Result: a narrow loss for Blewbury.

134 to 141 IMPs
9.37 to 10.63 VPs

Congratulations to everyone on a very close match!  Three observations:

1.  It's a better result than we got last year against Banbury, when we were both in Division 2.  We only made 3.81 VPs that time.  Improvement!

2.  We didn't get squished.  We've just had our first Division 1 match and we came very close to winning it.

3.  We bid aggressively.  That's what I'd been asking people to do in my lessons, etc. and it worked.  There were several hands where Blewbury's aggressive auctions stole the contract or took us to a successful game that our opponents didn't find.  (Conversely, there were also hands that Banbury won by being more aggressive than us, e.g. boards 6, 17 and 19.)

Overall, there were lots of hands where aggression won IMPs, vs. I think only two where the opposite was true (boards 13 and 23).

Here's the RealBridge link if you want to play through the hands.

Cross-IMPs:

Finn Clark & Mike Brown (Blewbury) = 1.25 IMPs
Cherie Lusher & Diana Thorne (Banbury) = 0.51 IMPs
David Southcombe & Mike Dancer (Banbury) = 0.22 IMPs
Nigel Carter & Dermot Paddon (Blewbury) = 0.08 IMPs
Nick Simon-Norris & Chris Alcraft (Banbury) = -0.13 IMPs
Malcolm Cochrane & Shirley Moore (Blewbury) = -0.18 IMPs
Alison Clark & David Millard (Banbury) = -0.42 IMPs
Ian van Maanen & Diane Bell (Blewbury) = -1.35 IMPs

Going through the hands:

Board 1 = +2 IMPs

1NT by N-S at all tables, but the outcomes ranged from 1NT-2 to 1NT+3.  Wacky.  I think it plays better from the North hand.

Board 2 = +27 IMPs

Blewbury won the auction at all four tables and made four plus scores.  2♠ or 2♠+2 by N-S vs. 2NT+1 and 3♣ by E-W.

Board 3 = -6 IMPs

This one's my fault.  I made a light third-seat opening and went for -100 on a hand that was passed out at all other tables.

Board 4 = +25 IMPs

I was allowed to make 3NT+3 as North, when a heart lead and diamond switch lets the defence take the first seven tricks.  Our opponents never spoke, despite having an eleven-card diamond fit.  Personally, I think getting into the auction and making it harder for North-South is mandatory, as is demonstrated by the other three tables.  Mind you, it was easier for us because I opened a 12-14 1NT on ♠ AK52 ♥ 1097 ♦ K7 ♣ J954, which looks normal to me.  That's a nice eleven-count and worth the upgrade.

Board 5 = -6 IMPs

A flattish board.  4♥-2, 4♥-1, 5♥-1, etc. by North at all tables.  Congratulations to Malcolm and Shirley for pushing the opponents up to the five level, when Shirley came in at the four level with 4♠ (which I think is absolutely correct).  The computer says that best defence can't stop ten tricks, but this needs some good guessing from declarer.

Board 6 = -22 IMPs

Banbury bid and made a vulnerable 6♥ against Malcolm and Shirley, while all other Souths were playing 4♥+2.

When West overcalls 2♦, the most aggressive action on East's hand would be to blast 5♦.  You have ♠ 963 ♥ 5 ♦ Q7542 ♣ K654.  This would be a pretty extreme choice at duplicate (costing -500 against a non-vulnerable game if the opponents double, which is likely).  However, this is IMPs...  and it'll stop South from being able to bid Blackwood.

Board 7 = +12 IMPs

N-S made 1NT+4 (congratulations to Malcolm and Shirley) and 3NT-3 (at our table, where declarer decided to bid 3NT over 3♥ by East-West even though his combined holding in our suit was only Q4 opposite 93).  Malcolm received exactly the same heart lead against his 1NT contract, but his right-hand opponent decided to play the jack from AJ86.  This was unsuccessful.  At another table, Banbury actually made 3♥ by E-W.

Board 8 = -16 IMPs

One Banbury East made 3NT, whereas other Easts only managed 3NT-2, 2NT-1 or 3♦.  The computer says the par result in no-trumps is indeed seven tricks...  but only on a spade lead.  A club lead from ♠ K10653 ♥ K3 ♦ 7 ♣ 107652, on the other hand, gives declarer the key tempo.  Personally, I think the spade lead is theoretically better for three reasons: (a) an unbid major against 3NT is usually better than an unbid minor, (b) you need much less help from partner to set up the spades, with the actual holding of Qxx being more than enough, and (c) North was a passed hand and South has only six points, so this probably isn't the best time to sit back and defend passively.

Board 9 = +14 IMPs

A mish-mash hand.  The computer thinks East-West can make 5♦, but the computer knows where all the cards are.  3♦+1 by West was the normal result, but there was also a painful 4♠-2 by West (vulnerable on a flimsy 5-2 fit) and a 3♣-2 by North (which would be excellent at duplicate, but isn't significantly different from 3♦+1 by East-West at IMPs).

Board 10 = -6 IMPs

Another mish-mash.  East-West have the blacks and North-South have the reds, but the minors play well and the majors play horribly.

