OK, so on to the second Only Connect qualification quarter-final. It's been an interesting series to be honest; I honestly think any of the teams still in the contest could ultimately win the series. BTW I'm keeping one eye on the Scotland game at the same time as I'm writing this, so sorry for any errors.
Playing last night were the Belgophiles, Helen Fasham, Phil Small and captain Ben Fasham, who have got here unbeaten via victories over the Lapsed Physicists, the Meeples and the Beaks, and the Escapologists, who lost to the Eco-Warriors in the first round, but have recovered well since with wins over the Cricketers, the Dandies and the Detectives.
Round 1. The Belgophiles kicked the show off with Eye of Horus, and the music question: we heard The Shins with 'New Slang', then 'Ooh La La' by Faces, then Heart with 'Alone', and finally Elbow's classic 'One Day Like This'. They didn't get it, their opponents did for a bonus. For their own first questions, the Escapologists chose Water, and got the picture set: we saw Alexandra Burke, then Sir Stanley Matthews, then Forest Whitaker, and finally Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams. They saw that there forenames are all shared with British football teams, and picked up another point. The Belgophiles chose Lion next: 'Claude Shannon', then 'Ludwig Ritter von Kochel', then 'Kevin Bacon', and finally 'Amedeo Avogadro'. That gave it to them: they all have numbers named after them. The Escapologists chose Twisted Flax next: 'Sir George Stubbs and Italian Tourist in 'Dead Man's Folly'', then 'The White Stripes', then 'Tom and Gerry Jeffers in 'The Palm Beach Story'', and finally 'The Krankies'. They offering 'pretending to be siblings', not right; their opponents tried 'married couples', not precise enough: they are married couples who pretend they aren't. The Belgophiles chose Two Reeds: 'Ethel', then 'Yogh', then 'Thorn', and finally 'Long S'. They suggested them to be English letters that have fallen out of use, and picked up another point. Left with Horned Viper, the Escapologists saw 'Yttrobetafite', then 'Pyroxferroite', then 'Armalcolite', and finally 'Tranquillityite'. They suggested 'rocks found on the Moon', and were close enough for the points, 'minerals discovered on the Moon' being the precise link. At the end of the first round, the Escapologists led 3-2.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Belgophiles opened the round with Eye of Horus: 'Owner, 'Jurassic Park'', then 'Jeffrey, 'On the Wings of Love'', and then 'Wendy, 'Peter Pan''. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are people who share their surnames with Chancellors of the Exchequer, so someone called Brown, such as 'John, Abolitionist' as the show offered, would come fourth. The Escapologists chose Lion: 'Big Ben', then 'Great George', and then 'Great Paul'. Both teams saw it to be something to do with bells, neither knew precisely what: they are the four heaviest bells in Britain, so the 'Olympic Bell' would be fourth. The Belgophiles chose Water next: 'Kings Cross St Pancras Underground station', then 'A 'knock knock' joke'; they saw them to have six and five lines, so offered 'The Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and The Equator' as three lines, and picked up three points. The Escapologists chose Two Reeds next, and got the picture set: we saw a Gurdwara, then a Mandir, and then a Mosque. They didn't see it, their opponents just about did: they are the houses of worship in the four most practiced religions in the UK, so a Church would be fourth. For their own final choice, the Belgophiles chose Twisted Flax, and got a music sequence: we heard 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire' by Bach, then Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, and then the Toreador song from Carmen. They didn't offer an acceptable answer, their opponents did: they are composed by Bach, Beethoven and Bizet, so something by Borodin would complete the set. (Victoria allowed the enforced sing-along to be Bob Marley instead due to no-one knowing any Borodin!) Left with Horned Viper again for their own question, the Escapologsts saw 'January 10th-25th', then 'February 6th-25th', and then 'March 13th-8th'. They got it at the same time I did: they are the letters that begin and end their names, so 'April 1st-12th' would be fourth. At the end of a good second round, the teams were tied on 6-each.
On to the Walls. The Escapologists took their turn to go first, and chose to tackle the Lion wall. A first set, 'Swanson', 'Gish', 'Pickford' and 'Bow', which are the surnames of silent movie actresses, was followed in short order by 'Hull', 'Stern', 'Cathead' and 'Tiller', which are parts of a boat. The final clues came in nicely after that, but they didn't know either connection: 'Irvine', 'Washington', 'Harlow' and 'Stevenage' are new towns, while 'Squiz', 'Garbo', 'Ocker' and 'Sanger' are Australian slang words. Six there then.
The Belgophiles could thus take the lead if they could better that on the Water wall. They also took a first set reasonably promptly: 'Nightingale', 'Houblon', 'Elgar' and 'Fry' are figures who have appeared on UK bank notes. A second set, 'Clare', 'Darwin', 'Jesus' and 'Emmanuel', which, as UC regular viewers will know, are Cambridge colleges, followed suite eventually. They couldn't unscramble what was left though, so had to collect bonuses: 'Matilda', 'Churchill', 'Little Willie' and 'Valentine' are tanks, which they got, while 'Sophie', 'Humpy-Rumpy', 'Willy Wonka' and 'Boggis' are Roald Dahl characters, which they also got. Another six there, which left the score at 12-each going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels would decide who went through where. 'Things named after two people', such as 'THE DUCKWORTH-LEWIS METHOD', went to the Belgophiles 2-1. 'Films with the number doubled', such as 'FOURTEEN SAMARI', was split 2-each. 'Things noted for being green' was split 1-each, and that was time. The Belgophiles had snuck home 17-16!
A very good close match, some good quizzing the hard questions. Unlucky Escapologists, best of luck in the play-offs, well done Belgophiles, very best of luck in the semis!
Next week's match: the Detectives vs the Vikings
Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Monday, 26 March 2018
University Challenge 2017-18: Play-Off Quarter-Final 1: Bristol vs Edinburgh
Evening all. Into the home straight we head, with just four more games after tonight, before we all get a much needed Spring rest, during which I will once again consider the future of this blog and my Quizzy Mondays recaps, which I may well decide to merge in the same way as Dave used to in the very early days of LAM, and that Weaver's Week does nowadays. On with the series for now though, and what looked like an interesting match-up for a place in the semis.
Bristol comfortably defeated Trinity of Cambridge and Trinity of Oxford in the first two rounds, then came unstuck against Newcastle in the preliminary match-ups before a convincing win over Ulster in their eliminator. Hoping to carry on that form tonight were the unchanged foursome 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
Edinburgh also defeated our friends Ulster, in the first round, then narrowly overcame U.C.L. in the second and Emmanuel in their preliminary, but were soundly beaten by Merton in their qualifier. Hoping to bounce back tonight and reach the semis for the second year in a row were the also unchanged quartet 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
Off we set again then, and it was Bristol who drew blood first with Mr Bowes with 'Atlantis'; none of the first bonuses on the Aeneid went with it though. Mr Carson then quickly took his side off the mark as well with 'chestnut', and they took the lead via one bonus on historic periods. Mr Heaton-Armstrong then added to the lead, but, again, just one bonus followed, albeit from a very tough bonus set of the difficulty we should expect at this late stage. The first picture round, on equations devised by attendees of the 1927 Solvay Conference, went to Edinburgh, who took a full house this time, giving them an early lead of 55-10.
Five then slipped from that lead as Mr Wang miscued, but Bristol were unable to accept this opportunity. The points were promptly recouped as Mr Carson came up with 'Electra' just as I got it too, with just the one bonus following again. Neither side identified Stephen Fry's ancestor CB Fry as the cricketer who played for Southampton in the FA Cup final and was offered the throne of Albania, Mr Hewett's guess of Denis Compton (who, to be fair, did win the Cup with Arsenal) bringing a few giggles from the host and audience! Another starter was dropped, before Mr Wang increased Edinburgh's lead again, but bonuses on children's literature added nothing to their score. Mr Bowes finally reawoke the Avonsiders from their slumbers, but, again, the side failed to take any of the resultant bonuses.
The music starter saw Ms Stone get 'Madame Butterfly' just seconds after I did; the bonuses, on female characters in opera whose deaths were critiqued by Catherine Clement, provided Edinburgh with two correct answers and a lead of 95-20. Bristol needed to get a move on to catch up, and Mr Bowes duly obliged with the next starter, and two bonuses on Hindu deities followed this time. Ms Stone then nicely complimented 'Irn Bru' from last time with 'marshmallow', and the side took just one bonus on events surrounding Henry VIII's first divorce and second marriage (which I didn't manage any of despite watching all but one series of The Tudors when it was shown on BBC2!). And when Mr Heaton-Armstrong took the next starter, and his side took all three bonuses on Six Nations 'countries' and African countries they are closest in size too, you suspect they had the game in the bag.
The second picture round, on paintings of stock characters from commedia dell-arte, went to Bristol, who failed to add to their score, leaving the gap at 135-50. Back came Edinburgh with Mr Heaton-Armstrong doing the honours, and with two bonuses going with it, that likely confirmed that they couldn't be caught.
As if to make absolutely sure, Mr Carson identified 'Strath' as the prefix often applied to various Scottish rivers, with two bonuses going with it again. The Edinburgh captain then appeared to take an educated guess of 'neutrino', and was correct again, and, again, two correct bonuses accompanied, putting them within one starter of a double century. That starter didn't come for them though, as Mr Hosegood took the final one of the game, with the gong cutting their bonuses short. Edinburgh won 195-60.
