University Challenge 2014-15: Round 1: Match 14: Magdalen vs Pembroke

Evening all; you join me from Ayrshire for the final first round match of the series, and a much anticipated match as well. The task for tonight's teams: win, or lose with a score of 145 or more to push Exeter and L.S.E. off the repechage, and put to bed the prospect of a near impossible tie-break for the final place.

Magdalen College Oxford has won more UC grand finals than any other institution (wording deliberate o exclude Manchester's default win); it was founded in 1458, and alumni include ministers George Osbourne and Jeremy Hunt and their former colleague William Hague. It last sent a team two series ago, who went out to Manchester in the second round. This year's quartet were:
Harry Gillow, from Stone in Staffordshire, studying Classics
Chris Savory, from Burgess Hill in West Sussex, studying Chemistry
Captain: Hugh Binnie, from Cheltenham, studying Chemistry
Cameron J. Quinn, from Los Angeles, studying Philosophy and French

Pembroke College Cambridge was founded in 1347, and is the only Cambridge college still on its original site. Alumni include William Pitt the Younger and poet Ted Hughes. This is the fourth series in a row the college has sent a team, the 2011-12 coming second overall; last year's team lost to Somerville College Oxford in the first round, and just fell short of the repechage. Hoping to do better tonight were:
Tom McGee, from Kent, studying Arabic and Spanish
Theodore Hill, from High Wycombe, studying Classics
Captain: James Hutt, from Bedfordshire, studying Chemistry
Mark Hammond, from Farnham in Surrey, studying Physics

Off we set again then, and Magdalen struck first, taking the first two starters, and two bonuses from each set. The third starter went to them too, before Pembroke got off the mark, and took all three bonuses from their first set. They also took the first picture round, on places in Britain whose names have been given new definitions by John Lloyd and the late great Douglas Adams; this reduced Magdalen's lead to 50-45.

Pembroke took the lead with the next starter, and took two bonuses to go into the lead. Another starter went to the Cambridge side, and they looked to be pulling away. A slip-up allowed Magdalen to sneak back into the match, and they took a full set of bonuses to level the score. The way things were going so far, a good match looked on the cards.

The music round, on bands whose early success is owed to John Peel, went to Magdalen, and allowed them to open up a lead of 95-75. Pembroke fought back, and took two bonuses to level the scores again. A nip and tuck then ensued, as the sides swapped starters and the lead, and both began to eke towards the required repechage score.

The second picture round, on cartoons from Vanity Fair, went to Magdalen after the starter was dropped, and Pembroke rather harshly lost five for interrupting incorrectly just as Paxo was finishing the question. The Oxford side now led by 145-110. Pembroke took the next starter, but no bonuses went with it. The next starter was dropped, and, again, Pembroke lost five for interrupting on the final word of the question. The next starter went to Magdalen, but just the one bonus followed.

Now, though, the Oxonians began a late sprint, and began to pull away on the buzzer, and the bonuses began to fall for them. Pembroke couldn't break back through, only managing to lose five on a slip-up. At the gong, Magdalen won by 220-110.

A match that was a lot closer than that final score would have you believe. Well done Magdalen on a good first showing, and best of luck next time. Bad luck Pembroke, who, as Paxo said, were better than their final total suggests, and would probably have won against some of the winning teams we've seen this series, but well done to them anyway on a respectable effort.

Hugh Binnie was the night's best buzzer, getting six starters, while Tom McGee was narrowly Pembroke's best with four. On the bonuses, Magdalen converted a respectable 21 out of 36 (with one penalty), and Pembroke an also respectable 12 out of 21 (with four penalties, two of them rather harsh).

So, the four repechage teams are: Open (190), Manchester (160), Sussex (150) and either Exeter or L.S.E. (140). Paxo didn't say which, so we shall have to wait and see who turns up.

No word on who's playing in the first play-off next week, but my guess is it'll be Open and whichever of the two 140 teams, followed by Manchester vs Sussex the week after.

I will, of course, be publishing a review of the first round and look forward to the next stage later this week.

Only Connect reached the end of its first phase tonight; next week, we shall start seeing teams again there as well.