Evening all. It's freezing again in my flat tonight, so once again, the heating is going on early, and probably staying on after it usually turns itself off as well! That's the last time I turn it off when I go visit my parents for the weekend! Amidst all this coldness, we have the small matter of UC to deal with; the third second round match, winners stay on for group stage, runners-up go home.
Warwick had a fairly easy first round victory over York, leading from the off, and eventually coming home 240-80. They were the same four as that occasion:
Flora Jackson, from York, studying English with Creative Writing
Daniel Arribas, from Madrid, studying Maths
Captain: Ben Salter, from Wiveliscombe in Somerset, studying Maths
Charlotte Symons, from the Welsh Borders Area, studying Writing
Ulster were beaten in their first match by Edinburgh, buy just five points 165-160, but survived to the play-offs where they defeated St Anne's of Oxford 175-90. They too were unchanged from before:
Cathal McDaid, from Buncrana in County Donegal, studying English Literature
Kate Ritchie, from Waringstown in County Armagh, studying Fine Art
Captain: Ian Jack, from Peterhead, studying Pharmacy
Matthew Milliken, from Comber in County Down, studying Education
Off we set again then, and Mr Jack, as is customary when his side play, took the first starter, identifying the literary work of Winston Churchill; two bonuses on regions of France were taken, though they incurred the wrath of Robot Wars fans everywhere by not getting Vercingetorix! Mr McDaid was in quickly with 'assassin' for the second starter, and a bonus set proved very much to his side's liking, as they took all three. Ms Jackson opened Warwick's scoring for the night, and the Coventry side took two bonus set on works of thought. Both Mr McDaid and myself had 'plimsoll' for the line on the side of a cargo ship on the next starter, but the bonuses yielded just the one correct answer this time. The first picture round, on coats of arms of German state capitals, went to Ulster, who took just the one bonus again, which took their lead to 75-20.
Ms Jackon was in quickly again for Warwick on the next starter; two bonuses followed, and the other provided a good comedy moment as Mr Salter decided he might as well give an answer, as 'pass' will certainly be wrong. The Warwick captain took the next starter himself, but bonuses on French physics provided them with just five further points. Those points were lost when Mr Salter slipped up on the next starter; Ms Ritchie took the points for Ulster, but no further points came from the bonuses. An unlucky slip-up from Mr Arribas, who provided the original German Ubermensch instead of the English translation Superman; Mr McDaid picked up, but no bonuses on astronomy followed again.
The music round, on classical pieces inspired by the work of ETA Hoffmann, went to Warwick, who took one correct bonus, reducing their arrears to 95-60. The gap increased again when another slip-up occurred, but Ulster could not take possession this time. Ms Jackson was in with Guyana for the next starter though, and bonuses on women born in 1917 provided them with two correct answers. The next starter was dropped, Mr Milliken took the one after, and rock star's autobiographies provided Ulster with two correct answers. Mr Jack took 'REM' for the next starter, before any mention of that band could come out(!), and a timely full bonus set put all the pressure on Warwick going into the final phase.
The second picture starter was dropped, the bonuses, on depictions of St George, went to Warwick, who just the one, which left them trailing 140-90 entering the final straight. Mr Arribas took the next starter, lifting the Midlands side into triple figures, and one bonus was taken with it. And when Ms Jackson took the next starter, and one bonus on Rabbie Burns went with it, they were now just one starter and full bonus away from the lead!
That starter came in the form of a spectacularly quick buzz from Mr Salter; two bonuses put them on level pegging, but they were denied the lead when, torn between two answers for the third, they chose the wrong one! Next starter might just win it; to add to the tension, the next starter was dropped! Ms Jackson was first in on the next, but was wrong; Mr McDaid came in with the right answer, and two bonuses on phobias put Ulster within sight of the group stage. And when Ms Ritchie took the next starter, that was game over. At the gong, Ulster 170-140.
A cracking match, very well played both sides, shame one of you must miss out on the group stage; bravo to both for clapping each other over the credits. Unlucky Warwick, who so very nearly pulled it off after trailing from the off, but nothing to be ashamed of there, thanks very much indeed for playing. Very well done Ulster though, and best of luck in the group stage!
The stats: Ms Jackson was the best buzzer of the night, ending the match with five, while Mr McDaid was Ulster's best with four, his colleagues all getting two each. On the bonuses, Warwick converted 13 out of 27 (with three penalties), while Ulster managed 14 out of 29; similar rates there, suggesting the match was won and lost, narrowly, on the buzzer.
Next week's match: don't know yet, but my guess is U.C.L. will be involved; will tweet anything I find.
Only Connect still on its football sabbatical, so, unless I decide to talk about something else about it and UC in the meantime, back next Monday, same time.
Monday 27 November 2017
Monday 20 November 2017
University Challenge 2017-18: Round 2: Match 2: St John's vs Corpus Christi
Evening all. Tonight's fixture demonstrates why the show's current filming method of doing a second round match on the same day as the first round matches of the teams involved needs to have something done about it. Tonight's teams offered up two of the best performances of the first round, and tonight one of them would leave the contest for good; the others would join their compatriots Emmanuel in the group stage.
St John's College Cambridge ran out winners over a decent St Andrews side in their first round match, leading throughout and winning 255-120 at the gong. Hoping for more of the same tonight were the unchanged foursome of:
John-Clark Levin, from Los Angeles, studying Politics and International Studies
Rosie McKeown, from Kingston-upon-Thames, studying French and German
Captain: James Devine-Stoneman, from Southall in London, studying Superconducting Spintronics
Matt Hazell, from Ringwood in Hampshire, studying Veterinary Medicine
Corpus Christi College Cambridge won an Oxbridge derby against St Anne's of Oxford, also leading throughout the match, their winning margin at the gong was 225-135. Also hoping to match that tonight were the also unchanged quartet of:
Tristan Roberts, from Amersham in Buckinghamshire, studying Physics
Kripa Panchagnula, from Hemel Hempstead, studying Natural Sceicnes
Captain: Joseph Krol, from Bingley in West Yorkshire, studying Maths
Benedict McDougall, from London, studying Classics
Off we set again then, and Mr Hazell was first off the traps with 'red', including a topical mention of Red Dwarf; they firmly set their intentions out by taking a full house of bonuses. Mr Roberts just as quickly took Corpus Christi off the mark, but they had less luck with their first bonuses, taking just the one. Ms McKeown was next up for St John's, and they took a second full bonus set, on thermodynamics. Another starter and full bonus set for St John's, and already things were looking foreboding for Corpus Christi. Mr Roberts did take a second starter for them, but, again, just the one bonus followed. The first picture round, on compilations of first lines of poetry, went to St John's, who took a fourth full house, giving them a lead of 100-30.
And it got worse for Corpus Christi, as Ms McKeown took a second starter in a row, and a fifth full bonus set, on geographical journeys, went with it. St John's finally showed some weakness on their next bonus set, as they 'only' managed two on plate tectonics. Mr Roberts came back in for Corpus Christi with his third of the night, but, once again, just the one bonus came with it. Ms McKeown was back on the buzzer with the next starter though, and they again took two bonuses on bacteria.
