University Challenge 2021-22: Round 2: Match 5: Reading vs Dundee

Good evening once again friends! After a rather slow start to this series, things have livened up quite a bit in this second round, with some great matches, for very different reasons, and Paxo has perked up a bit as well, having been forgivably subdued for much of the first round due to his illness. Tonight's match, a very similar one to last week: a team that won their first match comfortably vs one who narrowly beat a team who survived to the play-offs (and lost).

Reading won their first match comfortably, but were given a good game by a decent Strathclyde team, who they ultimately beat 175-110. They were the same foursome as before: 

Alex Skopic, from Springville, Pennsylvania, studying English Literature

Margaret Ounsley, from Reading, studying Poor Law History

Captain: Michael Hutchinson, from Caversham (originally Andover), studying for a PGCE

Sylvain Jesudoss, from Thanjuvar, India, studying Marketing

 

Dundee were very narrow winners over RNCM in their first match, leading at first, then their opponents fought back, before they recovered to just win 145-135. They were also the same four as before: 

Connor Philip, from Dunfermline, studying Anatomy

Olivia Russell, from Dundee, studying Pharmacology

Captain: Barnaby Stonier, from Winchester, studying Microbiology

Jacob Spurrell, from Milton Keynes, studying Medicine

 

So off we set once again, and Mr Hutchinson, comfortably his side's MVP in the first round, picked up where he left off by taking the first starter, with his side taking two bonuses from both sets on Anglo-Saxon manuscripts. The Royals captain took the second starter as well, resulting in a bonus set on words that suddenly gained widespread use last March, of which they also took two. Ms Russell got in first on the next starter, but was wrong and lost five, allowing Mr Hutchinson to complete his hat trick and his side to take a full bonuses. They also took the first picture round, on locations of the British Open Golf; they failed to add to the score, but still led 75-(-5).

And the starters just kept on coming for the Reading captain, a fifth in a row (before you ask, no, that's not the record for most successive correct starters at the start of a game, but very close), and another full bonus set meant the Biscuitmen already led by 100+ points. Dundee finally got some points on the board through Mr Stonier, and bonuses on people who turned down peerages saw them get the same two right as I did. Mr Spurrell gave the Scots side a second starter in a row, which was followed by another two correct bonuses. But back came Mr Hutchinson for Reading again, and a single correct bonus was taken, which brought us the music starter, which saw neither team identify The Damned. The bonuses, on music released by Stiff Records, provided two correct answers to take the scores to 135-35.

Neither team got the next starter, though Mr Philip did the right thing by at least having a (joke) guess on it. Mr Hutchinson duly matched his starter total from the first match though with the next starter; two bonuses were followed by him beating that total, though Paxo was a touch lenient to let him off with a slight pause. Just one bonus was taken, but the next starter took that man Hutchinson into double figures for the game! A full bonus set on astronomy was taken. The second picture round, on killer plants in films, went to Dundee, who took the one bonus needed to lift them out of the Sub-50 Club; they now trailed 190-50.

It was now just a question of how high both teams could get. That man Mr Hutchinson took yet another starter next, giving his side a classic UC bonus set on monarchs who came to the throne in the years a listed book was published, of which they took two correct. Two dropped starter were followed by Ms Ounsley taking another starter to Reading; no bonuses were taken, but their imperious captain then took yet another, from which one bonus was taken. The final starter I knew thanks to QI; Ms Ounsley knew it too, but there was no time for bonuses. At the gong, Reading won 245-50.

Another one sided but still enjoyable game. Very well done Reading, Mr Hutchinson in particular on a superb performance, but his teammates played their bit too; very best of luck next time! Hard lines to Dundee, who we know are a better team than that, thanks very much for playing!

The stats: Mr Hutchinson ended the game with TWELVE(!) starters (taking his series total to 20, second only to Mr Chan), while Mr Stonier was best for Dundee with two. On the bonuses, Reading managed 21 out of 39 and Dundee 5 out of 9 (with the night's one penalty).

Next week's match: again, don't know, will retweet anything I find. Two more regular games next week and the week after, then, presumably, we break for Christmas. Last year's Xmas series starts a repeat run on BBC4 next Monday at 7 (I think).

Only Connect began its quarter-finals with the Apollos vs the Animal Lovers. The former led 5-0 after the first round, but the latter recovered well in the second to reduce the gap to 10-8. A better wall saw the Lovers tie it up at 15-each going into Missing Vowels, and they fared a tad better in that round to win 22-18.

 

Mastermind was won by Kit Lane, whose 21 points saw her win by three points ahead of second place Mary Evans; Kathryn Howells and UC alumnus Lillian Crawford also took part and both finished on 16.