Evening all. Once again, no word on who would be playing tonight in the days running up to it; first word we got was not long before it started when Dennis 'Worcester' Wang, brother of the Corpus Christi captain, announced that his brother's team would be back. So it would appear that the producers have done what I would've and kept the teams that have already played apart in the qualifiers/eliminators draw. Winner of tonight's match would take the first place in the semis.
Trinity College Cambridge beat fellow qualification quarter-finalists Durham in the first round, then Lady Margaret Hall of Oxford in the second, and their first quarter-final saw them soundly beat Manchester 300-95. They were unchanged from those prior matches:
Nadia Hourihan, from Dublin, studying English
Lillian Crawford, from Bearsted in Kent, studying History
Captain: Joseph Webber, from Bury St Edmunds, studying Maths
Liam Hughes, from Cardiff, studying Maths
Corpus Christi College Cambridge have beaten three teams from the other place to get this far, Merton of Oxford in the first round, Magdalen of Oxford in the second, and their first quarter-final was a close win over Wolfson 180-140. They were also the same four as before:
Alexander Russell, from Bristol, studying Japanese Studies
William Stewart, from Peterborough, studying History of Art
Captain: Ian Wang, from Sale in Greater Manchester, studying English
Alex Gunasekera, from Witney, studying Chemistry
Off we set again then, and Mr Stewart was first off the blocks with 'the Byzantine Empire'; bonuses on people whose surnames relate to mills or milling resulted in two correct answers. Mr Russell gave Corpus Christi a second in a row, and a bonus set on film and video art, which they got another two from. Mr Wang was next in for them, but just one bonus, on cuttlefish, was taken this time. Trinity finally got off the mark on the next starter, though Paxo was maybe a touch lenient to let Mr Hughes off with a brief but noticeable pause before answering; two bonuses followed them off the mark. The first picture round, on lists of sci-fi authors works, went to Corpus Christi; another sole bonus took their lead to 70-20.
Mr Stewart increased it as he identified 'Dunkirk' for the next starter (as did everyone, my Dad included, who was watching a film about that on BBC2 yesterday!); a bonus set on the largest country to begin with a certain letter gave them a full set. Mr Gunasekera then made sure all four of Corpus Christi had already contributed a starter to their total; two bonuses followed. Mr Webber hauled one back for Trinity, but a tricky bonus set on transistor circuits gave them just one correct answer.
The music starter saw Mr Hughes quickly identify the Cure's 'Friday I'm In Love'; the bonuses, on songs whose narratives span a seven day week (surprisingly, Craig David was not one of them!), gave Trinity another sole bonus, which reduced their arrears to 115-50. Mr Gunasekera stopped their recovery in its tracks though as he identified the element 'Germanium'; bonuses on the Yangtze River followed, of which Corpus Christi took a full set, reasserting their authority. Mr Stewart gave them a second in a row, which led to a bonus set on pop music inspired by novels, of which two were taken this time. Mr Webber did the right thing and took a flyer on the next starter, but the full answer didn't come to him in time; five dropped, and Mr Gunasekera did the honours, with a full bonus set following to boot. And when Mr Russell identified Tintern Abbey for the next starter, that really was game over; a sole bonus took them to 200.
The second picture round, on paintings depicting groups of figures from Greek mythology, went to Corpus Christi; two correct answers took the scores to 220-45. It was now just a question of how high both teams could get; Mr Russell took the next starter for Corpus Christi, with just the one bonus, on affordable housing, following, not that it really mattered now.
Mr Hughes pulled one back for Trinity, pulling them back out of the Sub-50 club, and giving them a bonus set on Greek derived terms beginning 'syn', of which they took two. A second correct starter in a row went to Mr Hughes, but just one bonus on literature followed this time; there was also an amusing moment when Mr Webber mistakenly nominated Ms Hourihan for a bonus when she hadn't even ventured an answer ("She doesn't want to be nominated!" quoth Paxo) Mr Gunasekera took the final starter, and that was the gong; Corpus Christi won 245-80.
A surprisingly one sided contest, but another fine and watchable one nonetheless. Unlucky Trinity, outplayed this time, but definitely not to be written off yet, best of luck to them in the play-offs. Very well done Corpus Christi though, another strong win over good opponents, and very very best of luck in the semis!
