University Challenge 2021-22: Round 2: Match 4: St Hilda's vs Trinity

Good evening everyone! Thanks once again to my anonymous Twitter source for letting me know tonight's fixture in advance. A tough match to call on paper: one of tonight's teams won their first match comfortably, the other by just five points, but against a team we know to be a good one. Whoever won would take the fourth place in the group stage, as no-one else but myself and Weaver's Week call it...

St Hilda's College Oxford defeated U.C.L. in their first round match by just five points, 140-135, though they did lead for the vast majority of the game. They were unchanged from that previous game: 

Luca Chilvers, from Colchester, studying Philosophy and Linguistics

Akshay Pal, from Bolton, studying Engineering

Captain: Catriona Dionisio, from London, studying Classics

Christopher Bennett, from Cobham in Surrey, studying Theology and Science

 

Trinity College Cambridge led from the off in their first match against Durham, and ultimately came in home with a healthy win of 190-90. They were also the same four as before: 

Hattie Innes, from Surrey, studying Linguistics

Navonil Neogi, from Surrey, studying Maths

Captain: Ludwig Brekke, from Oslo, studying Law

Luke Kim, from Seoul, studying Physics

 

So, off we set once more, and St Hilda's got off the mark first as Mr Chilvers identified a list of anthologies; their first bonus set on Cleopatra gave them two correct answers. An unfortunate incident saw, when asked for 'Bonnie Parker's partner-in-crime', Mr Bennett zigged with 'Clyde' and lost five, allowing Mr Neogi to zag with 'Barrow'; the Cambridge side took the lead with two bonuses, and then Mr Kim gave them a second starter and pair of bonuses in a row. They also took the first picture round, on definitions of ballet terms in French; another two correct took their lead to 60-15.

And up they kept going, as Mr Kim identified Nicholas II for the next starter, though their bonus rate ended as they only took one on the work of Louis Leon Thurstone. Ms Innes took the next starter though, and another two bonuses were taken on cities on the River Danube, before Mr Kim identified William III (at the same time I did) on the next starter and the side was only denied a full bonus set by a last minute answer switch on the third. Still, they now led by 100 points; Mr Chilvers did the right thing and had an early punt at the next starter, but only lost five, allowing Mr Brekke a tap in, with one bonus following. The Trinity captain also identified David Bowie for the music starter; the bonuses, on artists who regularly employed alter egos, gave them a full set, giving them a lead of 155-10.

And that lead was just getting bigger as Mr Brekke took a third starter in a row, and a second full bonus set in a row just rubbed salt into St Hilda's wounds. Mr Bennett had another early punt on the next starter, but his answer was close but not close enough, costing them another five. Another misfire reduced the Oxford side's score back to 0; Mr Neogi picked up the points, and two bonuses took their score and lead to 200. Another starter taken by Mr Kim and single bonus was followed by the second picture round, on paintings depicting figures by windows, which Trinity got nothing from, but their lead was now 225-0.

St Hilda's finally got some points back on the board as Mr Chilvers took the next starter, but a bonus set on biology didn't give them any further points. Ms Dionisio did take them a second starter in a row though, and bonuses on kings who came to the throne at a young age gave them two correct answers. The St Hilda's captain then gave them a third starter in a row, from which they took one bonus. Mr Kim took the final starter of the game, but there was no time for any bonuses; at the gong, Trinity won 235-45.

A very one sided game, but still an enjoyable game to watch. Very well done Trinity, a storming performance that marks them out as one of the series favourites, very best of luck in the group stage! Hard lines to St Hilda's, who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and who we know are capable of much better things, thanks very much indeed for playing.

The stats: Mr Kim was the best buzzer of the night with six, taking his running series total to 11, while Mr Chilvers and Ms Dionisio took two each for St Hilda's. On the bonuses, St Hilda's managed 5 out of 12 (with four penalties) and Trinity 21 out of 37.

Next week's match: again, don't know, but anything I find out publicly will be retweeted

Only Connect concluded its opening round with the final qualifier, between the Steelers and the Discotheques. The latter led 4-2 after the first round, and 9-5 after the second (I got the Countdown question for 3 points). A full wall allowed them to increase their lead to 19-10 going into Missing Vowels, and maintained it there to win 22-15.

 

Mastermind was a very high scoring affair indeed, with Patrick Buckingham winning on 27 points and OC winner Andrew Fanko just behind him on 26 and Dan Sheehy third on 23, all three having secured 13 on their specialist rounds. Emma Harris also took part, and finished on 10 points.