University Challenge 2016-17: Round 1: Match 1: Sheffield vs Bristol

Evening all. Here we go again, on another epic 37-week quizathon. And after the chaos that has engulfed the nations(s) in the past few weeks, we can take solace in the fact than Quizzy Mondays are back and haven't monumentally changed. Hopefully both UC and OC will provide excellent quizzing over the coming months. So let's get on with the first match...

Sheffield University is a red-brick university founded in 1905. Alumni include author Dame Hilary Mantel, athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill and political has-been Lord Blunkett. Sheffield's best student performance under Paxo thus far was when they reached the final in 2007-08; their last appearance, two years ago, saw them exit in the first round. Hoping to improve on that were this year's foursome of:
Amy Fedeski, from Solihull, studying History and Politics
Jack Lewis, from Sheffield, studying Biology
Captain: Edward Pemberton, from Stroud, studying Economics and Politics
Ben Cotton, from Haworth in West Yorkshire, studying Physics and Astrophysics

Bristol University was founded in 1909 with the aid of the Wills and Fry families (the latter of which Sir Stephen is a descendant of). Alumni include actors Simon Pegg and David Walliums and author David Nicholls, whose novel Starter for Ten is a must-read for any wannabe UC aficionado! They have been semi-regulars in recent years, reaching the QFs two years ago, but unluckily drawing eventual runners-up St John's in the first round last year. This year's quartet were:
Joe Rolleston, from Tamworth, studying History
Claire Jackson, from Carshalton in London, studying Paleontology and Evolution
Captain: Alice Clarke, from Oxford, studying Medicine
Michael Tomsett, from Hinckley, studying Organic Chemistry

Off we set once again then. The honour of getting the first correct starter of the series went to Miss Jackson (the irony that she represents Bristol will be lost on you if you haven't read/seen Starter for Ten!), and her side took two bonuses on literature. Bristol then incurred the first penalty of the series, allowing Sheffield off the blocks; their bonuses saw then unluckily offer 'trophism' instead of 'tropism', but take another bonus. A second slip-up from Bristol wasn't picked up, but Sheffield then took a second starter and the lead, though Bristol quickly closed the gap down again. The first picture round, on maps showing stations on London underground lines, went to Bristol, who gave us the first clean sweep of the series, and reclaimed the lead 50-35.

That lead decreased with another slip-up on the next starter, albeit an unlucky one caused by extra waffle after the question mark. A second starter was dropped, before Mr Tomsett stopped the rot by identifying 'dystopia' for the next starter, and the bonuses were all taken, including one on the Trafford Shopping Centre, which the team said they'd been to earlier! Mr Tomsett identified the old quiz chestnut of Belize being the only nation to have a human figure on its flag, and two bonuses followed that starter. Sheffield re-entered the match thanks to Mr Pemberton, and a fine set of bonuses on pairs of words formed by adding an extra letter to a scientific term gave them a full set.

The music round, on bands whose members attended the famous Sex Pistols gig in Manchester in 1976, went to Sheffield, who swept up the board (as did almost everyone on Twitter!) and cut the gap to 90-85. Miss Jackson extended the gap by taking the next starter and the Avonsiders took just one bonus on French rivers. A second starter in a row went to Bristol, and a full set of bonuses on amino acids followed. Bristol seemed to have built up a head of steam now, as they took a third starter, but no bonuses followed this time, and then a penalty lost them five. Sheffield broke back with the next starter, and one bonus followed.

The second picture round, on the work of the architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, went to Bristol, who took two, increasing their lead to 160-100. Sheffield were still in with a chance, as Mr Pemberton took the next starter, and two bonuses on human anatomy followed. A second starter in a row went to the Steelers, but they got nothing from a set of bonuses on French opera. A very prompt buzz increased Bristol's lead, and a full bonus set on Australian cricket gave them one foot in the second round.

Two starters in a row were dropped, before Miss Clarke was allowed to get away with a slight pause after answering, and got a ticking off for it from Paxo (whose new hair cut doesn't half make him resemble Manuel Pellgrini!); no bonuses followed, though they were unlucky to miss one of them, but they were now more or less home and dry. Mr Rolleston confirmed this by taking the next starter and the side patiently took one bonus on Aztec words. At the gong, Bristol won 210-130.

A decent enough match to start the new series with. Unlucky Sheffield, who did perfectly respectably, and whose score will be borderline for the play-offs; we shall have to wait and see how others do. Well done to Bristol though; a solid first effort, and we shall look forward to seeing them again in the second round!

Mr Tomsett was the best buzzer of the night, with five starters, while Miss Fedeski and Messrs Pemberton and Cotton all got two each for Sheffield. On the bonuses, Sheffield converted a respectable 12 out of 21, while Bristol managed a pretty good 22 out of 36 (with a not-so-pretty good four penalties), and all eight players got at least one starter right, which is good to start the new series on.

Next week's match: Corpus Christi College Oxford (returning for the first time since that scandal we do not talk of) vs Jesus College Cambridge

Only Connect is back as well, and appears to have a new format; I'll go into it more when I cover it later in the week.