University Challenge 2014-15: Round 2: Match 4: Caius vs Manchester

Evening all. I'm really surprised and pleased with all the debate my comment on second round and feminine equality reform has provoked among contestants and commentators alike; thanks to all for your comment in recent weeks. Weaver's Week have got in on it too, albeit less so now they only do scores and light comment; yesterday, they accused the producers of rigging the draw so that Trinity, Magdalen and Manchester would meet in the group phase. I feel another thoughts post coming on later this week.

Gonville & Caius College Cambridge notched up the highest score of the first round, as they defeated the gallant St Anne's College Oxford side 305-105; an impressive performance, despite them claiming not to know anything about works by female psychologists purely because they were written by women. They were the same quartet as before:
Ted Loveday, from Hammersmith, studying Law
Michael Taylor, from Ballymena in Northern Ireland, studying History
Captain: Anthony Martinelli, from Hertfordshire, studying Medicine
Jeremy Warner, from Southampton, studying Natural Sciences

Manchester (the team everyone wants to beat, according to WW) came through the repechage, losing to Selwyn College Cambridge, but recovering with a decent win over Sussex by 210-95, in a match noted for at least three lucky guesses, as Paxo pointed out. The Manchester side were also the same as in their prior outings:
Edmund Chapman, from Norwich, studying Literature and Translation
Matthew Stallard, from Wolverhampton, studying American Studies
Captain: John Ratcliffe, from Manchester, studying Chemical Engineering
Charlie Rowlands, from Albrighton in Shropshire, studying Genetics and Chinese

Off we set again then, and it was Caius who struck first courtesy of Michael Taylor getting in first after a very long starter of the sort WW have bemoaned as of late. The Cambridge side took two bonuses; Manchester soon set off in pursuit though, but they only managed one bonus from a rather complex set. They made up for it by taking the second starter and, with it, the lead, and took two bonuses on Irish cricket. The first picture round, on maps showing airports named after musicians or composers, went to Caius, who narrowly took the lead 40-35.

A harsh but fair adjudication by Paxo, who rejected 'Mexico' when seeking 'Mexican', cost Manchester five and gave Caius a larger lead, but they couldn't manage any bonuses. Neither side worked out a complicated literary arithmetic starter, before Caius shot back in, and took two bonuses, one of which Paxo was maybe a bit lenient to accept. In danger of falling behind, Manchester got back in after Matthew Stallard worked out that 'Trotter' was the surname linking a list of fictional characters. Their bonuses on US presidential inaugural addresses included a comment on Obama's mistaken claim about 44 men becoming president, as first pointed out by QI.

The music round saw Mr Taylor quickly identify Psychokiller by Talking Heads; the bonuses, on favourite songs of American Psycho's Patrick Bateman, gave Caius two bonuses and a lead of 90-50. Manchester lost another five on the next starter, but Caius couldn't capitalise this time. Ted Loveday, impressive in the first round, took his first starter of the night and break the side into three figures. Mr Stallard bought Manchester back in, and when John Ratcliffe got the side's second starter in a row and they took all three bonuses, it looked like they might be starting to fight back into the game.

The second picture round, on paintings from the Wallace collection's 'Great Gallery', went to Caius, who took all three bonuses, and thus took a lead of 130-85. Mr Taylor took the next starter, and when the side swept the board on the bonuses again, Manchester looked in serious trouble. Back they came, though, courtesy of Mr Rowlands, but the side only managed one bonus. Another starter went to the Mancunians, but no bonuses followed. The shock was on.

Manchester needed to sweep up all the starters from now on, but when that man Michael Taylor took the next and the side took all three bonuses, that looked like it would do to see them home safely. As if to confirm that, the Cambridge side took the next starter and took two bonuses. Manchester did manage the final two starters of the match, but it wasn't going to be enough. At the gong, Caius won 200-135.

Well, if that theory of WW's is correct, it seems to have backfired spectacularly! Bad luck to Manchester, who didn't seem to quite find their feet tonight, but Paxo rightly described them as an entertaining team who made good telly; well done to them on three good showings. Very well done to Caius though on another fine showing against good opposition, and they must be favoured to do well in the QFs; best of luck to them for then!

Michael Taylor was the night's best buzzer, taking six starter, while Matthew Stallard was best for Manchester with four. The bonus rates were telling: Caius converted 20 out of 30, and Manchester 11 out of 24 (with two penalties). So, a better bonus rate from Caius, coupled with a couple of extra starters, won the game.

Again, it's over to Cassiopeia and the other Twitterers to find out who's on next week.

Only Connect has now reached the stage where teams make it into the QFs; a good match between two good teams tonight.