Scoones 2-3 (5-12, 7-12, 15-14, 12-7, 7-12)

Lancing conceded second and third pairs

After a two year hiatus, NOEFC returned to Aldenham for some league action on Sunday. Sadly, what had been planned as a six pair extravaganza turned out to be something of a damp squib, as the Salopians failed to produce any pairs at all for the Division 1 match and Lancing could only come up with one for Division 3. The one pair that was played did its best to make up for that by turning out to be one of the best matches of the season as Matt Chinery & Issy Wong took on Ashley Lumbard & Emily Scoones on a bright but chilly morning. Regular Summer Fields Monday nighters have been enjoying the presence in recent weeks of professional cricketers Issy Wong & Katie George, and it was great to see Issy make her competitive NOEFC debut. The first couple of games saw her and Matt playing some good Fives at times but also playing a bit too loosely and giving away too many scoring opportunities, which an experienced and high quality pair such as Ashley & Emily were never going to turn down. The third game saw Matt & Issy begin to hit their stride; Issy's cut returning and back court positioning was beginning to improve, allowing her to unleash her trademark powerful cutting and volleying game to greater effect. Matt too was becoming more effective as the partnership evolved, reducing the error count and taking the chances more efficiently when they presented themselves. There was a fair amount of brinkmanship involved as the third game reached its conclusion, with the Lancing pair a couple of points from a 3-0 victory on more than one occasion, plus one opportunity to win the match at 14-14, which Matt & Issy managed to save before going on to get the win 15-14 and prolong the match. At this point Ashley & Emily's level dipped significantly and with Issy & Matt now playing confidently, the NOEFC raced ahead in the fourth to go 11-1 ahead. Jut in the nick of time, though, their opponents began to refind their form and pulled the score back to 11-7 before finally the match was levelled at 2-2. The drama wasn't over yet, however, as first Lancing got on top, going 8-2 up in the fourth before once again back came North Oxford to 7-8. Just when it looked as though the game was back on a knife edge and possibly there for the North Oxford pair to go on and win, momentum stalled once again, a couple of sloppy points slipped away and Ashley & Emily gratefully closed the match out to conclude a hugely entertaining encounter. For the record, North Oxford then managed a 3-0 win in the Round Bush, although the sticky toffee remained unordered pending the return in a couple of weeks time of other better qualified members of the team. The two points gained leave Bishop's Buccaneers firmly in the mix at the top of the Division 3 table and we'll have another go at filling the Aldenham courts in a couple of weeks time.

North Oxford 2 beat Old Etonians 2-1 at Eton 26/02/22:

S.Simmons & C.Austin beat W.Sorrell & S.Corso 3-1 (12-3, 12-2, 7-12, 12-3)

K.Hird & S.Thatcher beat B.Swallow & O.Turpin 3-0 (12-4, 12-2, 13-10)

S.Chapman & H.Asquith lost to W.Ponsonby & H.Bains 1-3 (11-12, 19-12, 12-8, 11-14)

The NOEFC second string completed a very successful week at Eton on Saturday, winning against the Old Etonians to go top of the table, for the time being at least. The OEs used the opportunity to partner some of their senior schoolboy players with some old boys and produced three good pairs, although the competing attractions of the Field game deprived of them of one or two of their best players. North Oxford were delighted to welcome Sid Simmons down from Wolverhampton for a game and he teamed up with his old school partner Chris Austin to take on former Kinnaird Cup semi-finalist Will Sorrell and ex Summer Fields player Seb Corso at first pair. Seb sensibly refused to get a haircut in order to fit in with the other three players but soon found himself playing in a game several notches above the level he is used to playing at in schoolboy Fives. With Sid & Chris out of the blocks quickly, and Will a little bit rusty, the first two games rapidly went the way of North Oxford. The third game was very different, though, with Seb beginning to adapt well and Will shaking off the rust and showing his quality. Sid & Chris lost their way slightly and the Etonians struck back to take the third to 7, before the Wulfrunian duo refound their touch at the start of the fourth and with Will starting to fade again, they closed out the win in four. Second pair saw another Old Summerfieldian in the opposition ranks in the form of Oxford University fresher and SF Monday nighter Beau Swallow. He and Oscar Turpin made a good start against Karen & Stephen and the opening exchanges appeared to be setting for the scene for a long, close match. From 4-4 in the first, though, Karen & Stephen began to exert control, cutting and returning well and making far fewer mistakes than their slightly frenetic opponents. 4-4 became 12-4 and the second game followed even quicker before the Etonian pair began to react and adapt their game much better in the third, making the North Oxford pair work much harder and even going 10-6 ahead before Karen & Stephen found a run of points just in time to level at 10-10 and go on to win 13-10. Third pair was close from the start, as Spencer & Harry teamed up to take on former Oxford captain Will Ponsonby and his schoolboy partner Hamish Bains. This was a tight match throughout and a slightly frustrating one for the North Oxford pair. They had good chances to win all four games, leaving game ball chances unconverted in the first and fourth and letting an 8-6 lead slip in the second, with the lack of an attacking killer punch at times undoing much of the good work done at the set piece and elsewhere during the rallies. Nevertheless, the 2-1 win is enough to take us level on points with the OEs and top of the table thanks to the head to head win. One or two teams will no doubt fancy their chances of overtaking us before the end of the season, but we are now certainly set for a high finish. Next up is a Division 1 and 3 double header against the Salopians and Lancing on Sunday as we make a welcome return to Aldenham for the first time in a couple of years.

North Oxford 2 beat Old Berkhamstedians 3-0 at Westway 23/02/22:

K.Hird & N.Turnbull beat A.Rattan & C.Davey 3-0 (12-7, 12-4, 12-9)

M.Chinery & S.Thatcher beat A.Pemberton & W.Roen-Tate 3-0 (12-7, 12-6, 12-7)

R.Thorogood & I.Mitchell beat J.Green & F.Butler 3-0 (12-7, 12-4, 12-4)

The North Oxford second string have been busy in recent weeks and moved to within one point of the top of the table at Westway last night with a routine 3-0 win over the Old Berkhamstedians. The build up to the match was unsurprisingly rather less routine, with a sprained Phil Roper ankle leading to a late call up for Ian Mitchell. The venue was then changed from Westminster to Westway, and we coped with that. The opposition then only had three players and miraculously we coped with that as well, thanks to a well-timed OUEFC dinner on Tuesday evening at which the captains of the Oxford men's and women's teams (both Old Berkhamstedians) had the good/mis*fortune to be sitting next to the NOEFC captain. Inevitably, they were both press-ganged into service before the main course had even been served, any objections about how they would get to Westway neatly dealt with by a quick wave a few places further down the table from Matt, who took on Oxford taxi duties. With the OBs themselves managing to rustle up a sixth, it was game on and the match itself was a good one, with none of the games one-sided, but North Oxford having the edge in all of them. Particularly impressive was the first pair win from Karen & Nathan, who were up against a potentially tricky pairing in Alex Rattan & Chris Davey. Nathan - possibly unused to being in a winning position in a league match - did have a go at letting them back into the third game from 10-7 up, but a well-judged leave at the back calmed any nerves and allowed the North Oxford pair to close out the match. Anyone betting against the dream team of Chinery & Thatcher at second pair at the moment would be a reckless gambler and they duly wrapped up another win, Stephen gaining a small measure of revenge for a defeat at the hands of Will Roen-Tate at Berkhamsted earlier in the season. He managed to do so without breaking of Will's partner's bones this time as well, Adam Pemberton making it through unscathed. The Oxford captains teamed up at third pair and learned some valuable lessons in ball placement and economy of movement from Ian & Robert, who were last to finish but conceded the fewest points overall. Make of that what you will. The evening was rounded off with a 5-2 win in the pub, although that was effectively 7-0 as the two from the oppo were the two that we'd recruited for them, which nicely completed a valuable evening of learning experiences for the two students. There are other teams in the division with games in hand who may well end up going past us, but for the moment we sit in second place in the table, one point behind the Old Etonians, who we take on at Eton on Saturday afternoon in a hotly-anticipated top of the table clash. The top spot beckons...

*delete as appropriate

North Oxford lost to Old Salopians 0-3 at Eton 20/02/22:

M.Asquith & N.Turnbull lost to S.Mcloughlin & W.Sissons 0-3 (11-12, 6-12 ret)

G.Pulsford & K.Hird lost to G.Williams & T.Gerrard 0-3 (4-12, 6-12, 5-12)

M.Chinery & S.Chapman lost to G.Williams & M.Hughes 0-3 (6-12, 5-12, ret)

The previous six EFA Trophy finals for North Oxford - 2004, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2020 - had only produced one victory and the odds were against another one right from the start of the 2022 final: a full strength Salopian team brimming with confidence from topping the group and barely having broken sweat in their morning match against a patched up North Oxford team with key players missing and a tough morning semi-final already in their legs. The team put in a valiant effort in the afternoon but to no avail. Nathan & Matt played a great first game against Sam Mcloughlin & Will Sissons and were unlucky to lose it 12-11, but were unable to turn things around in the second. Grandad & Karen's winning run finally came to an end at the hands of Guy Williams & Rosie's favourite Salopian Tom Gerrard and Spencer & Matt found the energy to produce two decent games against the well-rested Grant Williams & Mike Hughes. This was another very decent run in the competition but we certainly met our match in the final - here's to another go and some better luck next year!