The stats: Messrs Hughes, Russel and Gunasekera were the joint best buzzers of the night, with four each for their respective teams. On the bonuses, Trinity converted 7 out of 15 (with the night's one penalty), while Corpus Christi managed 23 out of 36.
Next week's match: don't know for sure yet, but I would imagine Manchester vs Wolfson, followed by Durham vs Imperial and Jesus vs Courtauld
Only Conenct's third QF saw the 007s vs the Junipers. After being closely matched through the first three rounds, the former won it on the Missing Vowels, 21-16.
Monday, 24 February 2020
Monday, 17 February 2020
University Challenge 2019-20: Preliminary Quarter-Final 4: Courtauld vs Imperial
Evening all. On to the final preliminary quarter-final tonight, with two teams from London specialist institutions, one of which racked up the highest score of the first round, the other of whom had the second lowest, but proved their worth by beating the scorers of the second highest first round total in the second round. The winners would join a very high quality line-up for the SF qualifier matches.
The Courtauld Institute of Art beat yet another London specialist institution, the LSE, in a low scoring 145-90 first round match, but in their second, they beat the fancied Glasgow side 180-145. They were unchanged from those earlier matches:
Ash Silver, from North London, studying History of Art
Morgan Haigh, from Cardiff, studying History of Art
Captain: Harry Prance, from Winchcombe in Gloucestershire, studying Middle Byzantine Eucharistic Objects
Nancy Collinge, from Blackpool, studying History of Art
Imperial College easily saw off two Oxford teams in the first two rounds, firstly Brasenose by 255-70 in the first round, and then St John's in the second by 255-105, giving them the highest two game total of the quarter-finalists. They too were the same four as before:
Richard Brooks, from Stockton-on-Tees, studying Mechanical Engineering
Brandon, from Jamaica, Queens in New York City, studying Computing
Captain: Caleb Rich, from Lewisham, studying Controlled Quantum Dynamics
Connor McMeel, from Dublin, studying Computer Science
Off we set again then, and a penalty immediately dropped Courtauld into negative equity; Brandon pounced for Imperial, and they opened the scoring with two bonuses on pairs of foodstuffs whose first few letters are the same. Brandon took the second starter as well, quickly identifying Paris as the location of the treaties Paxo was listing, and, again, two bonuses were taken. It was Mr McMeel's turn to quickly get the next starter right, but this time, just one bonus on glass artwork followed. Mr Prance took a punt on the next starter, but hit wide, allowing Mr McMeel a second in a row; Kings of England gave Imperial another two bonuses. The first picture round, on borders that lie on lines of latitude/longitude, went to Imperial; another two correct answers meant they already led 95-(-5).
Courtauld finally moved in the right direction as Mr Haigh identified the artist Gericault, but bonuses on sci fi novels didn't give them any further points. Mr Brooks restored Imperial's 100 point lead as he took the next starter; a full set of bonuses followed, and, already, the match looked over as a contest. Mr Brooks took a second successive starter, but just one bonus on Nobel Prize nominees followed.
The music round, on styles of music listed by UNESCO as part of a South American country's cultural heritage, went to Imperial; two bonuses took their lead to 155-5. And it was just getting bigger, as Mr Rich made sure all four Imperial players had a starter to their name; a full set of bonuses followed. Ms Collinge did the right thing and took a flyer on the next starter, but all she got for her efforts was a sneer from Paxo! Brandon took the points, and two bonuses took their score to 200.
The second picture round, on stills from films that employed non-professional actors, went to Courtauld; a full house of bonuses took the scores to 200-30. Mr Haigh then gave them a second starter in a row, and a second bonus set on film, of which they took two (I got the one they didn't), which lifted them out of the Sub-50 club.
A speculative early buzz then dropped them back into it though; Mr Brooks picked up the points, and one bonus on British trees added to their score. Mr Haigh atoned for his error as he moved Courtauld back above 50, giving them a bonus set on people who have a separate Wikipedia page about their death; they took two correct answers. Both sides guessed a species of monkey for the next starter, but neither got the right one. Mr Brooks took the next for Imperial, and the bonuses on conic sections saw an odd moment as Paxo appeared to accept a loud conferring of a correct answer; they took a full set. The final starter saw Mr Brooks mistakenly offer three countries when just one was needed; Mr Haigh took the points, and the resulting bonuses on French dictionaries saw them try the trick of saying the same thing three times, but this time, it didn't work! And that was the gong; Imperial won 240-75.