The music starter was missed by both sides, the first to be so of the night; the bonuses, on programmatic waltzes, went to St John's, who missed all three, but still led 175-45. A half-fortuitous buzz from Mr Hazell added to that gap, and two bonuses were taken, the third being unluckily missed after a misunderstanding. Ms McKeown added to her already good starter tally with the next starter, but just the one bonus, on capitalist writings, followed this time, but it did take them past 200. A starter from Mr Levin took them further in, and a nice bonus set on Google search suggestions for nationalities saw St John's acquire a further ten points.
The second picture starter was dropped; the bonuses, on paintings inspired by Byron, went to Corpus Christi, who took just the one again, reducing their arrears to 230-60. Match long over as a contest, but could they at least get a run together and reach a respectable score? Not if Ms McKeown had anything to do with it, as she took another starter, and bonuses on Shakespearean quotes about winter gave them a further two correct.
And they weren't finished yet, Mr Hazell taking the next starter, and one bonus on cricket was taken with it via, what looked like, a complete guess. Mr Roberts, who'd been keeping his side's score ticking throughout the match, took the next starter, but they couldn't get anything from the resultant bonuses. Both Mr Devine-Stoneman and myself correctly offered 'diesel' for the next starter, and bonuses on chess terms saw us both take the same two bonuses. Mr Krol, who'd been so impressive in Corpus Christi's first match, took the final starter of the match, but, again, nothing came from the bonuses. And that was the gong, St John's won 285-80.
A rather one sided match, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. Unlucky Corpus Christi, didn't deserve to lose like that and unlucky to go out at this stage, but thanks very much indeed for playing. Very well done St John's though, another sterling effort against solid opposition, definitely a team to watch in the group stage, very best of luck in it!
The stats: Ms McKeown was the best buzzer of the night with seven starters, while Mr Roberts was Corpus Christi's best with five. On the bonuses, St John's converted a superb 29 out of 42, while Corpus Christi managed just 4 out of 18, and, for the first time this series, there were no penalties all night.
Next week's match: Warwick vs Ulster. Then presumably U.C.L. are back the week after.
No Only Connect for a couple of weeks, so back next week with UC I guess. Unless I decide otherwise.
St John's College Cambridge ran out winners over a decent St Andrews side in their first round match, leading throughout and winning 255-120 at the gong. Hoping for more of the same tonight were the unchanged foursome of:
John-Clark Levin, from Los Angeles, studying Politics and International Studies
Rosie McKeown, from Kingston-upon-Thames, studying French and German
Captain: James Devine-Stoneman, from Southall in London, studying Superconducting Spintronics
Matt Hazell, from Ringwood in Hampshire, studying Veterinary Medicine
Corpus Christi College Cambridge won an Oxbridge derby against St Anne's of Oxford, also leading throughout the match, their winning margin at the gong was 225-135. Also hoping to match that tonight were the also unchanged quartet of:
Tristan Roberts, from Amersham in Buckinghamshire, studying Physics
Kripa Panchagnula, from Hemel Hempstead, studying Natural Sceicnes
Captain: Joseph Krol, from Bingley in West Yorkshire, studying Maths
Benedict McDougall, from London, studying Classics
Off we set again then, and Mr Hazell was first off the traps with 'red', including a topical mention of Red Dwarf; they firmly set their intentions out by taking a full house of bonuses. Mr Roberts just as quickly took Corpus Christi off the mark, but they had less luck with their first bonuses, taking just the one. Ms McKeown was next up for St John's, and they took a second full bonus set, on thermodynamics. Another starter and full bonus set for St John's, and already things were looking foreboding for Corpus Christi. Mr Roberts did take a second starter for them, but, again, just the one bonus followed. The first picture round, on compilations of first lines of poetry, went to St John's, who took a fourth full house, giving them a lead of 100-30.
And it got worse for Corpus Christi, as Ms McKeown took a second starter in a row, and a fifth full bonus set, on geographical journeys, went with it. St John's finally showed some weakness on their next bonus set, as they 'only' managed two on plate tectonics. Mr Roberts came back in for Corpus Christi with his third of the night, but, once again, just the one bonus came with it. Ms McKeown was back on the buzzer with the next starter though, and they again took two bonuses on bacteria.
The music starter was missed by both sides, the first to be so of the night; the bonuses, on programmatic waltzes, went to St John's, who missed all three, but still led 175-45. A half-fortuitous buzz from Mr Hazell added to that gap, and two bonuses were taken, the third being unluckily missed after a misunderstanding. Ms McKeown added to her already good starter tally with the next starter, but just the one bonus, on capitalist writings, followed this time, but it did take them past 200. A starter from Mr Levin took them further in, and a nice bonus set on Google search suggestions for nationalities saw St John's acquire a further ten points.
The second picture starter was dropped; the bonuses, on paintings inspired by Byron, went to Corpus Christi, who took just the one again, reducing their arrears to 230-60. Match long over as a contest, but could they at least get a run together and reach a respectable score? Not if Ms McKeown had anything to do with it, as she took another starter, and bonuses on Shakespearean quotes about winter gave them a further two correct.
And they weren't finished yet, Mr Hazell taking the next starter, and one bonus on cricket was taken with it via, what looked like, a complete guess. Mr Roberts, who'd been keeping his side's score ticking throughout the match, took the next starter, but they couldn't get anything from the resultant bonuses. Both Mr Devine-Stoneman and myself correctly offered 'diesel' for the next starter, and bonuses on chess terms saw us both take the same two bonuses. Mr Krol, who'd been so impressive in Corpus Christi's first match, took the final starter of the match, but, again, nothing came from the bonuses. And that was the gong, St John's won 285-80.
A rather one sided match, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. Unlucky Corpus Christi, didn't deserve to lose like that and unlucky to go out at this stage, but thanks very much indeed for playing. Very well done St John's though, another sterling effort against solid opposition, definitely a team to watch in the group stage, very best of luck in it!
The stats: Ms McKeown was the best buzzer of the night with seven starters, while Mr Roberts was Corpus Christi's best with five. On the bonuses, St John's converted a superb 29 out of 42, while Corpus Christi managed just 4 out of 18, and, for the first time this series, there were no penalties all night.
Next week's match: Warwick vs Ulster. Then presumably U.C.L. are back the week after.
No Only Connect for a couple of weeks, so back next week with UC I guess. Unless I decide otherwise.
Sunday 19 November 2017
Only Connect Series 13: Round 2: Match 4: Wanderers vs Inquisitors
OK, no Robot Wars tonight, so I can get this week's Only Connect out of the way now. Both tonight's teams won their first match pretty easily, so it would be interesting to see how they fared against another proven team. Winners would go straight through to the group stage, runners up would go to the play-off round.