North Oxford beat Old Ipswichians 3-0 at Eton 20/02/22:

M.Asquith & N.Turnbull beat M.Graves & S.Christopher 3-1 (12-14, 12-4, 12-5, 12-2)

G.Pulsford & K.Hird beat T.Gregory & C.Cooley 3-0 (12-8, 12-9, 12-6)

M.Chinery & S.Chapman beat C.Lyle & P.Forrest 3-1 (11-13, 12-9, 12-8, 15-12)

North Oxford's strength in depth was tested with the unavailability of Alex Abrahams (injury), Phil Roper (work) and Steve Gore (skiing) but we came through with flying colours in the EFA trophy semi-final against a strong Old Ipswichian team. Karen & Grandad set the tone early on, continuing their recent winning run with a controlled 3-0 win over Tim Gregory & Charlotta Cooley at second pair. The other two pairs were proving to be tougher - Matt C & Spencer went down 11-13 at the hands of Cam Lyle & Peter Forrest at third pair while Matt A & Nathan also went one down, with the first game at first pair going 14-12 to Mark Graves & Sam Christopher. The game had stopped for some considerable time at 12-12, however, as Mark suffered a foot injury; he managed to carry on, including taking the couple of points needed to close out the first game, but wasn't quite the same player afterwards, and the North Oxford youngsters quickly took control at the start of the second game, moving away in impressive style to win in four. There was another comeback in the third pair, but it was rather more of a grind, as Spencer & Matt managed to find a way to come from behind to win in four and make it a clean sweep, taking us into a second successive EFA Trophy final and a seventh overall.

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Westminsters 1 1-2 at Mill Hill 16/02/22:

R.Perrie & N.Turnbull lost to R.Houlden & C.Koksal 0-3 (2-12, 5-12, 6-12)

J.Piggot & M.Asquith lost to L.Brock & B.Merrett 1-3 (12-4, 13-14, 11-13, 3-8 ret)

G.Pulsford & K.Hird beat S.Shah & A.Vinen 3-1 (9-12, 12-5, 12-7, 15-12)

Away against the league leaders, with the designated first pair players both withdrawing in the run up to the match and four of the six players arriving late due to Thameslink cancellations, the first division team produced a battling backs to the wall performance to rescue a point last night and were not far off making it two and an overall win. Noah & Alex have produced some impressive results together this year so with Alex out having broken a bone in his foot in the Northern Tournament and Noah unable to get out of a work event, an SOS was sent out to Ryan Perrie, on half-term from Eton and able finally to make his competitive NOEFC debut. Nathan got the call to move up the order to partner him at one, but with Riki Houlden in the opposition ranks, it was always going to be a tough ask to get anything out of the first pair game and despite an improved performance in the second and third games, Ryan & Nathan lost in three to Riki and Can Koksal. Second pair saw the return of James Piggot, back from injury and North America and forming an all-Etonian partnership with the in form Matt Asquith. They got off to a rollicking start, taking the first game 12-4 against tough opponents in Laurie Brock and Ben Merrett; unsurprisingly the OWs hit back hard in the next two games, both of which went to the wire; sadly for NOEFC hopes, the Westminsters just edged them both - 14-13 then 13-11 - and with James struggling with an ankle tweak, a five game comeback win was never going to be on the cards. It was good to have James back on court, though, and hopefully there will be more appearances to come before the end of the season. As so often, it was the third pair who came to our rescue, and for the third consecutive week, Karen and Grandad teamed up successfully, this time recovering from a slow start in the first game against Alex Vinen and Sahil Shah to gradually turn things round. With the victory line in sight, Grandad, in his own words, "did a Scholey"* to take them 14-12 ahead and ultimately over the line to win in four. The third pair then further enhanced their winning credentials by ensuring a 2-0 win in the pub afterwards. This was a good effort in a tough match and in tough circumstances and hopefully good preparation for four of the team, who will be aiming to bring home the EFA Trophy at Eton on Sunday.

*defined by Grandad's partner as "offering Alex a let but making it clear that he didn't think it was one". An underrated part of the Fives player's skill set.

North Oxford 2 beat Old Millhillians 2 2-1 at Mill Hill 08/02/22:

C.Austin & N.Turnbull lost to I.Jochim & H.Gibson-Leitao 0-3 (6-12, 9-12, 0-12)

G.Pulsford & K.Hird beat A.Field & L.Vanhaesebroeck 3-0 (12-4, 12-7, 12-5)

M.Chinery & S.Thatcher beat J.Hutcheson & C.Graville 3-0 (12-8, 12-3, 12-4)

Having started 2022 with a couple of chastening defeats, the Division 2 side returned to winning ways at Mill Hill on Tuesday night with a 2-1 win against the Old Millhillians. The opposition put up a formidable first pair in the shape of U21 champion and school coach Isaac Jochim and Hal Gibson-Leitao; Nathan and the Wizard of Wolverhampton gave it their best shot against them, and got close in the second but were unable to take the game that would have got them back into the match and things quickly ran away from them in the third. NOEFC's greater strength in depth paid off in pairs two and three, however, as Karen & Grandad at two and the Chinery/Thatcher dream team at three closed out convincing 3-0 wins to keep us in the mix in the top half of the Division 2 table.

North Oxford 1 beat Old Harrovians 1 3-0 at Harrow 03/02/22:

N.Caplin & A.Abrahams beat R.Tyler & O.Denby 3-0 (12-4, 12-8, 12-6)

T.McCahon & M.Asquith beat N.Shaw & Z.Smith 3-1 (12-7, 9-12, 14-12, 12-0)

G.Pulsford & K.Hird beat C.Stone & E.Clutton 3-0 (12-6, 12-3, 12-7)

New ground was broken for NOEFC at Harrow last night with a first ever Division 1 win against the Old Harrovians on their home courts. Not only that, but the North Oxford team came away with a fantastic 3-0 victory, with the youngsters leading from the front once again. Noah & Alex have had some excellent results this season but were on the wrong end of a comprehensive 3-0 defeat in the home fixture against the Harrovians before Christmas. They were up against one of the same pairing from that day in Oskar Denby and although their task was made significantly easier by the injury-induced absence of Tom Dunbar, Denby and Richard Tyler still represented tough opposition. Noah & Alex rose to the challenge magnificently, dictating play right from the start of the match and never letting up, eventually winning to 4,8, and 6 in a stunning performance that set the tone for the other NOEFC pairs to follow. Tom McCahon & Matt Asquith also got off to a good start at second pair, taking the first game to 7 against Nick Shaw & Ziko Smith (schools' champions in 1994 and 2013 respectively). The next two games were nip and tuck, with the OH pair levelling at 1-1 before Tom & Matt made the crucial breakthrough with a 14-12 win in game three to retake the lead. Their opponents had nothing left to offer and the North Oxford pair steamrollered their way to a 12-0 fourth game win. Anything the youngsters could do, the oldies could match at third pair as Karen and Grandad - who never even got as far as having to remove his tracksuit bottoms - handed out a Fives lesson to two of this year's strong Harrow senior school contingent, Casper Stone and Edred Clutton to complete the 3-0 whitewash, which sends North Oxford back into the top three of the league as well as putting a major dent in the league hopes of the title-chasing Harrovians. There followed a 4-1 win in the pub (and the 1 was Nick, who is one of us really) but not before Karen had got a quick game of rackets in. Grandad threatened to tell Tom & Alex the next instalment in the Karen Hird website story but in the end decided to save it for a larger audience, something for all of us to look forward to...

North Oxford 2 lost to Old Salopians 2 0-3 at Eton 30/01/22:

C.Austin & K.Hird lost to G.Williams & A.Morris 0-3 (10-13, 1-12, 13-15)

M.Chinery & F.Kottler lost to M.Hughes & R.Oliphant-Callum 0-3 (7-12, 3-12, 10-12)

S.Chapman & J.Hopkins lost to M.Quinn & O.O'Callaghan-Brown 0-3 (10-12, 5-12, 5-12)

A Barber Cup semi-final and the Universities Mixed tournament may have been happening at Eton at the same time, but the star attraction on Sunday morning was clearly the Division 2 match between the Old Salopians and North Oxford. The selection process for this match had been somewhat fraught, with some initial unavailability exacerbated by withdrawals from Harry (Covid) a few days before and then Andy (general lurgy) the day before, necessitating a certain amount of resource-juggling. The good new is that it allowed us to give NOEFC debuts to two promising teenagers: our own Freddie Kottler, rapidly becoming a very fine Eton Fives player after a term as a gapper at Summer Fields (and off the Rugby Fives courts) and Newbury's Jack Hopkins, who answered the SOS to step up at the last minute. Obviously he didn't know in advance he was going to be playing with Spencer, but the combination worked well initially, taking 10 points off Marc Quinn & Oliver O'Callaghan-Brown (in the opposition ranks for the second consecutive match). Spencer & Jack played some good stuff at times and this was a very promising debut from Jack, but Marc & Oliver are about as good a Div 2 third pair as you are likely to come across and both were in fine fettle as they came through to win in three. The other two pairs were very much "nearly" matches. Freddie was up against possibly the biggest match experience deficit possible with Mike Hughes in the opposing pair but he & Matt settled down well against Mike and OS guest player Ralph Oliphant-Callum. Ralph knows his way round a Fives court but has fitness concerns at the moment and even though Matt & Freddie went 0-2 down, they knew that if they could stick around long enough, the tide might just turn in their favour. Indeed, this was beginning to happen as the third game progressed and it almost looked to be the case that if the NO pair could just manage to sneak the third, they might even become favourites to win the whole thing. There were a couple of chances to get their noses in front and also to level at 11-11, but the wily Hughes just did enough to get his pair over the line and claim the victory, much to the frustration of the North Oxford pair, Freddie because he was just beginning to get going and wanted more and Matt because he was thinking about the hit to his stats. And the team result, naturally. First pair was also a tight one (if you ignore the second game anyway). Karen and the Wizard were up against Guy Williams and Adam Morris, a tough pair to beat, and although both the first and third games were set, the North Oxford pair were never quite able to return enough cuts or establish enough control to really feel like they could win the match. A bit like second pair, if they could have nicked the first or third then maybe things might have panned out differently, but in the end it was another 3-0 defeat and a clean sweep for the Salopians.

