OK, on with Only Connect. I'm still not convinced about using this extended format for OC, at least not in its current way. The old way, using it from the off so all teams got at least two matches, was much better IMO.
Playing last night were the Belgophiles, Helen Fasham, Phil Small and captain Ben Fasham, husband of Helen, who defeated the Lapsed Physicists and the Meeples en route, and the Beaks, Rob Cromarty, Aidan Sproat-Clements and captain Dan Sproat-Clements, husband of Aidan, who also came straight here by beating the Disparates and the Dandies.
Round 1. The Beaks kicked the night off with Water: 'Argument tent', then 'Fan gathering tent', then 'Heating system vect'; they identified them as requiring 'con' at the start and 'ion' at the end to give words meaning those, and collected two points. The Belgophiles opened their account with Eye of Horus: 'Tsar Alexander II', then 'King George VI', then 'The Arc de Triomphe'; they identified them to have horse races named after them, and also picked up two points. The Beaks chose Two Reeds next, and got the picture set: we saw Pope Benedict XVI, then Ronald McDonald, then Moira Stewart as Vicky Page in 'The Red Shoes', and finally Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. They didn't get it, their opponents did, offering that they all famously wear red shoes for the bonus. For their own question, the Belgophiles chose Twisted Flax: 'Death of Kublai Khan', then 'Battles of El Alamein', then 'Second Paris Olympics', and finally 'Columbus reaches the Americas'. They offered that they occurred in years that are number anagrams of each other, and picked up another point. The Beaks chose Horned Viper next: 'Rudyard Kipling (1888) Daniel Dravot', then 'T.H. White (1958) Arthur', then 'Michael Dobbs (1992) un-named but probably Charles III', and finally 'J.R.R. Tolkein (1955) Aragorn'. They saw them to be the authors and publication years of novels with kings in the title, and the king in question, and picked up a point. Left with Lion, and the music question, the Belgophiles heard the theme to 'Murder on the Orient Express', then the French song 'Je t'en ce fait le train', then the Doobie Brothers with 'Slow Train Running', and finally 'Midnight Train to Georgia' by Gladys Knight and the Pips. They didn't see it, their opponents did for a bonus. At the end of the first round, the teams were tied on 4-each.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Beaks opened with Twisted Flax, and the picture set: we saw two matches, a standard and a digital with a circle round the latter, then a zoomed in picture of a record, and then a pair of glasses with one lens removed. They didn't get it, their opponents did: the clues represent 'digital', 'single' and 'lens', so something for 'reflex', such as that hilariously bad game show hosted by Shane Richie, or as they offered, a nightclub in Reading, would've sufficed. For their own question, the Belgophiles chose Eye of Horus: 'Wife of Henry VII', then 'Queen Elizabeth I', and then 'Wife of George VI'; they saw them to be English/British queens called Elizabeth, so offered 'Queen Elizabeth II' for the points. The Beaks chose Two Reeds next: '4: H', then '3: F', and then '2: R'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are letters with four, three and two end points, so '1: P' would complete the sequence. Nice little question that. The Belgophiles chose Horned Viper next: 'Humperdinck', then 'Quackmore', and then 'Donald'. They tried 'Daffy', not right; their opponents tried 'Huey', correct, the sequence being various generations of Donald Duck's family! For their own final choice, the Beeks chose Lion: 'Uruguay' with three lines above it and on the left, then 'Lesotho' with three lines but slightly more rightwards, and then 'Swaziland' under the lines even righter. They didn't get an acceptable answer, nor did their opponents: they are the four countries entirely south of the Tropic of Capricorn, so 'New Zealand' on the very right under three lines would be fourth. Left with Water, the Belgophiles saw '6', then 'Connecticut', and then 'Heraldic gold'. They didn't get it, their opponents did: the clues represent 'VI', 'CT' and 'OR', so something for 'IA' would complete the sequence. Now, they offered 'Indiana', which was not strictly acceptable, but Victoria recognised that they had the right idea, so let them have the points. She said she'd also have taken something that represented 'Y', as in 'VICTORY', so fair enough I guess. At the end of the second round, the Belgophiles led 7-6.
On to the Walls. The Belgophiles went first, and chose the Lion wall. Their first set arrived pretty quickly after some earlier errors: 'Chaplaincy', 'Maternity', 'ENT' and 'Outpatients' are hospital departments. A second set, 'Lee', 'Kotto', 'Bean' and 'Waltz', which are surnames of actors who've played Bond villains, followed. They identified what was left, and solved the wall on their third go: 'History', 'TNT', 'A & E' and 'Nickelodeon' are US cable channels, which they got, while 'Hermione', 'Potemkin', 'Discovery' and 'Kiel' are naval mutinies, which they didn't get. Seven points there then.
The Beaks thus could sneak into the lead if they could better that on the Water wall. After a few wrong goes, they eventually isolated 'Cole', 'Speed', 'Milburn' and 'Albert', which are surnames of Newcastle United footballers, which they couldn't quite get, so dropping three there, followed in short order by 'Station', 'Dip', 'Dog' and 'Shearer', which can all follow 'sheep'. They had the wall solved on their first attempt: 'St Katharine', 'Prince's', 'Tobacco' and 'Alexandra' are UK docks, which they got, while 'Oats', 'Dice', 'Lawn' and 'Eyes' are things that can be rolled, which they also spotted. Seven there as well, which left the Belgophiles ahead 14-13 going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels would decide who went which way in the contest. 'Things found in a motorway service station' went to the Belgophiles 2-1. 'Friends in children's literature', such as 'POOH AND PIGLET', went to the Belgophiles 2-1 as well. 'Anagrams of 'GANISTER'', such as 'ANGRIEST' and 'TASERING' went to the Belgophiles 2-0, and that was time. The Belgophiles won 20-15.
Another good match, close throughout, well played both sides. Unlucky Beaks, good luck in the elimination round, well done Belgophiles, best of luck in the qualifier round!
Next week's match: the Wanderers vs the Eco-Warriors in the first eliminator.
Tuesday, 27 February 2018
Monday, 26 February 2018
University Challenge 2017-18: Qualification Quarter-Final 1: Newcastle vs St John's
Evening all. No lighting issues this week, but the heating is on full pelt in preparation for the cold snap on its way later this week. Well done, BTW, to blog reader Jack Bennett, of UC and OC fame, who won the first heat of this year's Brain of Britain this afternoon, beating top opposition in the form of Andy Tucker (BoB, Mastermind and OC finalist) and Sanjoy Sen of the Wanderers from OC. On with tonight though, with the first place in the semis at stake.
Newcastle won a low scoring first round match over Sheffield Hallam, but have improved in their two matches since, first beating Southampton in the second round, and then Bristol in their first quarter-final, 225-130. Hoping to carry on this upwards spiral were the unchanged four of:
Jack Reynard, from Leeds, studying Medicine
Molly Nielsen, from London, studying Medicine
Captain: Jonathan Noble, from Newcastle, studying for a PGCE
Adam Lowery, from Sunderland, studying Chemistry
St John's breezed through the early rounds with comfortable wins over St Andrews and Corpus Christi of Cambridge, before beating Ulster in their preliminary, surviving a second half fightback to win 185-135. Hoping for more of the same tonight were the also unchanged line-up of:
John-Clark Levin, from Los Angeles, studying Politics and International Studies
Rosie McKeown, from Kingston-upon-Thames, studying French and German
Captain: James Devine-Stoneman, from Southall in London, studying Superconducting Spintronics
Matt Hazell, from Ringwood in Hampshire, studying Veterinary Medicine
Off we set again then, and an immediate penalty from Newcastle gave St John's the first starter of the night; two bonuses on film biographies kicked off the night's scoring. Mr Noble took his side back into positives straight away, but the Tynesiders could only take on of their first bonuses. Ms Nielsen put them on level pegging, and bonuses on astronomy gave them the lead. The first picture round, on lists of an artist's work in their original language, went to Newcastle, who took just the one bonus again, giving them a lead of 50-20.
Another penalty knocked five off the lead, but St John's couldn't get close enough to the right answer to pick up. Ms McKeown reawoke her side with the next starter though, just the one bonus following, sufficient to put them ten behind. Mr Levin took the next starter to put them level, and a full bonus house gave them the lead back. Back bit Newcastle though, Mr Noble doing the honours with 'Miller', and they retook the lead with two bonuses. St John's then proceeded to incur three consecutive penalties, none of which Newcastle were able to pick up, though their lead did increase times four in the process. Mr Levin finally broke the rot with 'Thailand', and the side quickly recouped the lost points with a full bonus set, also giving them the lead back. And a second St John's starter in a row maybe suggested they would be starting to shift into gear now; one bonus followed.
The music round, on palindromic classical pieces, went to St John's, who took just the one bonus again, nonetheless increasing their lead to 100-65. That lead increased when Mr Reynard's answer of 'succeeded a dead president' was harshly but fairly disallowed when the question asked what event preceded a list of presidents taking office; Mr Levin picked the points up with 'the assassination of their predecessor'. The bonuses were on US politics too, specifically shutdowns (no mentions of the two we've had this year!), and two were taken. Ms Nielsen finally brought Newcastle back into the game, and a full bonus set on Anglo-Saxon kings showed they certainly weren't out of it yet.
The second picture round, on paintings commissioned by the British War Memorials Committee, went to St John's, who took one bonus, increasing their lead to 135-85. Still up in the air, as proven when Mr Reynard identified 'pheasant' for the next starter ("Watch out Mr Pheasant, get back in the hedge!", as my Mum used to say when one strayed into the road!"); one bonus was sufficient to take the Tynesiders into triple figures and set up a grandstand finale.