Another rather one sided game, but, again, still an enjoyable one nonetheless. Unlucky Bristol, who never really got into gear tonight, but no shame in going out at this stage after a fine series of performances, thanks very much for playing this series! Well done to Edinburgh though on a good win over proven opponents, and best of luck in the semi-finals!
The stats: Mr Carson was the best buzzer of the night, with five starters, while Mr Bowes was Bristol's best with three, meaning he ends their run their best buzzer with nineteen overall. On the bonuses, Bristol converted just 2 out of 14, while Edinburgh managed a reasonable 18 out of 33 (with the night's one penalty).
Next week's match: Newcastle vs Fitzwilliam. And then we get to the semi-finals!
Only Connect is nearly done for another year too, another good match from it tonight, hopefully to be promptly recapped this week.
Bristol comfortably defeated Trinity of Cambridge and Trinity of Oxford in the first two rounds, then came unstuck against Newcastle in the preliminary match-ups before a convincing win over Ulster in their eliminator. Hoping to carry on that form tonight were the unchanged foursome 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
Edinburgh also defeated our friends Ulster, in the first round, then narrowly overcame U.C.L. in the second and Emmanuel in their preliminary, but were soundly beaten by Merton in their qualifier. Hoping to bounce back tonight and reach the semis for the second year in a row were the also unchanged quartet 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
Off we set again then, and it was Bristol who drew blood first with Mr Bowes with 'Atlantis'; none of the first bonuses on the Aeneid went with it though. Mr Carson then quickly took his side off the mark as well with 'chestnut', and they took the lead via one bonus on historic periods. Mr Heaton-Armstrong then added to the lead, but, again, just one bonus followed, albeit from a very tough bonus set of the difficulty we should expect at this late stage. The first picture round, on equations devised by attendees of the 1927 Solvay Conference, went to Edinburgh, who took a full house this time, giving them an early lead of 55-10.
Five then slipped from that lead as Mr Wang miscued, but Bristol were unable to accept this opportunity. The points were promptly recouped as Mr Carson came up with 'Electra' just as I got it too, with just the one bonus following again. Neither side identified Stephen Fry's ancestor CB Fry as the cricketer who played for Southampton in the FA Cup final and was offered the throne of Albania, Mr Hewett's guess of Denis Compton (who, to be fair, did win the Cup with Arsenal) bringing a few giggles from the host and audience! Another starter was dropped, before Mr Wang increased Edinburgh's lead again, but bonuses on children's literature added nothing to their score. Mr Bowes finally reawoke the Avonsiders from their slumbers, but, again, the side failed to take any of the resultant bonuses.
The music starter saw Ms Stone get 'Madame Butterfly' just seconds after I did; the bonuses, on female characters in opera whose deaths were critiqued by Catherine Clement, provided Edinburgh with two correct answers and a lead of 95-20. Bristol needed to get a move on to catch up, and Mr Bowes duly obliged with the next starter, and two bonuses on Hindu deities followed this time. Ms Stone then nicely complimented 'Irn Bru' from last time with 'marshmallow', and the side took just one bonus on events surrounding Henry VIII's first divorce and second marriage (which I didn't manage any of despite watching all but one series of The Tudors when it was shown on BBC2!). And when Mr Heaton-Armstrong took the next starter, and his side took all three bonuses on Six Nations 'countries' and African countries they are closest in size too, you suspect they had the game in the bag.
The second picture round, on paintings of stock characters from commedia dell-arte, went to Bristol, who failed to add to their score, leaving the gap at 135-50. Back came Edinburgh with Mr Heaton-Armstrong doing the honours, and with two bonuses going with it, that likely confirmed that they couldn't be caught.
As if to make absolutely sure, Mr Carson identified 'Strath' as the prefix often applied to various Scottish rivers, with two bonuses going with it again. The Edinburgh captain then appeared to take an educated guess of 'neutrino', and was correct again, and, again, two correct bonuses accompanied, putting them within one starter of a double century. That starter didn't come for them though, as Mr Hosegood took the final one of the game, with the gong cutting their bonuses short. Edinburgh won 195-60.
Another rather one sided game, but, again, still an enjoyable one nonetheless. Unlucky Bristol, who never really got into gear tonight, but no shame in going out at this stage after a fine series of performances, thanks very much for playing this series! Well done to Edinburgh though on a good win over proven opponents, and best of luck in the semi-finals!
The stats: Mr Carson was the best buzzer of the night, with five starters, while Mr Bowes was Bristol's best with three, meaning he ends their run their best buzzer with nineteen overall. On the bonuses, Bristol converted just 2 out of 14, while Edinburgh managed a reasonable 18 out of 33 (with the night's one penalty).
Next week's match: Newcastle vs Fitzwilliam. And then we get to the semi-finals!
Only Connect is nearly done for another year too, another good match from it tonight, hopefully to be promptly recapped this week.
Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Only Connect Series 13: Qualification Quarter-Final 1: Vikings vs Inquisitors
OK, so, the first semi-finalist would be known tonight, with the first qualification quarter-final. As I said last week, despite being a more logical way of doing things, I actually prefer UC's way of going about it, mixing them up so we alternate.
Anyway, playing for the first semi place were the Vikings, Mark Oxley, John Wilson and captain Mick Lee, who have beaten the Geocachers, the Parishioners and the Wanderers to get here unbeaten, and the Inquisitors, Luke Kelly, Rob Cumming and captain Julia Hobbs, who have lost to the Wanderers, but also beaten the Cricketers, the Snake Charmers, the Meeples and the Eco-Warriors.
Round 1. The Inquisitors opened the show with Eye of Horus: 'She will bombard', then 'We had married', then 'She had lost hair', and finally 'I have Apple's design guru'. They identified that the first two words can be abbreviated to a term that becomes the words after if the apostrophe if removed, if that makes sense (Shell, Wed, Shed and Ive), so collected the first point of the match. The Vikings chose Water first, and got the music set: we heard 'Libera Me' from Verdi's Requiem, then 'Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer', then John Taverner's 'Song for Athene', and finally Elton John's reworking of Candle in the Wind for Diana's funeral. Neither side spotted the link that they were all played at Diana's funeral. The Inquisitors chose Lion next, and got the picture set: we saw a chicken marengo, then Blenheim Palace; they saw them to be named after battles, and collected three good points. (The remaining clues would've been the Kop, as in Anfield, and the London Marathon) The Vikings chose Horned Viper next: 'New Zealand (17th century)', then 'Eldey (1844)', then 'Mauritius (late 17th century)'; they identified them as the locations of noted bird extinctions, and collected two points there. The Inquisitors chose Twisted Flax next: 'Tupac Shakur smoked', then 'Fred Baur in a Pringles can'; they offered that they are what became of those person's ashes, and collected another three points. (The other clues were 'James Doohan flown into space', and 'Hunter S Thompson fired from a cannon') Left with Two Reeds, the Vikings saw 'Turn Around', then 'Look Back in Anger'; they picked up a three pointer of their own, identifying that putting 'Don't' before them gives a UK Number 1. At the end of a strong first round, the Inquisitors led 7-5.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Inquisitors kicked the round off with Two Reeds: 'Thursday: A bloody war or a sickly season', then 'Friday: A willing foe and sea-room', and then 'Saturday: Our families'. They didn't get close enough with 'Sunday: Our friends', and their opponents didn't quite get there either: it's toasts in the Royal Navy, so 'Sunday: Absent friends' would be fourth. The Vikings chose Eye of Horus next: 'Britain's first internet bank', then 'Continuous track on a tank'; they came in here with 'Swimming stroke', and were correct, the sequence being the life cycle of a butterfly (the first clues being 'egg' and 'caterpillar') The Inquisitors chose Lion next: 'Why Beryllium?', then 'Why Carbon?', and then 'Why Gold?'. They offered 'Why Selenium?', and were correct, the sequence being 'Why Because?', and thus the elements spell out the word 'Because'. The Vikings chose Twisted Flax next, and got the picture set: we saw John Humphrys, then jockey Luke Harvey, and then the BBC's Mark Lawson. Neither side saw this: they are the evangelists in the reversed order they are usually named in, so someone called Matthew, such as Mr Parris, would come fourth. For their final choice, the Inquisitors chose Water: '4 Carmarthenshire', then '3 Hampshire', and then '2 Kent'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are the terminuses of UK motorways, so '1 West Yorkshire' would complete the set. Left with Horned Viper, the Vikings saw 'Jason Bourne', and instantly tried 'The Bourne Identity', thinking it to be the Bourne films in reverse order, but were not correct. Their opponents saw 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' and 'Bridget Jones's Baby', but were none the wiser: they are the fifth, fourth and third films in a series, so a second film in a series, such as 'Basic Instinct 2' as the show suggested, would suffice. At the end of the second round, the Inquisitors led 9-8.
On to the Walls. The Vikings went first this time, and chose to tackle the Water wall. Spotting a few connections fairly promptly, they eventually isolated 'Ascot', 'Clip-on', 'Four in hand' and 'Bolo', which are types of tie. A second set, 'Photograph', 'Chance', 'Back seat' and 'Bow', which are things that can be taken, followed, and what was left fell into place soon afterwards: 'Kipper', 'Astro', 'Brian' and 'Brain' are cartoon dogs, while 'Buckling', 'Surstromming', 'Bloater' and 'Rollmop' are herring dishes. A full ten there.