North Oxford beat The Brigands 3½-½ at Eton 20/01/22:

R.Perrie & R.Thorogood drew with A.Abrahams & O.O'Callaghan-Brown 2-2 (12-10, 14-15, 12-8, 8-12)

J.Turcan & M.Krefting beat A.White & N.Bourne 2-0 (12-1, 12-3)

M.Fiennes & S.Nowinski beat R.Smart & N.Higgins 3-0 (12-6, 12-5, 12-5)

A.Bishop & T.Bush beat M.Powell & N.Cox 3-1 (12-5, 9-12, 12-6, 12-6)

Having gone missing in action in 2021, the annual January friendly against the Brigands was back at Eton last night and resulted in a convincing win for North Oxford. With Alex loaned back to his former club and Ryan Perrie drafted in for his NOEFC debut to take him on at the to of the order, it was left to Eton youngsters Jake Turcan & Max Krefting to take care of second pair, while Toby Bush looked to inject some youth and vigour into the experienced lower order.

Andy Bishop reports: I didn't catch up with 2nd pair, as they finished rather earlier than the rest of us as Jake and Max were too strong and won comfortably. There was some jovial murmuring over the curry that they should be disqualified! Stefan and Martin cruised to victory in good time and then split up and played another game or two.

Toby and I faced Nigel and Martin. Toby was immediately delegated the task of remembering the score and whose turn it was to serve/cut, and also to pick up the ball whenever it came to rest on the floor. He found it a bit tricky adjusting to the pace of the game, and it also took him a while to realise that the opposition had plenty of good (point-winning) shots that could be deployed if (and only if) the ball was played to them in the right areas. We won the first game quite easily 12-5 and then perhaps relaxed in the second as Martin began to return more cuts and to cut more effectively. We lost it 9-12. Toby produced some good volleys at the front and also fired some great shots to the back corners, as we then took the next games 12-6, 12-6. The big difference between the pairs (apart from the obvious one in mobility) was, I think, in the set piece: we returned far more cuts than they did (and, dare I say it, I more than Toby!).

I'm afraid we lost 5-7 in the Golden Curry, but that's what happens when we include schoolboys in our team...

Robert Thorogood reports: Ryan and I faced Alex and Oliver, with Alex unleashing his exocet cut against Ryan’s serve and paper aeroplanes against mine, so the game was far closer than it should have been. (It should also be added that the rule of two-lost-points-on-your-cut-and-Ryan-gets-to-cut-them-down-immediately also kept the game far closer than it would otherwise have been). Because of this, the match was closely fought, with some terrific rallies, amazing gets from Alex’s Condor-like wingspan, and Ryan smashing everything with Maxi-Torque™️ into the buttress. From a North Oxford point of view, Oliver’s improving accuracy and general sharpness around court as the game wore on began to tip the match towards the Brigands. In the end it was a thoroughly enjoyable draw, with the smell of poppadoms wafting up the high street too strong a lure for a deciding game to be played.

North Oxford 2 lost to Old Ipswichians 1-2 at Ipswich 15/01/22:

G.Hoskins & S.Chapman lost to M.Graves & T.Gregory 0-3 (5-12, 6-12, 2-12)

M.Chinery & S.Thatcher beat C.Cooley & S.Cass 3-0 (12-10, 12-7, 12-5)

I.Mitchell & H.Asquith lost to P.Boughton & J.Gray 0-3 (9-12, 8-12, 9-12)

It is undoubtedly a feather in the NOEFC cap that we are the only league team prepared/able to go to Ipswich to play an away match against the Old Ipswichians; the downside - not that it is one really - is that the OIs are tough to beat on their own patch. The trip was overall a successful one, however, with a point gained to keep us right in contention at the top of the Division 2 table and an entertaining match was followed by an enjoyable lunch in the Greyhound (a 6-3 win to North Oxford this time and some strong Malteser cheesecake work from Thatcher). Mark Graves & Tim Gregory are a strong first pair and sadly their NOEFC opponents never looked like running them close. Spencer of course looked every inch the player who took a set off Tom Dunbar once (he's very modest but you should ask him about it next time you see him) as well as a shoo-in for an Oxford Half-Blue this year, but the club captain was off the pace and struggling for full fitness and they were unable to make much of an impression, particularly at the set piece. Second pair saw the in form partnership of Chinery & Thatcher continue their superb recent run, winning a crucial first game to 10 against Charlotta Cooley & Simon Cass despite a late wobble and then staying in control in games two and three to wrap up the point. Third pair was the closest match of the day and Ian & Harry came away slightly disappointed to have lost all three games, having held the lead at various times and reached 8-8 or 9-9 in all three. In the end, the athleticism and volleying of James Gray and the experience of the age-defying Peter Boughton were enough to get the OIs over the line each time and take the 2-1 win overall.

North Oxford 2 beat Old Westminsters 2 2-1 at Westminster 07/12/21:

P.Roper & N.Turnbull lost to H.de Quetteville & C.Koksal 0-3 (7-12, 6-12, 1-12)

C.Austin & G.Pulsford beat S.Shah & B.Merrett 3-0 (15-13, 12-3, 12-4)

K.Hird & S.Thatcher beat O.Black & W.Reid 3-0 (12-5, 12-2, 12-5)

The final North Oxford league match before the long-awaited Three Code Challenge V and the Christmas break took place last night, with a strong NOEFC line-up inflicting a first league defeat of the season on the high-flying Old Westminsters on their home turf. Hopes were high at first pair with Phil Roper & Nathan Turnbull reunited by they were unable to make much of an impression on the in form Can Koksal & Harry de Quetteville, losing in straight games. Maybe Phil needs to hurry up and get that new pair of gloves so he doesn't have to keen borrowing random ones each time! Second pair had experience oozing out of every pore as the Aldenham duo of Grandad and the Wizard rang age-defying rings around the OW pairing of Sahil Shah (a Kinnaird and London quarter-finalist no less) and Ben Merrett. The 15-13 first game win proved sufficiently morale-sapping for the next two to become a simple procession to 3 and 4. The win was completed at third pair as Karen & Stephen made short work of the less experienced Oliver Black & Will Reid, completing a successful few days for the Division 2 team, who are sitting in a strong position near the top of the table heading into 2022. A 3-0 win in the pub completed a very satisfactory evening.

North Oxford 2 beat Old Harrovians 2 3-0 at Harrow 04/12/21:

G.Hoskins & K.Hird beat N.Shepard & C.Stone 3-0 (12-5, 12-7, 15-13)

M.Chinery & S.Thatcher beat G.Stanhope & A.Anderson 3-0 (12-9, 12-7, 12-1)

I.Mitchell & S.Chapman beat E.Clutton & W.Tate 3-1 (10-12, 14-13, 12-9, 12-8)

The pre-Christmas league focus has mainly been on the first and third division teams, so it was high team the division two squad got in on the act, scoring a strong 3-0 away win at Harrow on Saturday in the first of two matches in four days. The first success of the day was the realisation that we had managed to arrange to play the OH second team at the same time as their first team were playing against the Olavians on the first three courts, avoiding the unwanted scenario of a rogue Division 1 player or two slipping into the OH2 ranks. This meant we were up against - effectively - the school second, third and fourth pairs, but with Harrow's senior Fives in a strong place at the moment, that certainly didn't mean an easy match. The other pre-match news of note was the withdrawal of Grandad due to an adverse reaction to his booster jab a few days before; happily Ian is made of sterner stuff and despite being jabbed on the Friday himself, he made it to Harrow sore arm and all to complete the NOEFC line-up. Gareth & Karen are unbeaten in the league this year after away wins at Orpington (narrowly) and Westway (impressively). They made it a hat-trick here, controlling the first two games reasonably comfortably but having to use all of their experience and savvy to come back from 5-10 down in the third, with Karen's cut returns drying up as she struggled to see the ball. Gareth may have been tiring (just a tiny bit...) but did manage to return a few cuts when it counted, possibly on the basis of never really being able to see the ball properly in the first place and therefore not being so put off by the change in colour. After their recent heroics at the EFA Trophy and in midweek against Newbury, it was impossible to split up the in form NOEFC pairing of Matt & Stephen, who once again dovetailed majestically, this time at second pair. Stephen Thatcher in particular has morphed from Mr Mercurial to Mr Consistent in the space of half a season and they became more and more dominant as their match wore on. Also worth of note was the presence in the Harrow second pair of Old Summerfieldian Gus Stanhope, who when at SF partnered Seb Corso (who played for NOEFC on Thursday at Eton) to win the prep schools tournament in 2018. Third pair meanwhile was much tighter and attritional and the first two pairs were comfortably ensconced in the Castle by the time it came to a conclusion, Spencer & Ian recovering from the loss of the first game, crucially sneaking the second 14-13 and then grinding out the third and fourth to complete the full house. A 6-0 win in the Castle (not really fair as all of our opponents were under 18, but as Spencer will tell you, they all count) then followed, possibly 7 if you count Nick Shaw, who had been playing the in Division 1 game round the other side. A good afternoon all round, setting the Division 2 side up well for another tough away match against the formidable Westminsters on Tuesday.

