Greetings friends! And welcome back for the second second round match of this year's UC! Last week, we saw a play-off winner play one of the lower scoring winning teams of the first round, and, tonight, we got that again. The winners of tonight's match would take the second place in the second round, with the runners-up, under the rather inconsistant, some might say unfair, yet best we've got if we're gonna elaborate, rules, going out...
Emmanuel College Cambridge were beaten narrowly by St Andrews in their first round match, but recovered two weeks ago with a comfortable enough play-off win over RNCM. They were unchanged from those previous games:
Nicole Pullinger, from Hong Kong, studying English
Nicholas Thatte, from Oxford (originally Greece), studying Physics
Captain: Kara Malcolm, from Guildford (originally Capetown), studying Engineering
James Wrathall, from Mistley in Essex, studying Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
St Catharine's College Cambridge came straight through to this round, beating University College Oxford in their first match on the final starter of the game to win 130-120. Looking very snazzy in their matching jumpers, they were also the same four as before:
Jenny Hay, from South Lanarkshire, studying Theology, Religion and the Philosophy of Religion
Emma Dinnage, from London, studying Natural Sciences
Captain: Nick Scott, from London, studying Maths
Lydia Michaelides, from Saffron Walden, studying Veterinary Medicine
So off we set again, and the first starter was a tad confusing perhaps, but Ms Michaelides worked it out to open the scoring; her side, though, failed to add to their score with their first bonuses. Mr Wrathall was quickly set Emmanuel off as well, and they took two bonuses on their first set, before St Catharine's lost five on the next starter; their opponents didn't pick up, but Mr Thatte answered 'phobos' for the next starter and they took a full set on names ending 'lia'. The first picture round, on lists of awards won by EGOT winners, went to St Catharine's; one correct bonus left them trailing 45-20.
Mr Thatte looked like he was taking an educated guess on the next starter, but he was correct, and his side took two bonuses on scientific equipment. Mr Scott returned the favour as he took the next starter, but his side's struggles with the bonuses continued as they took just one. Emmanuel, in contrast, we making steady progress with their bonuses, taking two from their next set on the work of scientist Elizabeth Blackburn. Neither side identified Public Enemy for the music starter (I recognised the song from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, but didn't know the artist I'm afraid!); the bonuses, on rap songs that sample political speeches, went to St Catharine's, but they drew a blank on the bonuses, leaving them trailing 85-45.
Mr Wrathall increased Emmanuel's lead with the next starter, and another pair of bonuses took them into three figures first. And when Mr Thatte identified 'radon' for the next starter, and this solid form continued with another pair on place names, their lead was looking solid, but not insurmountable, if St Catharine's could finally get some luck with the bonuses. And that they did, as Ms Hay took the next starter and two bonuses on constellations were taken. They also took the second picture round, on paintings depicting the then-newly opened Eiffel Tower in the background, but they got nothing from the bonuses, again, leaving them trailing 125-75.
St Catharine's could still do it if the questions fell for them; Emmanuel obliged them with a penalty, but they couldn't pick it up. Ms Dinnage took the next starter though, and a full house on accents above an A put them right back in the game. Mr Wrathall gave Emmanuel more room to breathe with the next starter though, but it was their turn to draw a blank on the bonuses, none on red birds. Another starter would surely win it for them, but they lost another five instead; St Catharine's did pick up this time, and two bonuses put them within five points! But that was the gong! Emmanuel won 125-120.
Another low scoring game, but a close and exciting one at that, well played both teams there! Well done to Emmanuel and best of luck in the QFs! Hard lines to St Catharine's, who nearly pulled off a good fightback, and would've won it had the earlier bonuses fallen for them, but they gave two respectable accounts of themselves, thanks very much to them for playing!
The stats: Messrs Thatte and Wrathall and Ms Michaelides were the best buzzers of the night with three each for their respective teams. On the bonuses, Emmanuel managed 13 out of 21 (with two penalties) and St Catharine's 9 out of 24 (with one penalty).
Next week's match: no idea yet, keep an eye on my Twitter feed for any retweets I spot
Only Connect reached its second
play-off match, and a second avoidable rematch in a row, with the Scrubs and
the Librarians meeting again (why couldn’t one of these teams have played one
of last week’s and vice versa?). They were level on 2-each after the first
round, before the Scrubs eked out a 7-6 lead after the second. A dead heat on
the Walls left them ahead 12-11 going into Missing Vowels, and they just about
maintained it with another identically scoring final round to win 17-16!
Mastermind was won very narrowly
by Will Vince, whose finished level on 23 points each with Joe Pugh and snuck the
win courtesy of no passes to Mr Pugh’s two. Claire Filer and Lyn Anslow also
took part, and finished with 20 and 15 respectively.
Brain of Britain reached it’s
final, which quickly turned into a two horse race between Dave McBryan and Karl
Whelan, both of whom scored six in the first round, with Alan Hodgson and Phil
Small both scoring two, and they would match each other in all subsequent
rounds, except the second, where Mr Whelan scored four to Mr McBryan’s two.
This proved the difference in the end, with Mr Whelan winning the game, and the
series, on 12, with Mr McBryan on 10 and Messrs Hodgson and Small on eight
each. Congratulations to Mr Whelan, and thanks to all who took part for an
enjoyable series!
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