Playing were the Wanderers, John Payne, Richard Arthur and captain Sanjoy Sen, who beat the Pedagogues in their first match, and the Inquisitors, Luke Kelly, Rob Cumming and captain Julia Hobbs, whose first match saw them beat the Inquisitors.
Round 1. The Inquisitors chose to start the match with Lion, and got the music question straight away: we heard the Boomtown Rats with 'The Elephants Graveyard', then the famous 'Baby Elephant Walk', then 'The Elephant' from Carnival of the Animals, and finally Colonel Hathi's March from the Jungle Book. They had the link from the final clue, having recognised only it and the second, and collected the first point of the match. The Wanderers opened their account with Water: 'Apple Watch: San Francisco', then 'New Yorker: Irvin', then 'London Underground: Johnston'; they saw them to be the font that is used in those instances, and collected two points. The Inquisitors chose Eye of Horus next: 'Excess weight gained from emotional overeating', them 'State of well-being in a cosy environment'; they came in here and offered 'comfort', not close enough alas. Their opponents saw 'Longing to travel' and 'Malicious enjoyment of another's misfortunes', and correctly offered 'meanings of German words used in English' for the bonus. For their own question, the Wanderers chose Twisted Flax: 'Hitchcock film: Rope', then 'British TV ad: Bird's Eye Peas', then 'Queen's Christmas Speech: 1967'; they offered them to be the first instances to be shot in colour, and collected another two points. The Inquisitors chose Two Reeds, and got the picture set: we saw Gerald Ford, then Corrie characters Betty Williams and her husband, with an arrow pointing at the latter; they offered them as husbands of women called Betty, and collected three points. (The other clues would've been Barney Rubble and Frank Spencer) Left with Horned Viper, the Wanderers saw 'Claude Levi-Strauss (2009)', then 'Joao Havelange (2016)', then 'Lord Denning (1999)'; they saw them to be people who died aged 100 in those years, and collected two points. At the end of a strong first round, the Wanderers led 7-4.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Inquisitors opened with Water, and the pictures again: we saw a sword, then a statue of Juno, and then some gold bars; they saw them to be the Normandy Landing beaches, and correctly offered 'Omaha' for two points. The Wanderers chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next: 'Throat', then 'Hump', and then 'Skin'; they saw them to be Kipling's Just So Stories in order, so offered 'Spots' for two points. The Inquisitors chose Twisted Flax next: '0.1', then '0.04', and then '0.001'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: its the decimals of pi, so '0.0005' would come fourth. A tough one that! The Wanderers chose Two Reeds next: '2004: Israel (Windsurfing)', then '2008: Panama (Long jump)', and then '2012: Grenada (400 metres)'. They didn't quite work it out, their opponents did: it's first Olympic golds won at successive golds, so '2016: Fiji (Rugby sevens)' for example, would satisfy. For their own final choice, the Inquisitors chose Eye of Horus: 'North America (23)', then 'Oceania (14)', and then 'South America (12)'. They ran out of time before being able to answer; their opponents came in with 'Antarctica (0)' for a bonus, the sequence being the continents with the fewest countries in descending order. Left with Water for their own question, the Wanderers saw 'Girls', then 'Babes in the Wood', and then 'The Liver Birds'; they saw it to be TV series with four, three and two female title characters, so 'Miranda' as one with one would be fourth. At the end of the second round, the Wanderers led 12-7.
On to the Walls. The Wanderers took their turn to go first, and chose the Lion wall. Their first two sets came almost instantly: 'Falkland', 'Dunfermline', 'Linlithgow' and 'Falkland' are Scottish palaces, while 'Good Omens', 'American Gods', 'Stardust' and 'Neverwhere' are novels by Neil Gaiman. After that, they quickly but carefully had the final sets solved: 'Holder', 'Ferry', 'Pop' and 'Bolan' are surnames of seventies glam rockers, while 'Bowie', 'Scone', 'Controversy' and 'Uranus' are words the pronunciation of which are much argued over. A well worked out full ten there.
So the Inquisitors set to work on the Water wall. They too had their first two sets done pretty efficiently: 'Procol Harum', 'Van der Graaf Generator', 'Yes' and 'Focus' are prog rock bands, while 'Rongeur', 'Lancet', 'Curette' and 'Retractor' are items of medical equipment. After that though, in a repeat of what happened in their first match (they even said so before starting), they got stuck getting the final sets together; they ran out of tries, and had to collect bonus points: 'Caliper', 'U', 'Hydraulic' and 'Disc' are type of brake, which they got, while 'Drum', 'Egg', 'Traffic' and 'System' are things you can beat, which they got in the nick of time. Six points there, which left them trailing 22-13 going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels to finish with. 'Fruit and a noted variety' was split 1-each. 'Meanings of PA', such as 'PERSONAL ASSISTANT' and 'PENNSYLVANIA' was split 2-each. 'Bacharach and David songs' was a clean sweep to the Inquisitors 4-0. 'Squares and their cities' saw the Inquisitors take one, then get somewhat unfairly lose one as time ran out while they were answering the second. The Wanderers won 25-20.
Another fine match, well played both teams. Unlucky Inquisitors, best of luck in the play offs. Well done Wanderers, best of luck in the group stage!
No match next week due to a Women's World Cup qualifier, England vs Bosnia, or the week after due to an FA Cup match, Fylde vs Wigan, so we're back on the 8th of December, presumably with the Dandies vs the Beeks, followed by the Detectives vs the Arrowheads.
Back tomorrow with my usual UC write-up; see you then, I guess.
Playing were the Wanderers, John Payne, Richard Arthur and captain Sanjoy Sen, who beat the Pedagogues in their first match, and the Inquisitors, Luke Kelly, Rob Cumming and captain Julia Hobbs, whose first match saw them beat the Inquisitors.
