University Challenge 2014-15: Qualification Quarter-Final 2: Caius vs Magdalen

Evening all. Well, after last week's match of very little note, I think we were all expecting better things this week given the teams were thought would be involved. Whoever won tonight would probably be considered lukewarm favourites to win the whole series.

Gonville & Caius College Cambridge defeated St Anne's College Oxford, Manchester (The Team Everyone Wants To Beat) and Durham in their three matches so far, looking highly impressive in all three cases. Hoping to live up to their previous form tonight were the unchanged foursome of:
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

Magdalen College Oxford's (at times controversial yet) impressive run to this stage saw them defeat Pembroke College Cambridge, Open and Trinity College Cambridge, with bigger scores each time. No doubt hoping to keep that going tonight were the also unchanged quartet of:
Harry Gillow, from Stone in Staffordshire, studying Classics
Chris Savory, from Burgess Hill in West Sussex, studying Chemistry
Captain: Hugh Binnie, from Cheltenham, studying Chemistry
Cameron J. Quinn, from Los Angeles, studying Philosophy and French

Off we set again then, and it was the Oxford side who got off the mark quicker, with Hugh Binnie quickly taking the first starter of the night, on photobombing. (Well, it was only a matter of time...) The side took two bonuses, before Mr Gillow won the hotly fought buzzer race on the next starter, allowing a full bonus set to be converted. Cameron Quinn took the third, and Magdalen looked to be running away with it again. But then Mr Quinn slipped up, and, while Caius didn't directly pick it up, they did subsequently get off the mark. The first picture round, on logos of international organisations that officially speak French, went to Magdalen, who led 70-15.

Now, though, Caius began to fight back, with Mr Martinelli taking two starters in a row, one of which opened up a set of bonuses on terms starting with three consecutive letters of the alphabet (we had that just two weeks ago, didn't we?), the other of which saw Mr Quinn slip up again and lose a second five. The Cambridge side dropped one of the six bonuses, and, as a result, were now well back in the hunt. A slip-up from Ted Loveday went unpicked up, before Mr Quinn made up for his prior mistakes with a very good buzz to earn points that gave his side more room to breath.

The music round saw Ted Loveday identify Mendelssohn almost as soon as I did! The bonuses, on pieces commissioned by the Philharmonic Society, went to Caius, who now trailed by 90-75. A very good buzz from Hugh Binnie allowed Magdalen to pull away again, and break three figures, but they only managed one bonus. Michael Taylor, quiet early on, took his first starter of the night, and a full set of bonuses meant they were breathing down Magdalen's collective necks like Mark Labbett on top Chase form. Cameron Quinn gave them more maneuvering room with another starter, but none of a very tricky bonus set on computing acronyms followed. Mr Binnie took the next starter, to pull his side further away, but Mr Taylor took the next, and Caius took all three bonuses to remain right behind Magdalen. What a match this was becoming!

The second picture round, on portraits of influential figures of the Reformation, went to Magdalen, and allowed them to lead 145-125. But Caius just wouldn't give up the hunt, and pulled right back up behind them with the next starter. And when Mr Loveday took his second starter in a row, Caius took the lead for the first time. The Cambridge side were now in the ascendancy, as Mr Martinelli took the next starter, and they took two bonuses. Throughout the match, they had been getting fewer starters, but generally getting more bonuses, and now they were getting the starters too, this was beginning to prove key.

When Mr Taylor took the next starter, you began to think it was game over; as if to further this, the side took all three bonuses on homophones. Hugh Binnie finally broke Magdalen back into the match, but they could only manage one bonus on currencies. Cameron Quinn bravely tried his luck on the next starter, but only slipped his side back five, handing Caius the points. The gong went before the first bonus could be asked; Caius won a great match 215-155.

Well, whatever the rest of the series holds, it'll take something to beat that; it was the best match for months. Unlucky Magdalen, who led almost throughout and, as Paxo said, got unlucky with the starters late on, but I can't see how they won't make the semis if they keep playing like that; best of luck to them next time. Very well done to Caius though; a fine showing against excellent opposition, and surely they must now be taken seriously in the semis.

Mr Quinn was the night's best buzzer, with five starters, while Messrs Loveday and Martinelli were joint best for Caius with four each. The bonuses proved crucial: Caius converted a good 22 out of 30 (with one penalty), while Magdalen only managed 14 out of 30 (with three penalties); that's where the match was won and lost.

Next week's match: by process of elimination, it must be Durham vs Trinity.

Only Connect reached the end of it's quarter-final stage tonight; I'll try to get a QF summary posted once I've been able to watch tonight's match back. Next week, the regular series pauses for a Comic Relief special, incidentally.