DEFENDING champions in the West, the Royal Sun (Begbroke), held their collective nerve and their narrow advantage to triumph over their Premier Section opponents, the Royal Blenheim ‘A’ (Oxford City), and record the result of the night, if not of the entire campaign to date.

Victories against elite league sides are rare indeed, this being the first this season, yet their 76-71 success was not quite good enough to elevate the Royal Sun to the top of the standings.

Matching their return of five wins from six starts but with a slightly heavier weight of scoring, the Windrush Club (Witney) enter the New Year as front runners. Defeat to the Seacourt Bridge (Botley) on the opening day has been long forgotten thanks to an unbeaten sequence, their latest victims being the Royal Blenheim ‘B’, turned over 76-60.

This most competitive of divisions sees the Seacourt neatly tucked behind in third having secured their fourth win, at home to the Chequers (Chipping Norton), 71-54.

Occupying fourth are the White Hart (Eynsham). Losing narrowly last time out, they bounced back in tremendous style to squeeze past a powerful King’s Arms (Wheatley), 72-66. Familiarity with Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer’s parentage helped stave off the opposition’s late fightback and, as importantly, keep the victors in the mix going into 2015.

Pre-tournament favourites, the Green Road Club (Kidlington), shorn of their talis(wo)man Kate who is currently in Oz, are struggling in fifth. Last Thursday, they were unlucky to come up against the raging juggernaut which is the Ploughman’s Bunch! (Wolvercote) and were simply overwhelmed 85-67, a scoreline embellished by a final round 12-0 shut out.

In a pulsating contest in Bletchingdon, hosts the Black’s Head just failed to see off their guests and North Division titleholders, the Blue Boar Bees (Chipping Norton). The latter are becoming a formidable unit, recently losing only narrowly to the Plough. This 76-72 result has put daylight between them and their rivals.

As for the Plough, landlord Tim B is a lot happier following Chelsea’s advancement to the knock-out stages of the Champions League, and another two points for his relentless charges from their match at the North Oxford Conservative Club. Both teams were minus their regular skippers, the visitors’ stand-in handed a picture round entirely devoted to films, his speciality. The clean sweep there was pivotal to the 75-63 score. They retain their 100% record.

The Gardener’s Arms (North Parade) blow hot and cold but were on fire as they despatched the Black Swan back to East Oxford, 74-65.

These setbacks for the Black Swan and the King’s Arms offered the Eight Bells (Long Crendon) the chance to assume pole position in the East and they duly obliged by overwhelming the Chandos Arms, 74-59.

JAMES CARR'S QUESTIONS

1 Which was the second Liverpool group after Gerry and the Pacemakers to have their first three singles reach number one in the UK Singles Chart?
2 Name the 17-year-old Pakistani activist for female education, and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize recipient? 
3 What was the name of Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer’s father?
4 Name Cliff Richard’s two solo Christmas No1s?

ANSWERS

1 Frankie Goes To Hollywood; 2 Malala Yousafzai; 3 Donner; 4 Mistletoe & Wine and Saviours Day.