The Inquisitors thus set to work on the Lion wall knowing only a complete shutout would realistically put them out of step. Their first set, 'Shambles', 'Pavement', 'Swinegate' and 'Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate', which are noted streets in York, came pretty quickly, as did their second, 'January', 'Jumble', 'Car Boot' and 'Flash', which are types of sale. The final sets were also sorted out pretty quickly: 'Gallimaufrey', 'Farrago', 'Hash' and 'Hodgepodge' are words meaning 'a muddle', while 'Bunga Bunga', 'Rainbow Warrior', 'Watergate' and 'Teapot Dome' are noted political scandals. Also a full ten there, so as you were, the Inquisitors led 19-18 going into the final round.
So, all to be decided on Missing Vowels. 'One hundred', such as 'CENTS IN A DOLLAR' and 'ZEROES IN A GOOGOL' (as Major Ingram will remember!), went to the Inquisitors 3-0. 'Plays merged with TV shows', such as 'ENDGAME OF THROWNS', was split 2-each. 'Nicknames of European cities' went to the Vikings 3-1, with the final clue coming right on the bell. At the end of the show, the Inquisitors won 25-23.
A very good show, some great answering there, well done both times. Unlucky Vikings, best of luck in the play-offs; well done Inquisitors, best of luck in the semi-finals!
Next week's match: the Belgophiles vs the Escapologists
Anyway, playing for the first semi place were the Vikings, Mark Oxley, John Wilson and captain Mick Lee, who have beaten the Geocachers, the Parishioners and the Wanderers to get here unbeaten, and the Inquisitors, Luke Kelly, Rob Cumming and captain Julia Hobbs, who have lost to the Wanderers, but also beaten the Cricketers, the Snake Charmers, the Meeples and the Eco-Warriors.
Round 1. The Inquisitors opened the show with Eye of Horus: 'She will bombard', then 'We had married', then 'She had lost hair', and finally 'I have Apple's design guru'. They identified that the first two words can be abbreviated to a term that becomes the words after if the apostrophe if removed, if that makes sense (Shell, Wed, Shed and Ive), so collected the first point of the match. The Vikings chose Water first, and got the music set: we heard 'Libera Me' from Verdi's Requiem, then 'Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer', then John Taverner's 'Song for Athene', and finally Elton John's reworking of Candle in the Wind for Diana's funeral. Neither side spotted the link that they were all played at Diana's funeral. The Inquisitors chose Lion next, and got the picture set: we saw a chicken marengo, then Blenheim Palace; they saw them to be named after battles, and collected three good points. (The remaining clues would've been the Kop, as in Anfield, and the London Marathon) The Vikings chose Horned Viper next: 'New Zealand (17th century)', then 'Eldey (1844)', then 'Mauritius (late 17th century)'; they identified them as the locations of noted bird extinctions, and collected two points there. The Inquisitors chose Twisted Flax next: 'Tupac Shakur smoked', then 'Fred Baur in a Pringles can'; they offered that they are what became of those person's ashes, and collected another three points. (The other clues were 'James Doohan flown into space', and 'Hunter S Thompson fired from a cannon') Left with Two Reeds, the Vikings saw 'Turn Around', then 'Look Back in Anger'; they picked up a three pointer of their own, identifying that putting 'Don't' before them gives a UK Number 1. At the end of a strong first round, the Inquisitors led 7-5.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Inquisitors kicked the round off with Two Reeds: 'Thursday: A bloody war or a sickly season', then 'Friday: A willing foe and sea-room', and then 'Saturday: Our families'. They didn't get close enough with 'Sunday: Our friends', and their opponents didn't quite get there either: it's toasts in the Royal Navy, so 'Sunday: Absent friends' would be fourth. The Vikings chose Eye of Horus next: 'Britain's first internet bank', then 'Continuous track on a tank'; they came in here with 'Swimming stroke', and were correct, the sequence being the life cycle of a butterfly (the first clues being 'egg' and 'caterpillar') The Inquisitors chose Lion next: 'Why Beryllium?', then 'Why Carbon?', and then 'Why Gold?'. They offered 'Why Selenium?', and were correct, the sequence being 'Why Because?', and thus the elements spell out the word 'Because'. The Vikings chose Twisted Flax next, and got the picture set: we saw John Humphrys, then jockey Luke Harvey, and then the BBC's Mark Lawson. Neither side saw this: they are the evangelists in the reversed order they are usually named in, so someone called Matthew, such as Mr Parris, would come fourth. For their final choice, the Inquisitors chose Water: '4 Carmarthenshire', then '3 Hampshire', and then '2 Kent'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are the terminuses of UK motorways, so '1 West Yorkshire' would complete the set. Left with Horned Viper, the Vikings saw 'Jason Bourne', and instantly tried 'The Bourne Identity', thinking it to be the Bourne films in reverse order, but were not correct. Their opponents saw 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' and 'Bridget Jones's Baby', but were none the wiser: they are the fifth, fourth and third films in a series, so a second film in a series, such as 'Basic Instinct 2' as the show suggested, would suffice. At the end of the second round, the Inquisitors led 9-8.
On to the Walls. The Vikings went first this time, and chose to tackle the Water wall. Spotting a few connections fairly promptly, they eventually isolated 'Ascot', 'Clip-on', 'Four in hand' and 'Bolo', which are types of tie. A second set, 'Photograph', 'Chance', 'Back seat' and 'Bow', which are things that can be taken, followed, and what was left fell into place soon afterwards: 'Kipper', 'Astro', 'Brian' and 'Brain' are cartoon dogs, while 'Buckling', 'Surstromming', 'Bloater' and 'Rollmop' are herring dishes. A full ten there.
The Inquisitors thus set to work on the Lion wall knowing only a complete shutout would realistically put them out of step. Their first set, 'Shambles', 'Pavement', 'Swinegate' and 'Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate', which are noted streets in York, came pretty quickly, as did their second, 'January', 'Jumble', 'Car Boot' and 'Flash', which are types of sale. The final sets were also sorted out pretty quickly: 'Gallimaufrey', 'Farrago', 'Hash' and 'Hodgepodge' are words meaning 'a muddle', while 'Bunga Bunga', 'Rainbow Warrior', 'Watergate' and 'Teapot Dome' are noted political scandals. Also a full ten there, so as you were, the Inquisitors led 19-18 going into the final round.
So, all to be decided on Missing Vowels. 'One hundred', such as 'CENTS IN A DOLLAR' and 'ZEROES IN A GOOGOL' (as Major Ingram will remember!), went to the Inquisitors 3-0. 'Plays merged with TV shows', such as 'ENDGAME OF THROWNS', was split 2-each. 'Nicknames of European cities' went to the Vikings 3-1, with the final clue coming right on the bell. At the end of the show, the Inquisitors won 25-23.
A very good show, some great answering there, well done both times. Unlucky Vikings, best of luck in the play-offs; well done Inquisitors, best of luck in the semi-finals!
Next week's match: the Belgophiles vs the Escapologists
Monday, 19 March 2018
University Challenge 2017-18: Elimination Quarter-Final 2: Fitzwilliam vs Emmanuel
Evening all. In a good mood tonight, so was up for a good game tonight, and thankfully we got one to boot! Two Cambridge sides, both of whom had certainly shown a great deal of promise in the earlier rounds, but who had both come unstuck in somewhat different ways in their preliminaries. Winners would survive to play Newcastle on Easter Monday, runners-up would bow out.
Fitzwilliam scored 200 in both their earlier matches, firstly against Leicester, and then Magdalen of Oxford, before Merton recovered from a slow start to overpower them in their prelim, winning 270-125. Hoping to bounce back from that tonight were the unchanged four of:
Theo Tindall, from Backwell near Bristol, studying Russian and Arabic
Theo Howe, from Forest Hill in Oxfordshire, studying Japanese Studies
Captain: Hugh Oxlade, from South Woodford in London, studying History
Jack Maloney, from Harpenden in Hertfordshire, studying Medicine
Emmanuel also, I've just realised, scored the same score in the first two rounds, a close win over St Hugh's of Oxford followed by an easier win over Strathclyde, but they were narrowly pipped by Edinburgh in their prelim match. Also hoping for a prompt recovery 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 won the race to the buzzer on the first starter, with many trying to buzz in as Paxo read out the trigger words; one bonus from a tough bonus set requiring an author and the decade the book in question was published followed. Mr Derby kept up Emmanuel's prompt start with the next starter, and footballers who shared their name with US presidents proved more to their liking, taking a full house. Fitzwilliam opened their accounts on the next starter, Mr Oxlade doing the honours with 'John of Gaunt', but bonuses on genetics failed to add to their score. The first picture round, on maps showing cities with a shared final letter, went to Fitzwilliam, who this time took a full house, reducing the gap to 40-35.
A second starter in a row from Mr Maloney gave then gave them the lead, and unlocked an amusing bonus set on Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch, of which they took two, and sadly the inevitable 'Pining for the Fjords' answer was not correct! Mr Maloney again came in for Fitzwilliam on the next starter, and a full house of bonuses, that Mr Oxlade pretty much dealt with by himself, increased their advantage to double Emmanuel's score. Mr Fraser decided that was enough though, taking his side back into the game, and they too took a full bonus set, on Icarus in popular culture. Emmanuel's right winger then took a second starter in a row, and one bonus put them level pegging. Fitzwilliam quickly took the lead back though, and an amusing bonus set on feuds between writers gave them two correct answers.
