University Challenge 2013-14: Round 2: Match 7: Liverpool vs Cardiff

So, the final regular match of the year, and yet another result few could've foreseen! And also, did anyone else have the show skip the opening credits and cut in during Paxo's intro?

Liverpool scored the second highest score of the first round, when they utterly trounced Keele 295-40. An impressive tally, but one mainly earned through buzzer work, and thus questions have been asked about whether they could handle a better team on the buzzer. We would find out, for the unchanged team of:
Catherine Monks, from Bolton, studying Classics 
Daniel Jenkin-Smith, from Birmingham, studying French and English
Captain: Chris Spencer, from Salisbury, studying Tropical Medicine 
Luke Nugent, from Southport, studying Medicine

Cardiff, on the other hand, won through a low scoring first round affair over Exeter, winning by 145-95. They were let down by a weak showing on the buzzer, but did well with the bonuses when they got them. Were they to buzz better, they could pull a shock off. They were also unchanged, and were still:
Eleri Evans, from Pembrokeshire, studying Maths 
Sara Caputo, from Torino in Italy, studying History 
Captain: Roderick Lawford, from Barking, studying Music, Culture and Politics 
Tom Parry-Jones, from St Asaph, studying Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies

So, on paper, a clear advantage to Liverpool. But then, Downing had a clear advantage over Queen's, and look what happened there.

At first, it was hard to pull them apart, with the teams sharing the first two starters, and both getting two bonuses each. Then Cardiff began to pull out a bit, aided by a penalty incurring from the opposition. And when Tom Parry-Jones took the first picture starter, all four Cardiff players already had at least one starter each. After the bonuses, on places in Britain and the States with shared names, Cardiff led 85-15.

Liverpool pulled back with the next starter, but no bonuses followed. Cardiff took the next, and were very lucky on one of the bonuses, answering 'Yes Prime Minister' when 'Yes Minister' was what was wanted, and were given the points! Not too sure I'd have accepted that, but I guess they were sort of the same series; YPM was a sequel, as it were.

Anyway, Liverpool got the next two starters, but they didn't seem to be doing too well on the bonuses, getting just two of the resultant six. The music round was on well-known classical pieces performed on the ukelele (yes, really!); Cardiff took the starter, and all the bonuses, and increased their lead to 140-55. And when Tom Parry-Jones got the next starter, bettering their first round score, the bonuses took their lead into three figures.

Catherine Monks, who had been somewhat impressive in that first match, brought Liverpool back into the match, and two bonuses followed this time. But back hit Cardiff, and their score hit 200, and Liverpool looked in trouble. The second picture round, on portraits of European figures who gives their names to EU initiatives, went to the Liverpool, but they were still behind by 200-95.

Another starter went to Liverpool, and they were now into three figures. But they were still struggling with the bonuses, generally only getting one or two per set. If they were going to catch Cardiff, they would need to improve their conversion rate. Catherine Monks did get another starter, but only one bonus followed one again.

Cardiff victory now looked pretty certain, and when Tom Parry-Jones took the next starter, it was certain. Liverpool did manage one more starter, but no bonuses went with it. One more starter to Cardiff, and the gong went; Cardiff had completed the shock, and won by 230-145.

Well well well, so now we have two candidates for the 'shock' Cromarty(IV) hinted at. Bad luck to Liverpool, who clearly struggled against a better team on the buzzer, but 145 is still perfectly respectable, and well done anyway for a good showing. But very well done to Cardiff, who, like Queen's, have redeemed themselves after a slow first round showing, and best of luck to them in the QFs. They could yet have more surprises to spring.

The stats: Tom Parry-Jones was the night's best buzzer, getting five starters for Cardiff, while Catherine Monks was, again, best for Liverpool with four. The Liverpudlians were let down by a bonus rate of just 11 out of 30, and incurred two penalties too, thus suggesting they did indeed win that first match on the buzzer. Cardiff, however, converted 22 bonuses out of 35, which is very good, and aided them to their victory. Well done to them indeed.

So, now we're off for the festive period. Christmas UC begins on Friday, and continues sporadically over the festive fortnight. We'll presumably resume with SOAS playing Reading in the final second round match in the New Year.

As for Only Connect, we now have our two finalists. I won't give any details away, but the final should be, interesting.