Good evening friends, and welcome to the quarter-finals of this year's University Challenge! After a rather hit and miss first round, the second round was a definite step in the right direction, and, at the end of it, we have a very decent line-up of eight teams, any of whom could, as I said last night, reach the semis in the right circumstances. Tonight we opened with two teams who have had two comfortable wins so far...
Reading have defeated two Scottish institutions so far, beating Strathclyde 175-115 in the first round, before very easily seeing off Dundee 245-50 in the second. They were unchanged from those two matches:
Alex Skopic, from Springville, Pennsylvania, studying English Literature
Margaret Ounsley, from Reading, studying Poor Law History
Captain: Michael Hutchinson, from Caversham (originally Andover), studying for a PGCE
Sylvain Jesudoss, from Thanjuvar, India, studying Marketing
Birmingham very also very easy winners of Sussex in a first round match where their opponents made history for the wrong reasons, before a similarly imperious second round win saw them beat St Andrews 225-50. They were also unchanged from before:
Mark McParlan, from Crosby near Liverpool, studying History and English
John Robinson, from Birmingham (originally Sevenoaks), studying Literature and Culture
Captain: Michael Joel Bartelle, from San Antonio, Texas, studying Shakespeare Studies
Jaimy Sajit, from Derby, studying Medicine
So, off we set on the quarter-final stage once again, and a Birmingham penalty immediately handed Reading an early advantage, with the Biscuitmen taking two bonuses on academies of learning. Birmingham quickly recovered their lost points though, and pulled level with a full set of bonuses, only for Ms Ounsley to quickly give Reading the lead again; one bonus on Shanghai was taken. The first picture round, on crown lands of Austria-Hungary, went to Birmingham; two correct gave them a 40-35 lead.
Mr Bartelle then increased this advantage with 'tabernacle', and a full set of bonuses on Owain Glyndwr was duly taken. Another starter to Birmingham gave them two correct bonuses, before Mr Hutchinson, easily Reading's best buzzer in the rounds prior, opened his account for this game; two correct bonuses were taken, but five of those points were then lost to a penalty. Birmingham picked up the points, but they got nothing from a bonus set on Thomas Hardy. Neither side got the music starter; the bonuses, on pop groups noted for use of sampling, went to Birmingham, who got nothing from a second successive bonus set, but still led 105-50.
Ms Sajit then ensured all four Birmingham players had answered a starter correctly, but, again, the bonuses didn't fall for them, nothing on Ancient Greek philosophy. Mr Hutchinson then reawoke Reading, and they, in contrast, took a full set on storms in classical music. The Reading captain then appeared to take an educated guess on the next starter, but was correct, and his side pulled right back into the game with a second successive full house. The second picture starter was dropped; the bonuses, on sculptures of birds, went to Reading, who took one bonus to pull level on 115-each, and set up a straight sprint for the finish.
Reading blinked first as that man Mr Hutchinson took a fourth correct starter in a row, which was followed by two correct bonuses on rivers. Back came Birmingham with Mr McParlan identifying the jay, and they too took two correct bonuses, which leveled the scores up again. Next starter would be crucial: Mr Hutchinson took it, and a full bonus set on Ireland put his side more or less over the line. The Reading captain made sure of the win by taking the final starter; they missed the one bonus there was time for, but it mattered not. At the gong, Reading won 170-135.
A good contest between two excellent well matched teams, well played both of them! Congrats to Reading, another good win and best of luck in the qualifiers! Hard lines to Birmingham, but they still gave a good account of themselves, and best of luck in the eliminators!
The stats: Mr Hutchinson was once again the best buzzer of the night with seven starters, taking his running total to 27, while Messrs McParlan and Bartelle were joint best for Birmingham with three each. On the bonuses, Reading managed 17 out of 25 and Birmingham 12 out of 24 (with both sides incurring one penalty each).
Next week's match: don't know yet, I would guess King's vs Imperial, but I'll retweet anything I find for definite.
Only Connect reached its second
semi-final, which saw the Data Wizards play the Ramblers. The Wizards led 4-1
after the first round (I claim FIVE POINTS on the very first question; I knew
about James Buchanan’s niece Harriet Lane from an old UC!), before the Ramblers
closed the gap to 9-7 after the second. Two very quick perfect walls made it as
you were, 19-17 going into Missing Vowels, which ended an even split, giving
the Data Wizards a 24-22 win; they go through the final against the Golfers in
two weeks’ time, the Ramblers will play the Animal Lovers in the third place
play-off next week.
Mastermind was won comfortably by
Lucy Westall with 25 points, six clear of second place Morgan Walmsley-Davies;
Lynn Roulstone and John Kiernan also partook, finishing with 16 and 17 respectively.
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