The music round, on rock music guitar solos, went to Emmanuel, who took one bonus, and sent Twitter into meltdown on another by mistaking Led Zeppelin's 'immortal' Stairway to Heaven for Oasis! They thus trailed 100-95, but retook the lead with the next starter, though someone on Twitter has claimed Fitzwilliam's wrong answer may have been correct; the bonuses allowed Mr Fraser the pleasure of offering his own name as a correct answer! An unlucky penalty then handed Fitzwilliam back possession though, and they took the lead back with a full house of bonuses. Vice versa then, as Fitzwilliam slipped up, and Emmanuel picked up; two bonuses followed, in what was turning into a back and forth match.
The second picture round, on stills from films whose directed also acted in them, went to Fitzwilliam, who took another full house, which gave them the lead back 145-130. Ms Chevallier bit straight back for Emmanuel though, but her side drew a blank on bonuses on the coordinates of peaks. Nonetheless, with just five in it, this looked like a grandstand final straight.
Mr Tindall blinked first, with 'Kyrgyzstan', and his side took two bonuses on helium, giving them a match winning advantage if they could take the next starter. But Ms Chevallier took it instead, keeping her side in the game, but they missed a set of bonuses they really needed at least one of. Just for added tension, the next starter was dropped. And the one after as well! But when Mr Maloney answered 'clan' on the next, that was game over. No time for any bonus answers; at the gong, Fitzwilliam won 175-150.
An excellent close match between two evenly matched sides, well played both! Unlucky Emmanuel, just missing out right at the end, but no shame on a repectable series of performances, thanks for playing! Well done Fitzwilliam though, and best of luck in the play-offs!
The stats: Messrs Maloney and Fraser were joint best buzzer of the night, with four each for their respective sides, Mr Fraser ends Emmanuel's campaign their best buzzer with 14 over four matches. On the bonuses, Fitzwilliam converted a strong 18 out of 25, while Emmanuel managed 13 out of 27, with both sides incurring one penalty, so, after a run of matches decided on the buzzer, it was the bonuses that decided this one.
Next week's match: Bristol vs Edinburgh, followed by Newcastle vs Fitzwilliam
Only Connect moved on to its qualifier matches tonight, blog of which I hope to bring you by the end of the week.
Fitzwilliam scored 200 in both their earlier matches, firstly against Leicester, and then Magdalen of Oxford, before Merton recovered from a slow start to overpower them in their prelim, winning 270-125. Hoping to bounce back from that tonight were the unchanged four of:
Theo Tindall, from Backwell near Bristol, studying Russian and Arabic
Theo Howe, from Forest Hill in Oxfordshire, studying Japanese Studies
Captain: Hugh Oxlade, from South Woodford in London, studying History
Jack Maloney, from Harpenden in Hertfordshire, studying Medicine
Emmanuel also, I've just realised, scored the same score in the first two rounds, a close win over St Hugh's of Oxford followed by an easier win over Strathclyde, but they were narrowly pipped by Edinburgh in their prelim match. Also hoping for a prompt recovery 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 won the race to the buzzer on the first starter, with many trying to buzz in as Paxo read out the trigger words; one bonus from a tough bonus set requiring an author and the decade the book in question was published followed. Mr Derby kept up Emmanuel's prompt start with the next starter, and footballers who shared their name with US presidents proved more to their liking, taking a full house. Fitzwilliam opened their accounts on the next starter, Mr Oxlade doing the honours with 'John of Gaunt', but bonuses on genetics failed to add to their score. The first picture round, on maps showing cities with a shared final letter, went to Fitzwilliam, who this time took a full house, reducing the gap to 40-35.
A second starter in a row from Mr Maloney gave then gave them the lead, and unlocked an amusing bonus set on Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch, of which they took two, and sadly the inevitable 'Pining for the Fjords' answer was not correct! Mr Maloney again came in for Fitzwilliam on the next starter, and a full house of bonuses, that Mr Oxlade pretty much dealt with by himself, increased their advantage to double Emmanuel's score. Mr Fraser decided that was enough though, taking his side back into the game, and they too took a full bonus set, on Icarus in popular culture. Emmanuel's right winger then took a second starter in a row, and one bonus put them level pegging. Fitzwilliam quickly took the lead back though, and an amusing bonus set on feuds between writers gave them two correct answers.
The music round, on rock music guitar solos, went to Emmanuel, who took one bonus, and sent Twitter into meltdown on another by mistaking Led Zeppelin's 'immortal' Stairway to Heaven for Oasis! They thus trailed 100-95, but retook the lead with the next starter, though someone on Twitter has claimed Fitzwilliam's wrong answer may have been correct; the bonuses allowed Mr Fraser the pleasure of offering his own name as a correct answer! An unlucky penalty then handed Fitzwilliam back possession though, and they took the lead back with a full house of bonuses. Vice versa then, as Fitzwilliam slipped up, and Emmanuel picked up; two bonuses followed, in what was turning into a back and forth match.
The second picture round, on stills from films whose directed also acted in them, went to Fitzwilliam, who took another full house, which gave them the lead back 145-130. Ms Chevallier bit straight back for Emmanuel though, but her side drew a blank on bonuses on the coordinates of peaks. Nonetheless, with just five in it, this looked like a grandstand final straight.
Mr Tindall blinked first, with 'Kyrgyzstan', and his side took two bonuses on helium, giving them a match winning advantage if they could take the next starter. But Ms Chevallier took it instead, keeping her side in the game, but they missed a set of bonuses they really needed at least one of. Just for added tension, the next starter was dropped. And the one after as well! But when Mr Maloney answered 'clan' on the next, that was game over. No time for any bonus answers; at the gong, Fitzwilliam won 175-150.
An excellent close match between two evenly matched sides, well played both! Unlucky Emmanuel, just missing out right at the end, but no shame on a repectable series of performances, thanks for playing! Well done Fitzwilliam though, and best of luck in the play-offs!
The stats: Messrs Maloney and Fraser were joint best buzzer of the night, with four each for their respective sides, Mr Fraser ends Emmanuel's campaign their best buzzer with 14 over four matches. On the bonuses, Fitzwilliam converted a strong 18 out of 25, while Emmanuel managed 13 out of 27, with both sides incurring one penalty, so, after a run of matches decided on the buzzer, it was the bonuses that decided this one.
Next week's match: Bristol vs Edinburgh, followed by Newcastle vs Fitzwilliam
Only Connect moved on to its qualifier matches tonight, blog of which I hope to bring you by the end of the week.
Tuesday, 13 March 2018
Only Connect Series 13: Elimination Match 2: Detectives vs Beaks
OK, so EastEnders has decided to do its own mini horse meat scandal, five years after it would have been topical! And funny! Not even The Simpsons waits that long to try and parody something! Thankfully, Only Connect is never bound by those issues, it is timeless, although a few questions from the early series are likely out of date by now.
Anyway, playing the second elimination match last night were the Detectives, Ian King, Tim Harrison and Captain Tim Hall, who have beaten the Theatricals and the Arrowheads, but lost to the Escapologists, and the Beaks, Rob Cromarty, Aidan Sproat-Clements and captain Dan Sproat-Clements, who beat the Disparates and the Dandies in the earlier rounds, but were overcome by the Belgophiles.
Round 1. The Detectives kicked the proceedings off with Water: 'Putt's Law', then 'Dunning-Kruger Effect', then 'Peter Principle'; they offered 'psychological interpretations based on a person's intelligence', which was close enough, the actual link being psychology about incompetence. The Beaks opened their account with Eye of Horus, and the picture set: we saw a teacup and saucer, then a chest of drawers, then a demisemiquaver; they suggested 'demi', as were correct, the first two being 'demitasse' and 'demilune'. The Detectives chose Twisted Flax next: 'Denmark, Iceland and Greenland', then 'Korea, South Korea and Japan', then 'Palk, India and Sri Lanka'; they offered 'used to be one entity', not correct. Their opponents saw 'Hormuz, Iran and Oman', but couldn't pick up: they are straits and their locations. The Beaks chose Lion next: 'Phone driver', then 'Ed Towers', then 'Loin'; they came in at this point with 'anagrams of the Only Connect hieroglyphs', and collected two points! Excellent set! (Victoria proceded to reel off some more possible clues there!) The Detectives chose Two Reeds next, and got the music set: we heard 'Dolphins' by Tim Buckley, then 'Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?' (sadly not Apu's version!), then Elton John with 'Bennie and the Jets', and finally 'When The Saints Go Marching In'. They saw them to all have NFL teams in their names, and collected a point. Left with Horned Viper, the Beaks saw 'The Butterfly Lion', then 'Gangsta Granny'; they came in here with 'David Walliums novels', but were not correct. Their opponents saw 'The Selfish Giant' and 'Charlotte's Web', but could not get it right: they are children's stories in which the title characters dies. At the end of the first round, the Beaks led 4-3.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Detectives opened the round with Eye of Horus: 'Banking and insurance company formed in 2001', then 'American cable channel', and then 'Standard writing pencil'. They saw them to be 'HBOS', 'HBO' and 'HB', so offered 'Hydrogen', as in 'H', for the points. The Beaks chose Water next: 'Parietal', then 'Clavicles'; they identified the first clues as 'Head' and 'Shoulders', so offered 'Metatarsals', as in 'Toes', for the points. The Detectives chose Lion next: 'Tom Snyder', then 'Craig Kilborn', and then 'Craig Ferguson'. They offered 'James Corden', the sequence being hosts of The Late Late Show, and were correct for two points. The Beaks chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next, and got the picture set: we saw a woodland scene accompanied by 1974, then Major Gowan from Fawlty Towers alongside 1997; they saw it to be something to do with prime ministers, but their buzz at this point was not correct. Their opponents saw a map with The Hague highlighted, but also had nothing to offer. The sequence is Conservative leaders who lost a general election, so something for 'Howard', such as 'Howard the duck', alongside 2005, would suffice. (The first clue being 'Heath' of course) For their final choice, the Detecives chose Two Reeds: '1-10: 4', then '11-20: 4'; they offered '31-40: 2', and were correct, the sequence being the number of prime numbers in those ranges. ('21-30: 2' would be third) Left with Twisted Flax, the Beaks saw 'My Fair Lady', then 'The Sound of Music', and then 'Oliver!'. They offered 'Chicago', and were right, the sequence being musicals that have won the Best Picture Oscar. (Of course, had La La Land actually won last year, this would be a different sequence!) At the end of the second round, the Detectives led 10-9.