Round 1. The Inquisitors chose to start the match with Lion, and got the music question straight away: we heard the Boomtown Rats with 'The Elephants Graveyard', then the famous 'Baby Elephant Walk', then 'The Elephant' from Carnival of the Animals, and finally Colonel Hathi's March from the Jungle Book. They had the link from the final clue, having recognised only it and the second, and collected the first point of the match. The Wanderers opened their account with Water: 'Apple Watch: San Francisco', then 'New Yorker: Irvin', then 'London Underground: Johnston'; they saw them to be the font that is used in those instances, and collected two points. The Inquisitors chose Eye of Horus next: 'Excess weight gained from emotional overeating', them 'State of well-being in a cosy environment'; they came in here and offered 'comfort', not close enough alas. Their opponents saw 'Longing to travel' and 'Malicious enjoyment of another's misfortunes', and correctly offered 'meanings of German words used in English' for the bonus. For their own question, the Wanderers chose Twisted Flax: 'Hitchcock film: Rope', then 'British TV ad: Bird's Eye Peas', then 'Queen's Christmas Speech: 1967'; they offered them to be the first instances to be shot in colour, and collected another two points. The Inquisitors chose Two Reeds, and got the picture set: we saw Gerald Ford, then Corrie characters Betty Williams and her husband, with an arrow pointing at the latter; they offered them as husbands of women called Betty, and collected three points. (The other clues would've been Barney Rubble and Frank Spencer) Left with Horned Viper, the Wanderers saw 'Claude Levi-Strauss (2009)', then 'Joao Havelange (2016)', then 'Lord Denning (1999)'; they saw them to be people who died aged 100 in those years, and collected two points. At the end of a strong first round, the Wanderers led 7-4.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Inquisitors opened with Water, and the pictures again: we saw a sword, then a statue of Juno, and then some gold bars; they saw them to be the Normandy Landing beaches, and correctly offered 'Omaha' for two points. The Wanderers chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next: 'Throat', then 'Hump', and then 'Skin'; they saw them to be Kipling's Just So Stories in order, so offered 'Spots' for two points. The Inquisitors chose Twisted Flax next: '0.1', then '0.04', and then '0.001'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: its the decimals of pi, so '0.0005' would come fourth. A tough one that! The Wanderers chose Two Reeds next: '2004: Israel (Windsurfing)', then '2008: Panama (Long jump)', and then '2012: Grenada (400 metres)'. They didn't quite work it out, their opponents did: it's first Olympic golds won at successive golds, so '2016: Fiji (Rugby sevens)' for example, would satisfy. For their own final choice, the Inquisitors chose Eye of Horus: 'North America (23)', then 'Oceania (14)', and then 'South America (12)'. They ran out of time before being able to answer; their opponents came in with 'Antarctica (0)' for a bonus, the sequence being the continents with the fewest countries in descending order. Left with Water for their own question, the Wanderers saw 'Girls', then 'Babes in the Wood', and then 'The Liver Birds'; they saw it to be TV series with four, three and two female title characters, so 'Miranda' as one with one would be fourth. At the end of the second round, the Wanderers led 12-7.
On to the Walls. The Wanderers took their turn to go first, and chose the Lion wall. Their first two sets came almost instantly: 'Falkland', 'Dunfermline', 'Linlithgow' and 'Falkland' are Scottish palaces, while 'Good Omens', 'American Gods', 'Stardust' and 'Neverwhere' are novels by Neil Gaiman. After that, they quickly but carefully had the final sets solved: 'Holder', 'Ferry', 'Pop' and 'Bolan' are surnames of seventies glam rockers, while 'Bowie', 'Scone', 'Controversy' and 'Uranus' are words the pronunciation of which are much argued over. A well worked out full ten there.
So the Inquisitors set to work on the Water wall. They too had their first two sets done pretty efficiently: 'Procol Harum', 'Van der Graaf Generator', 'Yes' and 'Focus' are prog rock bands, while 'Rongeur', 'Lancet', 'Curette' and 'Retractor' are items of medical equipment. After that though, in a repeat of what happened in their first match (they even said so before starting), they got stuck getting the final sets together; they ran out of tries, and had to collect bonus points: 'Caliper', 'U', 'Hydraulic' and 'Disc' are type of brake, which they got, while 'Drum', 'Egg', 'Traffic' and 'System' are things you can beat, which they got in the nick of time. Six points there, which left them trailing 22-13 going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels to finish with. 'Fruit and a noted variety' was split 1-each. 'Meanings of PA', such as 'PERSONAL ASSISTANT' and 'PENNSYLVANIA' was split 2-each. 'Bacharach and David songs' was a clean sweep to the Inquisitors 4-0. 'Squares and their cities' saw the Inquisitors take one, then get somewhat unfairly lose one as time ran out while they were answering the second. The Wanderers won 25-20.
Another fine match, well played both teams. Unlucky Inquisitors, best of luck in the play offs. Well done Wanderers, best of luck in the group stage!
No match next week due to a Women's World Cup qualifier, England vs Bosnia, or the week after due to an FA Cup match, Fylde vs Wigan, so we're back on the 8th of December, presumably with the Dandies vs the Beeks, followed by the Detectives vs the Arrowheads.
Back tomorrow with my usual UC write-up; see you then, I guess.
Tuesday 14 November 2017
Only Connect Series 13: Round 2: Match 3: Meeples vs Belgophiles
So, we're back! For last week and this at least. Then we're off for another two weeks, firstly for a women's World Cup qualifier on the 24th, and then for the FA Cup again, AFC Fylde vs Wigan. So lets enjoy Only Connect while we can; not long now til it's back on Mondays when it belongs after all, so let's get on with Friday's match.
Playing were the Meeples, Tom West, Hugh Trimble and captain Gail Trimble, who defeated the Tequila Slammers in their first match, and the Belgophiles, Helen Fasham, Phil Small and captain Ben Fasham, who beat the Lapsed Psychologists in their's.
Round 1. The Belgophiles kicked the contest off with Eye of Horus, and the picture set: we saw some Buddhist monks, then a bumblebee, then Richard Dawkins, and finally Chubby Checker performing the Twist. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are characters from Oliver Twist. The Meeples chose to open their account with Twisted Flax: 'To love no longer (Bernanos)', then 'Home (Judas Priest)', then 'Oneself (TS Eliot)', and finally 'Other People (Sartre)'. The final clue gave it to them: they are what Hell is according to those people. The Belgophiles chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next, and got the music set: we heard Rubenstein's Melody in F, then Irving Berlin with 'Play a Simple Melody', then 'Broadway Melody', and finally 'Unchained Melody'. They didn't see it, their opponents did for a bonus. For their own question, the Meeples chose Two Reeds: 'George Sullivan', then 'dried paste', then 'tumble ready', and finally 'Eve the Ants'. Neither team got this, and I'm not surprised, as Dave Clark might say, this was verging on 'American Municipal Bankruptcies' difficulty: they are 're-assigned partners', ie, 'Gilbert and George, Gilbert and Sullivan', 'cut and dried, cut and paste', 'rough and tumble, rough and ready', and 'Adam and Eve, Adam and the Ants'. That has to be the hardest question I've seen since I started doing these. The Belgophiles chose Water: 'Au pairs', then 'Prisoners', then 'Members of the armed forces', and finally 'Self-employed people running their own business'. Again, they didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are people who aren't entitled to the National Living Wage. Left with Lion, the Meeples saw 'Margarine' in yellow, then 'Petrol for commercial vehicles, 1948' in red, then 'Chicago river, Saturday in mid-March' in green; they saw them to be things that have been dyed the colour in question, and collected two points. ('Marge Simpson's hair' in blue would've been fourth). At the end of a tough first round, the Meeples led 4-0.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Belgophiles kicked the round off with Eye of Horus: 'Jack Island', then 'Philip Castle', and then 'Dinah Valley'. Neither team got this: they are the books in Enid Blyton's 'Adventure Series' and the children in them getting younger, so 'Lucy-Ann Sea' would come fourth. Again, a bit too hard for this stage of the contest. The Meeples chose Horned Viper next: '20', then '171', and then '71'. They didn't get this, their opponents did: they are Central London dialling codes minus the zeros, so '1' would complete the sequence. For their own question, the Belgophiles chose Water: 'Attlee: 3', then 'Kinnock: 2'; they offered at this point 'Blair: 0', and picked up three points, the sequence being Labour leaders who lost a descending number of elections. The Meeples chose Two Reeds next: '4th: Louis (1964)', then '3rd: Christian (1960)', and then '2nd: Elizabeth (1950)'. They didn't get this, nor did their opponents: they are the Queen's children, and their names in correlation to the order they came in, so Prince Edward's fourth name is Louis, Prince Andrew's is Christian, Princess Anne's is Elizabeth and just '1st: Charles (1948)' would come fourth. For their final choice, the Belgophiles chose Twisted Flax, and got the picture set: we saw Anni-Frid and Agnetha from ABBA, then Benny and Bjorn from ABBA; they offered 'Desmond Decker', which was, just, acceptable, the sequence being double acts whose first names both begin with A, B, C and D, so 'Dick and Dom' would've been a more acceptable answer, but close enough. Left with Lion, the Meeples saw 'I = He', then 'You = He', and then 'You = Me'. They saw it to be the lyrics to 'I Am The Walrus', so 'We = All together' completes the set. At the end of an only marginally easier second round, the Belgophiles now led 7-6.
