OXFORD University beat the bookies to win the 148th Boat Race in one of the tightest verdicts of all time - taking the line just two thirds of a length ahead of favourites Cambridge on Saturday.

The statistics fail to reveal just how close the whole race was from start to finish.

This is rare in a 2,000 metre international race but virtually unknown in the Boat Race, and even casual observers acknowledged the epic battle as one of the greatest of all time.

Cambridge won the toss and made the unusual choice of the Middlesex station. Only six times in the last 30 years has the decision been Middlesex.

There was controversy as the crews came under starter's orders. The umpire, Simon Harris, tried to get the crews level but there was a delay, and at the last minute Ellie Griggs, the Cambridge cox, raised her hand to signal they were not level.

Harris claimed he did not see this and Cambridge failed to get away cleanly. Their bow side oars lacked rhythm and it wasn't until three strokes had passed that they were able to get their act together at a rate of 50 strokes per minute.

The Light Blues got back on track and reached the mile one second ahead but suddenly it all began to go disastrously wrong.

Sebastian Mayer, the German international rowing at four for Cambridge, was in trouble, and Oxford took full advantage, crossing the line two thirds of a length clear.

Dark Blues president Ben Burch said afterwards: "It was a battle of wills in the end. We could sense that Cambridge were going a bit, but we were too.

"We just believed in ourselves the whole way, and even when we were down, we still had the confidence to come back."

However, the Light Blues' stroke, Rick Dunn, was not happy about the start.

"Ellie put her arm up because she wasn't ready just as the umpire raised his arm," he said. "After that, we fluffed our first three strokes and were struggling."