Blewbury 66 IMPs
Banbury 112 IMPs
Final result: -46 IMPs, which is 16.19 VPs to Banbury, 3.81 VPs to us

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Cross-IMPs

Finn Clark & Stuart Forsyth = +0.11
Ian Van Maanen & Matt Wright = -1.36
Mike Allen & Malcolm Cochrane = -0.56
Nigel Carter & Dermot Paddon = -0.69

Thanks to everyone!

Looking through the hands, I don't think anyone disgraced themselves.  We didn't lose because of atrocities, but simply because Banbury were more aggressive than us.  They bid more games...  not always after sane auctions, but they still bid them.  That explains the final scoreline.

The final result is more or less our first-set deficit.  Sets 2-4 were overall even for both sides, but that first set was fatal.

HAND 1 = -12 IMPs

Stuart and I let through 4♠, with all the other tables scoring 100 or so.  Looking at the hand again, we probably shouldn't have cashed the trump ace out of the blue, which clears up a potentially tricky 4-1 trump position for declarer.  Best defence is probably to force declarer in diamonds and peacefully wait for him to make his own (mis)judgements.

HAND 2 = -13 IMPs

The scores were 6♠-3, 5♠-2, 4♠-1 and 4♠.

On the actual diamond lead, I think 6♠ makes.  Cash two diamonds and the heart queen, throwing dummy's losing club, then play trumps from the top.  (The defence could have foiled that by leading the club ace, though).

I don't think Ian and Mat did anything wrong in defence against 4♠.  They're just unlucky to meet the only declarer to make ten tricks.

HAND 3 = -1 IMP

HAND 4 = -4 IMPs

HAND 5 = -7 IMPs

The successful (Banbury) declarer broached trumps from the table, while the unsuccessful ones started from hand.  Pure luck.

HAND 6 = -6 IMPs

Stuart and I defended 4♥ (which made), whereas the other tables all stopped in 3♥.  But I don't think anyone did anything wrong.

HAND 7 = -11 IMPs

Banbury bid and made 3NT at one table.  It's obviously touch and go.  South opened 2♥, West doubled, North said 3♥ (12 points, three hearts) and East bid 3NT.

Personally, I think double would now be a good bid on North's hand, telling partner to lead a heart.  12 points + 6-10 in partner's hand + a nine-card heart fit.  The advantages of the penalty double are: (a) looking for a nice penalty, and (b) guiding partner to the correct lead (his suit) and stopping him from being imaginative and looking for a different suit to lead instead.  This is one of the subjects I'd been talking about in my last two Sunday 3pm sessions!

HAND 8 = -12 IMPs

Banbury's pairs both bid 4♠, while ours both stopped in 2♠.  There were a couple of hands where Stuart and I made conservative choices that cost IMPs...  this is one of those hands.  In hindsight, I think I should have blasted 4♠ on my 12-count after Stuart's spade rebid.  If you look at it, it's much more powerful than its point count suggests, especially when you know about a good spade fit.  Aces, a trump fit, a singleton and control of the opponents' suit.

HAND 9 = -2 IMPs

HAND 10 = +13 IMPs

At last, a game swing our way!

HAND 11 = -2 IMPs

HAND 12 = -6 IMPs

Aggression didn't pay this time.  Stuart and I reached 4♠-2, whereas all other declarers made a quiet part-score.

HAND 13 = +14 IMPs

Another game swing our way.  4♠ runs into a 4-0 trump break, but it's not unmakeable (and at one table we duly made it).

HAND 14 = -10 IMPs

I went off in 3NT.

HAND 15 = -13 IMPs

Banbury's pairs both bid and made 4♠ (in one case after a dreadful auction), while ours stopped in part-score.

HAND 16 = +6 IMPs

HAND 17 = +6 IMPs

Two part-score boards that both went our way.

HAND 18 = -1 IMPs

HAND 19 = +3 IMPs

HAND 20 = -3 IMPs

HAND 21 = +1 IMPs

HAND 22 = -9 IMPs

Three North-South pairs sacrificed in five of a minor, but the fourth (Banbury) pair let us play in 4♥-1.  Ian was the unlucky declarer.  He did absolutely nothing wrong; the defence was card-perfect.

HAND 23 = +10 IMPs

A game swing from Dermot and Nigel's 3NT.  Which theoretically is the normal contract on 18 opposite 7, but no other table found it.  Holding an 18-count, the textbook overcall on North's hand is to double and then bid no trumps...  but I have sympathy for the downgrade on such a flat, empty 18-count.

HAND 24 = +13 IMPs

A double game swing.  Our pairs bid and made 3NT, while theirs played 1NT+2 (silly auction) and 3NT-1 (well defended, Nigel and Dermot).