University Challenge 2022-23: Round 2: Match 3: Newnham vs Cardiff

Good evening friends, and welcome to the third Quizzy Mondays of the year! Tonight's UC was one of those contests that I'd like to cite as proof that the second round being a straight knockout is highly unfair, as these were two good teams, both of whom would've been worthy quarter-finalists but, alas, only one could be so. I know, I've moaned about this format many times before, but I'll keep doing so until it's gone; but, of course, it won't be gone until someone thinks of something better, so we're stuck with it. Anyway, enough moaning about the format, lets talk about this excellent contest...

Newnham College Cambridge were narrowly beaten by last week's runners-up Courtauld in the first round, but survived to the play-offs, where they comfortably beat Sheffield. They were unchanged from those two previous games: 

Bethan Holloway-Strong, from Surrey and Australia, studying English

Hannah Bowen, from Gateshead, studying German, Russian and Polish

Captain: Roma Ellis, from Nottingham, studying Philosophy 

Chén Zhou, from Suzhou in China, studying the History of Science

 

Cardiff came straight through to this stage with an easy first round victory over a plucky Coventry team, leading from the off and winning 235-50. They were also unchanged from before:

John Wimperis, from Stroud, studying News Journalism

Will Balkwill-Western, from North Devon, studying Chemistry

Captain: Zoe Revell, from Cardiff, studying Maths

Ella Freeman, from Cardiff, studying Psychology

 

So, off we set again then, and it was Newnham who got off the mark first via Ms Holloway-Strong; one bonus on art neaveau got the Cambridge side going, but Cardiff immediately responded with Mr Wimperis taking their first starter and a full bonus set from a classic UC set on words differing in having an X at the end. Newnham pulled level again with Ms Ellis taking the next starter, but no bonuses meant they stayed on level pegging. The first picture round, on the titles in Spanish of works written in English about the Spanish Civil War, also went to the Cambridge side; a sole bonus came this time, but they'd now retaken the lead, 40-25.

A third starter in a row increased Newnham's lead, but their alternation with the bonuses continued, none this time on scientific terms beginning 'para'. Mr Balkwill-Western, as he did so often in the first round, came in for Cardiff to give them their second starter of the night; they too took just one bonus, but a second starter in a row put the Welsh side on level pegging, and two bonuses gave them the lead. Only for Ms Bowen to put Newnham level again with the next starter, and a single bonus to give them the lead back. The Cambridge side also took the music round, on inaugural tracks from the US National Recording Registry; a full house increased their lead to 90-60.

Back came Cardiff with Ms Revell taking the next starter, but it was their turn to draw a blank on the bonuses, on cycling. A second starter in a row to the Welsh side gave them one correct bonus to pull them back within five, only for Ms Ellis to immediately increased the advantage again by taking the next starter; just one bonus followed again, but they had nonetheless reached three figures first. (Ms Ellis reports on Twitter that TPTB cut a snide remark made by Paxo when they could only think of alcoholic drinks when asked for a 'beverage'! Watching it back just now, I could indeed see a pretty obvious jump cut where this should've been!) Neither team identified a still from Carrie for the second picture starter; the bonuses, on films talked about by Carol J Clover in her book 'Men, Women and Chainsaws', went to Cardiff, who took a sole bonus to stay in touch, 105-100.

A straight sprint to the finish now then, and Cardiff blinked first as Ms Freeman took the next starter; bonuses on poetry saw them only take five points though, as they could only saw Milton to every one! It did at least give them the lead back, only for Ms Ellis to pull Newnham back level again; just one bonus followed, but the Newnham captain put her side within sight of victory by taking the next starter, with two correct bonuses adding to their cause. One more starter would do it, but Cardiff took the next one instead, and a well-timed full set of bonuses on New Hampshire put the teams on level pegging again! And that was the gong; a 140-each tie!

So, for the second time this series, we went to sudden death! It was Ms Ellis, once again, who was first in on the resulting tie-breaker, and was correct! Newnham had the win!

A fine, close contest between two good teams, neither of whom, as I said earlier, deserved to go out at this stage, or lose that game, a tie was the right result really. Well played Newnham nonetheless, and very best of luck in the quarter-finals! Hard lines to Cardiff, but they can leave with their heads high, well played indeed!

The stats: Ms Ellis was the best buzzer of the night with five starters (plus the tie-breaker), while Ms Freeman was best for Cardiff with three. On the bonuses, Newnham managed 10 out of 27 and Cardiff 12 out of 24, so they made up for one less starter with two more bonuses; that's how well matched these teams were.

Next week's match: again, don't know yet, will let you know as soon as I do.

Only Connect concluded its play-offs with the Jugadores playing the Cunning Planners. The latter led 5-1 after the first round, and 10-7 after the second. Two perfect walls meant it was as you were, 20-17 going into Missing Vowels, and the Planners increased that lead in that to win 27-21 to take the final place in the quarter-finals.

 

Mastermind was won easily by Alex Shilton, whose 24 points saw him comfortably beat Hamid Khan and Adeline McCartney, who finished joint second with 19, and Lesley Ravenscroft, who scored 15.

 

Counterpoint was won by Claire Barrow, a former Mastermind finalist, who sprinted away from a close pack in the final round to take the second place in an already strong semi-final line-up.