North Oxford Win The Boughton Bowl
Elana Garfield-Osen reports:
21/10/24: The fifth annual Mixed Teams Tournament for the Boughton Bowl took place at Highgate on a drizzly October Sunday.
Four teams of three mixed pairs arrived promptly (yes, even Ipswich) so that after an explanation of the tournament’s rules (including the standard mixed formula, the Wiseman rule) the tournament got underway bang on schedule as a round-robin, best-of-three, no-setting, as-much-fives-as-can-be-packed-into-six-hours bonanza. All of Highgate School’s eight courts were in use throughout the day in varying states of slipperiness - albeit one as bag storage and one as a makeshift office for yours truly - as 24 players sought to establish their team as the winner over 39 games and (approximately) 750 points of fives.
In Round one, North Oxford A powered off to a perfect start with wins at each pair against Ipswich. It was by no means a walkover though: not only did the round feature many-time Ladies National Champions Karen Hird (North Oxford A) and Charlotta Cooley (Ipswich) facing off against each other at first pair -Tom McCahon helping Karen to a 12-5, 12-5 victory against Charlotta & Elliot Caldwell - but the longest game of the round was between Rachel Wood & Nick Shaw (North Oxford A second pair) and Nadia Mason & Simon Cass, though ultimately the Ipswich pair did not quite manage to push the match to a deciding third game.
North Oxford B also registered a win overall with a 2-1 victory over Team Westway. The closest scores of the round were between Emily Scoones & Stefan Nowinski (North Oxford B 1st pair) against Jessye Tu & Abilash Sivathasan (Westway), whereas Sarah Jackman and Philip Wilkinson (Westway 3rd pair) were the most ruthless of the day, allowing their opposition just six points against them over the two games.
Round One
North Oxford A beat Ipswich 3-0
K.Hird & T.McCahon beat C.Cooley & E.Caldwell 12-5, 12-5
R.Wood & N.Shaw beat N.Mason & S.Cass 12-9, 12-7
G.Day & A.Abrahams beat B.Laws & S.Cook 12-7, 12-6
North Oxford B beat Team Westway 2-1
E.Scoones & S.Nowinski beat J.Tu & A.Sivathasan 12-9, 12-8
M.Barnes & A.Cameron-Blackie beat N.Lilienthal & G.Linfield 12-9, 12-8
S-L Yuen & A.Bishop lost to S.Jackman & P.Wilkinson 2-12, 4-12
Round Two saw the first three-game matches of the day and the NOEFC derby. North Oxford A pulled no punches in their second 3-0 whitewash, but again they were pushed hard, particularly by Sze-Lynn Yuen and Andy Bishop at 3rd pair, who managed eight points in each game in a strong showing from Grace Day and Nick Shaw. The first pair match was one of the major exhibitions of the day, however, and at 9-11 in the decider to Emily & Archie Cameron-Blackie it seemed as though North Oxford A were not going to get their way. Karen & Tom, already having gelled in Round One, did not appear to have got that memo, though and rather refused to be beaten as they took it to step-all and then 12-11.
Meanwhile, Ipswich took on Team Westway and registered what was to be a crucial win at first pair, although it was the third pair match that had the crowd gasping as a soaring game-ball cut put an end to a close three-game match between youngsters Betsy Laws & Sam Cook (Ipswich) and Sarah & George Linfield (Westway).
Round Two
North Oxford A beat North Oxford B 3-0
K.Hird & T.McCahon beat E.Scoones & A.Cameron-Blackie 7-12, 12-9, 12-11
R.Wood & A.Abrahams beat M.Barnes & S.Nowinski 12-5, 12-3
G.Day & N.Shaw beat S-L.Yuen & A.Bishop 12-8, 12-8
Team Westway beat Ipswich 2-1
J.Tu & A.Sivathasan lost to C.Cooley & E.Caldwell 4-12, 5-12
N.Lilienthal & P.Wilkinson beat N.Mason & S.Cass 12-11, 12-9
S.Jackman & G.Linfield beat B.Laws & S.Cook 5-12, 12-8, 12-9
Only a 3-0 victory to Team Westway in Round Three could stop North Oxford A getting their hands on the beautiful Boughton Bowl. The reverse whitewash looked increasingly unlikely - but not impossible - with Team Westway closely losing all three first games. (It will, though, forever be a mystery as to how close the third pair match really was, since none of its four competitors came off court at the end of the match with even a semblance of a clue as to how many points had been registered in the first game.) It was thus all to play for in game two; the first to surrender were the parachuted-in pair of yours truly & Julian Black (Westway 1st pair) and the total collapse of Team Westway to the North Oxford A juggernaut came not long after.
So while the destination of the Boughton Bowl was assured, the final team rankings were not, because Ipswich were going on a late surge against North Oxford B. Mandie Barnes and Stefan tried to hold off the onslaught at second pair, registering a second-game win, but were beaten in the third by Nadia & Simon; Sze-Lynn and Andy were no match for the Ipswich youth, Betsy and Sam; and it all fell to Charlotta & Elliott to decide whether the tournament would end in a three-way tie for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place. It was a close affair that kept the massing crowd at the edge of their seats, but in the final throes of the Mixed Teams tournament it became clear that the mammoth NOEFC-derby first pair game would prove decisive, as the fresher Ipswich pair managed to seal a victory that catapulted the Ipswich contingent into 2nd place and relegated North Oxford B to 4th.
Round Three
North Oxford A beat Team Westway 3-0
K.Hird & T.McCahon beat E.Garfield-Osen & J.Black 12-7, 12-7
R.Wood & A.Abrahams beat N.Lilienthal & A.Sivathasan 12-10 12-10
G.Day & N.Shaw beat S.Jackman & P.Wilkinson 12-8, 12-11
Ipswich beat North Oxford B 3-0
C.Cooley & E.Caldwell beat E.Scoones & A.Cameron-Blackie 12-10, 12-8
N.Mason & S.Cass beat M.Barnes & S.Nowinski 12-4, 9-12, 12-4
B.Laws & S.Cook beat S-L.Yuen & A.Bishop 12-5, 12-9
All that was left was for Tony Stubbs, gallantly deputising for Peter Boughton, to award the Boughton Bowl (kindly deposited at Highgate earlier in the day by Abs Bhattacharya on behalf of the 2023 winners) in front of the days participants, the Advanta Wealth flags flying behind the six North Oxford A victors.
As ever, many thanks should go to Gareth Hoskins for his assistance in organising, to the team captains (Gareth again, Natalie Lilienthal, and Peter Boughton) for rallying the troops, and to Highgate School and the Mallinson Sports Centre for hosting us again.
Lastly, to anyone who fancies playing next year in the sixth-edition Boughton Bowl, keep an eye on next season's key dates calendar and get a mixed team together!
Final Tally
North Oxford A: 9 points
Ipswich: 4 points
Westway: 3 points
North Oxford B: 2 points