Mr Noble kept their hopes alive with 'De Valera', and one bonus was taken on events mentioned in Billy Joel's 'We Didn't Start the Fire', the other two being, as Ken Bruce would say, 'ONE YEAR OUT!' When Mr Reynard took the next starter though, the Tynesiders had a chance to take the lead should they take a full set; they could only manage two (I got the one they didn't), sufficient to put them level. Ms McKeown blinked first on the next starter, giving St John's the lead back, and one crucial bonus was taken via the 'give the same answer three times' trick. And when Ms McKeown took the next starter, that was game over; the gong went during the bonuses, St John's won 160-135.
An excellent match between two very evenly matched teams, up for grabs until literally right at the end. Unlucky Newcastle, but a brave effort nonetheless, very best of luck in the play-offs. Very well done St John's though, and very very best of luck in the semi-finals!
The stats: Ms McKeown was the best buzzer of the night, taking her series total thus far to 20, while Ms Nielsen and Mr Noble were joint best for Newcastle with three each, Mr Noble their current top scorer with 14. On the bonuses, Newcastle converted 14 out of 24, while St John's managed 15 out of 28, with both sides incurring three penalties, so, once again, it was a match won on the buzzer. Well played both, enjoyed that match!
Next week's match: Bristol vs Ulster
Only Connect reached its final preliminary tonight, a blog of which I hope to do this week, circumstances permitting.
Newcastle won a low scoring first round match over Sheffield Hallam, but have improved in their two matches since, first beating Southampton in the second round, and then Bristol in their first quarter-final, 225-130. Hoping to carry on this upwards spiral were the unchanged four of:
Jack Reynard, from Leeds, studying Medicine
Molly Nielsen, from London, studying Medicine
Captain: Jonathan Noble, from Newcastle, studying for a PGCE
Adam Lowery, from Sunderland, studying Chemistry
St John's breezed through the early rounds with comfortable wins over St Andrews and Corpus Christi of Cambridge, before beating Ulster in their preliminary, surviving a second half fightback to win 185-135. Hoping for more of the same tonight were the also unchanged line-up of:
John-Clark Levin, from Los Angeles, studying Politics and International Studies
Rosie McKeown, from Kingston-upon-Thames, studying French and German
Captain: James Devine-Stoneman, from Southall in London, studying Superconducting Spintronics
Matt Hazell, from Ringwood in Hampshire, studying Veterinary Medicine
Off we set again then, and an immediate penalty from Newcastle gave St John's the first starter of the night; two bonuses on film biographies kicked off the night's scoring. Mr Noble took his side back into positives straight away, but the Tynesiders could only take on of their first bonuses. Ms Nielsen put them on level pegging, and bonuses on astronomy gave them the lead. The first picture round, on lists of an artist's work in their original language, went to Newcastle, who took just the one bonus again, giving them a lead of 50-20.
Another penalty knocked five off the lead, but St John's couldn't get close enough to the right answer to pick up. Ms McKeown reawoke her side with the next starter though, just the one bonus following, sufficient to put them ten behind. Mr Levin took the next starter to put them level, and a full bonus house gave them the lead back. Back bit Newcastle though, Mr Noble doing the honours with 'Miller', and they retook the lead with two bonuses. St John's then proceeded to incur three consecutive penalties, none of which Newcastle were able to pick up, though their lead did increase times four in the process. Mr Levin finally broke the rot with 'Thailand', and the side quickly recouped the lost points with a full bonus set, also giving them the lead back. And a second St John's starter in a row maybe suggested they would be starting to shift into gear now; one bonus followed.
The music round, on palindromic classical pieces, went to St John's, who took just the one bonus again, nonetheless increasing their lead to 100-65. That lead increased when Mr Reynard's answer of 'succeeded a dead president' was harshly but fairly disallowed when the question asked what event preceded a list of presidents taking office; Mr Levin picked the points up with 'the assassination of their predecessor'. The bonuses were on US politics too, specifically shutdowns (no mentions of the two we've had this year!), and two were taken. Ms Nielsen finally brought Newcastle back into the game, and a full bonus set on Anglo-Saxon kings showed they certainly weren't out of it yet.
The second picture round, on paintings commissioned by the British War Memorials Committee, went to St John's, who took one bonus, increasing their lead to 135-85. Still up in the air, as proven when Mr Reynard identified 'pheasant' for the next starter ("Watch out Mr Pheasant, get back in the hedge!", as my Mum used to say when one strayed into the road!"); one bonus was sufficient to take the Tynesiders into triple figures and set up a grandstand finale.
Mr Noble kept their hopes alive with 'De Valera', and one bonus was taken on events mentioned in Billy Joel's 'We Didn't Start the Fire', the other two being, as Ken Bruce would say, 'ONE YEAR OUT!' When Mr Reynard took the next starter though, the Tynesiders had a chance to take the lead should they take a full set; they could only manage two (I got the one they didn't), sufficient to put them level. Ms McKeown blinked first on the next starter, giving St John's the lead back, and one crucial bonus was taken via the 'give the same answer three times' trick. And when Ms McKeown took the next starter, that was game over; the gong went during the bonuses, St John's won 160-135.
An excellent match between two very evenly matched teams, up for grabs until literally right at the end. Unlucky Newcastle, but a brave effort nonetheless, very best of luck in the play-offs. Very well done St John's though, and very very best of luck in the semi-finals!
The stats: Ms McKeown was the best buzzer of the night, taking her series total thus far to 20, while Ms Nielsen and Mr Noble were joint best for Newcastle with three each, Mr Noble their current top scorer with 14. On the bonuses, Newcastle converted 14 out of 24, while St John's managed 15 out of 28, with both sides incurring three penalties, so, once again, it was a match won on the buzzer. Well played both, enjoyed that match!
Next week's match: Bristol vs Ulster
Only Connect reached its final preliminary tonight, a blog of which I hope to do this week, circumstances permitting.
Tuesday, 20 February 2018
Only Connect Series 13: Preliminary Quarter-Final 3: Detectives vs Escapologists
OK, on with Only Connect early this week. I'm not going to turn my promptness of reviews into a running joke in the same way I turned by ill-fated attempt to blog Series 1 into a runner, but I am running out of intros for these blogs. Contrast to Victoria, who is still churning out excellent intros and outros.
Anyway, playing last night's match were the Detectives, Ian King, Tim Harrison and captain Tim Hall, who came straight here by beating the Theatricals and the Arrowheads, and the Escapologists, Frank Paul, Tom Rowell and captain Lydia Mizon, who lost their first match to fellow quarter-finalists the Eco-Warriors, but survived as the highest scoring runners-up, and then beat the Cricketers and the Dandies.
Round 1. The Detectives opened the night's quizzing with Twisted Flax: 'Alfie Conn (Glasgow)', then 'Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Milan)' (I had it at this), then 'Peter Beardsley (Liverpool)'; they identified them as footballers who played for both main clubs in that city, and claimed two points. The Escapologists opened their account with Two Reeds, and the picture set: we saw some roti breads, then the actress Tori Spelling (once infamously mistaken for Ingrid Bergman on an American quiz!), then three musicians playing string instruments, and finally police clashing with rioters; they spotted, just in time, that they are anagrams of each other (ROTI, TORI, TRIO and RIOT), and collected the point. The Detectives chose Eye of Horus next, and got the music set: we heard the Prisoner's Chorus from Beethoven's Fidelio, then Tom Jones with 'Green, Green Grass of Home', then 'Look Down' from Les Mis, and finally Johnny Cash with 'Folsom Prison Blues'. They identified them as songs sung by 'prisoners' and picked up another point. The Escapologists chose Water next: 'Random lists of words', then 'Names and faces', then 'Abstract images', and finally 'Pack of cards at speed'. They didn't get this one, their opponents did: they are disciplines in the World Memory Championships. For their own question, the Detectives chose Lion: 'Cornetto', then 'Red Curtain', then 'Mariachi', and finally 'Three Colours'. They didn't have it, their opponents did: they are names given to movie trilogies. Left with Horned Viper for their own question, the Escapologists saw 'Louise de Kerouaille - Duke of Richmond', then 'Barbara Villiers - Duke of Grafton', then 'Lucy Walter - Duke of Monmouth', and finally 'Nell Gwynne - Duke of St Albans'. They just about had it close enough: they are illegitimate sons of Charles II and their mothers. At the end of the first round, the Detectives led 4-3.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Detectives kicked it off with Two Reeds, and the picture set: we saw Gordon Brown, then Alan Bennett, and then a statue of Virgil. They were timed out before they could offer anything; their opponents offered 'Scott Mills', and were correct for a bonus, the sequence being the Tracy brothers who piloted Thunderbirds 4, 3, 2 and 1. For their own question, the Escapologists chose Water: 'Fernandez', then 'Rodriguez', and then 'Gonzalez'. They saw it to be the most common surnames in Spain, but their offer of 'Hernandez' was wrong; their opponents offered 'Garcia', which was correct. For their own question, the Detectives chose Twisted Flax: '4: Heathrow', then '3: Manchester', and then '2: Gatwick'. They offered '1: Stanstead', which was correct, though they didn't offer a reason; they are airports with descending numbers of terminals (Heathrow's Terminal 1 having been closed down). The Escapologists chose Lion next: '"Beginning of sexual intercourse"', then 'First marriage of Burton & Taylor'; they identified them as events of 1963 and 1964, so offered 'England winning the World Cup' as an event of 1966 for three points (the first clue being a reference to Philip Larkin's 'Annis Mirabilis'). For their final choice, the Detectives chose Horned Viper: '14 = 1', then '23 = 8', and then '32 = 9'. They didn't get it, and their opponents didn't quite get it either, maths teacher Mr Rowell chosing the wrong answer out of two: they are powers, or rather powers with the power sign removed, so '41 = 4' would complete the set. (Sorry if I haven't quite got that right, not a subject I'm that familiar with) Left with Eye of Horus, the Escapologists saw 'Joint Army-Navy', then 'Federal Executive Board', and then 'Memory Address Register'; they saw them to be things that can be abbreviated to the abbreviations of months, JAN, FEB and MAR, so offered 'Automatic Plate Recognition', which was acceptable for APR and three points. At the end of the second round, the Escapologists led 9-7.
