Evening all. Only one week til Christmas, which I honestly expected I'd hear mentioned more than I have today, but still just room for one more regular UC match before we pause for the Christmas specials, which begin on Sunday, then run every weekday from Boxing Day for two weeks, before normal service resumes on the 8th. (The last two Xmas series have been repeated on BBC4 over the last few weeks)
Bristol comfortably saw off Trinity College Cambridge in their first match, taking an early lead and ultimately running out comfortable winners by 230-95, one of the higher first round scores. Hoping for more of the same tonight were the unchanged line-up of:
Ollie Bowes, from Market Harborough, studying Music
Kirsty Biggs, from Southampton, studying Maths
Captain: Sam Hosegood, from Bedford, studying Chemical Physics
Dom Hewett, from Stroud, studying English
Trinity College Oxford had a narrower first round victory, 160-145, but bear in mind their opponents were U.C.L., who survived to the play-offs, and are highly unlucky not to have made it to the group stage. Hoping to do so instead were the also unchanged foursome of:
Maxim Parr-Reid, from Olney in Buckinghamshire, studying History and Politics
Nicole Rosenfeld, from Hertfordshire, studying Maths
Captain: James Gunn, from Melbourne, studying Classics
Ben Coker, from Hadlow in Kent, studying PPE
Off we set again then, and Mr Parr-Reid opened the match with his first starter of the series; the resultant bonuses on the presidency of DD Eisenhower provided them with two correct answers. Mr Bowes picked up where he left off last time, taking the first starter of the night for the Avonsiders; the Bristol left-winger also proved his worth with the bonuses, on musicians, helping his side to a full set, and a narrow lead. Ms Biggs was next in, knowing that someone who was under house arrest in Rangoon was almost certainly going to be Aung San Suu Kyi, and another full bonus set followed. Back came Trinity with Mr Gunn doing the honours, and a bonus set on snakes gave them another ten points. The first picture round, on eponymous scales, went to Bristol, who took just two bonuses this time, but still led 70-40.
Mr Parr-Reid bit back for Trinity on the next starter though, but the Oxonians got nothing from the resultant bonuses. Mr Bowes got something from the next starter though, and, again, the bonuses on opera fell nicely into his lap, with two correct answers. Both sides then incurred a penalty each, though Bristol's was a non-interruption, with the opposition failing to pick up in both cases. Mr Hosegood was next in though, giving his side a bonus set on counties ending in 'shire', including the old quizzer's fact of Nottinghamshire having originally been 'Snottinghamshire'. Mr Hewett then made sure all Bristolians had a starter to their name; just one bonus went with it.
The music round, on classical pieces played at the Queen's coronation, went to Bristol (though thumbs down to Mr Bowes for pronouncing Purcell 'per-sell' rather than the correct 'per-sul'), who took a full bonus set, giving them a lead of 145-45. And it increased again when Ms Biggs took the next starter; tungsten mining didn't sound a terribly promising bonus topic, but the Avonsiders took two correct answers. Mr Gunn finally broke Trinity back into proceedings, but bonuses on Spain failed to add to their score. Two starters in a row were dropped (I got WB Yeats), Mr Coker made it third time lucky, and bonuses on astronomy gave his side one correct answer. Back came Bristol with Ms Biggs doing the honours, but they too only took one correct answer.
The picture starter was dropped by both sides; the bonuses, on stills from Frankenstein films, went to Bristol (albeit after they lost five, with Paxo somewhat leniently carrying on the starter after Trinity buzzed), who failed to add to their score, which stood at 185-70. And when Mr Hewett declared 'Ghana' for the next starter, that was game over. Two bonuses followed.
A rather early buzz then cost them five, but Trinity were unable to pick up. A second starter was dropped, the next went to Mr Gunn, and one bonus on poetry followed. Bristol then fell foul of a second non-interruption, their third of the series; this time Trinity did pick up the drop, and two bonuses deservedly took them into triple figures. The final starter went Bristol's way, and that was the gong; Bristol won 205-100.
A low key but enjoyable match to end the regular games for this year. Unlucky Trinity, who were simply outplayed on the buzzer, but no shame in that, thanks very much for taking part. Well played Bristol though; another strong performance against decent opponents, and very best of luck in the group stage!
The stats: Messrs Bowes and Gunn were joint best buzzers of the night, with four each. On the bonuses, Bristol converted a decent 21 out of 33 (with four penalties, only two of them for actual interruptions), whole Trinity managed just 7 out of 21 (with one penalty), so it was a match won on the buzzer and the bonuses.
So, that's it for this year; Christmas specials begin Sunday. We're back on the 8th with Newcastle vs Southampton, followed by Fitzwilliam vs Magdalen and Oxford Brookes.
Only Connect isn't quite finished for this year yet though, final show of the year on Friday, back on Sunday with my review.
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