Evening all. So, we're into the second round, the round where defeat means you're instantly out and victory means you're guaranteed two more games at least; not perfect, but until something better comes along, it's the best option available (a bit like Scotland having to play Steven Naismith up front!). We had to wait until the continuity announcement into Only Connect to find out who was playing tonight, but, when we did, one could be forgiven for expecting a walkover match tonight...
Birmingham won a low scoring contest against Bristol first time around, edging a narrow contest 125-120, with the gong denying them a winning margin ten points bigger. They were the same team as before:
Alex Milone, from Brockenhurst in Hampshire, studying Medicine
Izzy Lewis, from Monmouth, studying Physics
Captain: Zoe Bleything, from Thornbury in Gloucestershire, studying Medicine
Ben Sculfor, from Aylesbury, studying Maths
Jesus College Oxford came through the repechage, losing to Manchester first time around before winning a great play-off against Sheffield 170-165 two weeks ago. They too were the same team as those two other occasions:
Lucy Clarke, from Ottershaw in Surrey, studying Early Modern History
James Cashman, from Guildford, studying History
Captain: Matt Cook, from Wellington, New Zealand, studying PPE
Miranda Stevens, from Sevenoaks, studying Biology
Off we set again then, and Ms Clarke, one of Jesus' MVPs last time around, started the match off with 'steel'; events of February 1919 gave the Oxonians just the one correct bonus to start with. Mr Sculfor opened Birmingham's scoring with 'bush ranger', and they fared a bit better with their first bonuses, taking two (and unluckily missing the other) and with them the lead. A penalty then increased that lead, and Mr Sculfor took the pickup, but none of the bonuses on the River Trent followed. Jesus then lost another five, but Birmingham failed to take advantage this time. Ms Bleything took the next starter though, and two bonuses added to their advantage. The first picture round, on scientific concepts known by a single Greek letter, went to Jesus; two bonuses meant they trailed 50-25.
The lead rose though when Mr Sculfor took the next starter; a bonus set on that old quiz staple national flags gave Birmingham just the one correct bonus. Ms Clarke came back in for Jesus on the next starter, giving her side a classic UC bonus set on words that came be made using the letters of the word 'POLYMATHS', of which they also took just the one. Birmingham then dropped five as Mr Milone mistakenly offered 'kidney stones' in lieu of 'gallstones'; Ms Clarke picked this up, and two correct bonuses put the sides on level pegging. Mr Cook then gave Jesus the lead, offering 'Davis' as soon as the words 'international tennis tournament' came out of Paxo's mouth; no bonuses followed though.
The music starter asked the teams for the artist behind the classic 'Golden Brown' (as famously covered by Alexander Armstrong); Mr Milone was first to buzz, but no answer came, allowing Mr Cashman to swoop in with 'The Stranglers'. The music bonuses, on pop songs using unusual meters, gave Jesus two correct bonuses, and a lead of 90-60. Fifteen of that lead vanished as Mr Cashman unfortunately slipped on the next starter and Mr Sculfor took the points; Birmingham closed the gap further with one bonus on Scottish golf courses. Mr Cook opened the lead up again as he took the next starter, but no bonuses came on a night when both sides seemed to be struggling with them. Ms Bleything pulled Birmingham into the match with 'eucalyptus', and one bonus was sufficient to narrow the gap to five points.
The second picture round, on world leaders who were known by titles to the equivalent of 'Father of the Nation', went to Jesus; no bonuses followed again, which left their lead at 105-90. Neither side buzzed on the next starter, and a second successive starter was dropped as neither side untangled a rather complicated piece of arithemtic. Mr Sculfor took the next starter though, and two bonuses on types of pasta gave Birmingham back the lead heading into the home straight.
Mr Sculfor took a second starter in a row, but a bonus set on Dickens' David Copperfield didn't add to their score (I got Mr Dick, as I went to watch a friend play him in a production of it once and I remembered him saying it!). Mr Cashman shot in for Jesus on the next starter, and one bonus put the sides on level pegging again. Ms Clarke took a crucial starter with 'saga' to put Jesus back in front, and a timely pair of bonuses put them within sight of victory. And when Ms Stevens took the final starter, that was game over. At the gong, Jesus won 150-120.
A low scoring but close and enjoyable contest, well done both teams. Unlucky Birmingham, but a fair and respectable performance, thanks very much for playing. Well done Jesus though, and very best of luck in the quarter-finals!
The stats: Mr Sculfor was the best buzzer of the night with six, while Ms Clarke was best for Jesus with five. On the bonuses, Birmingham converted 9 out of 24 (with one penalty), while Jesus managed 11 out of 32 (with three penalties).
Next week's match: I would guess Durham will be playing, but I'll retweet anything I find.
Only Connect saw the return of the Eggchasers and the Outliers in the penultimate eliminator; the former won comfortably 26-16.
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