On to the Walls. The Escapologists had first pick this time, and chose to tackle the Water wall. It proved a very tough wall indeed; though they spotted the correct links, they were unable to isolate any sets in the allotted time. They thus had to settle for bonus points: 'Huhn', 'Kip', 'Poulet' and 'Frango' are 'chicken' in various languages, which they got, 'Grimmy', 'Copping', 'Dinner' and 'Pollo' become new words when one of the double letters is removed, which they got, 'Deadly', 'Parky', 'Diddy' and 'Gambo' are nicknames of radio presenters, which they also got, while 'Biting', 'Crisp', 'Snell' and 'Rimy' are words meaning 'cold', which they got as well. Four there then.
The Detectives could thus catch up they could get a good result from the Lion wall. This also proved a tricky wall, though they did manage to isolate one set: 'Screwdriver', 'Chelsea', 'Flake' and 'Alcove' all end with bodies of water. They couldn't get anything else sorted though, so too had to collect bonuses: 'Cardiff', 'Chatsworth', 'Rosemoor' and 'Wisley' are flower shows, which they didn't see, 'Salty Dog', 'Kamikaze', 'Cape Cod' and 'Vesper' are vodka cocktails, which they did get, while 'Serotine', 'Leisler's', 'Horseshoe' and 'Bulldog' are species of bat, which they missed. Three there, which left them trailing 13-10 going into the final round.
So, still all to play for in Missing Vowels. 'Same but different', such as 'DOPPELGANGERS' and 'IDENTICAL TWINS' went to the Escapologists 3-1. 'Inflammations and the areas they affect' went to the Escapologists 3-0. 'Hyphenated English towns' went to the Escapologists 3-1. 'Operas and their composers' saw the Escapologists take the one clue there was enough time to buzz on, and that was time. The Escapologists won 23-12.
A good match, despite the very tough walls, which lowered the scoring a bit. Unlucky Detectives, but a fair performance nonetheless, good luck in the eliminators. Well done Escapologists though, and very best of luck in the qualifying round!
Next week's match: the Belgophiles vs the Beaks
Anyway, playing last night's match were the Detectives, Ian King, Tim Harrison and captain Tim Hall, who came straight here by beating the Theatricals and the Arrowheads, and the Escapologists, Frank Paul, Tom Rowell and captain Lydia Mizon, who lost their first match to fellow quarter-finalists the Eco-Warriors, but survived as the highest scoring runners-up, and then beat the Cricketers and the Dandies.
Round 1. The Detectives opened the night's quizzing with Twisted Flax: 'Alfie Conn (Glasgow)', then 'Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Milan)' (I had it at this), then 'Peter Beardsley (Liverpool)'; they identified them as footballers who played for both main clubs in that city, and claimed two points. The Escapologists opened their account with Two Reeds, and the picture set: we saw some roti breads, then the actress Tori Spelling (once infamously mistaken for Ingrid Bergman on an American quiz!), then three musicians playing string instruments, and finally police clashing with rioters; they spotted, just in time, that they are anagrams of each other (ROTI, TORI, TRIO and RIOT), and collected the point. The Detectives chose Eye of Horus next, and got the music set: we heard the Prisoner's Chorus from Beethoven's Fidelio, then Tom Jones with 'Green, Green Grass of Home', then 'Look Down' from Les Mis, and finally Johnny Cash with 'Folsom Prison Blues'. They identified them as songs sung by 'prisoners' and picked up another point. The Escapologists chose Water next: 'Random lists of words', then 'Names and faces', then 'Abstract images', and finally 'Pack of cards at speed'. They didn't get this one, their opponents did: they are disciplines in the World Memory Championships. For their own question, the Detectives chose Lion: 'Cornetto', then 'Red Curtain', then 'Mariachi', and finally 'Three Colours'. They didn't have it, their opponents did: they are names given to movie trilogies. Left with Horned Viper for their own question, the Escapologists saw 'Louise de Kerouaille - Duke of Richmond', then 'Barbara Villiers - Duke of Grafton', then 'Lucy Walter - Duke of Monmouth', and finally 'Nell Gwynne - Duke of St Albans'. They just about had it close enough: they are illegitimate sons of Charles II and their mothers. At the end of the first round, the Detectives led 4-3.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Detectives kicked it off with Two Reeds, and the picture set: we saw Gordon Brown, then Alan Bennett, and then a statue of Virgil. They were timed out before they could offer anything; their opponents offered 'Scott Mills', and were correct for a bonus, the sequence being the Tracy brothers who piloted Thunderbirds 4, 3, 2 and 1. For their own question, the Escapologists chose Water: 'Fernandez', then 'Rodriguez', and then 'Gonzalez'. They saw it to be the most common surnames in Spain, but their offer of 'Hernandez' was wrong; their opponents offered 'Garcia', which was correct. For their own question, the Detectives chose Twisted Flax: '4: Heathrow', then '3: Manchester', and then '2: Gatwick'. They offered '1: Stanstead', which was correct, though they didn't offer a reason; they are airports with descending numbers of terminals (Heathrow's Terminal 1 having been closed down). The Escapologists chose Lion next: '"Beginning of sexual intercourse"', then 'First marriage of Burton & Taylor'; they identified them as events of 1963 and 1964, so offered 'England winning the World Cup' as an event of 1966 for three points (the first clue being a reference to Philip Larkin's 'Annis Mirabilis'). For their final choice, the Detectives chose Horned Viper: '14 = 1', then '23 = 8', and then '32 = 9'. They didn't get it, and their opponents didn't quite get it either, maths teacher Mr Rowell chosing the wrong answer out of two: they are powers, or rather powers with the power sign removed, so '41 = 4' would complete the set. (Sorry if I haven't quite got that right, not a subject I'm that familiar with) Left with Eye of Horus, the Escapologists saw 'Joint Army-Navy', then 'Federal Executive Board', and then 'Memory Address Register'; they saw them to be things that can be abbreviated to the abbreviations of months, JAN, FEB and MAR, so offered 'Automatic Plate Recognition', which was acceptable for APR and three points. At the end of the second round, the Escapologists led 9-7.
On to the Walls. The Escapologists had first pick this time, and chose to tackle the Water wall. It proved a very tough wall indeed; though they spotted the correct links, they were unable to isolate any sets in the allotted time. They thus had to settle for bonus points: 'Huhn', 'Kip', 'Poulet' and 'Frango' are 'chicken' in various languages, which they got, 'Grimmy', 'Copping', 'Dinner' and 'Pollo' become new words when one of the double letters is removed, which they got, 'Deadly', 'Parky', 'Diddy' and 'Gambo' are nicknames of radio presenters, which they also got, while 'Biting', 'Crisp', 'Snell' and 'Rimy' are words meaning 'cold', which they got as well. Four there then.
The Detectives could thus catch up they could get a good result from the Lion wall. This also proved a tricky wall, though they did manage to isolate one set: 'Screwdriver', 'Chelsea', 'Flake' and 'Alcove' all end with bodies of water. They couldn't get anything else sorted though, so too had to collect bonuses: 'Cardiff', 'Chatsworth', 'Rosemoor' and 'Wisley' are flower shows, which they didn't see, 'Salty Dog', 'Kamikaze', 'Cape Cod' and 'Vesper' are vodka cocktails, which they did get, while 'Serotine', 'Leisler's', 'Horseshoe' and 'Bulldog' are species of bat, which they missed. Three there, which left them trailing 13-10 going into the final round.
So, still all to play for in Missing Vowels. 'Same but different', such as 'DOPPELGANGERS' and 'IDENTICAL TWINS' went to the Escapologists 3-1. 'Inflammations and the areas they affect' went to the Escapologists 3-0. 'Hyphenated English towns' went to the Escapologists 3-1. 'Operas and their composers' saw the Escapologists take the one clue there was enough time to buzz on, and that was time. The Escapologists won 23-12.
A good match, despite the very tough walls, which lowered the scoring a bit. Unlucky Detectives, but a fair performance nonetheless, good luck in the eliminators. Well done Escapologists though, and very best of luck in the qualifying round!
Next week's match: the Belgophiles vs the Beaks
Monday, 19 February 2018
University Challenge 2017-18: Preliminary Quarter-Final 4: Edinburgh vs Emmanuel
Evening all. You join me in the dark for my blog this evening, as one of the lightbulbs has gone in my front room, and I'm leaving it off for a bit to cool down before I try and change it later. If I have a spare, I forget if I do. So apologies for any typos I fail to spot. Joining us in the dark tonight were two teams who started the group stage as outsiders, but not total write-offs; there is never such a thing in the crazy world of Quizzy Mondays.