North Oxford 3 beat Newbury 2-1 at Eton 02/12/21:

M.Chinery & S.Thatcher beat W.Seath & W.Thomas 3-0 (12-6, 12-5, 12-2)

A.Bishop & S.Corso beat C.Meads & J.Hopkins 3-1 (13-11, 14-12, 9-12, 12-5)

R.Wood & M.Barnes lost to C.McCormack & P.Holland 1-3 (8-12, 12-7, 2-12, 10-12)

The Buccaneers were back in action last night - in a Division 3 match moved from Newbury to Eton due to problems with the lighting at Newbury - and produced a fine performance to win 2-1 and head to the top of the table, temporarily at least. The first pair match looked tight on paper, but the dynamic duo of Chinery & Thatcher had some unfinished business to attend to, having performed so well at the EFA Trophy a couple of weeks ago with so little end product. This all changed against the Newbury Wills - Seath & Thomas - who were blown away in straight games for the loss of only 13 points as the North Oxford pair dominated from start to finish in emphatic style. Second pair saw an NOEFC debut for Old Summerfieldian (and current Etonian) Sebastian Corso alongside his former mentor Andy Bishop. Seb was a star player back in his Summer Fields days and it was great to see him on court and playing well against youngster Jack Hopkins and the hard-hitting Chris Meads. The North Oxford pair had more match experience than their opponents, which made all the difference in the first two games, both of which were set. Andy & Seb were ahead in the first only to be pegged back to 10-10 before going on to win 13-11. In the second, it was the Newbury pair who made most of the running before Andy & Seb nipped in at the death to level at 11-11 and take the game 14-12. There was a dip in the third as Jack & Chris began to hit hard to the back court to go 11-4 up. Andy & Seb steadied the ship and almost made a miraculous recovery, getting back to 9-11 before losing the game; a few tactical words of advice from Eton coach Ryan Perrie saw Seb in particular become more positive in the fourth game, taking control of the top step to lead his pair to a 12-5 win and an excellent 3-1 win overall. Third pair was another close match with Rachel & Mandie showing all of their Black Cup winning national champion skills to go toe to toe with Paul Holland and Chris McCormack. The first two games were shared; having lost the third heavily, Rachel & Mandie hit back strongly in the fourth and came within a whisker of taking it to a deciding game before losing the fourth 10-12, giving Newbury a point to take home as their reward for contributing to an excellent fixture. The Division 3 table is incredibly close, with NO3 currently joint top (having played one match more than the three teams level or below them) and only two points separating the top five teams.

EFA Trophy at Eton 21/11/21:

North Oxford A beat Old Cholmfrunians 3-0, Westway 3-0, North Oxford B 3-0, Old Salopians B 3-0, Old Citizens 2-1, Cambridge University 3-0, lost to Old Ipswichians 1-2 and Old Salopians A 1-2 and finished 3rd out of 9.

North Oxford B beat Westway 3-0, lost to Old Salopians A 0-3, Old Cholmfrunians 1-2, North Oxford A 0-3, Old Citizens 1-2, Old Salopians B 1-2, Cambridge University 1-2 and Old Ipswichians 0-3 and finished 7th out of 9.

North Oxford A: P.Roper, S.Chapman, K.Hird, N.Turnbull, C.Lloyd, S.Gore

North Oxford B: M.Chinery, S.Thatcher, A.Bishop, H.Asquith, I.Mitchell, T.Bush

North Oxford and the EFA Trophy go a long way back and having missed out in 2020, it was great to be back with two strong teams for the EFA Trophy qualifiers at Eton yesterday. Nine teams were entered this year, producing a day long round robin group stage, with all teams playing each other in one game up to 12 across three pairs. With Alex Abrahams unavailable, Captain Karen's team's mission was to make it into the top four qualifying slots, ideally in the first three places, and they got off to a strong start with maximum point 3-0 wins against the Cholmfrunians (a minor wardrobe malfunction notwithstanding as Karen managed a mid-rally but non x-rated homage to Barbara Windsor in "Carry on Camping"), Westway and the second North Oxford team in the first three rounds. President Andy's team found life harder going early on, but were always competitive and produced some outstanding Fives in the first few rounds for little or no reward. Stephen Thatcher & Matt Chinery at first pair especially gelled beautifully and got themselves in a position to win against several more fancied opponents - Will Sissons & Guy Williams, Andy Husselbee & David Jones, John Reynolds & Ralph Morgan and Digby Taylor-West & Rory McDonald-O'Brien - without managing to convert any of them into the wins and points their played deserved. Speaking of wardrobe malfunctions, Stephen appeared to be a walking one for the day, having clearly got dressed in the dark and then taking to the court in an array of Chapmanesque colours. Harry Asquith & Ian Mitchell at second pair and Andy & Toby Bush at third were also playing well, and picking up the odd point along the way. With Matt's back causing problems for the second half of the day and those near misses costing them, the B team ended up finishing 7th out of 9, but on another day could have ended up much higher in the table, and possibly even competing for the fourth qualifying slot. After a rest in Round 4, Karen's team returned to the court to take on some stiffer challenges. The Ipswichians and Salopian A team both had just enough to take 2-1 wins against the North Oxford team, but the team of Phil Roper & Nathan Turnbull at first pair, Karen & Stev Gore at second (for most of the time) and Spencer Chapman & Chris Lloyd made no mistakes against the teams below them in the table, ending up joint second with the Old Ipswichians (third on the basis of the head to head result) and comfortably making it through to face the OIs again in the semi-final in February.

North Oxford beat Cambridge University 2-1 at Cambridge 14/11/21:

S.Gore & K.Hird beat N.Choustikov & V.Gudiwala 3-0 (12-7, 12-9, 15-10)

S.Chapman & R.Morgan lost to E.Osen & T.Xu 2-0 (12-6, 13-12 ret*)

I.Mitchell & M.Barnes beat S.Turner & G.Poole 3-2 (12-6, 3-12, 4-12, 12-6, 12-7)

*S.Gore replaced S.Chapman for the third game, which was won 12-10

Fortified by lunch at the Blue Lion, the NOEFC returned to the Sports Centre to take on CUEFC again in the afternoon matches. Karen & Steve switched from coaching to playing mode seamlessly and won the first two games in impressive style at first pair against Nick Choustikov & Viral Gudiwala. The third game looked a bit more dicey at one stage, but the extra control and precision of the North Oxford pair told as they came from 7-10 down to win 15-10 and take the win 3-0. Second pair saw a welcome first appearance of the season from Ralph Morgan and he and Spencer took on Elana Osen & Olavian Tom Xu. There were some similarities with the first pair game, with the North Oxford pair's extra experience - especially compared to Tom, who offered some formidably powerful cutting at times but was also prone to making more mistakes -just enough to take them into a 2-0 lead. At this point, though, Spencer was struggling to continue (you know it's genuine when he felt the need to concede rather than try and win more game to get another W on the stats list) so Steve moved immediately from the first court to the second and helped Ralph to another close win in the third. With second pair officially conceded, the overall match result came down to the third pair, an exciting rollercoaster match between Ian & Mandie and Cambridge post grads Sam Turner & George Poole. George cunningly arrived rather late in order to allow Sam to fully digest his rather large lunch, but it was Ian & Mandie who started better, racing into the lead and closing out the first game to 6. The pendulum swung back towards the students at that point, however, as they dominated the next two games, winning to 3 and 4 and making a North Oxford victory look unlikely. Ian & Mandie had other ideas, however, and with Ian beginning to take control of more points and Mandie finally hitting her stride in her eighth set of the day, they moved into a 9-1 lead in the fourth, more than enough to take the match into a fifth and deciding game. For the first time in the match, runs of points were hard to come by and the scoreline remained evenly matched through to 7-6, at which point Ian & Mandie made the decisive move, racing ahead to 11 and closing the match out for a splendid victory.

