University Challenge: Round 1: Match 4: Strathclyde vs Durham

Well, this was going to be interesting. Normally, Durham gets my undivided support, seeing as my mother studied at Durham. However, she went on to do a PhD at Strathclyde! So, therefore, I was undecided who to support.

Strathclyde began life as a college in 1796, and later became the second university in Glasgow. It’s now the third largest in Scotland. It last entered the contest in 2005-06, where its team narrowly lost a low scoring first round match to Birmingham. Playing for them tonight were:

Michael Doreszenko, from Kilmarnock, studying Electrical and Mechanical Engineering

Julia Hyslop, from Glasgow, studying Chemistry

Captain: Martin Nealon, from Glasgow, studying Politics

Bruce Wareham, Campbeltown in Argyll, studying Chemistry

Yay, a full team of Scots!

Durham is the third oldest university in England after Oxford and Cambridge, a fact I first learned on the Weakest Link twelve years ago! It has not missed a series of UC for fourteen years; last year, its team trounced Plymouth in the first round, and were unlucky to draw and lose to Homerton College Cambridge in the second. Playing for them this year were:

Philip Ferry, from Northumberland, studying Maths

Katie Vokes, from Edinburgh, studying Maths

Captain: Richard Thomas, from Hook in Hampshire, studying Politics

Dominic Everett Riley, from Farnham in Surrey, studying English

Like last year, Durham quickly leapt out into the lead, scoring well on the bonuses. Strathclyde incurred a penalty early on, and this may have knocked their early confidence. Durham picked up an early penalty too, and Strathclyde were a little unlucky not to pick up that starter.

By the time we reached the music round, Durham lead 155-(-5). Paxo gave his usual reassurance to Strathclyde that “there’s still plenty of time”; as Dave Clark and Iain Weaver have both said before, when he says that to you, you know you’re in trouble. The music starter was dropped, but Strathclyde finally got going with the replacement starter. On the music bonuses, on bands where one member has a PhD, I recognised one of the songs (from, of all things, a Tony Hawk computer game!), but I didn’t know who it was, which was really annoying.

Durham continued to power on throughout the second half, and, at the picture round, the score was 220-10. Strathclyde couldn’t catch them, but could they still recover to a respectable score.

Yes they could. In the closing minutes, Michael Doroszenko, who had been trying unsuccessfully to buzz in throughout the game, scored three consecutive starters, which lifted his team out of the ‘Sub 50 Club’, and into respectability.

The final score was a victory for Durham by 245-70, which is fair enough. Mr Doroszenko’s three starters were his side’s best tally; they answered 6 bonuses out of 15 with two penalties. Durham split their starters evenly, with all four getting at least two starters; Philip Ferry’s four was best; the side answered 26 bonuses out of 36, which is very impressive, and incurred just the one penalty.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I think we have our first real contenders for the series title here.

Next week’s match: Queen Mary London vs Jesus College Oxford

Tune back in tomorrow for a review of the 2,000th Deal or No Deal!