University Challenge: Round 1: Match 11: Bath vs Liverpool

We seem to be going through a phase at the moment of UC matches that aren’t that memorable, but are full of good Paxo moments that keep our interest up. Tonight’s match was very much one of those.

Bath University was founded in1966, but had been around in various other forms since 1856; alumni include Scottish Labour MP Eric Joyce, and weatherman Bill Gyles. The university has entered UC twice before (in 2008-09 and 2011-12), but has not made it beyond the first round. Hoping to put an end to that were:

Joe Kendall, from Bristol, studying Economics and International Development

Adam Salvesen, from Oxford, studying Biology

Captain: Matthew Wise, from Surrey, studying the Modern Applications of Mathematics

Toby Smith, from Clitheroe in Lancashire, studying Physcis

Liverpool University was established in 1903, and is the original redbrick, it’s building materials having given rise to the term. Former students include the current poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, whose work I am currently studying in college as part of the ‘Textual Analysis’ unit of my course. The university last fielded a team two years ago, where they were trounced by Christ’s College Cambridge in the first round. Hoping to do better tonight were:

Sasha Torregrosa-Jones, from London, studying Physics

Jonathan Tinsley, from Newcastle, studying Physics

Captain: Andy Jones, from Omskirk in Lancashire, studying Dentistry

Agneau Belanyek, from Southampton, studying Computer Science

The match began with the first two starters being shared by the teams, but no bonuses being answered correctly. Liverpool annoyed Paxo early on by suggesting Julius Caesar was born in 1834! And then Bath angered him further by suggesting Paul O’Grady was an Irish playwright who was around in 1907! Throughout the first half of the match, most of the starters were answered correctly, but barely any bonuses followed.

At the music round, Bath led by 65-25. Liverpool took the music starter, on award winning film scores, and took their first bonus of the night with the bonuses. Throughout the third phase, Bath remained the dominant team, generally beating Liverpool to the buzzer. With the amount of bonuses being dropped, the match was going to be decided on the starters, and Bath seemed to have the upper hand. At the picture round, Liverpool began a brief surge which saw them close the gap to 100-80.

Bath took the next starter, and began to pull away again, leading 125-80 with surely not much time left. Liverpool took the next starter, but no bonuses followed yet again. Then, Mr Jones made a costly mistake, buzzing, answering, then correcting himself. His team was not given the points. But Mr Tinsley made up for it with the next starter, and the side hurried through the bonuses by shouting the answers over Paxo! Amidst this, they got all three. But this wasn’t quite enough, and Bath took the match 125-110.

A low scoring game, the teams combining for just 18 starters and 14 bonuses. Bath answered 9 bonuses out of 27 with one penalty, Liverpool managed 6 out of 27 with two penalties; that’s what won the match. The two captains were the best buzzers, with Matthew Wise getting three starters for Bath, and Andy Jones doing likewise for Liverpool. The other six players all got two each. Well split!

Safely through to the repechage: Lincoln College Oxford (175)

Next week’s match: UCL vs Exeter

Only Connect was another pretty uneventful affair this evening. The better team won, and did so with a very respectable score, which means they must be taken seriously later in the contest.

And then there’s Deal or No Deal, which saw quite a significant first today. Check back later in the week for a brief report of it.