A rather one sided contest, but still a watchable one, between two watchable teams. Unlucky Courtauld, but a valiant performance in the circumstances, and best of luck in the eliminators. Very well done Imperial though, another fine performance, and very best of luck in the qualfiers! (Very strong line-up for them!)
The stats: Brandon was, again, the best buzzer of the night with five, while Mr Haigh was best for Courtauld with four. On the bonuses, Courtauld converted 7 out of 15 (with two penalties), while Imperial managed 24 out of 36.
Next week's match: the first qualifier, between, I'm guessing, two of Trinity, Corpus Christi and Durham. I'd make it Trinity vs Corpus Christi, thus avoiding a rematch so soon.
Only Connect, speaking of which, saw a second of those in a row tonight, with the Forrests playing the Choristers again. Like before, there was just one point in it, but this time, it was the former that won, 19-18.
The Courtauld Institute of Art beat yet another London specialist institution, the LSE, in a low scoring 145-90 first round match, but in their second, they beat the fancied Glasgow side 180-145. They were unchanged from those earlier matches:
Ash Silver, from North London, studying History of Art
Morgan Haigh, from Cardiff, studying History of Art
Captain: Harry Prance, from Winchcombe in Gloucestershire, studying Middle Byzantine Eucharistic Objects
Nancy Collinge, from Blackpool, studying History of Art
Imperial College easily saw off two Oxford teams in the first two rounds, firstly Brasenose by 255-70 in the first round, and then St John's in the second by 255-105, giving them the highest two game total of the quarter-finalists. They too were the same four as before:
Richard Brooks, from Stockton-on-Tees, studying Mechanical Engineering
Brandon, from Jamaica, Queens in New York City, studying Computing
Captain: Caleb Rich, from Lewisham, studying Controlled Quantum Dynamics
Connor McMeel, from Dublin, studying Computer Science
Off we set again then, and a penalty immediately dropped Courtauld into negative equity; Brandon pounced for Imperial, and they opened the scoring with two bonuses on pairs of foodstuffs whose first few letters are the same. Brandon took the second starter as well, quickly identifying Paris as the location of the treaties Paxo was listing, and, again, two bonuses were taken. It was Mr McMeel's turn to quickly get the next starter right, but this time, just one bonus on glass artwork followed. Mr Prance took a punt on the next starter, but hit wide, allowing Mr McMeel a second in a row; Kings of England gave Imperial another two bonuses. The first picture round, on borders that lie on lines of latitude/longitude, went to Imperial; another two correct answers meant they already led 95-(-5).
Courtauld finally moved in the right direction as Mr Haigh identified the artist Gericault, but bonuses on sci fi novels didn't give them any further points. Mr Brooks restored Imperial's 100 point lead as he took the next starter; a full set of bonuses followed, and, already, the match looked over as a contest. Mr Brooks took a second successive starter, but just one bonus on Nobel Prize nominees followed.
The music round, on styles of music listed by UNESCO as part of a South American country's cultural heritage, went to Imperial; two bonuses took their lead to 155-5. And it was just getting bigger, as Mr Rich made sure all four Imperial players had a starter to their name; a full set of bonuses followed. Ms Collinge did the right thing and took a flyer on the next starter, but all she got for her efforts was a sneer from Paxo! Brandon took the points, and two bonuses took their score to 200.
The second picture round, on stills from films that employed non-professional actors, went to Courtauld; a full house of bonuses took the scores to 200-30. Mr Haigh then gave them a second starter in a row, and a second bonus set on film, of which they took two (I got the one they didn't), which lifted them out of the Sub-50 club.
A speculative early buzz then dropped them back into it though; Mr Brooks picked up the points, and one bonus on British trees added to their score. Mr Haigh atoned for his error as he moved Courtauld back above 50, giving them a bonus set on people who have a separate Wikipedia page about their death; they took two correct answers. Both sides guessed a species of monkey for the next starter, but neither got the right one. Mr Brooks took the next for Imperial, and the bonuses on conic sections saw an odd moment as Paxo appeared to accept a loud conferring of a correct answer; they took a full set. The final starter saw Mr Brooks mistakenly offer three countries when just one was needed; Mr Haigh took the points, and the resulting bonuses on French dictionaries saw them try the trick of saying the same thing three times, but this time, it didn't work! And that was the gong; Imperial won 240-75.
