Evening all. Another cold evening, and a windy one as well, so I've put the heating on advance again to warm up as I review tonight's match, the second play-off. Winners would take the final place in the second round. On paper, very little between these two sides, the absence of women from both of whom meant a lot of Twitter displeasure, but I had an idea of what might happen based on comments made across the UC blogosphere. It didn't come to pass!
U.C.L. lost a close first round match to Trinity College Oxford 160-145, though they came close to their opponents on a few occasions, they never quite made it in front IIRC. Hoping for better things tonight were the unchanged foursome of:
Tom Allinson, from Whitchurch in Hampshire, studying History
Charlie Dowell, from Chelmsford, studying Neuroscience
Captain: Robert Gray, from Kingston-upon-Thames, studying Cell Biology
Omar Raii, from Kabul, studying Maths
St Hugh's College Oxford lost their first match to Emmanuel College Cambridge by the same margin, 170-155, a very good nip and tuck match that was decided on the final starter of the game. Hoping to make up for that were the also unchanged quartet of:
Kazi Elias, from Cambridge, studying History
Euan Grainger, from Shrewsbury, studying Biological Sciences
Captain: Daniel de Wijze, from Manchester, studying Earth Sciences
Aidan Mehigan, from Washington DC, studying Art History
Off we set again then, and Mr Allinson took the night's first blood identifying lines from Jane Austen's final novel; bonuses on British birds gave them one correct to start with. Mr Gray was in for the second starter of the night, and a full bonus set on Biblical verses was on a taster of things to come. St Hugh's got in on the next starter with Mr Elias, but only managed to lose five; U.C.L. couldn't take the drop. Mr Dowell was in promptly to take the next starter though, just the one bonus following again. The first picture round, on English metropolitan boroughs, went to U.C.L., Mr Raii making sure all four players already had a starter to their names; just the one bonus followed again, which put their lead at 70-(-5).
Mr Gray added to that with the next starter, and all three bonuses on
biographies by Claire Tomalin gave them a 100 point lead. Mr Mehigan
finally took his side back into positive figures by taking their first
starter of the night, but just the one bonus from a tricky set on memory
came with it. Mr Gray broke back for U.C.L. identifying the work of
Christmas UC alumnus Jim Al-Khalili, and another full bonus set
reasserted their authority on procedings. In came Mr Dowell with the
next correctly answered starter, and yet another full bonus set went
with it.
Mr Raii was first to identify REM's classic 'It's the End of the World
as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)'; the music bonuses, on songs that, for
some reason, were played a lot on November 9th last year(!) (yes,
really!), saw U.C.L. take two bonuses, and unluckily miss the other.
They now led 165-10, but back came St Hugh's, with Mr Mehigan
identifying the game Magic: The Gathering. Just the one bonus on works
of fiction followed. A second starter in a row went Mr Mehigan's way,
but just the one bonus, on the exploits of Kate Moss (the model, not the
Christmas UC alumnus!) came with it again. Mr Raii was back for U.C.L.,
and they too took just the one bonus, on plastics and their recycling
codes. And when Mr Dowell took the next starter, and two bonuses put
them at 200, you fancied it was most definitely game over.
Mr Raii identified the late John Hurt for the second picture starter;
the bonuses, on some of his most noted roles, gave them a full set, and a
lead of 225-45. I can't have been the only one who shouted "Campbell
Soup!" as soon as 'chicken noodle' was mentioned on the next starter; Mr
Gray waited a bit longer, and beat the swerve that asked for the artist
associated with it instead. (Warhol, of course) Another full bonus set
was promptly gobbled up, giving them a 200+ lead, and the U.C.L. captain
then took a second starter in a row; bonuses on directions between
French cities gave them two correct answers.
A slip-up
from the Londoners allowed Mr Grainger to take the next starter, but the
Oxonians got nothing from a bonus set on Scottish council areas. It did
lift them out of the Sub-50 club however, only for a penalty to drop
them back into it; U.C.L. failed to pick up, but Mr Raii was in for the
next starter. Bonuses on England football managers gave them two correct
answers, and they were closing in on the first 300+ score since
Imperial's second round win two series ago! A starter from Mr Allinson
put them within five, and one bonus was sufficient to put them onto 300.
There was time for Mr Dowell to take one final starter, and one final
bonus from the resultant set. At the gong, U.C.L. won 315-45.
A
rather one sided, but still enjoyable, match that I certainly didn't
see coming! Unlucky St Hugh's, a good team who didn't deserve to be on
the end of that, but thanks very much indeed for taking part. Very well
done U.C.L. though, on an absolutely fantastic performance against a
team we know are decent, and very very best of luck in the second round!
The
stats: Messrs Gray and Raii ended joint best buzzers of the night with
five each, while Mr Mehigan was, again, best for St Hugh's with three.
On the bonuses, U.C.L. converted a tremendous 32 out of 48 (with one
penalty), while St Hugh's managed just 3 out of 12 (with two penalties).
Next
week's match: the first of the second round! Don't know who, past three
series format would make it Fitzwilliam vs Strathclyde, but we'll see.
I'll retweet if I find out.
No Only Connect to deal with tomorrow, of course, so we're back next week with my usual UC write-up, so see you then, I guess.
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