University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 3: Magdalen vs York

Evening all. Well, it's been a hot week here, and it still hasn't totally cooled down; even though it's a lot better outside, my flat is still very warm from all the built up heat. On with the show then, and a rerun of the 2010-11 final, except with the teams sitting on opposite desks. A place in the second round for the winners, a possible place in the play-offs for the runners-up.

Magdalen College Oxford was founded in 1458, and its alumni include Oscar Wilde and John Betjeman, and more recently John Sergeant and Ian Hislop. It''s UC record in the Paxo era is pretty solid, with a record four grand final victories (wording deliberate) and one grand final defeat, plus an Xmas series win. Hoping to carry on that success were this year's foursome of:
Dominic Brind, from London, studying History
Josie Dallas, from London, studying PPE
Captain: Alex Hardwick, from Wimbledon, studying Ancient Greek Crowd Psychology
Harry Strattan, from Sydney, studying Law

The University of York is a plate glass university, founded in 1962, although James I/VI had the idea for it many years earlier; its alumni include writers Helen Dunmore and Graeme Swift, politician Harriet Harman and comedian Harry Enfield. It has regularly sent teams to UC this century, last year's team were unlucky to draw eventual runners-up St Edmund Hall in the first round. This year's quartet were:
Mickey Conn, from Godalming, studying Social Policy
Sophie Williams, from Telford, studying Medieval Studies
Captain: Sam McEwan, from Sevenoaks, studying History and Philosophy
David Eastham, from Lancaster, studying Archaeology

Off we set again then, and York set off the mark first with Ms Williams doing the honours, and two correct answers set things going for the night. Mr Hardwick started Magdalen's campaign by remembering the utter stalemate in last year's Chess World Championship final; the Oxonians took the lead with a full house of bonuses, but then surrendered that lead to a penalty. Mr Conn took the points for York, and they too took a full set on bonuses, on video games released 25 years ago this year (something tells me we'll get quite a few 1994 questions this series). Mr Conn took a second starter in a row, but the Yorkers managed just one correct bonus this time. The first picture round, on blackout poetry, went to Magdalen, who took two correct bonuses, which cut their arrears to 60-40.

Those arrears reincreased when Mr Bring became the first player this series to buzz wrongly literally just as the question was finishing and lose five; York couldn't capitalise. Mr Hardwick recouped those losses on the next starter however, and a classic UC bonus set on pairs of words differing only by adding a J at the start gave the Oxonians a full set. They then took the lead on the next starter, and a second successive full set went with it. Back came York though, with Mr Eastham correctly offering 'Dodo', and they too took a full set of bonuses, leveling the scores again. Good high quality contest so far.

The music round, on classical works played on the synthesizer, went to Magdalen, who took two correct answers, which gave them a lead of 105-85. And up it went as Ms Dallas took the next starter and one bonus on dwarf planets followed. Mr Brind then made sure all four Oxonians had a starter correctly answered, and this time two correct bonuses on Roman roads followed. A good starter asked for the probability of landing on a station on the first move in Monopoly; Mr Eastham was first in with the correct answer, and two bonuses took the Yorkers into triple figures.

The second picture round, on stills from anthology TV series, went to York, who took a full house, which reduced their gap to 140-125. Unless someone ran away from here on in, we were in for a close finish. A dropped starter wasn't a great starter, but Mr Eastham took the next starter, and bonuses on women born the same year as Queen Victoria followed, of which they took just the one bonus, leveling the scores.

So, a straight shootout to the death; Mr Hardwick blinked first and took the next starter, and bonuses on reptiles followed, of which Magdalen took just the one correct. But when Mr Stratton took the next starter, even though, again, just one bonus followed, you suspected that might just have won it for them. So it proved; though Mr Eastham took the final starter, there was no time for bonuses. At the gong, Magdalen won 170-150.

A good contest between two solid and evenly matched teams, well done both of them and good on them clapping each other at the end. Unlucky York, but a fine performance, and 150 I would imagine will be enough for the play-offs (it hasn't not been enough for a while now IIRC), so hopefully we'll see you again. Well done Magdalen though, and very best of luck in the second round!

The stats: Mr Hardwick was, just the best buzzer of the night, with five starters to Mr Eastham's four. On the bonuses, Magdalen converted 18 out of 27 (with two penalties), while York managed 14 out of 21.

Next week's match: Birmingham vs Bristol