Evening all. So, here we are at the end of a first round that has been solid without hitting spectacular that often. The task for the two teams competing tonight: win, or, failing that, lose with 150 or more to definitely return in the play-offs, otherwise, Durham and Jesus of Oxford would both go through to join Sheffield and York.
Lady Margaret Hall Oxford was founded in 1878 and was formerly a women's only college, with males being allowed in in 1979; alumni include the late PM of Pakistan Benezir Bhutto, the comedian Josie Long, the foodie Nigella Lawson, the politicians Michael Gove and Dominic Raab and the legend that is Bobby Seagull. The college last sent a student team in the first series of the '80s; thus, the first Paxo era team were:
Matthew Le Croissette, from Reading, studying Medicine
Mary Lobo, from Woodcote near Reading, studying Law with German Law
Captain: Isaac Brown, from Sheffield, studying French and Linguistics
Rowan Janjuah, from London, studying Classics
Downing College Cambridge was founded in 1800 with the inheritance of the man who built the eponymous London street. Alumni include the humourists John Cleese and Andy Hamilton, the illustrator Quentin Blake, the insurance salesman Michael Winner and my grandfather. The college sent a team last year, who were unlucky to draw and lose to Jason Golfinos' Darwin in the second round. This year's team were:
Bovey Zheng, from Reading, studying Chemistry
Naivasha Pratt-Jarvis, studying Law
Captain: Robert Jackson, from Nottingham studying Modern Contemporary Literature
Prannoy Chaudhuri-Vayalambrone, from Ipswich, studying Neuroscience
Off we set again then, and Ms Pratt-Jarvis opened the scoring for the night with 'Beatrix Potter'; two bonuses on librarians got the Cambridge side off to a steady start. Mr Brown set his side off in quick pursuit, but the Oxonians could only manage one of their first bonus set. Mr Jackson recognised a (rather generous) description of Lady Macbeth for the next starter, and Downing duly took a full set of bonuses. The first picture round, on Spanish foodstuffs as defined in a Spanish dictionary, went to Lady Margaret Hall, who responded with a full set of their own, which took the scores to 45-40.
Mr Jackson duly increased Downing's lead again with 'Das Kapital'; ironically, in the ensuing bonuses, they missed a correct answer of 'Karl Marx'! They took one of the other two though. Mr Chuadhuri-Vayalambrone took a second starter in a row for the Cambridge side though, and 16th century rulers proved more to their liking, a full set. In came Mr Janjuah for Lady Margaret Hall though, and they took one bonus from the obligatory set on the work of Charles Dickens. Another starter went to Mr Janjuah, but nothing came from the bonuses this time.
The music starter saw Paxo hit the ceiling when the teams misidentified the soundtrack of Carol Reed's The Third Man as being from The Godfather and Ratatouille! The music bonuses, on leitmotif in film soundtracks, eventually went to Lady Margaret Hall, and they took the one they needed to level the scores at 85-each. Two starters were then dropped before Mr Le Croisette made sure all four Oxonians had contributed a correct starter; two correct bonuses took them intro triple figures first. Mr Zheng then ensured all eight players had answered a starter rightly; just one bonus on magazine editor Tina Brown followed.
The second picture round, on details of birds in paintings, went to Lady Margaret Hall, who took two correct bonuses to take their lead to 125-100. It increased again when Downing lost five on the next starter, and Mr Brown took a second starter in a row; a full bonus set on the late Stephen Hawking gave them the 150 they needed to come back whatever, and put them within one starter of victory.
Back came Downing thanks to Mr Zheng though; bonuses on winners of the Copa Libertadores gave them one correct bonus as they knew Pele to have spent most of his career at Santos (where he did not, contrary to popular belief, help temporarily stop a civil war in Nigeria). Mr Chaudhuri-Vayalambrone then gave the Cambridge side a second starter in a row, and two bonuses meant they could still just about do it if they were quick. No-one buzzed on the next starter; we got some on the next, but neither were correct. Mr Jackson took the next though to pull within ten; they took the first bonus... and that was the gong! Lady Margaret Hall won 150-145.
A good match to end the first round. Well done Lady Margaret Hall and best of luck in the next round! Unlucky Downing, but a respectable performance, and you may yet return in the play-offs. Tied with Durham and Jesus, Paxo says the two who come back will be those who 'needed to hear the fewest questions'; in which case, I'd guess Durham, who needed one less starter, and Downing, whose last bonus set was incomplete, will be the two, but we'll see.
The stats: Mr Brown was the best buzzer of the night with four, while Mr Jackson was best for Downing with three. On the bonuses, Lady Margaret Hall converted 14 out of 24, while Downing also managed 14 out of 23, but with one penalty; that's how close it was.
Next week's match: the first play-off; I'd guess Sheffield will be one of the teams, we await to see who they play though.
Only Connect was also close tonight, ending its first match with the Orwellians and the Junipers, among whom were former UC winner Dorjana Sirola. The Orwellians won though, 23-20, but both teams did well and deserve to play again.
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