Undoubtedly, the match of the day last Thursday was that played in Begbroke featuring the home side and early pacesetters in Section One, the Royal Sun, pitted against their near neighbours and probable chief rivals for the championship pennant, the Green Road Club (Kidlington).

The visitors got off to a breathtaking start and were 11 points up by the end of round three. This sort of lead is rarely recovered but, bit by bit, the Royal Sun clawed their way back into the contest and, in a pulsating climax, recalling that Brian Bennett was the drummer with 60s band The Shadows provided them with the final answer of a bruising affair and helped level the final scores at 65 apiece.

The Royal Sun’s unbeaten run remains intact as does their lead in the division but on this showing the Green Road will be snapping at their heels all the way to the season’s denouement in April.

Also racing into a commanding early lead were the Bletchingdon Nomads.

The less said the better about skipper Carl’s dress attire, save to say he resembled Norman Wisdom’s portrayal of a schoolboy in oversized clothing, bizarrely copied to some extent by his team-mate Clarkey, but in quizzing terms at least, he commanded his troops excellently, never relinquishing their quickfire advantage, eventually running out convincing winners over their spirited opposition, the North Oxford Conservative Club (Summertown), 71-56.

The Nomads currently occupy the runner’s- up berth in division one with three victories from their four starts and if they can keep the same team at the table this week, they could yet provide the Plough (Wolvercote) with a decent run for their money.

The Premiership leaders, however, were in imperious form, overwhelming a rather out-of-sorts Black Swan (East Oxford), 76-47. These sorts of crushing defeats happen every so often against the top dogs, you just have to take it on the chin and move on.

The same could be said for the poor old Seacourt Bridge (Botley). Three straight losses became four following a battering at home to the Royal Blenheim (Oxford City). Pummelled 76-46, they at least have a bye in two days time giving them sufficient respite before playing the Con Club in a fortnight.

Both the Black Swan and the Seacourt could take solace from the latest performance by the White Hart (Eynsham). Beaten in their opening three outings and utterly clobbered in two of them, they bounced back magnificently to overcome a very good Gardener’s Arms (North Parade) outfit, 73-62.

The two newbies to summer quizzing, the Bell (Lower Heyford) and the Blue Boar (Chipping Norton) squared up with the former coming off best, landing the spoils in a tight encounter, 65-59. Next up for them, a trip to the Black Swan which, Q & A apart, given the jocularity of both participants, should produce a very entertaining evening.

1. Eleanor of Castile was the mother of which English monarch?

2. Bujumbura is the capital, largest city, and main port of which African country?

3. Which shipping forecast area was renamed Fitzroy in 2002?

4. Which actor’s films include JFK, Home Alone, Splash, Stripes and Armed and Dangerous?

ANSWERS: 1. Edward II, 2. Burundi, 3. Finisterre 4. John Candy