On to the Walls. The Meeples took their turn to go first, and chose the Water wall. They fairly quickly isolated 'Chin', 'Tong', 'Panam' and 'Malt', which all become countries when an A is added, and then 'Frontier', 'United', 'Delta' and 'Spirit', which are US airlines. Having done that, the final sets slotted in nicely: 'White wine', 'Kombucha', 'Balsamic' and 'Sherry' are types of vinegar, while 'Cox', 'Guetta', 'Prydz' and 'Oakenfold' are club DJs. A well resolved full ten there.
The Belgophiles thus set to work on the Lion wall needing a good score to stay in touch. They too hit the ground running, isolating 'Genoa', 'Madeleine', 'Fairy' and 'Dundee', which are cakes, followed in short order by 'Doctor', 'Florence', 'Sly' and 'Katrina', which all partner 'and the (something)' to give band names. The final slots were in line pretty easily after that: 'Rome', 'Pap', 'Julie' and 'Tang' all become NATO alphabet words when a latter is added (Romeo, Papa, Juliet and Tango), while 'Milan', 'Ancona', 'Bari' and 'Venice' are Italian regional capitals, their offer of 'Italian cities' being close enough. Another well resolved full ten, which left them ahead 17-16 going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels would decide who went straight through to the group stage and who went into the play-off round. 'Tall buildings' went to the Belgophiles 3-1. 'Things Robin says to Batman', such as 'HOLY BIRTHDAY CAKE', was split 2-each. 'ROI', such as 'RETURN ON INVESTEMENT' and 'REPUBLIC OF IRELAND' (playing Denmark as I write this), went to the Meeples 2-0. 'Chefs and their restaurants' only managed one clue, which was timed out. The Belgophiles had snuck home, 22-21!
A pretty good match well played by both considering how hard some of the questions were. Unlucky Meeples, but best of luck in the play-offs. Well done Belgophiles, best of luck in the group stage!
Next week's match: the Wanderers vs the Inquisitors. Then we're off for another two weeks, hopefully back on the 8th of December.
Playing were the Meeples, Tom West, Hugh Trimble and captain Gail Trimble, who defeated the Tequila Slammers in their first match, and the Belgophiles, Helen Fasham, Phil Small and captain Ben Fasham, who beat the Lapsed Psychologists in their's.
Round 1. The Belgophiles kicked the contest off with Eye of Horus, and the picture set: we saw some Buddhist monks, then a bumblebee, then Richard Dawkins, and finally Chubby Checker performing the Twist. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are characters from Oliver Twist. The Meeples chose to open their account with Twisted Flax: 'To love no longer (Bernanos)', then 'Home (Judas Priest)', then 'Oneself (TS Eliot)', and finally 'Other People (Sartre)'. The final clue gave it to them: they are what Hell is according to those people. The Belgophiles chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next, and got the music set: we heard Rubenstein's Melody in F, then Irving Berlin with 'Play a Simple Melody', then 'Broadway Melody', and finally 'Unchained Melody'. They didn't see it, their opponents did for a bonus. For their own question, the Meeples chose Two Reeds: 'George Sullivan', then 'dried paste', then 'tumble ready', and finally 'Eve the Ants'. Neither team got this, and I'm not surprised, as Dave Clark might say, this was verging on 'American Municipal Bankruptcies' difficulty: they are 're-assigned partners', ie, 'Gilbert and George, Gilbert and Sullivan', 'cut and dried, cut and paste', 'rough and tumble, rough and ready', and 'Adam and Eve, Adam and the Ants'. That has to be the hardest question I've seen since I started doing these. The Belgophiles chose Water: 'Au pairs', then 'Prisoners', then 'Members of the armed forces', and finally 'Self-employed people running their own business'. Again, they didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are people who aren't entitled to the National Living Wage. Left with Lion, the Meeples saw 'Margarine' in yellow, then 'Petrol for commercial vehicles, 1948' in red, then 'Chicago river, Saturday in mid-March' in green; they saw them to be things that have been dyed the colour in question, and collected two points. ('Marge Simpson's hair' in blue would've been fourth). At the end of a tough first round, the Meeples led 4-0.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Belgophiles kicked the round off with Eye of Horus: 'Jack Island', then 'Philip Castle', and then 'Dinah Valley'. Neither team got this: they are the books in Enid Blyton's 'Adventure Series' and the children in them getting younger, so 'Lucy-Ann Sea' would come fourth. Again, a bit too hard for this stage of the contest. The Meeples chose Horned Viper next: '20', then '171', and then '71'. They didn't get this, their opponents did: they are Central London dialling codes minus the zeros, so '1' would complete the sequence. For their own question, the Belgophiles chose Water: 'Attlee: 3', then 'Kinnock: 2'; they offered at this point 'Blair: 0', and picked up three points, the sequence being Labour leaders who lost a descending number of elections. The Meeples chose Two Reeds next: '4th: Louis (1964)', then '3rd: Christian (1960)', and then '2nd: Elizabeth (1950)'. They didn't get this, nor did their opponents: they are the Queen's children, and their names in correlation to the order they came in, so Prince Edward's fourth name is Louis, Prince Andrew's is Christian, Princess Anne's is Elizabeth and just '1st: Charles (1948)' would come fourth. For their final choice, the Belgophiles chose Twisted Flax, and got the picture set: we saw Anni-Frid and Agnetha from ABBA, then Benny and Bjorn from ABBA; they offered 'Desmond Decker', which was, just, acceptable, the sequence being double acts whose first names both begin with A, B, C and D, so 'Dick and Dom' would've been a more acceptable answer, but close enough. Left with Lion, the Meeples saw 'I = He', then 'You = He', and then 'You = Me'. They saw it to be the lyrics to 'I Am The Walrus', so 'We = All together' completes the set. At the end of an only marginally easier second round, the Belgophiles now led 7-6.