Edinburgh got here via two five points victories over proven good opponents, firstly over fellow quarter-finalists Ulster in the first round by 170-165, and then U.C.L. in the second by 175-170. Hoping to equal or better that tonight were the unchanged four of:
John Heaton-Armstrong, from Edinburgh, studying Russian and History
Stanley Wang, from Edinburgh, studying Speech and Language Processing
Captain: Innis Carson, from Glasgow, studying Chemistry
Philippa Stone, from Oxford, studying Biology
Emmanuel College Cambridge also had a close first round match, beating St Hugh's of Oxford 170-155, before a more comfortable win over Strathclyde in the second, 170-105. Also hoping for a result as good or better than those were the also unchanged line-up of:
Ed Derby, from Manchester, studying Physics
Kitty Chevallier, from Hampshire, studying Arabic and Hindi
Captain: Alex Mistlin, from Islington, studying Politics and International Relations
James Fraser, from Bristol, studying Medicine
Off we set again then, and Ms Chevallier was in very quickly for the first starter to get Emmanuel off the mark first; a full bonus set on alliteration gave them a good start to the night. Mr Wang was just as prompt at getting Edinburgh off the mark, and they too took a full set on statues. A starter was dropped, before Edinburgh let slip five points, allowing Emmanuel to take the lead, just the one bonus following this time. Mr Carson recovered Edinburgh's lost ground, and a second full bonus set gave them a narrow lead. The first picture round, on stills from films of the New Queer Cinema movement, went to Emmanuel, with Edinburgh losing another five on a substitute starter; one bonus followed, giving the Cambridge side a lead of 55-40.
A nice starter followed on the three English cities that are mentioned on a standard Monopoly board; I had Leicester, Ms Chevallier provided that and Coventry for the points, and Liverpool was the other. Emmanuel took one bonus on a tricky science set I popped out for a moment during to fetch my glasses and some torches to help me see better. Edinburgh then slipped up again, giving Emmanuel another starter; bonuses on the Seven churches of Asia, as listed in the Book of Revelation, gave them one correct answer and an amusing guess on another that Paxo liked!
The music starter was missed by both sides; the bonuses, on classical pieces associated with the French soprano Pauline Viardot, went to Edinburgh; nothing came of them though, leaving them trailing 85-45. That lead increased when Mr Fraser took the next starter, and one bonus took the Cambridge side into triple figures. Mr Carson retrieved the deficit for Edinburgh with 'fish'; one bonus followed on Israeli politician Chaim Weizmann. A second starter in a row went the Edinburgh captain's way, as did another single bonus, keeping them well in touch with the leaders.
The second picture round, on writers who have craters on Mars named after them, went to Emmanuel, who took just the one bonus again, leaving their lead at 115-75 heading into the home straight. Mr Carson kept his side in the game by taking the next starter, and bonuses on Angela Merkle, including a topical one on her party, gave them, again, just one correct answer.
Ms Stone broke Edinburgh into triple figures by taking the next starter, and a well-timed full bonus set on dinosaurs put the scores level with very little time go. Next starter would surely win it, who won gold in the men's football in Rio; Mr Mistlin zigged with Argentina, Mr Wang zagged with Brazil, and that might just have won it for Edinburgh. Indeed, though they took no bonuses, the gong went just after them; Edinburgh won 125-110.
A slow low scoring match, but a close one, with a well-timed spurt giving Edinburgh the win. Unlucky Emmanuel, just pipped right at the end, but best of luck in the elimination round. Well done Edinburgh though on another close win against proven good opponents, and best of luck in the qualifiers!
The stats: Mr Carson was, just, the best buzzer of the night with five, while Ms Chevallier was Emmanuel's best with four. On the bonuses, Edinburgh converted 12 out of 23 (with three penalties), while Emmanuel managed 9 out of 21 (with one penalty), so a better bonus rate plus that final starter was where the game was won.
Next week's match: Newcastle vs St John's for the first place in the semis.
Only Connect carried on its group phase tonight as well, and fingers crossed I can get my blog done promptly this week.
Edinburgh got here via two five points victories over proven good opponents, firstly over fellow quarter-finalists Ulster in the first round by 170-165, and then U.C.L. in the second by 175-170. Hoping to equal or better that tonight were the unchanged four of:
John Heaton-Armstrong, from Edinburgh, studying Russian and History
Stanley Wang, from Edinburgh, studying Speech and Language Processing
Captain: Innis Carson, from Glasgow, studying Chemistry
Philippa Stone, from Oxford, studying Biology
Emmanuel College Cambridge also had a close first round match, beating St Hugh's of Oxford 170-155, before a more comfortable win over Strathclyde in the second, 170-105. Also hoping for a result as good or better than those were the also unchanged line-up of:
Ed Derby, from Manchester, studying Physics
Kitty Chevallier, from Hampshire, studying Arabic and Hindi
Captain: Alex Mistlin, from Islington, studying Politics and International Relations
James Fraser, from Bristol, studying Medicine
Off we set again then, and Ms Chevallier was in very quickly for the first starter to get Emmanuel off the mark first; a full bonus set on alliteration gave them a good start to the night. Mr Wang was just as prompt at getting Edinburgh off the mark, and they too took a full set on statues. A starter was dropped, before Edinburgh let slip five points, allowing Emmanuel to take the lead, just the one bonus following this time. Mr Carson recovered Edinburgh's lost ground, and a second full bonus set gave them a narrow lead. The first picture round, on stills from films of the New Queer Cinema movement, went to Emmanuel, with Edinburgh losing another five on a substitute starter; one bonus followed, giving the Cambridge side a lead of 55-40.
A nice starter followed on the three English cities that are mentioned on a standard Monopoly board; I had Leicester, Ms Chevallier provided that and Coventry for the points, and Liverpool was the other. Emmanuel took one bonus on a tricky science set I popped out for a moment during to fetch my glasses and some torches to help me see better. Edinburgh then slipped up again, giving Emmanuel another starter; bonuses on the Seven churches of Asia, as listed in the Book of Revelation, gave them one correct answer and an amusing guess on another that Paxo liked!
The music starter was missed by both sides; the bonuses, on classical pieces associated with the French soprano Pauline Viardot, went to Edinburgh; nothing came of them though, leaving them trailing 85-45. That lead increased when Mr Fraser took the next starter, and one bonus took the Cambridge side into triple figures. Mr Carson retrieved the deficit for Edinburgh with 'fish'; one bonus followed on Israeli politician Chaim Weizmann. A second starter in a row went the Edinburgh captain's way, as did another single bonus, keeping them well in touch with the leaders.
The second picture round, on writers who have craters on Mars named after them, went to Emmanuel, who took just the one bonus again, leaving their lead at 115-75 heading into the home straight. Mr Carson kept his side in the game by taking the next starter, and bonuses on Angela Merkle, including a topical one on her party, gave them, again, just one correct answer.
Ms Stone broke Edinburgh into triple figures by taking the next starter, and a well-timed full bonus set on dinosaurs put the scores level with very little time go. Next starter would surely win it, who won gold in the men's football in Rio; Mr Mistlin zigged with Argentina, Mr Wang zagged with Brazil, and that might just have won it for Edinburgh. Indeed, though they took no bonuses, the gong went just after them; Edinburgh won 125-110.
A slow low scoring match, but a close one, with a well-timed spurt giving Edinburgh the win. Unlucky Emmanuel, just pipped right at the end, but best of luck in the elimination round. Well done Edinburgh though on another close win against proven good opponents, and best of luck in the qualifiers!
The stats: Mr Carson was, just, the best buzzer of the night with five, while Ms Chevallier was Emmanuel's best with four. On the bonuses, Edinburgh converted 12 out of 23 (with three penalties), while Emmanuel managed 9 out of 21 (with one penalty), so a better bonus rate plus that final starter was where the game was won.
Next week's match: Newcastle vs St John's for the first place in the semis.
Only Connect carried on its group phase tonight as well, and fingers crossed I can get my blog done promptly this week.
Thursday, 15 February 2018
Only Connect Series 13: Preliminary Quarter-Final 2: Wanderers vs Vikings
OK, back on track with OC now. I hope.
Playing on Monday were the Wanderers, John Payne, Richard Arthur and captain Sanjoy Sen, who got here directly by beating the Pedagogues and fellow quarter-finalists the Inquisitors, and the Vikings, Mark Oxley, John Wilson and captain Mick Lee, who also came straight here via victories over the Geocachers and the Parishioners.
Round 1. The Vikings kicked the show off with Horned Viper, and the picture set: we saw Robert De Niro, then Bela Lugosi as Dracula, then John Kettley the weatherman; they identified them famous people described in songs, and collected the first points of the night. The Wanderers opened their account with Eye of Horus, and the music set: we heard 'Elsa's Dream' from Lohengrin, then 'Apres un reve', then 'Once Upon a Dream' from Disney's Sleeping Beauty, and finally 'Sweet Dreams Are Made of This'. They spotted the link from the final two clues, and collected two points as well. The Vikings chose Lion next: 'Henry; Charlotte; Max', then 'James Joyce; Tristan Tzara; Lenin', then 'Septimus; Thomasina; Plautus the tortoise', and finally 'Rosencrantz; Guildenstern; Hamlet'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are characters in Tom Stoppard plays. The Wanderers chose Water next: 'Un petit d'un petit', then 'Et qui rit des cures d'Oc!' then 'Lille beau pipe'; they saw them to be nursery rhyme titles in French, but couldn't get precise enough for the points. Their opponents saw 'Pas de caique, pas de caique, becasse, mane', and offered that they are nonsensical French phrases that, if said out loud, sound rather like the English names of nursery rhymes! Brilliant question, pay rise to whoever came up with that! For their own question, the Vikings chose Two Reeds: 'Italian constitutional reform', then 'Hungarian EU migrant quotas', then 'Colombian peace deal with FARC'; they offered 'referendums that were rerun and had a different outcome', not right. Their opponents saw 'British EU membership', and identified them as referendums that took place in 2016 for a bonus. Left with Twisted Flax for their own question, the Wanderers saw 'Odyle', then 'Caloric', then 'Phlogiston'; they identified them as 'debunked scientific substances', and picked up two further points. At the end of the first round, the Wanderers led 4-3.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Vikings kicked this off with Eye of Horus: 'LPH', then 'BT'; they came in with 'DLT', and were right, the sequence being the first four Greek letters minus their vowels. The Wanderers chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next: '4th: Science', then '3rd: Fame', and then '2nd: Politics'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are comedy tours by Ricky Gervais, so '1st: Animals' would come fourth. The Vikings chose Water next: 'My Life', then 'Decision Points', and then 'The Audacity of Hope'; they saw them as books written by the most recent US presidents, so Mr Trump's 'The Art of the Deal' would be acceptable for the points. (Victoria then reeled off a list of some of his other works, which the teams found most amusing!) The Wanderers chose Lion next: 'The Mile Post', then 'Hammersmith Bridge'; they saw it to be timing points in the Boat Race, but their offer of 'Putney Bridge' was not correct. Their opponents saw 'Chiswick Steps', but their answer of 'The Finish Line' was also wrong; 'Barnes Bridge' would come fourth. For their final choice, the Vikings chose Twisted Flax: 'Luchsinger & Reiss 1956', then 'Band & Brown 1955', and then 'Compagnoni & Lacedelli 1954'; they offered 'Hillary & Tenzing 1953', and were correct, the sequence being, not the first four duos to climb Everest as they thought, but the first people to climb the four highest mountains. Left with Two Reeds, the Wanderers got the picture set, and saw a dog and a teddy bear next to a 'No' sign, then a monkey drinking from a wine bottle next to a 'No' sign, and then a lion devouring a zebra next to a 'No' sign. They could not come up with an acceptable answer, nor could their opponents: its the Seven Commandments of Animalism from Orwell's Animal Farm (one of my favourite books that I studied in secondary school English!), so a picture for 'All Animals are Equal', ie an elephant and a butterfly on a see-saw next to a 'No' sign would be an appropriate fourth picture. At the end of the second round, the Vikings led 10-4.