A rather one sided contest, but still a watchable one, between two watchable teams. Unlucky Courtauld, but a valiant performance in the circumstances, and best of luck in the eliminators. Very well done Imperial though, another fine performance, and very best of luck in the qualfiers! (Very strong line-up for them!)
The stats: Brandon was, again, the best buzzer of the night with five, while Mr Haigh was best for Courtauld with four. On the bonuses, Courtauld converted 7 out of 15 (with two penalties), while Imperial managed 24 out of 36.
Next week's match: the first qualifier, between, I'm guessing, two of Trinity, Corpus Christi and Durham. I'd make it Trinity vs Corpus Christi, thus avoiding a rematch so soon.
Only Connect, speaking of which, saw a second of those in a row tonight, with the Forrests playing the Choristers again. Like before, there was just one point in it, but this time, it was the former that won, 19-18.
Monday, 10 February 2020
University Challenge 2019-20: Preliminary Quarter-Final 3: Jesus vs Durham
Evening all. An unusual show tonight, in that we had no idea who would be competing in it. Until shortly beforehand, when Thomas De Bock revealed all on Twitter. So, tonight, we would be seeing the two teams that survived via the play-offs and then won through to the QFs, the first time both have done so since the 2011-12 series. They were also, incidentally, the only two teams to win a game of UC in the entirety of November!
Jesus College Oxford lost to fellow quarter-finalists Manchester in the first round, but snuck past Sheffield 170-165 on the last starter of their play-off, and then defeated Birmingham 150-120 in the second round. They were unchanged from those previous games:
Lucy Clarke, from Ottershaw in Surrey, studying Early Modern History
James Cashman, from Guildford, studying History
Captain: Matt Cook, from Wellington, New Zealand, studying PPE
Miranda Stevens, from Sevenoaks, studying Biology
Durham were beaten by fellow quarter-finalists Trinity first time out, but more than made up for that subsequently with very comfortably wins over York (240-145) in their play-off and Southampton (245-95) in the second round. They were also the same four as before:
Charles Bland, from Sutton in Surrey, studying Philosophy
William Tams, from Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria, studying Biosciences
Captain: Joe Cooper, from London, studying Chemistry
Arthur Raffle, from Manchester, studying French and German
Off we set again then, and Mr Raffle picked up where he and his side left off last time, taking full advantage of an immediate slip-up from their opponents to take the first starter of the night; two bonuses on cities purpose built as capitals went with it. Jesus quickly recouped their lost points as Mr Cashman identified Maine Road as the street renamed after a US state and later the location of a (much missed) football stadium; the Oxonians took one bonus on fashion designers. Mr Cooper doubled Durham's early lead as he took the next starter, and another pair of bonuses went with it. The first picture round, on lists of the works of an author regularly used on the Google Scholar database, went to Durham; another two bonuses gave them a lead of 60-10.
Mr Cashman closed the gap somewhat as he identified the works of John Ruskin for the next starter; another single bonus on economic terms accompanied it. Back came Durham, with Mr Bland identifying 'FEN' as the word spelt by the letters Paxo supplied clues to; the Wearsiders' bonus consistancy continued, another two. That record fell on their next set, a full set on astrophysics. Mr Raffle gave them a third starter in a row by identifying 'stick' as the word that could follow the words listed; another two bonuses, on Venetian art, meant they already led by over 100 points, and were close to already being out of sight.