North Oxford drew with Cambridge University Women 1-1 at Cambridge 14/11/21:

M.Barnes & K.Clayton lost to J.Tu & S-L.Yuen 1-2 (13-11, 6-12, 8-12)

M.Barnes & K.Clayton beat S-L.Yuen & C.Bowman 1-0 (12-10)

Having missed out in 2020 it was great to get the traditional NOEFC Cambridge double header day back on the calendar on Sunday. Proceedings started in the morning with the CUEFC women and an opportunity for a mixture of competitive games, coaching and match practice. The competitive side of things was taken care of by Mandie Barnes & Kirby Clayton, who took on Cambridge's Sze-Lynn Yuen & Jessye Tu in a tight three game battle. The North Oxford pair drew first blood, winning a close first game 13-11, but it was the Cambridge duo (club captains this year and last year) who had the last laugh, winning the second to 6 and the decider to 8. This was excellent experience for Kirby in particular, who followed up her fine showing in the Richard Black Cup last weekend with further evidence of her rapid improvement. This was confirmed by the final game as Mandie & Kirby used the remaining time to salvage an overall draw, winning another tight game against Sze-Lynn & Charlotte Bowman. Meanwhile, the other two courts (and an additional Rugby Fives court when required) were commandeered by the NOEFC coaching team of Karen Hird, Harry Asquith, Gareth Hoskins and Steve Gore, who spent a couple of very productive and enjoyable hours putting a talented and enthusiastic group of Cambridge beginners (largely Jessye's Magdalene College recruits) through their paces, hopefully inspiring them to play more Fives. Lunch for 17 (9-8 to North Oxford) at the Blue Lion in Hardwick was a great way to break up the day between the two matches, with a whole new generation of Fives players studying the final module of the NOEFC coaching manual, learning exactly why sticky toffee pudding should only be eaten with custard.

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Westminsters 1 1-2 at Eton 13/11/21:

N.Caplin & A.Abrahams lost to L.Brock & R.Houlden 0-3 (2-12, 2-12, 2-12)

M.Asquith & P.Roper lost to S.Shah & C.Koksal 2-3 (12-7, 9-12, 12-7, 4-12, 6-12)

P.Scholey & G.Pulsford beat B.Merrett & K.Lim 3-0 (12-5, 12-9, 12-9)

Saturday saw the Division 1 team play the final one of their run of pre-Christmas matches with a home game at Eton against league leaders and title favourites the Old Westminsters. Noah & Alex have had a fantastic first half of the season but for the second week in a row came up against a pair who were just a bit too strong for them. For Tom Dunbar last week, read Riki Houlden this week and with Laurie Brock alongside, the two Aston House Superleague players dominated the North Oxford pair from start to finish, hopefully inspiring Noah & Alex to continue their rapid improvement and start challenging even more right at the very top of the game. At third pair, Pete & Grandad were seeking redemption after their disappointing performance and result against the Harrovians, and they found it, further defying Father Time to take down Ben Merrett & Kotka Lim (normally it would be Spencer hoping to play against a pair with only one Lim) in straight games. Hopes of a famous victory were being raised at second pair as Phil Roper - making his first appearance of the season - teamed up with new recruit Matt Asquith against Sahil Shah & Can Koksal. The North Oxford pair made an encouraging start, establishing a 2-1 lead before being reeled in by the Westminster pair who got on top in the fourth and fifth to record a 3-2 win and take the match 2-1.

North Oxford won the Richard Black Cup at Eton 07/11/21:

Group stages: beat EFA 3-0; beat Cambridge University 3-0; beat Shrewsbury 1 3-0

Semi-Final: North Oxford beat Ipswich 3-0

K.Hird & H.Asquith beat C.Cooley & K.Clayton 2-0 (12-1, 12-5)

F.Turnbull & R.Wood beat N.Mason & N.Gregory 2-0 (12-2, 12-2)

F.Kerr & M.Barnes beat L.Craughwell-Franks & Z.Pulchan 2-0 (12-10, 12-5)

Final: North Oxford beat Highgate 2-1

K.Hird & F.Turnbull beat M.Briscoe & C.Valensise 2-0 (12-5, 12-9)

H.Asquith & R.Wood beat P.Bracken & M.Anderson 2-0 (12-2, 12-9)

F.Kerr & M.Barnes lost to C.Vos & L.Valensise 0-2 (1-12, 8-12)

The NOEFC weekend of Fives finished in spectacular style as our women's team won back the Richard Black Cup at Eton on Sunday, a second major team trophy of the season to sit alongside the Boughton Bowl in the club trophy cabinet. Our strength in depth was immediately apparent as we were able to loan out players of the calibre of Kirby Clayton (to Ipswich) and Vanda Scholey (to the EFA) to teams in need of an extra player. This left the sextet that were runners-up in 2019 and winners in 2018 to take on the seven other teams assembled at Eton, captain Karen doing her best tactical genius Eoin Morgan impression and leading the team of Harry Asquith, Rachel Wood, Francesca Turnbull, Faye Kerr and Mandie Barnes. Seven of the last eight finals in this competition have been between North Oxford and Highgate and once again the two teams were seeded one and two and spent the day eyeing each other up across the draw as both moved easily past their other opponents towards the seemingly inevitable tournament finale. Karen took the opportunity of the three group matches - against the EFA, Shrewsbury 1 and Cambridge - and the semi-final against Ipswich (for whom Kirby played a starring role) to rotate her pairings with a view to finding the best combination to take on the formidable Highgate team. Highgate were without captain Emily Scoones this time, but had regained the services of three of their Old Cholmeleian "golden generation", with Marj Briscoe, Phoebe Bracken and Carolina Valensise taking their place alongside the three top school players - ladies national semi-finalists Catherine Vos & Lorenza Valensise and U16 Mimi Anderson. The outcome to the various pair experiments was that Francesca's form - especially in the group decider against Shrewsbury's first pair - had been more than strong enough for her to step up at first pair to partner Karen, leaving Harry & Rachel to team up as a strong second pair and Faye & Mandie to tidy up at third. The first games in all three pairs of the final were pretty one-sided: Faye & Mandie were dominated at the set piece and couldn't get any sort of foothold in their match against Catherine & Lorenza while the opposite was true at second pair where Harry & Rachel produced an almost flawless first game, returning cut superbly to race through 12-2 against Phoebe & Mimi. First pair was a little bit closer but only marginally so, with Francesca returning and volleying strongly and Karen dominating the play as they went 1-0 up with a comfortable win to 5. If the first games in each pair were one-sided, the second games most certainly weren't. Faye & Mandie came out firing, returning cuts at last and finally putting their opponents under pressure as they moved out to an 8-4 lead. Sadly, though, they couldn't keep it up as the Highgate pair overcame their wobble, refound their first game dominance and came back to win the game 12-8. First blood to Highgate. Unsurprisingly, Rachel & Harry were not having as easy a time of it in their second game. They were still playing well, but Phoebe & Mimi were putting up a much improved showing, cutting and returning better, getting their attacking volleying game going and keeping the scoreline close. It looked as though Harry & Rachel had produced a decisive burst of scoring to go from 7-7 to 11-7 up, but a couple of missed chances and some good gameball cutting got Phoebe & Mimi back to 9-11 and into a threatening position before the North Oxford pair finally managed to close the game out to level the tie. This left first pair to decide the outcome and as in the other two pairs, the second game was much closer than the first. Francesca was still playing well, but Marj & Caro were finally managing to keep the ball away from Karen a bit more and create enough chances to keep themselves in the game. With the pressure on Francesca mounting, she responded brilliantly, keeping the rallies alive, allowing Karen to take the attack to the Highgate pair and even landing a few blows of her own. The game was won 12-9 and with it the first pair match and the trophy, a 2-1 win taking the cup back to Summer Fields for the third time overall and the first time since 2018. This was an excellent all round team performance and a tremendous win against tough opponents and was rightfully celebrated with chocolates, a trip to the Henry and a Golden Curry, where they were so excited to hear about the win that they only charged us £24 each instead of the traditional £25. Happy Days indeed.

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Harrovians 1 0-3 at Eton 06/11/21:

N.Caplin & A.Abrahams lost to T.Dunbar & O.Denby 0-3 (4-12, 4-12, 3-12)

P.Scholey & G.Pulsford lost to M.de Souza Girao & R.Wijeratne 0-3 (2-12, 0-12, 7-12)

I.Wagland & K.Hird lost to R.Tyler & A.Poole 0-3 (6-12, 5-12, 7-12)

After the superb win at Westway against the Salopians in midweek, our charge up the Division 1 table came to a juddering halt against a formidable Old Harrovian line-up at Eton on Saturday. Alex & Noah were looking to add to their impressive recent list of scalps but seventeen time Kinnaird Cup winner Tom Dunbar wasn't in the mood to let the young upstarts continue their winning run. He & Oskar Denby dismantled the North Oxford first pair challenge with a comprehensive 3-0 win, leaving Noah & Alex determined to come back strongly next week against another tough team in the form of the Old Westminsters. The experienced engine room of Scholey & Pulsford was back in action at second pair and went 2-0 up in the first game against another former Kinnaird winner in Manuel de Souza Girao and his partner Rahul Wijeratne. It's probably best to draw a discreet veil over the subsequent passage of play; suffice to say Pete & Grandad played significantly better in the third game and were in contention for most of it before falling away at the end. Third pair was no easier, with Richard Tyler & Alex Poole taking on Karen and NOEFC debutant Isaac Wagland, a talented young Ipswichian keen to gain some Division 1 experience. The Harrovian pair were stronger at the set piece and made fewer errors overall, but there was plenty of good Fives from Isaac & Karen and as with the second pair, they were in the third game for a long time, reaching 7-7 before the Harrovian pair stretched away for the win. The Saturday matches were followed by a splendid lunch in the Christopher (no STP on the menu but more than made up for by the vanilla bakewell tart and chocolate and gingerbread torte). For the record, NOEFC won those encounters 3-1 and 5-2.

