Good evening friends, and welcome to the third and penultimate (for now) installment of Quizzy Tuesday! Thankfully, we were on at a much more sensible time this week, so back to fuller reviews tonight. I am considering whether to make the streamlined style permanent for the first round at least next series though, if indeed I decide to carry on next series. On with tonight's show, where the task for the two teams was to either win, or lose with a score of 185 or more to guarantee a return.
Balliol College Oxford is appearing for the ninth time in the BBC era, and, as Paxo pointed out, is the last Oxford institution to have won the show (back in 2016-17), as well as reaching both the QFs and the SFs twice, including on its last outing two series ago. This year's foursome were:
Ben Falconer, from Liverpool, studying Ancient and Modern History
Ella Higgs-Sharrock, from Norwich, studying Medieval History
Captain: Cal Hewitt, from Canterbury, studying Physics
Leonie Loughlin, from South Shields, studying Medicine
Southampton is making its tenth appearance of the BBC era, of which its most successful was the 2013-14 team that included our old friend Richard Evans and OC alumni Matt Loxham and Bob De Caux, who reached the QFs; its three teams since, the last three series ago, have all fallen in the second round. This year's quartet were:
Ethan Lyon, from Northampton, studying Film
Magda Steele, from Poland, studying Ecology
Captain: Dom Belcher, from Worcestershire, studying Machine Learning
Elliot Miles, from the Wirral, studying Marine Biology
So off we set again then, and Mr Lyon took the first starter of the night, but the Saints failed to secure any of their first bonus set on poetry and science. Balliol in contrast got a full house on their first set that included a welcome mention of that old UC favourite the Hapax Legomenon! Two starters were dropped before Southampton took a second starter, and this time managed one bonus on 'American' films. They also took the first picture round, on pasta sauces and their ingredients; two bonuses gave them a lead of 45-25.
Mr Belcher gave Southampton a third starter in a row, and the Saints' gradually improving bonus rate was completed as they took a full set on video games. Balliol took a second starter, and two bonuses on military paintings by Lady Butler, but Southampton had the run on the buzzers, Mr Belcher taking two in a row, with one bonus from the first set on particle physics, but a full house from the second, on movie Easter eggs. The music round, on songs written in protest at the Vietnam War, also went to Southampton; just one bonus followed, but they had now upped their lead to 125-45.
And it just kept getting bigger as Mr Lyon took the next starter, giving them a bonus set on Scottish football, which they got one of (and I got all three of), and which included a mention of the old joke of Queen of the South being the only football team mentioned in the Bible! ("I believe they last won a trophy in 43 AD!" "That's a brammer, PAAAAT!") Mr Falconer finally got another starter on the board for Balliol, and a full bonus set proved they weren't out of the game if they could get a run together. But Mr Belcher and Ms Steele took the next two starters, with five out of six bonuses following, including a very quick full house on office equipment. The Saints also took the second picture round, on paintings analysed by Foucault; no bonuses were taken, but they now led 195-70, and the game was pretty much over.
Which left Balliol with the task of getting to the play-offs; Ms Loughlin took the next starter, and two bonuses meant they could still do that if they got a move on. Ms Higgs-Sharrock then took the next, and one bonus on languages deservedly took them into three figures. But Mr Belcher took the next for Southampton, which took them past 200; two bonuses on London music were taken, including them welcomingly declaring 'Mornington Crescent'! Both sides then dropped five points late on, after which Balliol took another starter, but just one bonus ended their play-off hopes. At the gong, Southampton won 210-115.
A fun contest between two good watchable teams, well played both there. Well done to Southampton, a good performance that could stand them in good stead in the next round, especially if they can improve their hit and miss bonus rate; best of luck in the next round! Hard lines to Balliol, a reasonable team who, like St Catherine's last week, would've maybe done better against another team, but a fair effort, thanks for playing!
The stats: Mr Lyon was the best buzzer of the night with six starters, while Ms Hewitt and Ms Loughlin got two each for Balliol. On the bonuses, Balliol managed 12 out of 18 and Southampton 19 out of 36, and both sides incurred one late penalty each.
Next week's match, same time next Tuesday: Bangor vs Nottingham
Only Connect’s third eliminator
match saw the returns of the Jugadores and the Seagulls. The latter led 5-4
after the first round, before the former levelled it up at 9-9 after the second.
Two perfect walls meant it stayed level, 19-19, going into Missing Vowels,
which the Jugadores just fared better in to win 25-22.
Mastermind was won by Michael
McPartland (alumnus of OC, Fifteen-to-One and others as well as a previous
Mastermind finalist), who led after the specialist round and after a fine GK
round to win with a superb score of 31, four clear of second place Hilary
Burton (who was displaying such visible nerves after her SS round that Clive M
felt the need to check she was feeling OK); Paddy Storrie and Sam Bowdery completed
the high scoring line-up with 22 and 21 respectively.
Yesterday’s Brain of Britain was
won by Marianne Fairthorne, who took the lead with a six pointer in the second
round and maintained a steady lead of second placed Crispin Dawes for the rest of
the show, eventually winning with 16 points to his 12; her win means the show
is on course to follow Counterpoint in having (possibly) its first ever all-woman
final! Will Howells and Thomas Leeming completed the strong line-up with 6 and
5 respectively.
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