On to the Walls. The Beaks went first this time, and chose to tackle the Lion wall. Despite identifying some possible links, isolating sets proved easier said than done. Eventually, they isolated 'Cover', 'Gully', 'Point' and 'Long on', which are cricket fielding positions, followed shortly by 'Ditch', 'Gutter', 'Culvert' and 'Channel', which are water conduits. They couldn't get the rest in their three goes though, and had to retrieve bonuses: 'Catcher', 'Slip', 'Pat' and 'Boy' can all follow 'Cow', which they didn't see, while 'Trench', 'Butch', 'Creek' and 'Banish' all become a language when the first word is changed, which they also failed to spot. Four there then.
The Detectives could thus widen the gap if they could better that on the Water wall. They had their first set pretty quickly: 'Lilac', 'Mauve', 'Puce' and 'Plum' are shades of purple. A second set, 'Lily', 'Cucumber', 'Anemone' and 'Gooseberry', which can all follow 'Sea' to give a different organism, followed a short while later. They also came unstuck trying to solve however, and also had to try for bonuses: 'Mary', 'Bend Sinister', 'Pale Fire' and 'Lolita' are novels by Nabokov, which they got, while 'Violet', 'Edith', 'Cora' and 'Isobel' are characters in Downton Abbey, which they also knew. Six there, which upped their lead to 16-13 going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels would decide the fate of the teams. 'Things you might do if angry', such as 'RANT AND RAVE', and 'SCREAM BLUE MURDER', was split 2-each. 'Long form names of countries' proved hard, with the sides tying 1-each. 'Things people say when shaking hands' went to the Beaks 4-0. 'Old terms for doctors' only had time for one clue, which the Detectives took. The final score: a 20-20 tie!
Haven't had one of those for a while! So, captains only on one clue, first buzz gets only chance to answer. The deciding clue: 'DM NDFY DDM NDF YDNT'. Mr Hall was first in: 'DAMNED IF YOU DO, DAMNED IF YOU DON'T', and was right!
A good close contest, well played both sides there. Unlucky Beaks, but nothing to be ashamed of, a fine series of performances, thanks for playing! Very well done Detectives though, and best of luck in the play-offs!
Next week's match: the Vikings vs the Inquisitors
Anyway, playing the second elimination match last night were the Detectives, Ian King, Tim Harrison and Captain Tim Hall, who have beaten the Theatricals and the Arrowheads, but lost to the Escapologists, and the Beaks, Rob Cromarty, Aidan Sproat-Clements and captain Dan Sproat-Clements, who beat the Disparates and the Dandies in the earlier rounds, but were overcome by the Belgophiles.
Round 1. The Detectives kicked the proceedings off with Water: 'Putt's Law', then 'Dunning-Kruger Effect', then 'Peter Principle'; they offered 'psychological interpretations based on a person's intelligence', which was close enough, the actual link being psychology about incompetence. The Beaks opened their account with Eye of Horus, and the picture set: we saw a teacup and saucer, then a chest of drawers, then a demisemiquaver; they suggested 'demi', as were correct, the first two being 'demitasse' and 'demilune'. The Detectives chose Twisted Flax next: 'Denmark, Iceland and Greenland', then 'Korea, South Korea and Japan', then 'Palk, India and Sri Lanka'; they offered 'used to be one entity', not correct. Their opponents saw 'Hormuz, Iran and Oman', but couldn't pick up: they are straits and their locations. The Beaks chose Lion next: 'Phone driver', then 'Ed Towers', then 'Loin'; they came in at this point with 'anagrams of the Only Connect hieroglyphs', and collected two points! Excellent set! (Victoria proceded to reel off some more possible clues there!) The Detectives chose Two Reeds next, and got the music set: we heard 'Dolphins' by Tim Buckley, then 'Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?' (sadly not Apu's version!), then Elton John with 'Bennie and the Jets', and finally 'When The Saints Go Marching In'. They saw them to all have NFL teams in their names, and collected a point. Left with Horned Viper, the Beaks saw 'The Butterfly Lion', then 'Gangsta Granny'; they came in here with 'David Walliums novels', but were not correct. Their opponents saw 'The Selfish Giant' and 'Charlotte's Web', but could not get it right: they are children's stories in which the title characters dies. At the end of the first round, the Beaks led 4-3.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Detectives opened the round with Eye of Horus: 'Banking and insurance company formed in 2001', then 'American cable channel', and then 'Standard writing pencil'. They saw them to be 'HBOS', 'HBO' and 'HB', so offered 'Hydrogen', as in 'H', for the points. The Beaks chose Water next: 'Parietal', then 'Clavicles'; they identified the first clues as 'Head' and 'Shoulders', so offered 'Metatarsals', as in 'Toes', for the points. The Detectives chose Lion next: 'Tom Snyder', then 'Craig Kilborn', and then 'Craig Ferguson'. They offered 'James Corden', the sequence being hosts of The Late Late Show, and were correct for two points. The Beaks chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next, and got the picture set: we saw a woodland scene accompanied by 1974, then Major Gowan from Fawlty Towers alongside 1997; they saw it to be something to do with prime ministers, but their buzz at this point was not correct. Their opponents saw a map with The Hague highlighted, but also had nothing to offer. The sequence is Conservative leaders who lost a general election, so something for 'Howard', such as 'Howard the duck', alongside 2005, would suffice. (The first clue being 'Heath' of course) For their final choice, the Detecives chose Two Reeds: '1-10: 4', then '11-20: 4'; they offered '31-40: 2', and were correct, the sequence being the number of prime numbers in those ranges. ('21-30: 2' would be third) Left with Twisted Flax, the Beaks saw 'My Fair Lady', then 'The Sound of Music', and then 'Oliver!'. They offered 'Chicago', and were right, the sequence being musicals that have won the Best Picture Oscar. (Of course, had La La Land actually won last year, this would be a different sequence!) At the end of the second round, the Detectives led 10-9.
On to the Walls. The Beaks went first this time, and chose to tackle the Lion wall. Despite identifying some possible links, isolating sets proved easier said than done. Eventually, they isolated 'Cover', 'Gully', 'Point' and 'Long on', which are cricket fielding positions, followed shortly by 'Ditch', 'Gutter', 'Culvert' and 'Channel', which are water conduits. They couldn't get the rest in their three goes though, and had to retrieve bonuses: 'Catcher', 'Slip', 'Pat' and 'Boy' can all follow 'Cow', which they didn't see, while 'Trench', 'Butch', 'Creek' and 'Banish' all become a language when the first word is changed, which they also failed to spot. Four there then.
The Detectives could thus widen the gap if they could better that on the Water wall. They had their first set pretty quickly: 'Lilac', 'Mauve', 'Puce' and 'Plum' are shades of purple. A second set, 'Lily', 'Cucumber', 'Anemone' and 'Gooseberry', which can all follow 'Sea' to give a different organism, followed a short while later. They also came unstuck trying to solve however, and also had to try for bonuses: 'Mary', 'Bend Sinister', 'Pale Fire' and 'Lolita' are novels by Nabokov, which they got, while 'Violet', 'Edith', 'Cora' and 'Isobel' are characters in Downton Abbey, which they also knew. Six there, which upped their lead to 16-13 going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels would decide the fate of the teams. 'Things you might do if angry', such as 'RANT AND RAVE', and 'SCREAM BLUE MURDER', was split 2-each. 'Long form names of countries' proved hard, with the sides tying 1-each. 'Things people say when shaking hands' went to the Beaks 4-0. 'Old terms for doctors' only had time for one clue, which the Detectives took. The final score: a 20-20 tie!
Haven't had one of those for a while! So, captains only on one clue, first buzz gets only chance to answer. The deciding clue: 'DM NDFY DDM NDF YDNT'. Mr Hall was first in: 'DAMNED IF YOU DO, DAMNED IF YOU DON'T', and was right!