Mr Raffle looked like he was guessing when he offered JS Bach for the music starter, but he was right; the bonuses, on pieces whose string sections do not contain a violin, saw Durham draw their first blank of the night, but they had still racked up a lead of 140-25. With his side in danger of falling out of sight, Mr Cook dragged Jesus back into the game by identifting the Ohm as the only SI unit that uses a Greek letter as its symbol; however they could only manage another single bonus on writer/actors (I got two). Ms Clarke gave the Oxonians a second starter in a row, but technical terms gave them, again, just another one correct answer. The next starter asked which two countries one would come across travelling due East and West from St Helena; Mr Raffle came in a bit too early, had he waited, the giveaway clue that both their languages are Portuguese would likely have given him Angola and Brazil. Mr Cashman did the honours, and the bonuses finally fell for the Oxonians, a full set on Of Mice and Men (which Hal Roach once considered making a version of starring Laurel and Hardy!). Mr Cooper reawoke his side by identifying 'pi' for the next starter; the work of Handel gave them one correct answer. Mr Cook gave his side another starter with garden cities, and with it, a bonus set on terms with a middle letter X; they took two, and humourously offered 'Paxo' for the one they didn't know!
Neither side identified the Commodore 64 computer for the picture starter; the picture bonuses, on computing milestones, eventually went to Durham, who took one and missed another by misidentifying the NES as the N64! They now led 160-100, and, with not much time left, were within sight of victory. Mr Tams took the next starter, and a full bonus set on wildlife pretty much wrapped things up.
Ms Clarke pulled one back for Jesus by identifying Baz Luhrmann as having acquired his nickname from Basil Brush, but the Oxonians got nothing from a bonus set on Mount Ararat (if my Dad was watching, I hope he didn't miss his chance to shout 'Turkey' at the TV screen in honour of that Family Fortunes incident!). Mr Cooper took the final starter of the night, and that was the gong; Durham won 195-110.
A good contest played in good spirit by both sides, well done both. Unlucky Jesus, but a fair effort, best of luck in the eliminators. Well done Durham though on another strong performance, and very best of luck in the qualifiers!
The stats: Messrs Cooper and Raffle were the joint best buzzers of the night with four each, while Mr Cashman was best for Jesus with three. On the bonuses, Jesus converted 9 out of 21 (with one penalty), while Durham managed 19 out of 30 (with two penalties).
Next week's match: Imperial vs Courtauld
Only Connect began its quarter-finals with yet another avoidable rematch, the Lexplorers vs the Suits. Both teams fared better than they did last time they played, but this time, it was the latter that triumphed, 21-16.
Jesus College Oxford lost to fellow quarter-finalists Manchester in the first round, but snuck past Sheffield 170-165 on the last starter of their play-off, and then defeated Birmingham 150-120 in the second round. They were unchanged from those previous games:
Lucy Clarke, from Ottershaw in Surrey, studying Early Modern History
James Cashman, from Guildford, studying History
Captain: Matt Cook, from Wellington, New Zealand, studying PPE
Miranda Stevens, from Sevenoaks, studying Biology
Durham were beaten by fellow quarter-finalists Trinity first time out, but more than made up for that subsequently with very comfortably wins over York (240-145) in their play-off and Southampton (245-95) in the second round. They were also the same four as before:
Charles Bland, from Sutton in Surrey, studying Philosophy
William Tams, from Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria, studying Biosciences
Captain: Joe Cooper, from London, studying Chemistry
Arthur Raffle, from Manchester, studying French and German
Off we set again then, and Mr Raffle picked up where he and his side left off last time, taking full advantage of an immediate slip-up from their opponents to take the first starter of the night; two bonuses on cities purpose built as capitals went with it. Jesus quickly recouped their lost points as Mr Cashman identified Maine Road as the street renamed after a US state and later the location of a (much missed) football stadium; the Oxonians took one bonus on fashion designers. Mr Cooper doubled Durham's early lead as he took the next starter, and another pair of bonuses went with it. The first picture round, on lists of the works of an author regularly used on the Google Scholar database, went to Durham; another two bonuses gave them a lead of 60-10.
Mr Cashman closed the gap somewhat as he identified the works of John Ruskin for the next starter; another single bonus on economic terms accompanied it. Back came Durham, with Mr Bland identifying 'FEN' as the word spelt by the letters Paxo supplied clues to; the Wearsiders' bonus consistancy continued, another two. That record fell on their next set, a full set on astrophysics. Mr Raffle gave them a third starter in a row by identifying 'stick' as the word that could follow the words listed; another two bonuses, on Venetian art, meant they already led by over 100 points, and were close to already being out of sight.