On to the Walls. The Meeples took their turn to go first, and chose the Water wall. They fairly quickly isolated 'Chin', 'Tong', 'Panam' and 'Malt', which all become countries when an A is added, and then 'Frontier', 'United', 'Delta' and 'Spirit', which are US airlines. Having done that, the final sets slotted in nicely: 'White wine', 'Kombucha', 'Balsamic' and 'Sherry' are types of vinegar, while 'Cox', 'Guetta', 'Prydz' and 'Oakenfold' are club DJs. A well resolved full ten there.
The Belgophiles thus set to work on the Lion wall needing a good score to stay in touch. They too hit the ground running, isolating 'Genoa', 'Madeleine', 'Fairy' and 'Dundee', which are cakes, followed in short order by 'Doctor', 'Florence', 'Sly' and 'Katrina', which all partner 'and the (something)' to give band names. The final slots were in line pretty easily after that: 'Rome', 'Pap', 'Julie' and 'Tang' all become NATO alphabet words when a latter is added (Romeo, Papa, Juliet and Tango), while 'Milan', 'Ancona', 'Bari' and 'Venice' are Italian regional capitals, their offer of 'Italian cities' being close enough. Another well resolved full ten, which left them ahead 17-16 going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels would decide who went straight through to the group stage and who went into the play-off round. 'Tall buildings' went to the Belgophiles 3-1. 'Things Robin says to Batman', such as 'HOLY BIRTHDAY CAKE', was split 2-each. 'ROI', such as 'RETURN ON INVESTEMENT' and 'REPUBLIC OF IRELAND' (playing Denmark as I write this), went to the Meeples 2-0. 'Chefs and their restaurants' only managed one clue, which was timed out. The Belgophiles had snuck home, 22-21!
A pretty good match well played by both considering how hard some of the questions were. Unlucky Meeples, but best of luck in the play-offs. Well done Belgophiles, best of luck in the group stage!
Next week's match: the Wanderers vs the Inquisitors. Then we're off for another two weeks, hopefully back on the 8th of December.
Monday 13 November 2017
University Challenge 2017-18: Round 2: Match 1: Strathclyde vs Emmanuel
Evening all. Another cold night, another early turn-on for the heating, and I'm writing this blog with one eye on the Italy-Sweden match, as the Azzuri try to avoid missing a World Cup for the first time since before both my parents were born! On an equally dramatic note, the second round of UC started tonight, the round where you can't afford to lose, as if you do, you're out for good; how fair that is remains up for debate, and is probably one of the reasons OC has introduced this bizarre new format for its current series.
Strathclyde won a low scoring but close first round match over Imperial of London, recovering from a slow first half to sneak ahead at the gong, 145-125. They were unchanged from that occasion:
Ian Brown, from Oban, studying to be an English teacher
James Flannigan, from Glasgow, studying Chemical Engineering
Captain: Alistair Logan, from Motherwell, studying Mechanical Engineering
Paul Dijkman, from Port Glasgow, studying Economics
Emmanuel College Cambridge also narrowly won on their first outing, winning a nip and tuck match over St Hugh's of Oxford 170-155, thus condemning their opponents to that defeat last week. They were also the same team as before:
Ed Derby, from Manchester, studying Physics
Kitty Chevallier, from Hampshire, studying Arabic and Hindi
Captain: Alex Mistlin, from Islington, studying Politics and International Relations
James Fraser, from Bristol, studying Medicine
Off we set again then, and Ms Chevallier opened the night's scoring by identifying the word 'scale'; a full bonus set on 'ploughs' provided them with an early full set. A penalty from Strathclyde handed the Cambridge side a second starter and full bonus set in a row, giving them an early 55 point lead. A third starter went to Emmanuel with Mr Fraser this time doing the honours, but just the one bonus on astronomy followed this time. Normal service then resumed as their fourth starter saw a third full bonus set, though Paxo was maybe a bit lenient to let them have one after they slightly mispronounced and were allowed to reanswer. The first picture starter was dropped; the bonuses, on sequences of flags of sports winners nationalities, went to Emmanuel, who took another full set, already giving them a lead of 115-(-5).
Strathclyde already looked like they might be out of it, but Mr Logan, their top buzzer in the first round, moved them back into positive figures with the next starter; one bonus on the Wirral, making a second UC appearance in as many weeks, went with it. A second starter in a row went the Strathclyde captain's way, and another single bonus on particle physics was taken by them. Mr Logan buzzed for a third starter in a row, but no answer came; Mr Derby took the pick-up, and Emmanuel took yet another full bonus set on disease symptoms, putting them back in the driving seat.
The music round, on classical pieces criticised by Cornelius Cardew, went to Emmanuel, who failed to add to their score for the first time of the night, leaving their lead at 150-25. A penalty then lost them five, but Strathclyde were unable to pick-up; Mr Logan took the next though, and the Scots side took two bonuses on cities in California. The Strathclyde captain then took a second starter in a row, and another two bonuses on calculus went with it, suggesting they could yet catch up with a good run. Mr Derby took one back for Emmanuel though, but nothing came from the resultant bonuses again.
Neither side identified a virginal in a painting by Vermeer for the second picture starter; the bonuses, on other Renaissance era musical instruments, went to Strathclyde, who got nothing from the set, despite a couple of good humourous guesses, which left their deficit at 155-75. Two starters in a row were then dropped, one entirely, unusual for those to make it to air these days; Mr Logan finally broke the deadlock with the next starter, but, again, they got nothing from the bonuses, suggesting they had left it too late to mount a fightback.
They gave it a good go though, Mr Brown identifying Turkey as the World's largest apricot producer; bonuses on pre-union Scottish kings (something I wish we'd see more of on TV quizzes) provided them with two correct to deservedly take them into triple figures. Mr Derby took the next starter for Emmanuel though, thus confirming for good that they couldn't be caught; the Cambridge side took one bonus on explorations (I got one of the ones they didn't, Burke and Wills). The final starter was dropped, and that was the gong; Emmanuel won 170-105.
A steady match that never quite caught fire, but remained interesting and watchable throughout. Unlucky Strathclyde, but a valiant effort that you can be pleased with, thanks very much for playing. Very well done Emmanuel though, a strong victory over good opponents, and very best of luck in the group stage!
The stats: Mr Logan was, just, the best buzzer of the night, with five to his name, while Mr Derby was Emmanuel's best with four. On the bonuses, Strathclyde converted 8 out of 21, while Emmanuel managed a pretty good 17 out of 27, and both sides incurred one penalty; so it was on the bonuses and marginally on the buzzer that the match was won.
Next week's match: don't know for sure. Someone on Wikipedia has put St John's vs Corpus Christi; if I find something more official on Twitter in the next week, I'll retweet it.
I'll be back with my usual Only Connect review on Tuesday; hopefully not long now before the Monday quiz hour is back where it belongs.
