Evening all. I'm pleased to report you can now find me on Twitter: @jack_jmmcb. Don't expect too much from me; just general views on various things I feel the need to tweet about. Like tonight's show for example.
Nottingham University was originally part of the University of London, and became a university in its own right in 1948. Alumni include writer DH Lawrence and shoe repair magnate John Timpson. It last sent a team to UC back in 2011-12, where they beat L.S.H.T.M. (who including future OC champion Michael Wallace) in the first round and were unlucky to draw and lose to eventually runners-up Pembroke College Cambridge in the second. This year's foursome were:
Michael Alexander, from South London, studying Medicine
Ben Scrafield, from Sheffield, studying Chemistry
Captain: Alice Lilly, from Harrogate, studying American Studies
Mark Dennis, from Hucknall in Nottinghamshire, studying Maths
Swansea University was founded as a college of the University of Wales in 1920, and separated to become its own university in 2007. Alumni include two of the Manic Street Preachers, and Prof. Lyn Evans, head of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. As Paxo noted, it last sent a team way back in 1996-97, where they were annihilated by eventual runners-up Open 395-85 in the first round. Hoping to do somewhat better than that were this year's quartet of:
Georgia Pigott, from Cannock in Staffordshire, studying Medicine
Dewi Goulden, from the Ogwen Valley in North Wales, studying Medicine
Captain: Adam Haines, from Hertford, studying Ancient History and Latin
Alan Owens, from Flintshire, studying Medicine
Off we set again then, and Nottingham were first off the blocks courtesy of Mr Alexander, and they took one bonus on communication devices. Swansea immediately followed them, and they bettered their opponents by taking two bonuses. A second starter in a row for the Welsh side followed, but no bonuses followed this time. The first picture round, on rivers and the flags of the nations they run through, went to Nottingham, who took one bonus to tie the scores, 30-each.
Mr Owens, who earlier bemused Paxo by introducing himself in both English and Welsh(!), took the next starter to give Swansea back the lead, and, again, just one bonus followed. A second starter in a row followed for Swansea, but a set of bonuses on US sitcoms brought, despite much hilarity (and a very welcome mention of Frasier), no points. Nottingham fought back with Mr Alexander, again, taking the points, and two bonuses followed, including a question about Slivovitz brandy which both they and I knew (thanks Millionaire).
The music round, on tracks from albums that topped the Pazz & Jop music critics poll, went to Nottingham, but no bonuses followed. Nottingham had a slender lead of 60-55, which got bigger after Mr Alexander made a very quick buzz, and a bonus set on terriers (with Huddersfield Town getting a mention) gave them two bonuses. Two more starters fell Nottingham's way, with just one bonus from each set accompanying them. They weren't doing terrifically well on the bonuses, but neither were their opponents, and it was their buzzer work that was giving them the momentum.
The second picture round, on depictions of Narcissus, went to Nottingham after both sides missed the starter; again, one bonus followed, which gave them a lead of 125-55. Both sides missed the next starter, Nottingham took the next, and, even though no bonuses followed, their eighty point lead may have been enough to see them home, the way things had been going so far.
Swansea promptly broke back into the game courtesy of Miss Pigott, provoking a 'welcome back' from Paxo! If they were to stand any chance of catching up, they'd need to pick up the bonuses as well as the starters. Just one came from their next set; a second starter in a row produced two, but even then it looked like too little too late. A third starter followed, taking them into triple figures (and confirming Manchester's exit), and they took the first two bonuses, but were timed out on the third by the gong. Nottingham won 135-110.
A low scoring match, with both sides doing OK on the buzzer, but not really following through on the bonuses. Unlucky Swansea, who were undone by that long static period in the middle, but a respectable effort, so well done. Well done to Nottingham though, and we look forward to seeing you again in the next round!
Mr Alexander was the night's best buzzer, with six starter, while Mr Goulden was Swansea's best with three. On the bonuses, Nottingham converted just 9 out of 27, while Swansea only managed 8 out of 21. That explains the low scores, though there were no penalties, which was good.
Next week's match: a London derby between the Institute of Cancer Research and St George's.
Only Connect was good tonight, with some serial quizzers debuting. A full review will, hopefully, be up by Thursday at the latest.
This was a particularly intriguing match-up for me, partly because both Swansea and Nottingham have active lifesaving clubs, who regularly compete in this sport at the national university level - I couldn't resist pointing that out to the student lifesaving community this morning! (I'm infamous among this community for my quiz competition that I've organised for the last two years whenever Southampton has hosted a lifesaving weekend.)
ReplyDeleteNottingham had my support tonight, I have to say, because my dad is an alumnus from there! I've also met most of their UC team, with Mr Alexander, in particular, putting in a very strong innings at the British Student Quizzing Championships in May. His buzzer work was excellent tonight, and he had good support in that field, but I can't help feeling that both sides dropped some fairly gettable bonuses, which could be a problem for Notts next time around - although, as we always say, first-round form is never the whole story for a UC team.
I must admit to relating very strongly to Mr Haines' "bucket list" story - I was 9 or 10 years old when I decided that I wanted to be on the show one day!