Evening all. We're at that time of year where it gets cold early, so I've given the heating an extra half hour on tonight. Speaking of things heating up, after tonight's game, we'd know our first play-off team. A score of 180 or more would bring either of tonight's teams back regardless of win or lose. If not, Emmanuel's place would be safe.
St Peter's College Oxford is one of the universty's newer colleges, founded 1929 and becoming a full college in 1961; alumni include director Ken Loach, foodie Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and the Rev W Awdry, creator of Thomas the Tank Engine et al. After not appearing for the first twenty years of the revival, it sent two teams in a row in 2014-15 and 15-16, one reaching the semis, the latter only making the play-offs. This year's foursome were:
James Hodgson, from Uxbridge in London, studying Statistics
Seb Braddock, from Geneva, studying History
Captain: Nick Williford, from Maynardville, Tennessee, studying British and European History
Laura Cooper, from Stockport, studying Biological Sciences
Pembroke College Cambridge, by contrast, is one of Cambridge's older colleges, founded 1347 thanks to a loan from Edward III to the eponymous Countess of Pembroke; alumni include prime minister Pitt the Younger, poet Ted Hughes and actors Tom Hiddleston and Naomi Harris. It last sent a team four series ago, who lost to eventual runners-up Magdalen of Oxford in the first round (a match that began this blog's obsession with 'non-interruptions'). This year's quartet were:
Dan James, from Bedford, studying Earth Sciences
Joe Kiernan, from Philadelphia, studying International Relations and Politics
Captain: Anki Deo, from Hampton in London, studying Linguistics
Jamie Bamber, from Cambridge, studying Physics
Off we set again then, and Mr Williford set the scoring for the night rolling by identifying the first Pulitzer prize winners; the Oxonians opened their account with a single bonus on German literature. Mr Kiernan promptly took Pembroke off the mark too, and they fared a bit better with their first bonuses, on astronomy, taking two. St Peter's reclaimed the lead thanks to a very prompt buzz from their captain; an amusing bonus set on Shakespearean insults failed to add to their score though. A starter was dropped, the next was taken by Ms Cooper, and life sciences proved more to her side's liking, two bonuses there. The first picture round, on music sheets for nursery rhymes, went to Pembroke, who also took a pair of bonuses, reducing the gap to 45-40.
Ms Deo took a second starter in a row for the Cambridge side, and they took a pair of bonuses on the songs of The Kinks. Five of those points were then lost to a penalty; St Peter's picked that up, but no bonuses fell their way, leaving the scores level. Ms Cooper then gave her side the lead with 'Why', and the side, again, drew a blank on the bonuses. A second starter in a row went to the St Peter's right winger, and organic chemistry proved more fruitful, two there. St Peter's were probably winning on the buzzer this far, but a slight bonus profligacy was keeping Pembroke in touch.
The music round, on recordings by Leonard Bernstein, went to St Peter's, who took a pair of bonuses to increase their lead to 105-55. The lead increased when Pembroke slipped up again, and Ms Cooper took the points; another solitary bonus went the Oxford side's way. Ms Cooper took a second starter in a row, and another one bonus was taken, another being unluckily missed after Mr Williford misheard a confer. With the game starting to slip away from Pembroke, Mr Bamber did the right thing and buzzed early for the next starter, but no answer came; another five points gone, another pickup to Ms Cooper, another two bonuses, and St Peter's now led 100+ and were likely home safe.
The second picture round, on Oscar winners who did not attend their ceremonies, went to St Peter's, who provoked some humour by mistaking Joan Crawford for Joan Collins! The other two bonuses were taken, giving them a lead of 175-45. Now it was likely just a question of how high either side could go. Pembroke lost yet another five to yet another slip-up, allowing Mr Williford to take the points and the Oxonians to take the first full house of the night, thus confirming they really couldn't be caught.
Another slip-up chalked five from Pembroke's score, but the side were doing exactly the right thing in keeping on going for it. Mr Kiernan came close on the next starter, but not quite there; Mr Hodgson collected the points, and bonuses on cricketer Heather Knight gave St Peter's one correct answer. Finally, Pembroke got some points back on the board, Mr Bamber identifying 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'; their reward was a bonus set on biology of which they took one correct answer. One final starter went to St Peter's, and there was time for one bonus, which they did not take. At the gong, St Peter's won 225-50.
A match that started close, but remained watchable when St Peter's ran away late on. Unlucky Pembroke, a perfectly reasonable team I'd say for whom things just didn't work out on the buzzer; thanks very much indeed for playing though. Very well done St Peter's though on a decent first outing, and best of luck in the next round!
The stats: Ms Cooper was, narrowly, the best buzzer of the night, with six starters to Mr Williford's five, while Ms Deo was Pembroke's best with two. On the bonuses, St Peter's converted 17 out of 40, while Pembroke managed 7 out of 12 (with a damaging five penalties).
Next week's match: U.C.L. vs King's College London, another potentially feisty London derby!
A good game after a few so so matches.
ReplyDeletePembroke were clearly a good team who seemed spooked by some baulked starters and lost confidence. I liked Ms Cooper, one to watch.