Strathclyde won a low scoring but close first round match over Imperial of London, recovering from a slow first half to sneak ahead at the gong, 145-125. They were unchanged from that occasion:
Ian Brown, from Oban, studying to be an English teacher
James Flannigan, from Glasgow, studying Chemical Engineering
Captain: Alistair Logan, from Motherwell, studying Mechanical Engineering
Paul Dijkman, from Port Glasgow, studying Economics
Emmanuel College Cambridge also narrowly won on their first outing, winning a nip and tuck match over St Hugh's of Oxford 170-155, thus condemning their opponents to that defeat last week. They were also the same team as before:
Ed Derby, from Manchester, studying Physics
Kitty Chevallier, from Hampshire, studying Arabic and Hindi
Captain: Alex Mistlin, from Islington, studying Politics and International Relations
James Fraser, from Bristol, studying Medicine
Off we set again then, and Ms Chevallier opened the night's scoring by identifying the word 'scale'; a full bonus set on 'ploughs' provided them with an early full set. A penalty from Strathclyde handed the Cambridge side a second starter and full bonus set in a row, giving them an early 55 point lead. A third starter went to Emmanuel with Mr Fraser this time doing the honours, but just the one bonus on astronomy followed this time. Normal service then resumed as their fourth starter saw a third full bonus set, though Paxo was maybe a bit lenient to let them have one after they slightly mispronounced and were allowed to reanswer. The first picture starter was dropped; the bonuses, on sequences of flags of sports winners nationalities, went to Emmanuel, who took another full set, already giving them a lead of 115-(-5).
Strathclyde already looked like they might be out of it, but Mr Logan, their top buzzer in the first round, moved them back into positive figures with the next starter; one bonus on the Wirral, making a second UC appearance in as many weeks, went with it. A second starter in a row went the Strathclyde captain's way, and another single bonus on particle physics was taken by them. Mr Logan buzzed for a third starter in a row, but no answer came; Mr Derby took the pick-up, and Emmanuel took yet another full bonus set on disease symptoms, putting them back in the driving seat.
The music round, on classical pieces criticised by Cornelius Cardew, went to Emmanuel, who failed to add to their score for the first time of the night, leaving their lead at 150-25. A penalty then lost them five, but Strathclyde were unable to pick-up; Mr Logan took the next though, and the Scots side took two bonuses on cities in California. The Strathclyde captain then took a second starter in a row, and another two bonuses on calculus went with it, suggesting they could yet catch up with a good run. Mr Derby took one back for Emmanuel though, but nothing came from the resultant bonuses again.
Neither side identified a virginal in a painting by Vermeer for the second picture starter; the bonuses, on other Renaissance era musical instruments, went to Strathclyde, who got nothing from the set, despite a couple of good humourous guesses, which left their deficit at 155-75. Two starters in a row were then dropped, one entirely, unusual for those to make it to air these days; Mr Logan finally broke the deadlock with the next starter, but, again, they got nothing from the bonuses, suggesting they had left it too late to mount a fightback.
They gave it a good go though, Mr Brown identifying Turkey as the World's largest apricot producer; bonuses on pre-union Scottish kings (something I wish we'd see more of on TV quizzes) provided them with two correct to deservedly take them into triple figures. Mr Derby took the next starter for Emmanuel though, thus confirming for good that they couldn't be caught; the Cambridge side took one bonus on explorations (I got one of the ones they didn't, Burke and Wills). The final starter was dropped, and that was the gong; Emmanuel won 170-105.
A steady match that never quite caught fire, but remained interesting and watchable throughout. Unlucky Strathclyde, but a valiant effort that you can be pleased with, thanks very much for playing. Very well done Emmanuel though, a strong victory over good opponents, and very best of luck in the group stage!
The stats: Mr Logan was, just, the best buzzer of the night, with five to his name, while Mr Derby was Emmanuel's best with four. On the bonuses, Strathclyde converted 8 out of 21, while Emmanuel managed a pretty good 17 out of 27, and both sides incurred one penalty; so it was on the bonuses and marginally on the buzzer that the match was won.
Next week's match: don't know for sure. Someone on Wikipedia has put St John's vs Corpus Christi; if I find something more official on Twitter in the next week, I'll retweet it.
I'll be back with my usual Only Connect review on Tuesday; hopefully not long now before the Monday quiz hour is back where it belongs.
Monday 6 November 2017
University Challenge 2017-18: Repechage Play-Off 2: U.C.L. vs St Hugh's
Evening all. Another cold evening, and a windy one as well, so I've put the heating on advance again to warm up as I review tonight's match, the second play-off. Winners would take the final place in the second round. On paper, very little between these two sides, the absence of women from both of whom meant a lot of Twitter displeasure, but I had an idea of what might happen based on comments made across the UC blogosphere. It didn't come to pass!
U.C.L. lost a close first round match to Trinity College Oxford 160-145, though they came close to their opponents on a few occasions, they never quite made it in front IIRC. Hoping for better things tonight were the unchanged foursome of:
Tom Allinson, from Whitchurch in Hampshire, studying History
Charlie Dowell, from Chelmsford, studying Neuroscience
Captain: Robert Gray, from Kingston-upon-Thames, studying Cell Biology
Omar Raii, from Kabul, studying Maths
St Hugh's College Oxford lost their first match to Emmanuel College Cambridge by the same margin, 170-155, a very good nip and tuck match that was decided on the final starter of the game. Hoping to make up for that were the also unchanged quartet of:
Kazi Elias, from Cambridge, studying History
Euan Grainger, from Shrewsbury, studying Biological Sciences
Captain: Daniel de Wijze, from Manchester, studying Earth Sciences
Aidan Mehigan, from Washington DC, studying Art History
Off we set again then, and Mr Allinson took the night's first blood identifying lines from Jane Austen's final novel; bonuses on British birds gave them one correct to start with. Mr Gray was in for the second starter of the night, and a full bonus set on Biblical verses was on a taster of things to come. St Hugh's got in on the next starter with Mr Elias, but only managed to lose five; U.C.L. couldn't take the drop. Mr Dowell was in promptly to take the next starter though, just the one bonus following again. The first picture round, on English metropolitan boroughs, went to U.C.L., Mr Raii making sure all four players already had a starter to their names; just the one bonus followed again, which put their lead at 70-(-5).
Mr Gray added to that with the next starter, and all three bonuses on biographies by Claire Tomalin gave them a 100 point lead. Mr Mehigan finally took his side back into positive figures by taking their first starter of the night, but just the one bonus from a tricky set on memory came with it. Mr Gray broke back for U.C.L. identifying the work of Christmas UC alumnus Jim Al-Khalili, and another full bonus set reasserted their authority on procedings. In came Mr Dowell with the next correctly answered starter, and yet another full bonus set went with it.
Mr Raii was first to identify REM's classic 'It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)'; the music bonuses, on songs that, for some reason, were played a lot on November 9th last year(!) (yes, really!), saw U.C.L. take two bonuses, and unluckily miss the other. They now led 165-10, but back came St Hugh's, with Mr Mehigan identifying the game Magic: The Gathering. Just the one bonus on works of fiction followed. A second starter in a row went Mr Mehigan's way, but just the one bonus, on the exploits of Kate Moss (the model, not the Christmas UC alumnus!) came with it again. Mr Raii was back for U.C.L., and they too took just the one bonus, on plastics and their recycling codes. And when Mr Dowell took the next starter, and two bonuses put them at 200, you fancied it was most definitely game over.