North Oxford 3 beat Team Westway 2 3-0 at Eton 06/11/21:

M.Chinery & R.Thorogood beat A.Field & P.Wilkinson 3-1 (12-11, 12-14, 12-8, 12-4)

A.Bishop & I.Mitchell beat J.Cooley & C.Wheeler 3-0 (12-5, 12-5, 12-6)

M.Barnes & G.Guetard beat N.Lilienthal & R.Gordon 3-0 (12-7, 12-2, 12-8)

Bishop's Buccaneers were back in action at Eton on Saturday morning as part of our league double header, returning to winning ways with a 3-0 win over Team Westway that takes them top of the Division 3 table, for the time being at least. After his win at Iffley Road the night before, Matt was back in action and it was the Uppinghamian old firm of Chinery & Thorogood who had the toughest assignment at first pair against Adam Field & Phil Wilkinson. Matt & Robert had the better of large parts of the first two games but struggled to find the killer blow at the end of each game; they just managed to hold on win the first 12-11 but let slip a few chances to take the second before going down 12-14. The third game was key and some tighter play in and around the buttress and some more ruthless finishing at the business end of the game saw the NOEFC pair take a 2-1 win lead. The hard work had been done by then and the fourth game was more of a formality, completing a fine win. There was plenty of experience on display in the second court on both sides. The good news for North Oxford was that second pair wins were behaving like London buses, as a second one in two days came our way courtesy of a solid performance from Ian & Captain Andy (another win for the President, whose current form - and ability to select himself in the correct pair with the correct partner - is doing his standing in the stats no harm at all) against Chris Wheeler, who had exchanged one Cooley from the Midlands tournament last weekend for another Cooley this time around. He may have noticed the difference. Third pair was notable for a North Oxford league debut for gallic powerhouse Gael Guetard, who teamed up with Mandie Barnes to defeat Natalie Lilienthal & Ross Gordon in straight games. The first of many NOEFC wins we hope!

North Oxford beat Oxford University 2-0 at Iffley Road 05/11/21:

P.Scholey & M.Chinery beat B.Hart & J.Purdah 3-1 (12-11, 12-9, 9-12, 12-8)

R.Wood & R.Wilson beat J.Robb & H.Barma 12-1 (9-12, 12-7, 15-11)

A busy weekend of NOEFC Fives started at Iffley Road on Friday night with a first local derby of the season against the University. With the University team strong enough (or sensible enough?) to leave Spencer on the bench, it was clear that we were going to have our work cut out, but chances were improved by Pete managing to get himself on the court with a full complement of working lights, thus giving him half a chance of seeing the ball. He partnered Matt against Old Westminster Jonah Poulard and Old Wulfrunian graduate student Ben Hart in a really close game, with the North Oxford pair needing all of their match experience advantage to squeeze past the student pair in four tight games. On the other court, Rachel and Robert Wilson - making a welcome first appearance of the season - donned their miners' helmets, ate their pre-match carrots and took on a second Old Westminster in OUEFC secretary Hatam Barma and Cholmeleian fresher Joel Robb. Again a close match was edged by the North Oxford pair, who recovered from a game down to win the second 12-7 and take the deciding third game 15-11. In doing so, they broke a run of eight consecutive defeats at second pair for North Oxford, a run stretching back to the very first match of the season against the Abbey.

North Oxford 1 beat Old Salopians 1 2-1 at Westway 02/11/21:

N.Caplin & A.Abrahams beat C.Hughes & G.Thomason 3-0 (12-9, 12-11, 12-9)

N.Turnbull & J.Cobb lost to S.Welti & M.Quinn 1-3 (9-12, 12-9, 13-14, 8-12)

M.Asquith & M.Chinery beat G.Williams & H.Mainwaring 3-0 (12-6, 12-2, 12-3)

Our record against the Old Salopians in Division 1 in recent years is rather one-sided - the champions for the last two completed seasons have made a habit of recording pretty convincing victories against us home and away. It was therefore all the more impressive that a young North Oxford team (five players under the age of 30) stormed to a 2-1 away win at Westway last night, and came close to a 3-0 clean sweep. The Salopians were a little short at third pair and had to bring in the inexperienced Hugh Mainwaring to partner Guy Williams; they were no match for the two Matts, with Matt Chinery and NOEFC debutant Matt Asquith cruising to a comfortable straight games win. The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly another magnificent first pair performance from Noah Caplin & Alex Abrahams. Having beaten Tailor & Patel of the Old Millhillians in their last outing, they followed it up with another major scalp as they held their nerve in three tight games to defeat Chris Hughes & George Thomason 12-9, 12-11, 12-9. Meanwhile Nathan Turnbull & James Cobb at second pair were taking on Salopian skipper Sam Welti & Marc Quinn in an even closer second pair match. The first two games were shared and the crucial third game went the way of the home team in a 14-13 nailbiter, inspiring them to edge home 12-8 in the fourth and salvage some pride. Next up for the Division 1 teams are tough home matches against the Harrovians and Westminsters but the form of the NOEFC youngsters should mean that they can take on those matches with a huge amount of confidence.

North Oxford 2 beat Team Westway 1 2-1 at Westway 13/10/21:

G.Hoskins & K.Hird beat A.Abrahams & T.Campbell 3-1 (12-9, 12-4, 10-12, 12-3)

S.Chapman & M.Chinery lost to F.Lebon & E.Vaughan-Hughes 1-3 (12-7, 8-12, 3-12, 9-12)

R.Thorogood & S.Thatcher beat J.Caplin & E.Habershon* 3-0 (12-3, 12-9, 12-3)

*ineligible player

The final match of possibly the busiest week in the history of NOEFC ended in a satisfying victory at Westway last night in our opening Division 2 match of the season. After the heroics of Abraham & Caplin at Mill Hill last night, both names were back on the teamsheet again, but this time in the opposition ranks. Alex was risking a quickfire switch from NOEFC hero to villain by donning Team Westway colours in Division 2 against us; thankfully the Caplin involved was James not Noah, which made our task a little easier. Fresh (ish) from their exciting victory at Orpington on Saturday, Gareth & Karen took on Alex and TW1 skipper Tancred Campbell at first pair. With Alex in fine form, especially in and around the buttress, it required all of the North Oxford pair's experience and courtcraft to devise a winning strategy, with Tancred targeted in the back corners followed by attacking the buttress once Alex had been pulled out of position to cover or intercept. Actually, for all of the clever theories, the match was decided (as is nearly always the case) by the set piece. In simple terms, both NOEFC players (especially Gareth in the first couple of games and at the end) cut well and consistently, while Karen produced an absolute masterclass of cut returning, not only getting an incredibly high percentage back, but metronomically returning the ball an inch above the ledge and placing it into some awkward areas, often for clean winners. Barring the early part of the first game and sections of the third, this formula was enough to keep the scoring percentages in Gareth & Karen's favour, neutralising Tancred's increased solidity and Alex's flashes of genius and winning the match in four, much to the relief of the tiring NOEFC skipper and more particularly his creaky back. Second pair has proved to be a problem position for us ever since the first game of the season against the Abbey, and this time it was Matt & Spencer who were unable to break the run of defeats. Things started well, as they won the first game against youngster Edward Vaughan-Hughes and a second Old Bryanstonian in the Westway team in the shape of Frank Lebon. The wheels began to come off a bit after that, however, with the reach and court coverage of Lebon in particular causing problems. The second was lost and the third followed quickly. There was some late hope as Spencer & Matt found a late flurry of solid gameball cutting and cut returning to cut a 5-11 deficit to 9-11, but it wasn't quite enough and the search for a second pair win continues. Third pair was a more gentle runout, with Ed Habershon filling in for Westway as an ineligible player, and partnering James Caplin against Stephen Thatcher & Robert Thorogood, making a belated first appearance of the season. Not even the mercurial Thatcher could find a way to lose a game in that one and he and Robert cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory, allowing Robert to abandon his teammates as quickly as possible and head into the West End for a better offer than the more traditional team celebration in the Garden, where we won 5-2 (kudos to 18 year old EVH for being persuaded along - one to watch for the future after fine performances both on and off court) with Stephen doing the STP honours. Robert tried to follow suit elsewhere in London in an attempt to curry favour, but no-one was buying it and he got his just desserts (literally) in the form of a very disappointing blob of creme fraiche. You reap what you sow and all that. Meanwhile the North Oxford league programme hits the pause button for a couple of weeks of rest, recuperation and the odd tournament, before the next burst of activity in early November.