Mr Raffle looked like he was guessing when he offered JS Bach for the music starter, but he was right; the bonuses, on pieces whose string sections do not contain a violin, saw Durham draw their first blank of the night, but they had still racked up a lead of 140-25. With his side in danger of falling out of sight, Mr Cook dragged Jesus back into the game by identifting the Ohm as the only SI unit that uses a Greek letter as its symbol; however they could only manage another single bonus on writer/actors (I got two). Ms Clarke gave the Oxonians a second starter in a row, but technical terms gave them, again, just another one correct answer. The next starter asked which two countries one would come across travelling due East and West from St Helena; Mr Raffle came in a bit too early, had he waited, the giveaway clue that both their languages are Portuguese would likely have given him Angola and Brazil. Mr Cashman did the honours, and the bonuses finally fell for the Oxonians, a full set on Of Mice and Men (which Hal Roach once considered making a version of starring Laurel and Hardy!). Mr Cooper reawoke his side by identifying 'pi' for the next starter; the work of Handel gave them one correct answer. Mr Cook gave his side another starter with garden cities, and with it, a bonus set on terms with a middle letter X; they took two, and humourously offered 'Paxo' for the one they didn't know!
Neither side identified the Commodore 64 computer for the picture starter; the picture bonuses, on computing milestones, eventually went to Durham, who took one and missed another by misidentifying the NES as the N64! They now led 160-100, and, with not much time left, were within sight of victory. Mr Tams took the next starter, and a full bonus set on wildlife pretty much wrapped things up.
Ms Clarke pulled one back for Jesus by identifying Baz Luhrmann as having acquired his nickname from Basil Brush, but the Oxonians got nothing from a bonus set on Mount Ararat (if my Dad was watching, I hope he didn't miss his chance to shout 'Turkey' at the TV screen in honour of that Family Fortunes incident!). Mr Cooper took the final starter of the night, and that was the gong; Durham won 195-110.
A good contest played in good spirit by both sides, well done both. Unlucky Jesus, but a fair effort, best of luck in the eliminators. Well done Durham though on another strong performance, and very best of luck in the qualifiers!
The stats: Messrs Cooper and Raffle were the joint best buzzers of the night with four each, while Mr Cashman was best for Jesus with three. On the bonuses, Jesus converted 9 out of 21 (with one penalty), while Durham managed 19 out of 30 (with two penalties).
Next week's match: Imperial vs Courtauld
Only Connect began its quarter-finals with yet another avoidable rematch, the Lexplorers vs the Suits. Both teams fared better than they did last time they played, but this time, it was the latter that triumphed, 21-16.
Monday, 3 February 2020
University Challenge 2019-20: Preliminary Quarter-Final 2: Wolfson vs Corpus Christi
Evening all. We've reached the time of year where I start considering whether to carry these write-ups on for another series. This may have been motivated by a certain other blogger announcing his long running reviews of a certain other BBC series will be end with the next series. Again, I haven't decided anything for sure, but I will keep you posted. On with tonight's show, and a potentially classic match-up between two teams who impressively won their second round matches...
Wolfson College Oxford needed a tie-breaker to sneak past Sheffield after a 170-each draw in the first round, but their second match against Edinburgh was won comfortably thanks to a late sprint, 220-100. They were unchanged from both those earlier matches:
Mike Perrin, from East Anglia (via Japan), studying Archaeology
Mary Caple, from Victoria, Canada, studying Art History
Captain: Claire Jones, from Houston, Texas, studying History
Ryan Walker, from Stone in Staffordshire, studying Clinical Medicine
Corpus Christi College Cambridge have already beaten two teams from the other place to get this far, firstly Merton in the first round by 195-140, and then a demolition job against Magdalen in the second round two weeks ago, 270-75. Hoping for a hat trick were the also unchanged foursome of:
Alexander Russell, from Bristol, studying Japanese Studies
Will Stewart, from Peterborough, studying History of Art
Captain: Ian Wang, from Sale in Greater Manchester, studying English
Alex Gunasekera, from from Witney, studying Chemistry
Off we set again then, and the first starter was one of those classic UC questions giving a list of various cryptic clues; Ms Jones made the mistake of buzzing at the first she recognised, and five points were lost. Given the full question, Mr Wang knew the clues related to characters in Friends; the Cambridge side took full advantage with a full set on the work of writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Mr Stewart gave Corpus Christi a second in a row, identifying the origins of the term 'Glass Ceiling'; just one bonus followed this time however, and it was a slightly lenient allowance at that. Mr Walker moved Wolfson back into positive integers as he took the next correct starter, and two correct bonuses set them off in pursuit. Ms Jones, by some distance their MVP in the earlier rounds, gave the Oxonians a second starter in a row, but bonuses on nuclear physics gave them just one correct answer. The first picture round, on maps of empires, went to Corpus Christi; two correct bonuses took their lead to 60-30.