A good close contest, well played both sides there. Unlucky Beaks, but nothing to be ashamed of, a fine series of performances, thanks for playing! Very well done Detectives though, and best of luck in the play-offs!
Next week's match: the Vikings vs the Inquisitors
Monday, 12 March 2018
University Challenge 2017-18: Qualification Quarter-Final 2: Merton vs Edinburgh
Evening all. Into the home straight now, just six more matches after tonight. In fact, if this were a regular elimination format, this would have been the grand final this week.As we get to the business end of the tournament, this is also the final match where the runners-up will be coming back, presumably against Bristol in the first play-off. Winners would join St John's in the semis.
Merton College Oxford have very comfortably strolled through the series thus far, beating King's of Londonin the first round, the Oxford Brookes in the second, and the very decent Fitzwilliam team 270-125 in the prelims. Hoping to carry this on tonight were the unchanged foursome 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
Edinburgh, by contrast, have won their three games thus far by close margins, beating fellow quarter-finalists Ulster by five in the first round, the decent U.C.L. also by five in the second, and in their first quarter-final a late sprint saw them beat Emmanuel 125-110. Hoping to pull something of a Wigan off tonight were the also 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
Off we set again then, and controversy on the very first starter: all we heard was "Who is the only person to have won both an Academy Award and a Nobel Prize?" before Mr Peplow promptly came in with 'George Bernard Shaw'; he was marked correct, but the Twittersphere points out that Bob Dylan has also done that particular double! Tut tut question setters! Merton set their stall out with a full bonus set, and when Mr Wiberg took a second prompt starter in a row, were already looking on match-winning form. Just one bonus came this time though. Merton then lost five, but Edinburgh couldn't pick up; then vice versa, and Merton did pick up, taking all three bonuses to boot. The first picture round, on flags of administrative sub-divisions that would be in the top 20 largest countries if independent, went to Edinburgh, who took a full house, cutting their deficit to 60-20.
Another very quick buzz from Mr Peplow that I somehow foresaw him making(!) increased that lead, but no bonuses on British film makers came with it. US philosophers proved more to the Oxonians' liking, taking a full set, before Mr Peplow came in quickly again on the next starter, but no bonuses on astronomy came this time. Mr Carson came in well on the next starter, identifying Irn Bru as the product that lost an 'O' and changed an 'EW' to a 'U' in 1946! Female authors who wrote under a male penname provided the Scots side with one correct answer.
The music round, on classical pieces evoking witchcraft, went to Merton, with Edinburgh dropping five in the process; a rare full music bonus set gave the Oxonians a lead of 135-30. Already it looked like they had the game sewed up, and as if to prove that idea, Ms Woodland took the next starter, and a good old school UC bonus set, on pairs of place names where the last letters of the first and the first of the second are the same, such as Lublin and Lincoln, gave them a full house. Mr Peplow then showed he's been watching his early Simpsons by identifying 'stoicism' for the next starter, and one bonus on scientific terms beginning 'allo' went with it.
The second picture round, on illustrations of scenes from the Ring Cycle, went to Edinburgh, who took two bonuses, leaving the score at 175-50. A second starter in a row went the Scots side's way, and dogs in art provided them with two correct answers, including another Simpsons classic, 'Dogs Playing Poker'.
What looked like a technical interruption but which was actually fair enough on rewatch then cost Edinburgh five, and allowed Merton to take the points, with 'Gibbon' getting a mention for the umpteenth time this series, and a full house put them up to 200 for the fourth time this series. Mr Carson appeared to take an educated guess of 'Nelson's Column' for the next starter, but was correct, and his side took two bonuses. Ms Woodland took the final starter, but her side missed both the bonuses there was time for. At the gong, Merton won 210-85.
Another pretty good match despite being rather one-sided. Unlucky Edinburgh, but no shame in that performance at all, best of luck in the play-offs. Very well done Merton though, on another barnstorming performance, and you'd have to say they are now hot favourites for the title; very best of luck in the semis!
The stats: Mr Peplow and Ms Woodland were the best buzzers of the night with four each, while Mr Carson was Edinburgh's top buzzer with three. On the bonuses, Merton converted a good 21 out of 32 (with one penalty), while Edinburgh managed an also good 10 out of 15 (with three penalties), so it was another match won convincingly on the buzzer.
Next week's match: Fitzwilliam vs Emmanuel. Then, I'd guess, Bristol vs Edinburgh, followed by Newcastle vs next week's winner.
Only Connect somewhat closer tonight, but no spoilers, I'll save it for my blog later in the week.
Merton College Oxford have very comfortably strolled through the series thus far, beating King's of Londonin the first round, the Oxford Brookes in the second, and the very decent Fitzwilliam team 270-125 in the prelims. Hoping to carry this on tonight were the unchanged foursome 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
Edinburgh, by contrast, have won their three games thus far by close margins, beating fellow quarter-finalists Ulster by five in the first round, the decent U.C.L. also by five in the second, and in their first quarter-final a late sprint saw them beat Emmanuel 125-110. Hoping to pull something of a Wigan off tonight were the also 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
Off we set again then, and controversy on the very first starter: all we heard was "Who is the only person to have won both an Academy Award and a Nobel Prize?" before Mr Peplow promptly came in with 'George Bernard Shaw'; he was marked correct, but the Twittersphere points out that Bob Dylan has also done that particular double! Tut tut question setters! Merton set their stall out with a full bonus set, and when Mr Wiberg took a second prompt starter in a row, were already looking on match-winning form. Just one bonus came this time though. Merton then lost five, but Edinburgh couldn't pick up; then vice versa, and Merton did pick up, taking all three bonuses to boot. The first picture round, on flags of administrative sub-divisions that would be in the top 20 largest countries if independent, went to Edinburgh, who took a full house, cutting their deficit to 60-20.
Another very quick buzz from Mr Peplow that I somehow foresaw him making(!) increased that lead, but no bonuses on British film makers came with it. US philosophers proved more to the Oxonians' liking, taking a full set, before Mr Peplow came in quickly again on the next starter, but no bonuses on astronomy came this time. Mr Carson came in well on the next starter, identifying Irn Bru as the product that lost an 'O' and changed an 'EW' to a 'U' in 1946! Female authors who wrote under a male penname provided the Scots side with one correct answer.
The music round, on classical pieces evoking witchcraft, went to Merton, with Edinburgh dropping five in the process; a rare full music bonus set gave the Oxonians a lead of 135-30. Already it looked like they had the game sewed up, and as if to prove that idea, Ms Woodland took the next starter, and a good old school UC bonus set, on pairs of place names where the last letters of the first and the first of the second are the same, such as Lublin and Lincoln, gave them a full house. Mr Peplow then showed he's been watching his early Simpsons by identifying 'stoicism' for the next starter, and one bonus on scientific terms beginning 'allo' went with it.
The second picture round, on illustrations of scenes from the Ring Cycle, went to Edinburgh, who took two bonuses, leaving the score at 175-50. A second starter in a row went the Scots side's way, and dogs in art provided them with two correct answers, including another Simpsons classic, 'Dogs Playing Poker'.
What looked like a technical interruption but which was actually fair enough on rewatch then cost Edinburgh five, and allowed Merton to take the points, with 'Gibbon' getting a mention for the umpteenth time this series, and a full house put them up to 200 for the fourth time this series. Mr Carson appeared to take an educated guess of 'Nelson's Column' for the next starter, but was correct, and his side took two bonuses. Ms Woodland took the final starter, but her side missed both the bonuses there was time for. At the gong, Merton won 210-85.
Another pretty good match despite being rather one-sided. Unlucky Edinburgh, but no shame in that performance at all, best of luck in the play-offs. Very well done Merton though, on another barnstorming performance, and you'd have to say they are now hot favourites for the title; very best of luck in the semis!
The stats: Mr Peplow and Ms Woodland were the best buzzers of the night with four each, while Mr Carson was Edinburgh's top buzzer with three. On the bonuses, Merton converted a good 21 out of 32 (with one penalty), while Edinburgh managed an also good 10 out of 15 (with three penalties), so it was another match won convincingly on the buzzer.
Next week's match: Fitzwilliam vs Emmanuel. Then, I'd guess, Bristol vs Edinburgh, followed by Newcastle vs next week's winner.
Only Connect somewhat closer tonight, but no spoilers, I'll save it for my blog later in the week.
Tuesday, 6 March 2018
Only Connect Series 13: Elimination Quarter-Final 1: Wanderers vs Eco-Warriors
OK, here we go with Only Connect. Same format as UC, and we arrive at the same point at the same time, except OC does it in a different, more logical order. Eliminators first, then qualifiers, and then the play-offs. Makes more sense, but, TBH, I kinda prefer UC's more scattered way of doing it.
Anyway, playing last night were the Wanderers, John Payne, Richard Arthur and captain Sanjoy Sen, who beat the Pedagogues and fellow QFs the Inquisitors, but were beaten in their preliminary by the Vikings, and the Eco-Warriors, Jonathan Kershaw, Peter Barlow and captain Brett Bostock, who came the early rounds by beating fellow QFs the Escapologists and the Snake Charmers, but were overcome by the Inquisitors in the prelims.