On to the Walls. The Wanderers went first this time, and chose to tackle the Lion wall. They pretty quickly isolated 'Acorn', 'Oric', 'Apricot' and 'Commodore', which are old computer brands, followed eventually by 'Shaw', 'Phillips', 'Bruce' and 'Apple', which are the surnames of famous women called Fiona. They couldn't untangle what was left in their three tries, and had to collect bonus points: 'Mango', 'Balsa', 'Hive' and 'Rambo' all become a dance when the first letter is changed, which they saw, while 'Lime', 'Avocado', 'Rifle' and 'Harlequin' are shades of green, which they also saw. Six points there.
The Vikings thus had a chance to realistically seal the game as they set to work on the Water wall. They too took a first set pretty quickly: 'Ponder', 'Brood', 'Woolgather' and 'Mull' are words meaning 'Think'. A second set, 'Shannon', 'Bailey', 'Lundy' and 'Fisher', which are shipping forecast areas (hope you were watching Cromarty(IV)!), followed, and the remaining sets also slotted in fairly comfortably: 'Read', 'John Quill', 'Rows' and 'Wight' are homophones of colours, while 'Jersey', 'Red Poll', 'Guernsey' and 'Angus' are breeds of cow. A full ten there, which gave them a 20-10 lead going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels to end the show, with the Wanderers needing a virtual shut-out. 'Words that start with a soft C' went to the Wanderers 4-0. 'Famous men with their wives' maiden names', such as 'WILLIAM MIDDLETON' and 'DENIS ROBERTS', went to the Vikings 3-1. 'Commonwealth countries and their largest cities' went to the Wanderers 3-1. 'Films featuring Marilyn Monroe' saw both teams take one clue, and that was all there was time for. The Vikings won 25-19.
A very enjoyable match, well played by both sides. Unlucky Wanderers, but a fine performance nonetheless, best of luck in the eliminator round. Well done Vikings though, and best of luck in the qualifier round!
Next week's match: the Detectives vs the Escapologists
Playing on Monday were the Wanderers, John Payne, Richard Arthur and captain Sanjoy Sen, who got here directly by beating the Pedagogues and fellow quarter-finalists the Inquisitors, and the Vikings, Mark Oxley, John Wilson and captain Mick Lee, who also came straight here via victories over the Geocachers and the Parishioners.
Round 1. The Vikings kicked the show off with Horned Viper, and the picture set: we saw Robert De Niro, then Bela Lugosi as Dracula, then John Kettley the weatherman; they identified them famous people described in songs, and collected the first points of the night. The Wanderers opened their account with Eye of Horus, and the music set: we heard 'Elsa's Dream' from Lohengrin, then 'Apres un reve', then 'Once Upon a Dream' from Disney's Sleeping Beauty, and finally 'Sweet Dreams Are Made of This'. They spotted the link from the final two clues, and collected two points as well. The Vikings chose Lion next: 'Henry; Charlotte; Max', then 'James Joyce; Tristan Tzara; Lenin', then 'Septimus; Thomasina; Plautus the tortoise', and finally 'Rosencrantz; Guildenstern; Hamlet'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are characters in Tom Stoppard plays. The Wanderers chose Water next: 'Un petit d'un petit', then 'Et qui rit des cures d'Oc!' then 'Lille beau pipe'; they saw them to be nursery rhyme titles in French, but couldn't get precise enough for the points. Their opponents saw 'Pas de caique, pas de caique, becasse, mane', and offered that they are nonsensical French phrases that, if said out loud, sound rather like the English names of nursery rhymes! Brilliant question, pay rise to whoever came up with that! For their own question, the Vikings chose Two Reeds: 'Italian constitutional reform', then 'Hungarian EU migrant quotas', then 'Colombian peace deal with FARC'; they offered 'referendums that were rerun and had a different outcome', not right. Their opponents saw 'British EU membership', and identified them as referendums that took place in 2016 for a bonus. Left with Twisted Flax for their own question, the Wanderers saw 'Odyle', then 'Caloric', then 'Phlogiston'; they identified them as 'debunked scientific substances', and picked up two further points. At the end of the first round, the Wanderers led 4-3.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Vikings kicked this off with Eye of Horus: 'LPH', then 'BT'; they came in with 'DLT', and were right, the sequence being the first four Greek letters minus their vowels. The Wanderers chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next: '4th: Science', then '3rd: Fame', and then '2nd: Politics'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are comedy tours by Ricky Gervais, so '1st: Animals' would come fourth. The Vikings chose Water next: 'My Life', then 'Decision Points', and then 'The Audacity of Hope'; they saw them as books written by the most recent US presidents, so Mr Trump's 'The Art of the Deal' would be acceptable for the points. (Victoria then reeled off a list of some of his other works, which the teams found most amusing!) The Wanderers chose Lion next: 'The Mile Post', then 'Hammersmith Bridge'; they saw it to be timing points in the Boat Race, but their offer of 'Putney Bridge' was not correct. Their opponents saw 'Chiswick Steps', but their answer of 'The Finish Line' was also wrong; 'Barnes Bridge' would come fourth. For their final choice, the Vikings chose Twisted Flax: 'Luchsinger & Reiss 1956', then 'Band & Brown 1955', and then 'Compagnoni & Lacedelli 1954'; they offered 'Hillary & Tenzing 1953', and were correct, the sequence being, not the first four duos to climb Everest as they thought, but the first people to climb the four highest mountains. Left with Two Reeds, the Wanderers got the picture set, and saw a dog and a teddy bear next to a 'No' sign, then a monkey drinking from a wine bottle next to a 'No' sign, and then a lion devouring a zebra next to a 'No' sign. They could not come up with an acceptable answer, nor could their opponents: its the Seven Commandments of Animalism from Orwell's Animal Farm (one of my favourite books that I studied in secondary school English!), so a picture for 'All Animals are Equal', ie an elephant and a butterfly on a see-saw next to a 'No' sign would be an appropriate fourth picture. At the end of the second round, the Vikings led 10-4.
On to the Walls. The Wanderers went first this time, and chose to tackle the Lion wall. They pretty quickly isolated 'Acorn', 'Oric', 'Apricot' and 'Commodore', which are old computer brands, followed eventually by 'Shaw', 'Phillips', 'Bruce' and 'Apple', which are the surnames of famous women called Fiona. They couldn't untangle what was left in their three tries, and had to collect bonus points: 'Mango', 'Balsa', 'Hive' and 'Rambo' all become a dance when the first letter is changed, which they saw, while 'Lime', 'Avocado', 'Rifle' and 'Harlequin' are shades of green, which they also saw. Six points there.
The Vikings thus had a chance to realistically seal the game as they set to work on the Water wall. They too took a first set pretty quickly: 'Ponder', 'Brood', 'Woolgather' and 'Mull' are words meaning 'Think'. A second set, 'Shannon', 'Bailey', 'Lundy' and 'Fisher', which are shipping forecast areas (hope you were watching Cromarty(IV)!), followed, and the remaining sets also slotted in fairly comfortably: 'Read', 'John Quill', 'Rows' and 'Wight' are homophones of colours, while 'Jersey', 'Red Poll', 'Guernsey' and 'Angus' are breeds of cow. A full ten there, which gave them a 20-10 lead going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels to end the show, with the Wanderers needing a virtual shut-out. 'Words that start with a soft C' went to the Wanderers 4-0. 'Famous men with their wives' maiden names', such as 'WILLIAM MIDDLETON' and 'DENIS ROBERTS', went to the Vikings 3-1. 'Commonwealth countries and their largest cities' went to the Wanderers 3-1. 'Films featuring Marilyn Monroe' saw both teams take one clue, and that was all there was time for. The Vikings won 25-19.
A very enjoyable match, well played by both sides. Unlucky Wanderers, but a fine performance nonetheless, best of luck in the eliminator round. Well done Vikings though, and best of luck in the qualifier round!
Next week's match: the Detectives vs the Escapologists
Tuesday, 13 February 2018
Only Connect Series 13: Preliminary Quarter-Final 1: Eco-Warriors vs Inquisitors
OK, finally can get around to looking at last week's Only Connect, sorry again for the wait. Before I start though, my condolences to the family of OC alumnus Neil Phillips, teammate of Mastermind champs Gary Grant and our friend Dave Clark as the Radio Addicts, runners-up of OC Series 4, who passed away recently.