North Oxford 1 beat Old Millhillians 1 2-1 at Mill Hill 12/10/21:

N.Caplin & A.Abrahams beat S.Tailor & J.Patel 3-1 (7-12, 12-3, 12-3, 12-9)

C.Lyle & G.Pulsford lost to V.Bhimjiyani & A.Field 0-3 (2-12, 13-14, 8-12)

C.Austin & K.Hird beat A.Shah & M.Bhimjiyani 3-0 (walkover)

The matches are coming thick and fast at the moment and last night's match was derailed (almost literally) before it had even started due to the non-arrival of Akhil Shah thanks to some ill-timed train cancellations from Cambridge. Captain Karen and the Wizard of Wolverhampton apparated to Aldenham for a game there with the third pair point in their pockets, while the other two pairs took on the remaining Millhillians, as Grandad reports:

"A first pair match that was a joy to watch, a second pair that could have been, and a third pair conceded gave NOEFC a happy 2-1 victory over the Millhillians. Noah and Alex took on the might of Tailor and Patel and after the setback of losing the first game to 7 they took control in the next games winning 12-3,12-3, and 12-9. The rallies were long and the standard of returning of all players was high - the NOEFC players just forced more errors out of their opponents with ‘attack mode’ switched to high. The second pair started badly with Cam injuring his ankle with a slip off the back step in the first point of the game. The first game disappeared quickly but a strong fight back in the second ended with a 13-14 loss that should have been won with at least two clear opportunities to do so. Despite some crisp, clean winners from Cam, the experienced Vish saw the Millhillians through in the third game. The pub was a 3-0 victory with a chocolate pudding and ice cream to celebrate!"

Mixed Team Tournament (The Boughton Bowl) at Eton 10/10/21:

North Oxford A (K.Hird, H.Asquith, R.Wood, N.Caplin, A.Abrahams, P.Scholey) won the Boughton Bowl, beating Highgate in the final

North Oxford B (F.Turnbull, V.Scholey, K.Clayton, M.Chinery, S.Chapman, A.Bishop) reached the Plate B final, losing to Cambridge/Holyport

North Oxford C (A.Whitehead, M.Barnes, J.Scholey, S.Gore, S.Thatcher, G.Guetard) reached the Plate B semi-final, losing to Cambridge/Holyport

North Oxford A beat Highgate 2-1 at Eton 10/10/21:

K.Hird & N.Caplin beat E.Scoones & J.Ho 2-0 (15-13, 12-9)

H.Asquith & A.Abrahams lost to C.Vos & J.Marks 1-2 (15-11, 8-12, 9-12)

R.Wood & P.Scholey beat L.Valensise & M.Kovar 2-1 (4-12, 12-5, 12-5)

The first Mixed Team Tournament (now the "Boughton Bowl") in 2019 was a lot of fun but ultimately ended in disappointment as injury scuppered North Oxford's chances of winning. It required a two year wait to get another crack at it, but the 2021 edition ended in triumph at Eton on Sunday as the NOEFC underdogs turned over holders and favourites Highgate to win the brand new silverware after a stunning final. The tournament overall had a very Oxford flavour, with three of the seven teams wearing NOEFC colours and a University team (featuring a couple of familiar SF Monday night faces) also present. The trophy-hunting A team was a potent mixture of youth , experience and big name players (you can work out who was who), with Noah & Karen at first pair, Harry & Alex at second and Rachel & Pete at third. They progressed serenely through the round robin phase of the tournament without dropping a game, including a convincing win over a tough Ipswich team, a first pair win over the dangerous Hugo Young/Freya Butler University pairing and a couple of feisty North Oxford derbies. With Highgate dropping only one point in the first six rounds, there was no need for the two big guns to play each other in the round robin phase, instead moving straight into a best of three final. Meanwhile, the rest of the North Oxford squad were working hard on the undercard, throwing a few punches of their own and trading blows with some strong opposition. The rich array of talent was spread across the B and C teams: the B team were led by President Andy, who - like all great generals - led from the rear at third pair alongside Kirby Clayton. Spencer had risen from his deathbed and opted to play for us rather than his University side (or maybe we picked him and they didn't) and he and Matt rotated around first and second pair with Vanda Scholey and Francesca Turnbull, back on court for the first time in nearly two years and looking like she'd never been away. The C team were both weakened and quietened by the Covid enforced withdrawal of Faye Kerr, but Mandie Barnes and newcomer Annalise Whitehead stepped into the breach impressively, with Steve Gore relishing the opportunity to test himself at first pair against the likes of Noah, Hugo and Jonny Ho. Stephen Thatcher - who had been genuinely ill during the week - also did his best Lazarus impression and played at his most mercurial, appearing in a variety of gloves (or lack thereof) from match to match. The C team third pair was the most inexperienced NOEFC pairing of the day, the Franco-Slovakian alliance of Gael Guetard, on North Oxford debut, and Jana Scholey, who ensured that all three teams contained at least one Scholey. If 4 was the magic number in a Fives game instead of 12, they would have absolutely nailed it nearly every time, but they both showed how much they have improved recently and were unlucky not to win their match against the University third pair, which saw one of the closest finishes and biggest crowds of the day. The B and C teams were only denied an all North Oxford Plate B final thanks to the deus ex machina arrival of the Boughton Bowl donor himself, who arrived to present his trophy only to find himself immediately thrust into the Cambridge/Holyport team. They were a player short and took full advantage of their new signing to gain revenge for group stage defeats at the hands of both North Oxford teams earlier in the day. The B team were also denied a plate thanks to the curse of the North Oxford eye injury in this tournament striking again - without the trip to the eye hospital this time thankfully - as Kirby felt the full force of one from close range and had to concede her pair in the plate final as a precaution. While all of this was going on, the A team were girding their loins and preparing to do battle in the final with defending champions Highgate, with each pair going head to head in a best of three. The Cholmeleian team looked strong - the familiar pairing of Emily Scoones & Jonny Ho leading the way, with Joe Marks and Matt Kovar teaming up with top school pair (and recent ladies nationals semi-finalists) Catherine Vos and Lorenza Valensise lower down the order. North Oxford stuck with the pairings that had worked throughout the group stages and first blood went to Highgate as Matt & Lorenza raced through the first game against an out of sorts Pete & Rachel. The other two pairs were much closer right from the start; Alex & Harry timed their run to perfection, producing a real purple patch at the end of the first game against Joe & Catherine to take it 15-11. Karen & Noah also started slowly, going 6-1 down to Emily & Jonny, but quickly wiped out the deficit before finding their best form at the business end of a long and fantastically high quality game to take it 15-13. At this point, the match was in the balance; North Oxford were one up in both of the first two pairs, but by the skin of their teeth. With third pair struggling, could both of them hold on to win? Suddenly, though, the balance shifted in our favour. Attention was focused on the top two pairs but the momentum at third pair was shifting, initially unnoticed. Pete & Rachel had played poorly in the first game, making mistakes and losing the tactical battle. Pete was in the team for a reason, however, and Rachel now got the full "Scholey in ruthless competitive mode" partner experience. Mistakes were cut out, Lorenza was put under relentless pressure at the back of the court and Matt was suddenly denied the previously regular supply of potential kill shots that he had fed off in the first game. The tide turned and the Highgate pair began to make mistakes under pressure. Suddenly the game was won 12-5, the third pair level at 1-1 and all three pairs were back in play. The speed of the turnaround was such that when Pete & Rachel repeated the dose in the third game - winning 12-5 once again - they were the first pair to finish, despite the other two still being in game two. Things were still close in both pairs, with both games neck and neck as they approached the closing stages. Could one of the North Oxford pairs win their second game and strike the decisive blow? Or could both Highgate pairs level at 1-1 to keep them in it and prolong the drama? The answer came at first pair, and fittingly it was captain Karen who masterminded the winning run, cutting beautifully at 9-9 to get back on serve, capitalising on a poor cut to go to 10-9 and then producing a trademark return of cut to go to 11-9. With Noah virtually note-perfect throughout, finding the perfect balance between control and aggression, they fully deserved to score the cup-winning point, taking the second game 12-9 for a stunning win against a very fine pair. Alex & Harry were still going at this stage and weren't quite able to make it a clean sweep, but they had already more than played their part in a magnificent team performance and a memorable victory, which was celebrated in the traditional North Oxford way in the Henry V and the Golden Curry. A great end to a great day!

