University Challenge 2021-22: Play-Off Quarter-Final 2: Reading vs St John's

Good evening friends, and welcome back to the home straight of this year's Quizzy Mondays season! Just three more UCs after tonight, four more Masterminds and Counterpoint concludes next Monday as well. Whoever won tonight's match would take the final place in the semi-finals, a fuller previews of which I'll hopefully remember to do later in the week.

Reading came straight through to the QFs with wins over Strathclyde and Dundee, then defeated Birmingham in their first QF, but were beaten by Imperial in their second. They were the same changed foursome as that second QF match: 

Sylvian Jesudoss, from Thanjuvar, India, studying Marketing

Margaret Ounsley, from Reading, studying Poor Law History

Captain: Michael Hutchinson, from Andover, graduated with a PGCE

Kira Bishop, from Slough, studying Maths and Psychology

 

St John's College Cambridge also lost to Imperial, in the first round, recovered with wins over U.C.L. and Queen Mary of London, then lost to Emmanuel in their first QF, before winning a close second against Trinity. They were the same four as all of those previous games: 

Thomas Clark, from the USA and Japan, graduated in Linguistics  

Louie George, from Lyme Regis, studying Sociology  

Captain: Jonathan Chan, from Cambridge, studying Veterinary Medicine  

Kyanna Ouyang, from New Jersey, studying Natural Sciences

 

So off we set once again then, and Reading captain Mr Hutchinson, as he has done so often before this season, quickly zipped in first to take the night's first starter; bonuses on people called Eustace provided the Biscuitmen with two correct answers, before their captain took the second starter in short order, which led to a full bonus set on plants. Mr Jesudoss was unlucky on the next starter, offering the religion 'Buddhism' instead of its leader; Mr George duly tapped into the empty net, and the Cambridge side took two of their first bonus set. Reading then lost another five, but St John's didn't take advantage this time; Ms Ounsley then recouped the lost points, but they got nothing from the resulting bonuses. Neither team got the first picture starter, or the one after; the bonuses, on endorheic basins, eventually went to Reading, who got two of them correct to increase their lead to 65-20.

Mr Hutchinson added to that lead as he then took another starter, which led to a classic UC bonus set on pairs of films where the last three letters of the first's title are the first three of the second's; they impressively took all three of this great set. Another penalty then allowed St John's to break back into the game, giving them a bonus set on the artist Gentileschi, of which they only took just the one. No-one recognised Dizzy Gillespie for the music starter; the bonuses, on jazz contrafacts of Gershwin's 'I Got Rhythm', but they failed to add to their score (unluckily swerving away from one of them right at the end), which nonetheless left them ahead 95-35.

Mr Hutchinson then took the next starter to take them into three figures; a tough bonus set on calculus saw them come close a couple of times, but ultimately take no bonuses. Mr Chan took another starter for St John's, which gave them a bonus set on words originating from James Mill's History of British India, of which they took one correct. But Mr Hutchinson then took the next starter for Reading, and a full bonus set on diarists meant they were more or less out of sight. St John's did take the second picture round, on paintings depicting the Muth of Callisto; two correct bonuses meant they trailed 130-70.

But Mr Clark then lost five with a 'just an' interruption on the next starter, and Ms Ounsley took the points, confirming that it was really was game over; bonuses on Russian history provided the Royals with two correct answers, not that it mattered really now. Both sides them lost five points on the last two starters of the game; Mr Chan did take the final one for St John's, but the gong came before any bonuses could be asked. Reading won 145-70.

Another decent contest despite the low-ish scores, with two good teams playing well in good spirits; well played both! Well done Reading, worthy semi-finalists; best of luck to them there! Hard lines to St John's, who bow out after a fine series of performances; thanks very much to them for playing!

The stats: Mr Hutchinson was, once again, the best buzzer of the night with five, taking his running total to 35, while Mr Chan was best for St John's with three, which means he finishes the series their best buzzer with 34. On the bonuses, Reading managed 15 out of 27 (with four penalties) and St John's 6 out of 12 (with two penalties).

Next week's match: the first semi-final! As revealed on Twitter earlier, it's Imperial vs Emmanuel, leaving Edinburgh vs Reading in two weeks' time. As I said earlier, a fuller preview hopefully coming up later this week.

Mastermind’s third semi-final was won by Eleanor Ayres, whose superb performance on GK, 17 correct, saw her run up a great score of 28, four clear of second place Tom Lea, with Helen Garner just behind on 23; UC alumnus Allister Mallon completed the line-up with 17.

 

Counterpoint's third semi-final, meanwhile, was won by Sarah Trevarthen, meaning we shall have an all-female line-up (and a very strong one too) for the final next week.