Only Connect Series 13: Round 1: Match 11: Arrowheads vs Wombles

OK, time to try and take my mind off Scotland once again faltering when it matters most (not too fussed, would've lost in the play-offs anyway, will easily make Euro 2020 if we right the wrongs of this campaign) by looking back on Friday's Only Connect, and the penultimate first round match.

Playing were the Arrowheads, Sarah Lister, Hannah Hogben and captain Nick Lister, husband of Sarah, and the Wombles, Mike Arrowsmith, Duncan Palmer and captain Charlie Talbot.

Round 1. The Arrowheads kicked the show off with Lion: 'Black Needles', then 'Saint-Cyr', then 'West Point', and finally 'Sandhurst'. They identified them as military academies, and collected the first point of the night. The Wombles opened their account with Two Reeds, and the picture set: we saw Britannia, then Buzz Lightyear, then the board game Go, and finally the formula for calculating your BMI. They ran out of time to answer, so over to their opponents for a bonus: they are now defunct British airlines. (Accidentally topical that one!) For their own question, the Arrowheads chose Eye of Horus, and got the music set: we heard 'The American Dream' from Miss Saigon, then Gershwin's classic 'An American in Paris', then the theme of the film 'American Beauty', and finally the late Tom Petty with 'American Girl'. They spotted the link, and collected another point. The Wombles chose Twisted Flax next: 'Ishmael', then 'Piscine Patel', then 'Lemuel Gulliver'; they identified them as survivors of shipwrecks, and collected their first points of the game. The Arrowheads chose Water next: 'Asa: singer', then 'Alfredo: actor', then 'Albert: politician and environmentalist', and finally 'Alphonse: gangster'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are the real first names of famous men called Al (Jolson, Pacino, Gore and Capone respectively). Left with Horned Viper, the Wombles saw 'Western lowland gorilla', then 'Until her father withdraws the T-bird', then 'Tony Blair's "top priorities"' (that gave it to me), and finally 'Allsopp and Spencer's TV show'. That gave it to them: they are the same word repeated three times. At the end of the first round, the teams were tied at 3-each.

Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Arrowheads opened the round with Two Reeds: '()', then the pi symbol and '^'; they identified them as the symbols of the BODMAS order of operations, so '+' would come fourth. The Wombles chose Lion next: 'Jane Seymour', then 'Catherine of Aragon', and then 'Anne Boleyn'. They didn't get it, their opponents (and I) did: they are the mothers of successive monarchs, so 'Mary Queen of Scots' would be fourth. For their own question, the Arrowheads chose 'Horn-ed' Viper: 'Leeds United (1969)', then 'Derby County (1972)', and then 'Nottingham Forest (1978)'. My Dad and I got this, but neither team did: they are the last four first teams to win the English top division for the first time, so 'Leicester City (2016)' would, of course, be fourth. The Wombles chose Water next: 'D: Ford', then 'C: Dartmoor'; they offered 'A: Parkhurst', which was not correct. Their opponents saw 'B: Wormwood Scrubs', but couldn't get it either. They are categories of prisoner and where they would go, so 'High Security: Belmarsh' would be fourth. For their final choice, the Arrowheads chose Twisted Flax: 'Complete with regard to every detail', then '-3rd In one side and out the other', and then '-2nd Animal's feeding vessel'. They saw the sequence to the 'THOROUGH', 'THROUGH', and 'TROUGH', so '-1st Not Smooth', ie 'ROUGH' would complete the sequence. Left with Eye of Horus, and the picture set, the Wombles saw the cast of Friends, then some Roman soldiers; they saw it to be 'Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!', so offered something to represent 'Lend me your ears!' for the three points! At the end of the second round, the Arrowheads led 9-6.

On to the Walls. The Wombles went first, and chose to tackle the Water wall. They spotted some links, and after some failed goes, isolated 'Pig', 'Tyre', 'Waffle' and 'Curling', which can all precede 'Iron'. There followed a second set: 'Latka', 'Rumble-de-thumps', 'Pitepalt' and 'Chip', which are potato dishes, though they didn't recognise that. With not much time left, they tried to work the others out, but couldn't in their three attempts, and thus had to settle for bonuses: 'Draw', 'Drive', 'Hook' and 'Fade' are types of golf shot, which they got, while 'The Big Short', 'Half Nelson', 'Fracture' and 'La La Land' are films starring Ryan Gosling, which they also got. Five points there.

The Arrowheads thus had room for error as they set to work on the Lion wall. After spotting some links, they too had trouble isolating, eventually slotting in 'Kayak', 'Punt', 'Coracle' and 'Pirogue', which are types of boat, followed by 'Bet', 'Ante', 'Flutter' and 'Wager', which are terms used in gambling. They couldn't fit the final clues in, and thus too had to settle for bonus points: 'Germs', 'Rumours', 'Butter' and 'Wings' are things that can be spread, which they saw, while 'Say You Will', 'Tusk', 'Mirage' and 'Penguin' are albums by Fleetwood Mac, which they also got. Six points there, which increased their lead to 15-11 going into the final round.

So, still all to play for with Missing Vowels. 'Things that can be cracked' went to the Wombles 3-1. 'Titles of Dickens novels with the word order changed', such as 'TIMES HARD', went to the Arrowheads 3-(-1). 'Things that are real', such as 'REAL ESTATE', was split 2-each. 'Test' only had time for one clue, which the Arrowheads took. At the end of the show, the Arrowheads won 22-15.

Another good show with some good quizzing. Unlucky Wombles, but nothing to be ashamed of there, thanks very much indeed for taking part. Well done Arrowheads, and best of luck in the second round!

Next week's match: Detectives vs Theatricals