Playing the first quarter-final last week were the Eco-Warriors, Jonathan Kershaw, Peter Barlow and captain Brett Bostock, who came straight here beating fellow quarter-finalists the Escapologists in the first round, then sneaking past the Snake Charmers in the first round, and the Inquisitors, who have beaten the Cricketers, the Snake Charmers as well and the Meeples, but lost to the Wanderers.
Round 1. The Warriors kicked the show off with Horned Viper: 'Boring Ted', then 'Violent Vic', then 'Devout P', and finally 'Repulsive Od'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they all form adjectives meaning the former when 'ious' is added to the latter. The Inquisitors opened their account with Lion, and the music set: we heard Simon & Garfunkel with 'Bleecker Street', then '42nd Street', then Bob Dylan with 'Positively 4th Street', and finally 'Across 110th Street' by Bobby Womack. They didn't get it, their opponents did: they are New York streets. For their own question, the Warriors chose Twisted Flax: 'Library at Queen Mary College London', then 'Brian Fantana's penis', then 'Bolton theatre', and finally 'Ultimate Fighting Championship enclosure'; they identified them all to be octagonal shaped, and collected a point. The Inquisitors chose Eye of Horus next: 'Saying goodbye', then 'Stepping into the ring left foot first', then 'A bird flying around the tent', and finally 'Sitting with your back to the ring'. They didn't get this, nor did their opponents quite: they are considered unlucky in the circus. The Warriors chose Two Reeds next: 'Felipe DeAlba (Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband)', then 'Dietmar Hamann (Bolton Wanderers player)', then 'Joseph Goebbels (German Chancellor)', and finally 'Louis XIX (King of France)'. They didn't get this, nor did their opponents: they are people who were those things for one day. Left with Water, and the pictures, the Inquisitors saw Jesse James, then Denis Norden, then Harry Carpenter, and finally David Baddiel. Again, both sides missed it: they all formed a duo with men called Frank. At the end of a tough first round, the Warriors led 2-0.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Warriors opened the round with Lion: 'Jermain Defoe, 22 November 2009', then 'Garfield Sobers, 31 August 1968', and then 'Frankie Dettori, 28 September 1996'. They worked it out: they achieved a notable five, six and seven on those dates, so someone acheiving a notable eighth, such as a team winning an eighth FA cup match as they offered, would be right for two points. ('Michael Phelps, 2008 Olympics' was the model answer) The Inquisitors chose Twisted Flax next, and got the picture set: we saw some Moai heads, then a moa bird, then Sir Mo Farah; they saw the sequence, and offered 'Judi Dench as M' for their first points of the night. The Warriors chose Water next: 'Escudo', then 'Tolar', and then 'Drachma'. They offered 'Lira', which was correct, the sequence being the weakest Euro legacy currencies. The Inquisitors chose Eye of Horus next: 'Sank into the swamp', then 'Swank into the swamp' again, and then 'Burned down, fell over, then sank'. They didn't see it, their opponents did: they are the fates of the King of Swamp's castles in Monty Python, so 'Stayed up' would be fourth. For their own final choice, the Warriors chose Two Reeds: 'Tuberculosis lab', then 'Great Britain lab', and then 'District of Columbia con'. They saw them to be things that can be abbreviated to the initials of prime ministers and their parties, so something for TM, such as 'Transcendental Meditation con' would be acceptable for the two points. Left with Horned Viper, the Inquisitors saw 'Canadian short stories', then 'French novels', and then 'Belarusian journalism'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are the nationalities of Nobel Literature prize winners and what they are best known for writing, so 'American songs', as in Bob Dylan, would complete the set. At the end of the second round, the Warriors led 9-2.
On to the Walls. The Inquisitors took their turn to go first, and chose to tackle the Lion wall. After some initial errors, two sets slotted in quite comfortably: 'State', 'Department', 'Hundred' and 'Riding' are sub-national divisions, while 'Field', 'Canton', 'Hoist' and 'Fly' are parts of a flag. After carefully studying the remaining clues, they had it on their first go: 'Work', 'Power', 'Place' and 'Wall' can all follow 'Fire', which they didn't see, while '12', 'Cuba', 'Carbon' and 'MI6 Chief' are all represented by C, which they did get. Seven points there.
The Warriors thus set to work on the Water wall. They struggled at first, eventually isolating 'How', 'Rich', 'Bern' and 'Ger', which are given names minus an 'ard' on the end, though that wasn't what they had in mind. That was all they could manage in the time though, so they had to settle for bonus connection points: 'Short', 'Waiting', 'Bucket' and 'Laundry' can all precede 'list', which they got, 'Pert', 'Conquest', 'Speelman' and 'Nunn' are chess grandmasters, which they didn't, while 'Brassy', 'Smart', 'Fresh', 'Forward' are words meaning 'cheeky', which they also got, though Victoria seemed to be struggling not to lose it at an earlier suggestion that they could be terms used to describe women! Three points there, which meant they still led 12-9 going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels would decide who went where. 'Difficult', such as 'COMPLEX' and 'ROCKET SCIENCE', went to the Inquisitors 3-0. 'Easy', such as 'FACILE', was split 1-each. 'Love in song titles' went to the Inquisitors 3-1, and they took the only clue there was time for in 'Law firm departments'. The Inquisitors won 17-14.
A good match, some very hard questions in the first round at least, good scores considering. Unlucky Warriors, good luck in the eliminator round; well done Inquisitors, good luck in the qualifiers!
Next match: the Wanderers vs the Vikings. Blog of that on Thursday I hope.
Playing the first quarter-final last week were the Eco-Warriors, Jonathan Kershaw, Peter Barlow and captain Brett Bostock, who came straight here beating fellow quarter-finalists the Escapologists in the first round, then sneaking past the Snake Charmers in the first round, and the Inquisitors, who have beaten the Cricketers, the Snake Charmers as well and the Meeples, but lost to the Wanderers.
Round 1. The Warriors kicked the show off with Horned Viper: 'Boring Ted', then 'Violent Vic', then 'Devout P', and finally 'Repulsive Od'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they all form adjectives meaning the former when 'ious' is added to the latter. The Inquisitors opened their account with Lion, and the music set: we heard Simon & Garfunkel with 'Bleecker Street', then '42nd Street', then Bob Dylan with 'Positively 4th Street', and finally 'Across 110th Street' by Bobby Womack. They didn't get it, their opponents did: they are New York streets. For their own question, the Warriors chose Twisted Flax: 'Library at Queen Mary College London', then 'Brian Fantana's penis', then 'Bolton theatre', and finally 'Ultimate Fighting Championship enclosure'; they identified them all to be octagonal shaped, and collected a point. The Inquisitors chose Eye of Horus next: 'Saying goodbye', then 'Stepping into the ring left foot first', then 'A bird flying around the tent', and finally 'Sitting with your back to the ring'. They didn't get this, nor did their opponents quite: they are considered unlucky in the circus. The Warriors chose Two Reeds next: 'Felipe DeAlba (Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband)', then 'Dietmar Hamann (Bolton Wanderers player)', then 'Joseph Goebbels (German Chancellor)', and finally 'Louis XIX (King of France)'. They didn't get this, nor did their opponents: they are people who were those things for one day. Left with Water, and the pictures, the Inquisitors saw Jesse James, then Denis Norden, then Harry Carpenter, and finally David Baddiel. Again, both sides missed it: they all formed a duo with men called Frank. At the end of a tough first round, the Warriors led 2-0.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Warriors opened the round with Lion: 'Jermain Defoe, 22 November 2009', then 'Garfield Sobers, 31 August 1968', and then 'Frankie Dettori, 28 September 1996'. They worked it out: they achieved a notable five, six and seven on those dates, so someone acheiving a notable eighth, such as a team winning an eighth FA cup match as they offered, would be right for two points. ('Michael Phelps, 2008 Olympics' was the model answer) The Inquisitors chose Twisted Flax next, and got the picture set: we saw some Moai heads, then a moa bird, then Sir Mo Farah; they saw the sequence, and offered 'Judi Dench as M' for their first points of the night. The Warriors chose Water next: 'Escudo', then 'Tolar', and then 'Drachma'. They offered 'Lira', which was correct, the sequence being the weakest Euro legacy currencies. The Inquisitors chose Eye of Horus next: 'Sank into the swamp', then 'Swank into the swamp' again, and then 'Burned down, fell over, then sank'. They didn't see it, their opponents did: they are the fates of the King of Swamp's castles in Monty Python, so 'Stayed up' would be fourth. For their own final choice, the Warriors chose Two Reeds: 'Tuberculosis lab', then 'Great Britain lab', and then 'District of Columbia con'. They saw them to be things that can be abbreviated to the initials of prime ministers and their parties, so something for TM, such as 'Transcendental Meditation con' would be acceptable for the two points. Left with Horned Viper, the Inquisitors saw 'Canadian short stories', then 'French novels', and then 'Belarusian journalism'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are the nationalities of Nobel Literature prize winners and what they are best known for writing, so 'American songs', as in Bob Dylan, would complete the set. At the end of the second round, the Warriors led 9-2.
On to the Walls. The Inquisitors took their turn to go first, and chose to tackle the Lion wall. After some initial errors, two sets slotted in quite comfortably: 'State', 'Department', 'Hundred' and 'Riding' are sub-national divisions, while 'Field', 'Canton', 'Hoist' and 'Fly' are parts of a flag. After carefully studying the remaining clues, they had it on their first go: 'Work', 'Power', 'Place' and 'Wall' can all follow 'Fire', which they didn't see, while '12', 'Cuba', 'Carbon' and 'MI6 Chief' are all represented by C, which they did get. Seven points there.