A very quick from Ms Jones on 'Pittsburgh' cut the gap back, and a classic bonus set on words that can be made from the letters of 'TORONTO' gave them two correct bonuses. Mr Wang didn't think the answer he offered for the next starter was right, but said it anyway, and Paxo very cheekily left him hanging for ages before revealing he was in fact right! Another two bonuses followed, before Mr Russell gave Corpus Christi a second starter in a row; no bonuses from a tricky set on astronomy followed however. The next starter asked for one of two EU states; Mr Stewart offered one, and the other, when prompted by Paxo, even though it wasn't necessary! Two bonuses were taken, the other unluckily missed.
The music round, on classical pieces that figuratively depict pendulums, went to Wolfson; two correct answers took the scores to 110-70. The next starter was one of those that was suddenly obvious once the killer words, 'fictional region of Wessex', were read out; Ms Jones won the race to the buzzer to offer 'Thomas Hardy', and Wolfson took another two correct bonuses. The next starter asked for the square root of a googol (or a number one followed 100 zeroes, as Major Ingram will remember); Mr Gunasekera was first to work that out, but the Cambridge side got nothing from the resulting bonuses. Ms Jones pushed Wolfson into triple figures with the next starter, giving a bonus set on US state capitals, asking which was closest to a more prominent city, of which they took one.
The second picture round, on paintings depicting scenes from the biblical book of Esther, went to Corpus Christi; two correct answers took their lead to 140-105. Still either team's match, and Ms Jones kept her side in the name with the next starter; bonuses on Poe's The Raven (sadly no mention of the Simpsons remake) gave them a full house, taking them within ten points and setting up a sprint for the finish line.
Mr Stewart blinked first as he identified a list of types of medieval helmet for the next starter; bonuses on military history, requiring a year ending with 6 each time, gave them two correct answers. And when Mr Gunasekera took the next starter, the match was now there's to lose; two correct bonuses meant Wolfson had to go for it to catch up now. Ms Jones did her best, identifying the prime minister Lord Rosebery, but when just one bonus on the birth names of popes (unsurprisingly, 'Jim' was not one of them!), that was game over. Mr Walker took a flyer on the next starter, but was wrong and lost five, and that was the gong. Corpus Christi won 180-140.
A good match between two good teams, both of whom are definitely still more than capable of reaching the semis. Unlucky Wolfson, but another good performance nonetheless, best of luck in the eliminators. Well done Corpus Christi though, another strong win over good opponents, best of luck in the qualifiers!
The stats: Ms Jones was, again, the best buzzer of the night, with seven starters, while Mr Stewart was best for Corpus Christi with five. On the bonuses, Wolfson converted 14 out of 24 (with two penalties), while Corpus Christi managed 16 out of 30.
Next week's match: don't know yet, any two of Jesus, Durham, Courtauld or Imperial. If it were down to me, Durham and Imperial would be kept apart, but we shall wait and see.
Only Connect finally ended its initial phase tonight, with the final play-off, between the Eggchasers and the Turophiles. A slightly better showing for the latter in the second and final rounds saw them win 24-19.