Round 1. The Warriors kicked the show off with Two Reeds: 'Pojdzze. kin te chmurnosc w glab flaszy!', then 'Portez ce vieux whisky a la luge blonge qui fume', then 'Hoj bly gom vandt fraek sexquiz pa wc', and finally 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog'. That gave it to them, and me: they are pangrams, ie sentences that contain every letter of their respective alphabets. The Wanderers opened their match with 'Horn-ed' Viper: 'Hillary Clinton, Yemen, January 2011', then 'Jennifer Lawrence, Los Angeles, February 2013', then 'The Edge, Vancouver, May 2015'; they offered that they all fell over in those places then, and picked up two points for it. The Warriors chose Twisted Flax next: 'Snuppy', then 'Mewtwo', then 'Boba Fett', and finally 'Dolly'. They offered that they are clones, and collected another point. The Wanderers chose Eye of Horus next, and got the picture set: we saw Sally Field, then Charles II; mistaking the latter for Descartes, they tried 'fields', not right. Their opponents saw Jerry Springer and Jarvis Cocker, and offered 'spaniels' for the bonus. For their own question, the Warriors chose Lion: 'Adriano (Brazil)', then 'Anna (USA)', then 'Perse (Iran)'; they offered that adding 'polis' to the end of them give cities in those countries, and collected two points there too. Left with Water, and the music question, the Wanderers heard 'Sono Andati?' from La Boheme, then Terry Jacks with 'Seasons in the Sun', then 'A Little Fall of Rain' from Les Mis; they suggested 'weather', which was not correct. Their opponents heard the Bee Gees' 'I've Gotta Get a Message to You', but were none the wiser; they are songs sung by dying people. At the end of the first round, the Warriors led 5-2.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Warriors opened the round with Twisted Flax, and a music question: we heard Al Stewart's 'Year of the Cat', then David Bowie with 'Art Decade', and then the iconic 20th Century Fox music. They didn't spot it, nor did their opponents: increasing periods of time, so something for Millennium, such as Mr R. Williams' song (as performed by the teams!), would suffice. The Wanderers chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next, and got the picture set: we saw some Kit-Kats, then a rainbow coloured lollipop, and then a toasted marshmallow. They didn't get it, their opponents did: they are Android operating systems, so 'Nougat' would come fourth. For their own question, the Warriors chose Two Reeds: 'Children, Schools & Families', then 'Energy & Climate Change' (I had it here), and then 'Business, Skills & Innovation'; they offered 'Brexit', which was correct, the sequence being the most recently created government departments. The Wanderers chose Lion next: 'Hawkeye Pierce', then 'Fancy Smith', and then 'Monica Geller'. Neither side got this: they are characters played by Alan Alda, Brian Blessed and Courteney Cox, so David Duchovny's 'Fox Mulder', or Danny Dyer's 'Mick Carter', would complete the sequence. For their final choice, the Warriors chose Eye of Horus: '13-19', then 'One of the X-Men', and then 'Trained Japanese assassin'. They didn't get it, nor did the opposition: the clues are 'Teenage', 'Mutant' and 'Ninja', so something for 'Turtles' would complete the set! Left with Water again, the Wanderers saw 'R______R', then '_N____N_', and then '__B__B__'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: it is chess pieces based on their starting position, going inwards, so '___QK___' would be fourth. At the end of the second round, the Warriors led 8-2.
On to the Walls. The Wanderers went first, and chose to tackle the Lion wall. After spotting some potential links early on, they were unable to isolate anything at first, until they eventually slotted in 'Superior', 'Goose', 'Tongue' and 'Nature', which can all follow 'Mother'. That was all they could come up with though, so had to go for bonuses: 'Jester', 'Merlin', 'Magic' and 'Hollywood' are pilots from Top Gun, which they got, 'Iceman', 'Interlude', 'Electra' and 'Wilderness' feature in the titles of Eugene O'Neill plays, which they didn't get, while 'New Scientist', 'Countryman', 'Wildlife' and 'National Geographic' are science and nature magazines, which they did get. Four points there.
The Warriors could thus put the game beyond realistic reach with a good result on the Water wall. They isolated a first set reasonably quickly: 'Buxton', 'Bolsover', 'Matlock' and 'Whaley Bridge' are places in Derbyshire. Again, though, they couldn't get any more slot-ins, and thus also had bonuses to collect: 'Glossop', 'Threepwood', 'Ukridge' and 'Psmith' are PG Wodehouse characters, which they got, 'Wooster', 'Prince Regent', 'Little' and 'Roper' are characters played by Hugh Laurie, which they also got, while 'House', 'Third', 'Search' and 'Labour' can all precede 'party', which they didn't see. Another four there, so as you were, the Warriors led 12-6 going into the final round.
So, just about still to play for in Missing Vowels. 'Popular bedtime stories' was split 2-each. 'Special editions of Walkers crisps', such as 'BUILDER'S BREAKFAST' and 'SALT AND LINEKER' went to the Warriors 3-(-1). 'Inquisitive film titles', such as 'DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR?' and 'O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?', was a clean sweep to the Wanderers 4-0, and that was time. The Warriors led 17-11.
A tough match, some good hard questions, well played both sides all things considered. Unlucky Wanderers, but nothing to be ashamed of, a very respectable series performance, and thanks very much for playing! Well done Warriors though, and best of luck in the play-offs!
Next week's match: the Detectives vs the Beeks in the second eliminator.
Anyway, playing last night were the Wanderers, John Payne, Richard Arthur and captain Sanjoy Sen, who beat the Pedagogues and fellow QFs the Inquisitors, but were beaten in their preliminary by the Vikings, and the Eco-Warriors, Jonathan Kershaw, Peter Barlow and captain Brett Bostock, who came the early rounds by beating fellow QFs the Escapologists and the Snake Charmers, but were overcome by the Inquisitors in the prelims.
Round 1. The Warriors kicked the show off with Two Reeds: 'Pojdzze. kin te chmurnosc w glab flaszy!', then 'Portez ce vieux whisky a la luge blonge qui fume', then 'Hoj bly gom vandt fraek sexquiz pa wc', and finally 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog'. That gave it to them, and me: they are pangrams, ie sentences that contain every letter of their respective alphabets. The Wanderers opened their match with 'Horn-ed' Viper: 'Hillary Clinton, Yemen, January 2011', then 'Jennifer Lawrence, Los Angeles, February 2013', then 'The Edge, Vancouver, May 2015'; they offered that they all fell over in those places then, and picked up two points for it. The Warriors chose Twisted Flax next: 'Snuppy', then 'Mewtwo', then 'Boba Fett', and finally 'Dolly'. They offered that they are clones, and collected another point. The Wanderers chose Eye of Horus next, and got the picture set: we saw Sally Field, then Charles II; mistaking the latter for Descartes, they tried 'fields', not right. Their opponents saw Jerry Springer and Jarvis Cocker, and offered 'spaniels' for the bonus. For their own question, the Warriors chose Lion: 'Adriano (Brazil)', then 'Anna (USA)', then 'Perse (Iran)'; they offered that adding 'polis' to the end of them give cities in those countries, and collected two points there too. Left with Water, and the music question, the Wanderers heard 'Sono Andati?' from La Boheme, then Terry Jacks with 'Seasons in the Sun', then 'A Little Fall of Rain' from Les Mis; they suggested 'weather', which was not correct. Their opponents heard the Bee Gees' 'I've Gotta Get a Message to You', but were none the wiser; they are songs sung by dying people. At the end of the first round, the Warriors led 5-2.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Warriors opened the round with Twisted Flax, and a music question: we heard Al Stewart's 'Year of the Cat', then David Bowie with 'Art Decade', and then the iconic 20th Century Fox music. They didn't spot it, nor did their opponents: increasing periods of time, so something for Millennium, such as Mr R. Williams' song (as performed by the teams!), would suffice. The Wanderers chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next, and got the picture set: we saw some Kit-Kats, then a rainbow coloured lollipop, and then a toasted marshmallow. They didn't get it, their opponents did: they are Android operating systems, so 'Nougat' would come fourth. For their own question, the Warriors chose Two Reeds: 'Children, Schools & Families', then 'Energy & Climate Change' (I had it here), and then 'Business, Skills & Innovation'; they offered 'Brexit', which was correct, the sequence being the most recently created government departments. The Wanderers chose Lion next: 'Hawkeye Pierce', then 'Fancy Smith', and then 'Monica Geller'. Neither side got this: they are characters played by Alan Alda, Brian Blessed and Courteney Cox, so David Duchovny's 'Fox Mulder', or Danny Dyer's 'Mick Carter', would complete the sequence. For their final choice, the Warriors chose Eye of Horus: '13-19', then 'One of the X-Men', and then 'Trained Japanese assassin'. They didn't get it, nor did the opposition: the clues are 'Teenage', 'Mutant' and 'Ninja', so something for 'Turtles' would complete the set! Left with Water again, the Wanderers saw 'R______R', then '_N____N_', and then '__B__B__'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: it is chess pieces based on their starting position, going inwards, so '___QK___' would be fourth. At the end of the second round, the Warriors led 8-2.
On to the Walls. The Wanderers went first, and chose to tackle the Lion wall. After spotting some potential links early on, they were unable to isolate anything at first, until they eventually slotted in 'Superior', 'Goose', 'Tongue' and 'Nature', which can all follow 'Mother'. That was all they could come up with though, so had to go for bonuses: 'Jester', 'Merlin', 'Magic' and 'Hollywood' are pilots from Top Gun, which they got, 'Iceman', 'Interlude', 'Electra' and 'Wilderness' feature in the titles of Eugene O'Neill plays, which they didn't get, while 'New Scientist', 'Countryman', 'Wildlife' and 'National Geographic' are science and nature magazines, which they did get. Four points there.