The Warriors thus set to work on the Water wall. They struggled at first, eventually isolating 'How', 'Rich', 'Bern' and 'Ger', which are given names minus an 'ard' on the end, though that wasn't what they had in mind. That was all they could manage in the time though, so they had to settle for bonus connection points: 'Short', 'Waiting', 'Bucket' and 'Laundry' can all precede 'list', which they got, 'Pert', 'Conquest', 'Speelman' and 'Nunn' are chess grandmasters, which they didn't, while 'Brassy', 'Smart', 'Fresh', 'Forward' are words meaning 'cheeky', which they also got, though Victoria seemed to be struggling not to lose it at an earlier suggestion that they could be terms used to describe women! Three points there, which meant they still led 12-9 going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels would decide who went where. 'Difficult', such as 'COMPLEX' and 'ROCKET SCIENCE', went to the Inquisitors 3-0. 'Easy', such as 'FACILE', was split 1-each. 'Love in song titles' went to the Inquisitors 3-1, and they took the only clue there was time for in 'Law firm departments'. The Inquisitors won 17-14.
A good match, some very hard questions in the first round at least, good scores considering. Unlucky Warriors, good luck in the eliminator round; well done Inquisitors, good luck in the qualifiers!
Next match: the Wanderers vs the Vikings. Blog of that on Thursday I hope.
Monday, 12 February 2018
University Challenge 2017-18: Preliminary Quarter-Final 3: St John's vs Ulster
Evening all. Apologies that I now have an OC backlog, will make up for it with a double bill this week, last week's show tomorrow, tonight's on Thursday. From now, I am fairly confident I can do Tuesday reviews every week, but we shall see. On with tonight's match, two more teams beginning their QF campaign, the winners need one more victory to progress, the runners-up would need two and couldn't afford another defeat.
St John's College Cambridge eased through the first two rounds, with victories over two strong teams, St Andrews in the first round by 255-120, and Corpus Christi of Cambridge in the second 285-80. Hoping for more of the same tonight were the unchanged four of:
John-Clark Levin, from Los Angeles, studying Politics and International Studies
Rosie McKeown, from Kingston-upon-Thames, studying French and German
Captain: James Devine-Stoneman, from Southall in London, studying Superconducting Spintronics
Matt Hazell, from Ringwood in Hampshire, studying Veterinary Medicine
Ulster came here through the repechage, just getting pipped at the post by Edinburgh in the first round, then easing past St Anne's of Oxford 175-90 in their play-off, and bookinh a QF berth by winning a cracking second rounder against Warwick 170-140. They too were unchanged from the earlier rounds:
Cathal McDaid, from Buncrana in County Donegal, studying English Literature
Kate Ritchie, from Waringstown in County Armagh, studying Fine Art
Captain: Ian Jack, from Peterhead, studying Pharmacy
Matthew Milliken, from Comber in County Down, studying Education
Off we set again then, and Mr Levin got the night's ball rolling with 'Lee'; a full bonus set on writers who served in the UK parliament gave them a full set to start the match. A penalty then gave Ulster a chance to kick off, which they couldn't take. Ms McKeown took the next starter with 'Tristan and Isolde' and two bonuses came with it. Another starter went Ms McKeown's way, and bonuses on CERN projects gave the Cambridge side just the one correct bonus this time. The first picture round, on alliterative geographical features, went to St John's, who took two bonuses again, giving them an early lead of 75-0.
That lead just got bigger as Mr Levin took the next starter, and bonuses on foreign language films provided them with ten more points. Mr Devine-Stoneman now made up for his earlier mistake, unlocking a topical bonus set on women's suffrage, of which they took just the one. Asked to answer in either English or French, Mr Levin chose the former, correctly; two bonuses followed this time. Already looking well out of sight, the Cambridge side's lead just increased when Ms McKeown answered 'Poland', and one bonus came with it.
The music round, on covers by Ella Fitzgerald, finally allowed Ulster to get some points on the board; they took one of the music bonuses, reducing their arrears to 150-15. Ms Ritchie took a second starter in a row though for the Northern Ireland side though, and they took a full bonus set on the Book of Judges. Ms Ritchie then took a second starter in a row, but bonuses on volcanoes proved less fruitful, with nothing coming from it. (I got the Philippines) Another starter went Ulster's way, as did a full house on organic chemistry, and suddenly they were back within sight.
The second picture round, on stills from drama series directed by prolific movie directors, went to Ulster, who took just one bonus, but had now cut the gap to 150-90. When Mr Devine-Stoneman took the next correct answer though, you suspected that was as close as they could get; the Cambridge side took one correct bonus.
Or maybe not; Ms Ritchie took the next starter, and her side into triple figures, and a full bonus set on UK cities kept them just in the hunt. But when Mr Devine-Stoneman took the next starter, that was game over; two correct bonuses on the English Civil War only served to boost their score. Ulster did take the final starter, and one bonus on Italian composers, and that was the gong; St John's won, 185-130.
A good match of two halves, St John's running riot in the first half, but Ulster recovered nicely in the second half. Unlucky Ulster, but a fine recovery in the circumstances, and very best of luck in the elimination round. Well done St John's though on another good showing against good opponents, and best of luck in the qualifiers!
The stats: Mr Levin was, just, the best buzzer of the night, with four starters to the three, of Ms McKeown, Mr Devine-Stoneman and Ulster's best Ms Ritchie. On the bonuses, St John's converted 18 out of 30 (with the night's one penalty), while Ulster managed 12 out of 21; similar rates, so it was, again, a match won on the buzzer, with St John's winning the match with their flying start.
Next week's match: Emmanuel vs Edinburgh, followed, I would imagine, by Newcastle vs Merton in the first qualifier.
Right, Only Connect double bill coming up, last week's tomorrow and tonight's on Thursday. I hope.
St John's College Cambridge eased through the first two rounds, with victories over two strong teams, St Andrews in the first round by 255-120, and Corpus Christi of Cambridge in the second 285-80. Hoping for more of the same tonight were the unchanged four of:
John-Clark Levin, from Los Angeles, studying Politics and International Studies
Rosie McKeown, from Kingston-upon-Thames, studying French and German
Captain: James Devine-Stoneman, from Southall in London, studying Superconducting Spintronics
Matt Hazell, from Ringwood in Hampshire, studying Veterinary Medicine
Ulster came here through the repechage, just getting pipped at the post by Edinburgh in the first round, then easing past St Anne's of Oxford 175-90 in their play-off, and bookinh a QF berth by winning a cracking second rounder against Warwick 170-140. They too were unchanged from the earlier rounds:
Cathal McDaid, from Buncrana in County Donegal, studying English Literature
Kate Ritchie, from Waringstown in County Armagh, studying Fine Art
Captain: Ian Jack, from Peterhead, studying Pharmacy
Matthew Milliken, from Comber in County Down, studying Education
Off we set again then, and Mr Levin got the night's ball rolling with 'Lee'; a full bonus set on writers who served in the UK parliament gave them a full set to start the match. A penalty then gave Ulster a chance to kick off, which they couldn't take. Ms McKeown took the next starter with 'Tristan and Isolde' and two bonuses came with it. Another starter went Ms McKeown's way, and bonuses on CERN projects gave the Cambridge side just the one correct bonus this time. The first picture round, on alliterative geographical features, went to St John's, who took two bonuses again, giving them an early lead of 75-0.
That lead just got bigger as Mr Levin took the next starter, and bonuses on foreign language films provided them with ten more points. Mr Devine-Stoneman now made up for his earlier mistake, unlocking a topical bonus set on women's suffrage, of which they took just the one. Asked to answer in either English or French, Mr Levin chose the former, correctly; two bonuses followed this time. Already looking well out of sight, the Cambridge side's lead just increased when Ms McKeown answered 'Poland', and one bonus came with it.
The music round, on covers by Ella Fitzgerald, finally allowed Ulster to get some points on the board; they took one of the music bonuses, reducing their arrears to 150-15. Ms Ritchie took a second starter in a row though for the Northern Ireland side though, and they took a full bonus set on the Book of Judges. Ms Ritchie then took a second starter in a row, but bonuses on volcanoes proved less fruitful, with nothing coming from it. (I got the Philippines) Another starter went Ulster's way, as did a full house on organic chemistry, and suddenly they were back within sight.
The second picture round, on stills from drama series directed by prolific movie directors, went to Ulster, who took just one bonus, but had now cut the gap to 150-90. When Mr Devine-Stoneman took the next correct answer though, you suspected that was as close as they could get; the Cambridge side took one correct bonus.
Or maybe not; Ms Ritchie took the next starter, and her side into triple figures, and a full bonus set on UK cities kept them just in the hunt. But when Mr Devine-Stoneman took the next starter, that was game over; two correct bonuses on the English Civil War only served to boost their score. Ulster did take the final starter, and one bonus on Italian composers, and that was the gong; St John's won, 185-130.
A good match of two halves, St John's running riot in the first half, but Ulster recovered nicely in the second half. Unlucky Ulster, but a fine recovery in the circumstances, and very best of luck in the elimination round. Well done St John's though on another good showing against good opponents, and best of luck in the qualifiers!
The stats: Mr Levin was, just, the best buzzer of the night, with four starters to the three, of Ms McKeown, Mr Devine-Stoneman and Ulster's best Ms Ritchie. On the bonuses, St John's converted 18 out of 30 (with the night's one penalty), while Ulster managed 12 out of 21; similar rates, so it was, again, a match won on the buzzer, with St John's winning the match with their flying start.
Next week's match: Emmanuel vs Edinburgh, followed, I would imagine, by Newcastle vs Merton in the first qualifier.
Right, Only Connect double bill coming up, last week's tomorrow and tonight's on Thursday. I hope.