Wolfson College Oxford needed a tie-breaker to sneak past Sheffield after a 170-each draw in the first round, but their second match against Edinburgh was won comfortably thanks to a late sprint, 220-100. They were unchanged from both those earlier matches:
Mike Perrin, from East Anglia (via Japan), studying Archaeology
Mary Caple, from Victoria, Canada, studying Art History
Captain: Claire Jones, from Houston, Texas, studying History
Ryan Walker, from Stone in Staffordshire, studying Clinical Medicine
Corpus Christi College Cambridge have already beaten two teams from the other place to get this far, firstly Merton in the first round by 195-140, and then a demolition job against Magdalen in the second round two weeks ago, 270-75. Hoping for a hat trick were the also unchanged foursome of:
Alexander Russell, from Bristol, studying Japanese Studies
Will Stewart, from Peterborough, studying History of Art
Captain: Ian Wang, from Sale in Greater Manchester, studying English
Alex Gunasekera, from from Witney, studying Chemistry
Off we set again then, and the first starter was one of those classic UC questions giving a list of various cryptic clues; Ms Jones made the mistake of buzzing at the first she recognised, and five points were lost. Given the full question, Mr Wang knew the clues related to characters in Friends; the Cambridge side took full advantage with a full set on the work of writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Mr Stewart gave Corpus Christi a second in a row, identifying the origins of the term 'Glass Ceiling'; just one bonus followed this time however, and it was a slightly lenient allowance at that. Mr Walker moved Wolfson back into positive integers as he took the next correct starter, and two correct bonuses set them off in pursuit. Ms Jones, by some distance their MVP in the earlier rounds, gave the Oxonians a second starter in a row, but bonuses on nuclear physics gave them just one correct answer. The first picture round, on maps of empires, went to Corpus Christi; two correct bonuses took their lead to 60-30.
A very quick from Ms Jones on 'Pittsburgh' cut the gap back, and a classic bonus set on words that can be made from the letters of 'TORONTO' gave them two correct bonuses. Mr Wang didn't think the answer he offered for the next starter was right, but said it anyway, and Paxo very cheekily left him hanging for ages before revealing he was in fact right! Another two bonuses followed, before Mr Russell gave Corpus Christi a second starter in a row; no bonuses from a tricky set on astronomy followed however. The next starter asked for one of two EU states; Mr Stewart offered one, and the other, when prompted by Paxo, even though it wasn't necessary! Two bonuses were taken, the other unluckily missed.
The music round, on classical pieces that figuratively depict pendulums, went to Wolfson; two correct answers took the scores to 110-70. The next starter was one of those that was suddenly obvious once the killer words, 'fictional region of Wessex', were read out; Ms Jones won the race to the buzzer to offer 'Thomas Hardy', and Wolfson took another two correct bonuses. The next starter asked for the square root of a googol (or a number one followed 100 zeroes, as Major Ingram will remember); Mr Gunasekera was first to work that out, but the Cambridge side got nothing from the resulting bonuses. Ms Jones pushed Wolfson into triple figures with the next starter, giving a bonus set on US state capitals, asking which was closest to a more prominent city, of which they took one.
The second picture round, on paintings depicting scenes from the biblical book of Esther, went to Corpus Christi; two correct answers took their lead to 140-105. Still either team's match, and Ms Jones kept her side in the name with the next starter; bonuses on Poe's The Raven (sadly no mention of the Simpsons remake) gave them a full house, taking them within ten points and setting up a sprint for the finish line.
Mr Stewart blinked first as he identified a list of types of medieval helmet for the next starter; bonuses on military history, requiring a year ending with 6 each time, gave them two correct answers. And when Mr Gunasekera took the next starter, the match was now there's to lose; two correct bonuses meant Wolfson had to go for it to catch up now. Ms Jones did her best, identifying the prime minister Lord Rosebery, but when just one bonus on the birth names of popes (unsurprisingly, 'Jim' was not one of them!), that was game over. Mr Walker took a flyer on the next starter, but was wrong and lost five, and that was the gong. Corpus Christi won 180-140.
A good match between two good teams, both of whom are definitely still more than capable of reaching the semis. Unlucky Wolfson, but another good performance nonetheless, best of luck in the eliminators. Well done Corpus Christi though, another strong win over good opponents, best of luck in the qualifiers!
The stats: Ms Jones was, again, the best buzzer of the night, with seven starters, while Mr Stewart was best for Corpus Christi with five. On the bonuses, Wolfson converted 14 out of 24 (with two penalties), while Corpus Christi managed 16 out of 30.
Next week's match: don't know yet, any two of Jesus, Durham, Courtauld or Imperial. If it were down to me, Durham and Imperial would be kept apart, but we shall wait and see.
Only Connect finally ended its initial phase tonight, with the final play-off, between the Eggchasers and the Turophiles. A slightly better showing for the latter in the second and final rounds saw them win 24-19.
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