The Warriors could thus put the game beyond realistic reach with a good result on the Water wall. They isolated a first set reasonably quickly: 'Buxton', 'Bolsover', 'Matlock' and 'Whaley Bridge' are places in Derbyshire. Again, though, they couldn't get any more slot-ins, and thus also had bonuses to collect: 'Glossop', 'Threepwood', 'Ukridge' and 'Psmith' are PG Wodehouse characters, which they got, 'Wooster', 'Prince Regent', 'Little' and 'Roper' are characters played by Hugh Laurie, which they also got, while 'House', 'Third', 'Search' and 'Labour' can all precede 'party', which they didn't see. Another four there, so as you were, the Warriors led 12-6 going into the final round.
So, just about still to play for in Missing Vowels. 'Popular bedtime stories' was split 2-each. 'Special editions of Walkers crisps', such as 'BUILDER'S BREAKFAST' and 'SALT AND LINEKER' went to the Warriors 3-(-1). 'Inquisitive film titles', such as 'DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR?' and 'O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?', was a clean sweep to the Wanderers 4-0, and that was time. The Warriors led 17-11.
A tough match, some good hard questions, well played both sides all things considered. Unlucky Wanderers, but nothing to be ashamed of, a very respectable series performance, and thanks very much for playing! Well done Warriors though, and best of luck in the play-offs!
Next week's match: the Detectives vs the Beeks in the second eliminator.
Monday, 5 March 2018
University Challenge 2017-18: Elimination Quarter-Final 1: Bristol vs Ulster
Evening all. Well, the snow that's been causing a great deal of trouble up here finally seems to have gone away thanks to a day of half-heavy rain, so we can finally get back to normal service as far as my life outside Quizzy Mondays is concerned. On, therefore, to the first eliminator quarter-final of this year's UC; runners-up would bow out, winners would stay on for the play-offs for a shot at the semis.
Bristol reached the group stage fairly comfortably with victories over Trinity of Cambridge and Trinity of Oxford, but came unstuck in the preliminaries where they lost 225-130 to Newcastle after a late sprint from the opposition. Looking to recover from that tonight were the unchanged four 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
Ulster came through the repechage, narrowly losing to fellow quarter-finalists Edinburgh, then beating St Anne's of Oxford and Warwick to reach the group stage, where they lost to St John's in their prelim, despite a good fightback in the final minutes. Also looking to press on were the also unchanged line-up of:
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 a prompt buzz from Mr Biggs got the ball rolling for the night; his side firmly put their stall out with a full bonus set on Nobel literature winners. Mr Hewett then added the second starter of the night, but just the one bonus went with it this time. A good starter then asked which planet's name can be spelt using some of the first letters of all the planets' names, if that makes sense; Mr Hosegood identified it as Venus, and the side added two further bonuses to their score with it. The first picture round, on cities vulnerable to a rise in sea levels, went to Bristol, with Ulster dropping five on a replacement starter; two bonuses were taken, giving the Avonsiders a lead of 80-(-5).
A classic UC starter, chemical number arithmetic, was then taken by Mr Hosegood, which gave his side a 100 point lead with the bonuses. Mr Milliken broke Ulster's duck with 'Rodin's The Kiss', but the side were unable to take any of the resultant bonuses on Russia. Bristol resumed normal service thanks to Mr Bowes, and took two bonuses, unluckily missing out on the third. Neither side identified the colour Sorrel, which I mainly know as the name of contestants on an early Weakest Link and a late DoND; Mr Hewett had the next correct answer, and one bonus on the human brain followed.
Neither side recognised Alan Menken's score for Disney's Little Mermaid for the music starter; the bonuses, on other Disney scores by Mr Menken, went to Ulster, but they couldn't take any of them (I managed two and a half), which left them trailing 125-15. A slip-up from Bristol allowed them to take a second successive starter though, but the bonuses, on French directories, once again failed to add to their score. A prompt buzz from Mr Bowes reawoke his side, and two bonuses put the match out of realistic reach. Mr Hosegood made sure when he took 'ecology' for the next starter, and they took just the one bonus this time on the work of Greta Garbo.
The second picture round, on tennis players who have courts named after them, went to Ulster, who took two bonuses, which left the score at 155-45. Another Bristol starter, taken by Ms Biggs, only really added to Bristol's score, as did one bonus on literary characters with three letter surnames. The match was long done and dusted now, but could Ulster avoid joining the Sub-50 club?
Alas, not, as Bristol saw out the remaining starters, Mr Hewett taking 'Bangladesh' for the next, and one bonus on French painters following. Mr Hosegood was next in, but bonuses on India provided them with no further points, not that it mattered by now. Mr Hewett took the final starter, but there was no time for any bonuses; at the gong, Bristol won 205-45.
An entertaining match, despite being rather one-sided. Unlucky Ulster, but no shame in going out in this stage, after a very respectable and entertaining series of performances, thanks very much for giving us them! Well done Bristol though, on another strong win over good opponents, and best of luck in the play-offs!
The stats: Messrs Hosegood and Hewett were joint best buzzers of the night, with four each, while Messrs Jack and Milliken taking two each for Ulster, Mr Jack ends their campaign their best buzzer, with seventeen over five matches. On the bonuses, Bristol converted 16 out of 36, while Ulster managed just 2 out of 12, with both sides incurring one penalty.
Next week's match: Merton vs Edinburgh
Only Connect had its first eliminator match tonight too, though of course they do it in a different order to UC; blog of that hopefully done this week.
Bristol reached the group stage fairly comfortably with victories over Trinity of Cambridge and Trinity of Oxford, but came unstuck in the preliminaries where they lost 225-130 to Newcastle after a late sprint from the opposition. Looking to recover from that tonight were the unchanged four 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
Ulster came through the repechage, narrowly losing to fellow quarter-finalists Edinburgh, then beating St Anne's of Oxford and Warwick to reach the group stage, where they lost to St John's in their prelim, despite a good fightback in the final minutes. Also looking to press on were the also unchanged line-up of:
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 a prompt buzz from Mr Biggs got the ball rolling for the night; his side firmly put their stall out with a full bonus set on Nobel literature winners. Mr Hewett then added the second starter of the night, but just the one bonus went with it this time. A good starter then asked which planet's name can be spelt using some of the first letters of all the planets' names, if that makes sense; Mr Hosegood identified it as Venus, and the side added two further bonuses to their score with it. The first picture round, on cities vulnerable to a rise in sea levels, went to Bristol, with Ulster dropping five on a replacement starter; two bonuses were taken, giving the Avonsiders a lead of 80-(-5).
A classic UC starter, chemical number arithmetic, was then taken by Mr Hosegood, which gave his side a 100 point lead with the bonuses. Mr Milliken broke Ulster's duck with 'Rodin's The Kiss', but the side were unable to take any of the resultant bonuses on Russia. Bristol resumed normal service thanks to Mr Bowes, and took two bonuses, unluckily missing out on the third. Neither side identified the colour Sorrel, which I mainly know as the name of contestants on an early Weakest Link and a late DoND; Mr Hewett had the next correct answer, and one bonus on the human brain followed.
Neither side recognised Alan Menken's score for Disney's Little Mermaid for the music starter; the bonuses, on other Disney scores by Mr Menken, went to Ulster, but they couldn't take any of them (I managed two and a half), which left them trailing 125-15. A slip-up from Bristol allowed them to take a second successive starter though, but the bonuses, on French directories, once again failed to add to their score. A prompt buzz from Mr Bowes reawoke his side, and two bonuses put the match out of realistic reach. Mr Hosegood made sure when he took 'ecology' for the next starter, and they took just the one bonus this time on the work of Greta Garbo.
The second picture round, on tennis players who have courts named after them, went to Ulster, who took two bonuses, which left the score at 155-45. Another Bristol starter, taken by Ms Biggs, only really added to Bristol's score, as did one bonus on literary characters with three letter surnames. The match was long done and dusted now, but could Ulster avoid joining the Sub-50 club?
Alas, not, as Bristol saw out the remaining starters, Mr Hewett taking 'Bangladesh' for the next, and one bonus on French painters following. Mr Hosegood was next in, but bonuses on India provided them with no further points, not that it mattered by now. Mr Hewett took the final starter, but there was no time for any bonuses; at the gong, Bristol won 205-45.
An entertaining match, despite being rather one-sided. Unlucky Ulster, but no shame in going out in this stage, after a very respectable and entertaining series of performances, thanks very much for giving us them! Well done Bristol though, on another strong win over good opponents, and best of luck in the play-offs!
The stats: Messrs Hosegood and Hewett were joint best buzzers of the night, with four each, while Messrs Jack and Milliken taking two each for Ulster, Mr Jack ends their campaign their best buzzer, with seventeen over five matches. On the bonuses, Bristol converted 16 out of 36, while Ulster managed just 2 out of 12, with both sides incurring one penalty.
Next week's match: Merton vs Edinburgh
Only Connect had its first eliminator match tonight too, though of course they do it in a different order to UC; blog of that hopefully done this week.
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