I suspect that most, if not all, of the President’s Cup contestants learned a new word this week – spog (which is, of course, a type of liquorice allsort). As the word was the subject of the penultimate question in a week of three very close contests, it perhaps acquired a somewhat unusual significance.
This was especially true in the top of the table match between Oxford and Sussex. Trailing into the last round, Oxford came within a whisker of snatching at least a point before coming unstuck on the jelly-based sweetmeat. Sussex’s one point win means that they regain the championship which they first won two years ago. Congratulations to them.
Elsewhere the humble spog also came to the rescue of Cambridge who having built a big lead against London seemed to be on the point of a ‘choke’ of epic proportions. A narrow victory over the league champions is at least a nice varnish for the wooden spoon which is already heading Cambridge’s way.
I don’t know how the spog went down with Beds & Herts and the Mastermind Club but they also fought out a close and exciting game with B & H snatching the lead in round seven only for the Masterminders to finish strongly and take the spoils, jumping into third place as a result.
The last set of games for this year will take place on Sunday March 21st with Cambridge, Sussex and Mastermind Club playing host.
| Pos | Pre | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | Avg | 2s | Pts | Form |
| 1 | 1 (-) | Sussex | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 368 | 305 | 63 | 40.89 | 100 | 14 | WLWWW |
| 2 | 2 (-) | Oxford | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 319 | 298 | 21 | 35.44 | 74 | 11 | DWWWL |
| 3 | 5 (+2) | Mastermind Club | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 340 | 332 | 8 | 37.78 | 111 | 9 | DWLLW |
| 4 | 3 (-1) | London | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 330 | 313 | 17 | 36.67 | 95 | 8 | LLWWL |
| 5 | 4 (-1) | Beds & Herts | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 304 | 316 | -12 | 33.78 | 85 | 8 | WWLLL |
| 6 | 6 (-) | Cambridge | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 266 | 363 | -97 | 29.56 | 78 | 4 | LLLLW |
| London | 32 - 35 | Cambridge |
| Mick Lancaster 12 | Ray Eaton 11 Roger Bennett 10 |
| Beds & Herts | 27 - 30 | Mastermind Club |
| Fred Filby 11 | Gavin Fuller 12 |
| Oxford | 33 - 34 | Sussex |
| Mike Billson 15 Dennis Brown 10 | Olav Bjortomt 12 Kathryn Johnson 12 |
| Pos | Table | P | W | D | L | Avg | B | Pts |
| 1 | West London | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 47.50 | 5 | 33 |
| 2 | North London | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 46.13 | 1 | 21 |
| 3 | Outer London | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 41.25 | 2 | 18 |
| 4 | Central London | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 44.13 | 3 | 17 |
| 5 | South London | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 36.50 | 0 | 10 |
| 6 | East London | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 37.00 | 0 | 8 |
| Pos | Division 1 | P | W | D | L | Avg | B | Pts |
| 1 | Broken Hearts (C) | 20 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 52.90 | 14 | 84 |
| 2 | Pericardium | 20 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 50.95 | 9 | 77 |
| 3 | Nomads | 20 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 50.15 | 12 | 72 |
| 4 | Atletico | 20 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 47.85 | 8 | 62 |
| 5 | Allsorts | 20 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 47.35 | 4 | 54 |
| 6 | Old Itonians | 20 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 45.55 | 9 | 53 |
| 7 | Telstars | 20 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 42.00 | 5 | 37 |
| 8 | Barb | 20 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 38.70 | 5 | 27 |
| 9 | Pineapple | 20 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 37.65 | 4 | 22 |
| 10 | Waterloo Sunset | 20 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 37.40 | 1 | 13 |
| 11 | Five Bells | 20 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 38.10 | 1 | 11 |
| Pos | Division 2 | P | W | D | L | Avg | B | Pts |
| 1 | Gray Monks (W) | 20 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 48.75 | 9 | 77 |
| 2 | Banana Splits | 20 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 43.65 | 3 | 67 |
| 3 | Rosslyn Park | 20 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 39.85 | 5 | 57 |
| 4 | Eclectics | 20 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 40.80 | 4 | 54 |
| 5 | Accies | 20 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 38.25 | 3 | 51 |
| 6 | Sons of the Dessert | 20 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 39.40 | 6 | 48 |
| 7 | Mealy Bugs | 20 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 39.10 | 4 | 40 |
| 8 | Ovalytes | 20 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 38.20 | 4 | 38 |
| 9 | Outcasts | 20 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 34.05 | 7 | 29 |
| 10 | Wharfside | 20 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 29.70 | 2 | 14 |
| 11 | London Scottish | 20 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 29.90 | 1 | 13 |
| Pos | Table | P | W | D | L | 2s | Pts |
| 1 | Sussex | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 117 | 16 |
| 2 | Mastermind Club | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 122 | 11 |
| 3 | Oxford | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 81 | 11 |
| 4 | London | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 103 | 8 |
| 5 | Beds & Herts | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 94 | 8 |
| 6 | Cambridge | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 89 | 6 |