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Olavians 1-2 at Orpington 09/10/21:

N.Caplin & J.Cobb lost to J.Toop & H.Ravi 0-3 (8-12, 4-12, 11-15)

A.Abrahams & P.Scholey lost to T.Barker & T.Gallagher 0-3 (6-12, 4-12, 3-12)

G.Hoskins & K.Hird beat J.Prior & I.Jochim 2-0 (14-13, 14-12 timed out)

While the Buccaneers were subsiding faster than the floor of the courts they were playing on, the Division 1 team found themselves up against another strong Olavian line-up. The familiar face of James Toop was waiting at first pair to take on Noah Caplin & James Cobb, alongside Harry Ravi, and not many people get the better of James on his home courts. Noah & James gave a pretty good account of themselves, especially in the first and third games - in fact they were a bit disappointed not to have won the third - but ultimately went down in three. Former Olavian prodigy Tom Gallagher, back from university exile up in Durham, was back in their league team for the first time in a few years and he found himself partnering Tony Barker against Alex & Pete. Again, the North Oxford pair fought valiantly but were unable to make much of an impression on the scoreboard. It was left to the old firm of Gareth & Karen at third pair to salvage some North Oxford pride and they managed it in rather unlikely fashion. They were playing Joey Prior & Isaac Jochim, both of whom produced some long spells of excellent cutting, and even Karen was struggling to produce her normal cut returning magic. The North Oxford pair hung in, though, cutting well themselves, not giving away points even when behind on the scoreboard and not getting returns back and generally being stubborn and persistent. Their rewards were a long time coming in both games but come they did, an impressive first game comeback from 6-9 and 8-11 down eclipsed by an even more epic second game recovery from 5-11 behind. Both games were won - 14-13 then 14-12 - but by that stage all the other matches had finished and the St.Olave's caretaker was rattling his keys menacingly, seemingly oblivious to the fact that after over two hours of play, the game was potentially only two fifths of the way through. Much to the disappointment of the North Oxford captain, who was just warming up and hitting his stride at this point, the match had to be timed out, with the 2-0 lead sufficient for North Oxford to claim a hard-fought point. This was followed by a monumental 10-0 thrashing in the Royal Oak, with the revelation that Alex doesn't think he's heard the website story yet. Over to you, Grandad...

North Oxford 3 lost to St.Olave's School 2 0-3 at Orpington 09/10/21:

M.Chinery & C.Cooley lost to G.Nsenga & T.McDonald 0-3 (6-12, 2-12, 4-12)

A.Bishop & R.Wood lost to B.Belsham & D.Robson 0-3 (6-12, 3-12, 2-12)

H.Asquith & M.Barnes lost to F.Baron & Mihalan 3-0 (2-12, 8-12, 1-12)

A busy weekend of Fives began on Saturday morning with a trip to Orpington and a chance to experience the new courts at St.Olave's. The build there has been beset with problems and the floors are "interesting" to say the least, but perhaps more difficult for Bishop's Buccaneers was the formidably strong Olavian line-up waiting to take them on and put a major dent in the Division 3 title push. The build up to the match featured the first late Chapman drop out of the season, with Charlotta Cooley adding her name to the lengthy list of players who have bailed Spencer out at the last minute. She teamed up at first pair with Matt (on the old courts) and they were up against top schoolboy Genesis Nsenga and Old Olavian Tom McDonald, a handy operator, quickly realising why Spencer hadn't really fancied this one. Andy & Rachel at second pair also faced formidable opposition in the form of Dom Robson, a school first pair player not too long ago, and another young OO Billy Belsham. Further hampered by a wardrobe malfunction for Rachel, involving lycra shorts, and a very sharp buttress edge (thankfully not a "full Tyler" on this occasion) and a rather large pair of replacement tracksuit bottoms belonging to Matt, the North Oxford pair fought hard but more or less mirrored the first pair scoreline. There was a similar story at third pair - despite a closer second game - where Mandie & Harry lost out to Franklin & Mihalan ("Melon" to his friends apparently), two more promising youngsters from the Wiseman conveyor belt. Obviously it would have been a different story without the home advantage of having practised on the uneven floor...

North Oxford 1 lost to Old Cholmeleians 1 1-2 at Highgate 06/10/21:

N.Caplin & T.McCahon lost to J.Ho & C.Blackaby 0-3 (6-12, 5-12, 5-12)

A.Abrahams & N.Turnbull lost to G.Chapman & M.Kovar 1-3 (8-12, 12-4, 8-12, 7-12)

P.Scholey & K.Hird beat T.Lethbridge & R.Morgan 3-0 (12-7, 12-3, 12-3)

With the Division 3 team's season up and running already, it was the turn of the Division 1 superstars to take to the court last night at Highgate against the Old Cholmeleians. It was this fixture last season - one of the few played - that produced an outstanding 3-0 win to North Oxford, which we were sadly unable to replicate this time round, going down to a 2-1 defeat. Last year's match featured a remarkable first pair win for Tom & Nathan over Jonny Ho & Matt Kovar; the Highgate captain wasn't going to let that happen again, especially back on his home courts and with Tom slightly rusty in his first outing for a while, the North Oxford pair of Tom & Noah were unable to hit top gear or find a way past Jonny & Chris Blackaby, losing in three. Kovar was lurking at second pair this year alongside wily veteran Guy Chapman and they took the first game against Alex & Nathan. Hopes of a North Oxford comeback were raised after a barnstorming performance in the second game from the NOEFC pair, winning 12-4 to level the match. This proved to be the high point, though, as they were unable to sustain that level, ceding control back to the home pair for the third and fourth games. Honour was restored by the "old and infirm"* North Oxford third pair, Karen & Pete making mincemeat of Tom Lethbridge & Ralph Morgan. And they finished in time to get to The Bull (4-1 win to North Oxford, and Ralph is as much one of us as he is one of them!) for a celebratory sticky toffee pudding (see below). Not the first of the NOEFC week, and probably not the last.

*(c) P.Scholey

North Oxford 3 lost to Berkhamsted 1-2 at Berkhamsted 02/10/21:

S.Chapman & S.Thatcher lost to N.Woof & W.Roen-Tate 0-3 (7-12, 9-12, 10-12)

T.Hoskins & I.Mitchell lost to A.Pemberton & R.Seddon 0-3 (11-14, 8-12, 8-12)

A.Bishop & T.Bush beat J.Baines & B.Wille 3-0 (12-7, 12-6, 12-0)

The Buccaneers moved on to Berkhamsted on Saturday, braving monsoon conditions to take on a strong home team. Spencer & Stephen looked like a first pair dream team, but found themselves up against OB Nick Woof, a former star schoolboy player back from University in the USA and in between commitments as a pro golfer. He may have been a bit rusty but showed plenty of classy touches with some impressive cutting and formidable volleying. The North Oxford pair had their work cut out but began to work their way back into the match, returning more cuts, negating their opponents' strengths and throwing a few punches of their own. Somehow, however, they contrived to lose all three games when one of them at least - the second or the third most likely - should really have been taken and could have produced a very different end result. Stephen was at his most mercurial and Spencer was clearly struggling to come to terms with playing against a pair of twentysomethings with a full complement of limbs, so maybe it's not quite so surprising, Second pair was an excellent match: Ian was very much under the weather but battled through and played some good Fives, while Tom demonstrated his continued improvement and gained more valuable experience. They were up against a couple of solid opponents on their home courts, however and couldn't quite find a way past them. In the first game they went for the tactic of taking a lead (6-1) and trying to defend it, which narrowly failed. In the second and third they went for the alternative option of letting their opponents get well in front and then reeling them in gradually. Sadly that didn't quite work either and they ended up losing a good quality match in three. Honour was restored by team captain and club president Andy Bishop, who once again got himself in the winning pair to maintain his 100% record. He teamed up with Toby Bush - also making a compelling case for a move up the unofficial internal rankings - and they made short work of the Berkhamsted third pair. There followed a 7-3 win for North Oxford in the pub, with the King's Arms shaping up very well indeed before tripping over the crucial final hurdle with a slightly underwhelming STP. There was enough promise elsewhere to deserve a second chance next time we're in Berkhamsted, however. The NOEFC season now moves into overdrive with three Division 1 matches, one each in Divisions 2 and 3 plus three teams in the Peter Boughton Cup all in the next 10 days.

North Oxford 3 beat The Abbey 3-0 at Westminster 23/09/21:

A.Bishop & I.Mitchell beat T.Eapen & A.Kapur 3-0 (14-12, 12-8, 14-13)

F.Fairhead & T.Bush beat D.Fernando & G.Lumsden 3-0 (12-6, 12-4, 12-2)

K.Hird & M.Barnes beat A.Gupta & H.Williamson 3-0 (12-8, 13-12, 12-7)

NOEFC started the league season in strong form with a 3-0 away win at Westminster against The Abbey last night. With Windsor & Eton not competing in the league, the traditional season opener didn't happen; it also meant that Ian Mitchell & Mandie Barnes were able to switch their Division 3 allegiances and represent Bishop's Buccaneers. The President has been in fine form on the courts of Summer Fields in recent weeks and miraculously injury free; as such he took the opportunity of selecting himself at first pair alongside Ian and they duly won in three, although two of them went to 14 and required all of the abundant experience of the North Oxford pair to make it through. Second pair consisted of the Old Summerfieldian young guns, stalwart buccaneer Toby Bush partnered by the return of the prodigal Freddie Fairhead for his first NOEFC match for a while. The class was more than enough to overcome any rustiness as Freddie & Toby combined beautifully to cruise to a comfortable victory. Karen Hird couldn't let a North Oxford match go by without getting her name on the teamsheet and popped up at third pair to accompany Mandie against a pair of bemused schoolboys, who found themselves on the end of another 3-0 defeat, although as with the first pair it did require a sudden death 13-12 second game win to get the job done.