Monday, 5 February 2018
University Challenge 2017-18: Preliminary Quarter-Final 2: Fitzwilliam vs Merton
Evening all. After a good strong start to the QF process last week, another high quality match was expected this week, between two sides who both beat aside two very decent teams on the way to this stage. Winners would, I would imagine, play Newcastle for a place in the semi-finals, runners-up would play Bristol for the right to stay in the contest.
Fitzwilliam College Cambridge were very consistent in their matches thus far, scoring 200 on both occasions, firstly against the 105 of Leicester, and then in the second round against the 155 of Magdalen of Oxford. Hoping for more of the same this time were the unchanged four of:
Theo Tindall, from Bristol, studying Russian and Arabic
Theo Howe, from Oxfordshire, studying Japanese Studies
Captain: Hugh Oxlade, from South Woodford in London, studying History
Jack Maloney, from Harpenden in Hertfordshire, studying Medicine
Merton College Oxford began the QFs as joint favourites, having comfortably dispatched the good King's of London side 285-110 in the first round, and then the very good Oxford Brookes team in the second round just two weeks ago, 255-175. Hoping for more of that tonight were the also unchanged line-up of:
Edward Thomas, from Kent, studying Ancient and Modern History
Alexander Peplow, from Amersham in Buckinghamshire, studying Medieval Studies
Captain: Leonie Woodland, from Cambridge, studying Physics
Akira Wiberg, from Sweden and Japan, studying Molecular and Cellular Medicine
Off we set again then, and a slip-up from Merton (to be fair, I think a few would have made the same mistake) handed Mr Oxlade the first starter of the night, and his side kicked the night off with a full bonus set on history. Mr Tindall was next in for the Cambridge side, and a second full bonus set followed, giving them an early advantage. A third starter in a row went the Cambridge side's way, but just the one bonus followed this time. Mr Wiberg finally took his side back into positive figures, and bonuses on the opening lines of Dickens novels gave them two correct answers. The first picture round, on definitions from French dictionaries, went to Merton, who took an impressive full set, reducing their arrears to 65-40.
And when Mr Wiberg took the next starter, you sensed the Oxonians had built up a head of steam, , as if to confirm this, a full bonus set put them on level pegging. Mr Peplow came in his 'Holst's 'The Planets'' to give his side the lead, and they increased it via two bonuses on genetics. Mr Maloney broke back for Fitzwilliam, but a tricky bonus set on the ages at death of biblical figures provided them with just one correct answer. A quick buzz from Mr Wiberg awoke his side again, and they set hard to work with two bonuses, with the third unluckily nearly missed.
The music round, on outstanding lyrics award winning musicals, went to Merton, who took two correct answers, giving them a lead of 125-80. And that lead was just increasing as Mr Peplow took the next starter; bonuses on granite buildings saw both them and me take the same correct answer, Aberdeen! (Thumbs down to Paxo's literal pronunciation of Marischal College, it's pronounced 'Marshall' Jez! I should know, I stay but a few minutes walk from it!) Another starter to Mr Wiberg, a full bonus set, and Merton were within sight of game over. The Merton right-winger took the next starter too, and the resultant bonuses on the Adriatic Sea gave the Oxonians a 100+ lead, and the way they were going, that was surely game over. Mr Peplow picked up the quizzer's question, on how Costa Rica is the only nation currently with no army; a tough bonus set nonetheless gave his side one correct answer.
The second picture round, on female composers featured in the music syllabus, went to Merton, who only identified Bjork, nonetheless enough to increase their lead to 215-80. A (non-interruption) penalty handed Fitzwilliam a chance to get back into the match, but they failed to take it. Mr Peplow was in quickly again, and bonuses on the River Severn handed them another two correct answers.
Mr Maloney finally awoke Fitzwilliam from their slumbers, and two bonuses on chemical elements deservedly took them into triple figures, with only a mishearing from Mr Oxlade denying them a full set. Another narrow buzzer race winning from Mr Peplow followed; just the one bonus followed this time, but it didn't matter by now. Mr Maloney took another for Fitzwilliam, but they couldn't do any better, also managing just one. Mr Wiberg ensured another starter for Merton, and a full bonus set came with it this time. Mr Tindall took the final starter, but there was no time for bonuses; at the gong, Merton won 270-125.
A good high quality match from both sides, as we expected, with slightly quicker buzzing winning Merton the match. Unlucky Fitzwilliam, but a very decent performance in the circumstances, and you should reach the semis too if you carry on like that, good luck in the eliminators. Well done Merton though, another top performance against good opponents, must surely make them the team to beat thus far, good luck in the qualifiers!
The stats: Mr Wiberg was, just, the best buzzer of the night, with seven starters to Mr Peplow's six, while Mr Maloney was Fitzwilliam's best with four. On the bonuses, Fitzwilliam converted 11 out of 18, while Merton managed 28 out of 42 (with two penalties); both good rates those, so it was on the buzzer that the match was won, but well played both sides.
Next week's match: St John's vs Ulster, followed by Emmanuel vs Edinburgh.
Only Connect began its QF stage tonight, review of that, I hope, coming up by the end of the week.
Fitzwilliam College Cambridge were very consistent in their matches thus far, scoring 200 on both occasions, firstly against the 105 of Leicester, and then in the second round against the 155 of Magdalen of Oxford. Hoping for more of the same this time were the unchanged four of:
Theo Tindall, from Bristol, studying Russian and Arabic
Theo Howe, from Oxfordshire, studying Japanese Studies
Captain: Hugh Oxlade, from South Woodford in London, studying History
Jack Maloney, from Harpenden in Hertfordshire, studying Medicine
Merton College Oxford began the QFs as joint favourites, having comfortably dispatched the good King's of London side 285-110 in the first round, and then the very good Oxford Brookes team in the second round just two weeks ago, 255-175. Hoping for more of that tonight were the also unchanged line-up of:
Edward Thomas, from Kent, studying Ancient and Modern History
Alexander Peplow, from Amersham in Buckinghamshire, studying Medieval Studies
Captain: Leonie Woodland, from Cambridge, studying Physics
Akira Wiberg, from Sweden and Japan, studying Molecular and Cellular Medicine
Off we set again then, and a slip-up from Merton (to be fair, I think a few would have made the same mistake) handed Mr Oxlade the first starter of the night, and his side kicked the night off with a full bonus set on history. Mr Tindall was next in for the Cambridge side, and a second full bonus set followed, giving them an early advantage. A third starter in a row went the Cambridge side's way, but just the one bonus followed this time. Mr Wiberg finally took his side back into positive figures, and bonuses on the opening lines of Dickens novels gave them two correct answers. The first picture round, on definitions from French dictionaries, went to Merton, who took an impressive full set, reducing their arrears to 65-40.
And when Mr Wiberg took the next starter, you sensed the Oxonians had built up a head of steam, , as if to confirm this, a full bonus set put them on level pegging. Mr Peplow came in his 'Holst's 'The Planets'' to give his side the lead, and they increased it via two bonuses on genetics. Mr Maloney broke back for Fitzwilliam, but a tricky bonus set on the ages at death of biblical figures provided them with just one correct answer. A quick buzz from Mr Wiberg awoke his side again, and they set hard to work with two bonuses, with the third unluckily nearly missed.
The music round, on outstanding lyrics award winning musicals, went to Merton, who took two correct answers, giving them a lead of 125-80. And that lead was just increasing as Mr Peplow took the next starter; bonuses on granite buildings saw both them and me take the same correct answer, Aberdeen! (Thumbs down to Paxo's literal pronunciation of Marischal College, it's pronounced 'Marshall' Jez! I should know, I stay but a few minutes walk from it!) Another starter to Mr Wiberg, a full bonus set, and Merton were within sight of game over. The Merton right-winger took the next starter too, and the resultant bonuses on the Adriatic Sea gave the Oxonians a 100+ lead, and the way they were going, that was surely game over. Mr Peplow picked up the quizzer's question, on how Costa Rica is the only nation currently with no army; a tough bonus set nonetheless gave his side one correct answer.
The second picture round, on female composers featured in the music syllabus, went to Merton, who only identified Bjork, nonetheless enough to increase their lead to 215-80. A (non-interruption) penalty handed Fitzwilliam a chance to get back into the match, but they failed to take it. Mr Peplow was in quickly again, and bonuses on the River Severn handed them another two correct answers.
Mr Maloney finally awoke Fitzwilliam from their slumbers, and two bonuses on chemical elements deservedly took them into triple figures, with only a mishearing from Mr Oxlade denying them a full set. Another narrow buzzer race winning from Mr Peplow followed; just the one bonus followed this time, but it didn't matter by now. Mr Maloney took another for Fitzwilliam, but they couldn't do any better, also managing just one. Mr Wiberg ensured another starter for Merton, and a full bonus set came with it this time. Mr Tindall took the final starter, but there was no time for bonuses; at the gong, Merton won 270-125.
A good high quality match from both sides, as we expected, with slightly quicker buzzing winning Merton the match. Unlucky Fitzwilliam, but a very decent performance in the circumstances, and you should reach the semis too if you carry on like that, good luck in the eliminators. Well done Merton though, another top performance against good opponents, must surely make them the team to beat thus far, good luck in the qualifiers!
The stats: Mr Wiberg was, just, the best buzzer of the night, with seven starters to Mr Peplow's six, while Mr Maloney was Fitzwilliam's best with four. On the bonuses, Fitzwilliam converted 11 out of 18, while Merton managed 28 out of 42 (with two penalties); both good rates those, so it was on the buzzer that the match was won, but well played both sides.
Next week's match: St John's vs Ulster, followed by Emmanuel vs Edinburgh.
Only Connect began its QF stage tonight, review of that, I hope, coming up by the end of the week.
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