University Challenge 2022-23: Round 1: Match 7: Caius vs St Andrews

Good evening friends, and welcome back to Quizzy Mondays! Well, if you're a fan of spotting the same people on different quiz shows, you won't have been disappointed by today's quiz offerings! More on the rest later, but on with UC for now, with two institutions who have one title each to their names, though one was a lot more recent than the other.

Gonville & Caius College Cambridge won the title in the 2014-15 series, beating Magdalen of Oxford in a final most memorable for Ted Loveday's iconic answer of 'Hapax Legomenon'! It also reached the 2003-04 final, losing to, er, Magdalen of Oxford(!), and has appeared in two other BBC series. This year's foursome were:

Zoe Zhang, from North West London, studying History and German

Jasper Maughan, from Sevenoaks, studying Ukrainian, Russian and German

Captain: Abigail Tan, from Brentwood, studying Maths

Stefan Ivanov, from Bulgaria, studying Physics 

 

St Andrews won its title much longer ago in 1982, a team captained by Fifteen-to-One and Brain of Britain winner Barbara Thompson. Its most successful of its 17 BBC series appearances was in the afore-mentioned 03-04 series, where they lost in the semis to that same Magdalen team! Its last two appearances, in the last two series, have been second round exits. This year's quartet were:

Alec Csukai, from Wokingham, studying Astronomy and Astrophysics

Simon Gibbons, from Misterton in Nottinghamshire, stduying Sustainable Development

Captain: Joseph Cryan, from the Lune Valley in Lancashire, studying History

Sofya Anisimova, from Moscow, studying Military History

 

So off we set once again, and Mr Gibbons opened the scoring for the night with the RSPB; the Scots side got nothing from the first bonus set of the night though, and Caius did only marginally better with their subsequent first set, on places ended in 'ton', taking just the one. St Andrews also got one from their second bonus set, on elements, and also took the first picture round, on hosts of Olympic sailing events on behalf of a further inland main host; a full house took their lead to 50-15.

Caius immediately eked into that lead, but they drew a blank on a bonus set on the work of director and noted Simpsons guest star John Waters. Mr Cryan was unlucky on the next starter, going for the buzzer just a tad too early before a swerve rendered his answer wrong; Caius couldn't capitalise, but Mr Ivanov took another starter and two bonuses on medicine pulled them level. But St Andrews retook the lead with the next starter and a pair of bonuses, and they then took the music round, on classical pieces containing cryptograms, after which they led 85-45.

Another penalty was picked up by Caius this time however, and a bonus pair of their own reduced the gap to 15 points. But up it went again after Mr Gibbons took the next starter; no bonuses followed, but Mr Csukai was close enough on the next starter, and two bonuses on tennis took the Scots side into three figures. The second picture round, on artworks stolen in the Isabella Stewart Garden robbery (including The Concert by Vermeer, which it's since been revealed on The Simpsons that Mr Burns was responsible for stealing!), also went to St Andrews, who took two bonuses, which increased their lead to 130-65.

Caius would have to run the show from now on to stand a chance, and a starter from Mr Maughan plus two bonuses was a good start. A second starter in a row and a single bonus took them into three figures, and they could certainly catch up now if they were quick. A third in a row plus two bonuses put them within ten points, and meant they could tie the game if they took the final starter! But Mr Gibbons took it instead, which won the game for his side; at the gong, St Andrews won 140-120.

A match that starter slowly, but picked up in the later stages and ended up a good close one, two well matched teams there, well played both. Well done St Andrews, and best of luck in the second round! Hard lines to Caius, but a pretty decent showing, and that score might just be enough for the play-offs; but thanks for playing in the meantime.

The stats: Mr Gibbons was the best buzzer of the night with four starters, while Ms Tan was best for Caius with three. On the bonuses, Caius managed 10 out of 21 and St Andrews 12 out of 24 (with two penalties).

Next week's match: Sheffield vs U.C.L.

Only Connect’s penultimate first round match was contested by the Scrummagers, Liz Kirkham, Molly Kirkham and captain Zac Tyler, and the Crustaceans, Dennis, Elia Cugini and captain Alex Hardwick, all of whom have been on UC in this blog’s lifetime, the former ten series ago in the series I spent the summer re-reviewing, the latter two more recently. They led 8-1 after the first round, and 12-5 after the second. A dropped connection on the wall allowed the Scrummagers to close the gap to 19-15 going into Missing Vowels, but the Crustaceans just about maintained their lead to win 25-21.

 

Mastermind was won narrowly by OC alumnus Sam Swift with 22 points, with second placed Pete Wescott just one behind on 21; Isabel Burgin and Julia Clifton also competed, finishing with 12 and 16 respectively.

 

Brain of Britain was a very close and quick scoring affair, with the result that only four rounds were played instead of the now-usual five. OC and Fifteen-to-One 2.0 runner-up Will Howells won the show with 11 points, 1 ahead of Mastermind finalist and fellow OC alumnus Patrick Buckingham with 10, a score which is currently joint fourth for a high scoring runners-up spot (though he did provide the highlight of the show as he single handedly answered both Beat the Brains questions in very short order!). Julia Day and Tom Lee completed the line-up, both scoring 8.