Mr Raii identified the late John Hurt for the second picture starter; the bonuses, on some of his most noted roles, gave them a full set, and a lead of 225-45. I can't have been the only one who shouted "Campbell Soup!" as soon as 'chicken noodle' was mentioned on the next starter; Mr Gray waited a bit longer, and beat the swerve that asked for the artist associated with it instead. (Warhol, of course) Another full bonus set was promptly gobbled up, giving them a 200+ lead, and the U.C.L. captain then took a second starter in a row; bonuses on directions between French cities gave them two correct answers.
A slip-up from the Londoners allowed Mr Grainger to take the next starter, but the Oxonians got nothing from a bonus set on Scottish council areas. It did lift them out of the Sub-50 club however, only for a penalty to drop them back into it; U.C.L. failed to pick up, but Mr Raii was in for the next starter. Bonuses on England football managers gave them two correct answers, and they were closing in on the first 300+ score since Imperial's second round win two series ago! A starter from Mr Allinson put them within five, and one bonus was sufficient to put them onto 300. There was time for Mr Dowell to take one final starter, and one final bonus from the resultant set. At the gong, U.C.L. won 315-45.
A rather one sided, but still enjoyable, match that I certainly didn't see coming! Unlucky St Hugh's, a good team who didn't deserve to be on the end of that, but thanks very much indeed for taking part. Very well done U.C.L. though, on an absolutely fantastic performance against a team we know are decent, and very very best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Messrs Gray and Raii ended joint best buzzers of the night with five each, while Mr Mehigan was, again, best for St Hugh's with three. On the bonuses, U.C.L. converted a tremendous 32 out of 48 (with one penalty), while St Hugh's managed just 3 out of 12 (with two penalties).
Next week's match: the first of the second round! Don't know who, past three series format would make it Fitzwilliam vs Strathclyde, but we'll see. I'll retweet if I find out.
No Only Connect to deal with tomorrow, of course, so we're back next week with my usual UC write-up, so see you then, I guess.
U.C.L. lost a close first round match to Trinity College Oxford 160-145, though they came close to their opponents on a few occasions, they never quite made it in front IIRC. Hoping for better things tonight were the unchanged foursome of:
Tom Allinson, from Whitchurch in Hampshire, studying History
Charlie Dowell, from Chelmsford, studying Neuroscience
Captain: Robert Gray, from Kingston-upon-Thames, studying Cell Biology
Omar Raii, from Kabul, studying Maths
St Hugh's College Oxford lost their first match to Emmanuel College Cambridge by the same margin, 170-155, a very good nip and tuck match that was decided on the final starter of the game. Hoping to make up for that were the also unchanged quartet of:
Kazi Elias, from Cambridge, studying History
Euan Grainger, from Shrewsbury, studying Biological Sciences
Captain: Daniel de Wijze, from Manchester, studying Earth Sciences
Aidan Mehigan, from Washington DC, studying Art History
Off we set again then, and Mr Allinson took the night's first blood identifying lines from Jane Austen's final novel; bonuses on British birds gave them one correct to start with. Mr Gray was in for the second starter of the night, and a full bonus set on Biblical verses was on a taster of things to come. St Hugh's got in on the next starter with Mr Elias, but only managed to lose five; U.C.L. couldn't take the drop. Mr Dowell was in promptly to take the next starter though, just the one bonus following again. The first picture round, on English metropolitan boroughs, went to U.C.L., Mr Raii making sure all four players already had a starter to their names; just the one bonus followed again, which put their lead at 70-(-5).
Mr Gray added to that with the next starter, and all three bonuses on biographies by Claire Tomalin gave them a 100 point lead. Mr Mehigan finally took his side back into positive figures by taking their first starter of the night, but just the one bonus from a tricky set on memory came with it. Mr Gray broke back for U.C.L. identifying the work of Christmas UC alumnus Jim Al-Khalili, and another full bonus set reasserted their authority on procedings. In came Mr Dowell with the next correctly answered starter, and yet another full bonus set went with it.
Mr Raii was first to identify REM's classic 'It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)'; the music bonuses, on songs that, for some reason, were played a lot on November 9th last year(!) (yes, really!), saw U.C.L. take two bonuses, and unluckily miss the other. They now led 165-10, but back came St Hugh's, with Mr Mehigan identifying the game Magic: The Gathering. Just the one bonus on works of fiction followed. A second starter in a row went Mr Mehigan's way, but just the one bonus, on the exploits of Kate Moss (the model, not the Christmas UC alumnus!) came with it again. Mr Raii was back for U.C.L., and they too took just the one bonus, on plastics and their recycling codes. And when Mr Dowell took the next starter, and two bonuses put them at 200, you fancied it was most definitely game over.
Mr Raii identified the late John Hurt for the second picture starter; the bonuses, on some of his most noted roles, gave them a full set, and a lead of 225-45. I can't have been the only one who shouted "Campbell Soup!" as soon as 'chicken noodle' was mentioned on the next starter; Mr Gray waited a bit longer, and beat the swerve that asked for the artist associated with it instead. (Warhol, of course) Another full bonus set was promptly gobbled up, giving them a 200+ lead, and the U.C.L. captain then took a second starter in a row; bonuses on directions between French cities gave them two correct answers.
A slip-up from the Londoners allowed Mr Grainger to take the next starter, but the Oxonians got nothing from a bonus set on Scottish council areas. It did lift them out of the Sub-50 club however, only for a penalty to drop them back into it; U.C.L. failed to pick up, but Mr Raii was in for the next starter. Bonuses on England football managers gave them two correct answers, and they were closing in on the first 300+ score since Imperial's second round win two series ago! A starter from Mr Allinson put them within five, and one bonus was sufficient to put them onto 300. There was time for Mr Dowell to take one final starter, and one final bonus from the resultant set. At the gong, U.C.L. won 315-45.
A rather one sided, but still enjoyable, match that I certainly didn't see coming! Unlucky St Hugh's, a good team who didn't deserve to be on the end of that, but thanks very much indeed for taking part. Very well done U.C.L. though, on an absolutely fantastic performance against a team we know are decent, and very very best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Messrs Gray and Raii ended joint best buzzers of the night with five each, while Mr Mehigan was, again, best for St Hugh's with three. On the bonuses, U.C.L. converted a tremendous 32 out of 48 (with one penalty), while St Hugh's managed just 3 out of 12 (with two penalties).
Next week's match: the first of the second round! Don't know who, past three series format would make it Fitzwilliam vs Strathclyde, but we'll see. I'll retweet if I find out.
No Only Connect to deal with tomorrow, of course, so we're back next week with my usual UC write-up, so see you then, I guess.
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