University Challenge 2022-23: Preliminary Quarter-Final 3: Newnham vs Bristol

Good evening again friends, and welcome back to Quizzy Mondays! For the last time this season, we have a full Monday night line-up, tonight of course being the final of this year's OC. More on that later, but as for tonight's UC, both teams competing tonight lost their first round match and survived via, what even Paxo is now calling, the repechage; winners would join Durham and Royal Holloway in the qualifiers, runners-up would join Southampton and Robert Gordon in the eliminators.

Newnham College Cambridge were narrowly beaten 175-160 by the Courtauld Institite in their first match, but a 175-110 play-off win over Sheffield and a second round win over Cardiff on a tie-breaker after a 140-each dead heat has seen them through. They were unchanged from those 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 Zhiyu, from Suzhou in China, studying the History of Science

 

Bristol lost a brilliant first match to fellow quarter-finalists Durham 195-185, but have since beaten Oriel of Oxford 185-150 in the play-offs and Queen's of Belfast 205-90 in the second round. They were also the same quartet as before: 

Sam Kehler, from Wolverhampton, studying Medicine

Jacob McLaughlin, from Gloucester, studying Economics and Maths

Captain: Tess Richardson, from Reading, studying Chemistry

Alejandro Ortega, from Chalfont St Peter, studying Physics and Philosophy

 

So, off we set once again then, and a false start from Newnham saw them lost five straight away; Mr McLaughlin pounced, and Bristol took a full set of bonuses on 'enclosure'. A second penalty to the Cambridge side handed the Avonsiders a second starter in a row; no bonuses was taken by them this time, but Mr Kehler then gave them a third starter, which was followed by two bonuses on cholera. The first picture round, on Freudean concepts written in their original German, gave Newnham their first positive points of the game; a full bonus set reduced their arrears to 55-15.

A quick buzz from Ms Ellis further ate into that deficit, as did two bonuses on UC civil rights cases. But Mr McLaughlin then increased it again with a starter, followed by a single bonus, and two further penalties pushed Newnham back further; Bristol collected the points for one of those starters, and, again, took one bonus from the resulting set on economics. The music round, on songs that pay tribute to other artists, got Newnham moving in the right direction again; two correct bonuses (and an unlucky miss on the third) meant they now trailed 85-45.

A second starter in a row to the Cambridge team and a single bonus on astronomy meant they were just a starter and a full bonus set behind. But, again, it was that man Mr McLaughlin who was in first again on the next starter, which was followed by two bonuses on depictions of Hercules, which took them into three figures. Another starter to Bristol and a single bonus was followed by a most unfortunate moment as, asked for a two digit number on the next starter, Ms Holloway-Strong buzzed, then realised she was wrong, and was forced to offer "One. (beat) I know, it's not a two digit number; I'm sorry!"; in times gone by, Paxo would've probably gone off on one there, but instead he just gave a slightly more apologetic than usual "No, you lose five points". To be fair, she wasn't far off; the answer, supplied by Ms Richardson, was 11. One bonus followed again. The second picture round, on paintings depicting scenes from Shakspeare comedies, also went to Bristol; two bonuses took the scores to 155-55.

Another starter to the impressive Mr McLaughlin and a full bonus set confirmed the Avonsiders' victory, meaning the rest of the show was moot, but how far could both teams get. A starter and pair of bonuses took Newnham closer to three figures, but a starter and full bonus set on US state capitals took Bristol past 200. A final flourish saw Newnham take the last two starters of the game, and three of the six bonuses that came with them deservedly took them past 100. At the gong, Bristol won 205-110.

Another good contest played in superb spirit by two very watchable teams; well played both! Well done to Bristol, another impressive performance, and very best of luck in the qualifiers! Hard luck to Newnham, who did exactly the right thing in keeping on going for it and, had some of those early buzzes gone their way, it could well have been closer; best of luck to them in the eliminators!

The stats: Mr McLaughlin was the best buzzer of the match with seven, taking his running series total to 24, while Ms Bowen was best for Newnham with three. On the bonuses, Newnham managed 13 out of 21 (with a costly five penalties) and Bristol 19 out of 33.

Next week's match: Jesus Cambridge vs U.C.L.

Only Connect’s eighteenth final was contested by the Strigiformes and the Crustaceans, all of whom have been on UC before. The latter led 4-1 after the first round, and 8-5 after the second. A better wall meant the Strigiformes took the lead 15-13 going into Missing Vowels, and they fared better there to win the show, and the title, 22-16! Congrats to them, worthy winners, and the Crustaceans too, who would’ve been worthy winners too. Thanks to all involved for another most enjoyable series; bring on the next!

Mastermind’s first semi-final was won by Michael McPartland, who led narrowly after the SS round, but comfortably after GK, with 27 points easily topping the field ahead of Ben Farren on 23; Lee Ansett and Mark Rogers completed the line-up with 21 and 19 respectively.

 

Counterpoint’s first semi-final was a good closely fought contest; Anthony Fish defeated Clare Barrow and Dave Workman to take the first place in the final.