Board 11 = flat

Everyone played in 2♠ by East.  The overtrick's on a jack-or-king heart guess.

Board 12 = +4 IMPs

Everyone played in 1NT by East and went off.  I saved an undertrick after North switched to a diamond at trick four.  This is logical in principle, but it went awry when the defence later persisted with the diamond attack even though it was the strongest suit in declarer's hand.  (It would have been better to lead a card that told partner not to expect points in the suit.)

Board 13 = -24 IMPs

5♦-1 by West everywhere, except for one Banbury pair who did well to leave N-S to struggle in 4♠-2 (vulnerable).

Board 14 = +20 IMPs

1NT everywhere...  but Malcolm and Shirley managed to play it (and make it!) from the North hand whereas at all the other tables it was by East-West.  A brave and very successful bid from North.

Board 15 = +2 IMPs

North-South can make diamonds, or East-West can go off non-vulnerable in hearts.  Very little in it.

Board 16 = flat

Everyone made ten tricks in spades, but two declarers bid 4♠ while two stopped in part-score.  Mike and I were lucky enough to get an uncontested auction, so we bid a peaceful 1♥ 1♠ 3♠ 4♠.  Ian and Diane faced interference in diamonds...  but I think ♠ A10863 ♥ 532 ♦ 5 ♣ A1094 is worth a raise to game.  Reasons: (a) a fifth trump in support of partner, (b) your points are concentrated in punchy aces, (c) a singleton in the opponents' suit.

Board 17 = -36 IMPs

Banbury made two heart games by North and sacrificed cheaply twice in 4♠-1 by East.  If North opens 1♥, East overcalls 2♥ (Michaels) and South says 3♥, what should West say with ♠ 9872 ♥ 10 ♦ KQ954 ♣ A43?  Given the heart singleton, my vote would be for an immediate 4♠.  (Bidding only 3♠ will just give you a problem on the next round when North-South inevitably push on to 4♥ and you're wondering what to do now.  It might even have been possible that both sides could have made game in their suit.)

Board 18 = +19 IMPs

Malcolm and Shirley stole the contract as North-South in 3♥ (and made it), whereas all other tables let East-West play in 2♠.

Board 19 = -6 IMPs

South sacrificed in 5♥x-3 against Dermot and Nigel.  I think the correct auction is an opening of 3♥ by South (or 4♥, depending on partnership style) at favourable vulnerability on ♠ 43 ♥ AQJ8652 ♦ 109 ♣ 84.  After that, if South opened 3♥, North might make a barrage raise to 5♥.  Mind you, East's hand is so golden that you might hear a 5♠ bid even over that.

Board 20 = +1 IMP

North-South can make ten tricks in 4♠ or 3NT+1 (or indeed a minor-suit game in clubs).  Two tables bid game and two stopped in part-score.  North has a dubious 12-count with the stiff ♥K but should still open the bidding, after which South can force to game.

Board 21 = +2 IMPs

Everyone made 4♠+2 or 3NT+3.  Is slam biddable?  Answer: no, not in a million years.  Everything's sitting beautifully.  Swap the defenders' hands and even 4♠ could be beaten if declarer isn't careful.  (The defence play three rounds of clubs, but declarer throws a heart from dummy on the third round, giving the defence a third club trick but ensuring that dummy can't be forced.)

Board 22 = +2 IMPs

Another mish-mash.  A wide assortment of results, but they all yielded 130-ish to East-West.  (I'm surprised that no one had a bash at 3NT, though, with West hearing a 1NT opening from partner and holding ♠ A ♥ J75 ♦ 432 ♣ AJ9854...  it's a little on the thin side, but you have a source of tricks and you're vulnerable at IMPs.)

Board 23 = -19 IMPs

One Banbury North-South stopped in 2♠ and missed a beautiful game that was bid (vulnerable) at all other tables...  except that ten tricks become a distant dream when the trumps broke 4-1.  You'd expect that to be a big plus for Blewbury if you could see only the North-South cards, but no.

The computer thinks double-dummy defence can't break 4♠, but I couldn't spot it even with all four hands in front of me.  The defence start by forcing you in hearts and they'll force you again on getting in with the club king.  The winning line involves very delicate switching between playing exactly two rounds of clubs, diamonds and spades, forcing West to split his honours, and then force West to decide whether to ruff high on nothing or ruff low and be overruffed.  But working it out almost needs psychic powers.

Board 24 = +4 IMPs

Both Blewbury East-Wests bid 4♠, while both Banbury East-West stopped in 3♠.  Game would be pretty crazy at duplicate and I was calling it unbiddable when chatting afterwards, but this is IMPs and we were trying to catch up.  Congratulations to Nigel & Dermot and Malcolm & Shirley for bidding it!  Unfortunately, the 3-1 trump break makes ten tricks delicate and only one of those two 4♠ contracts made.  Still 4 IMPs to Blewbury overall on the hand, though.

And that's that!  Congratulations again to everyone!  (And our sympathies to Mike Allen, who had to stand down due to illness.  We all hope he feels better soon.)