We're approaching the end of a great series and with just seven heats to go, we have seven of our eight finalists confirmed (bar anyone dropping out). Gemma Church looks set to claim the all-important eighth spot and the only two people who can possibly deny her are today's two contenders and that would take a fairly unlikely sequence of events. Yesterday, Jonathan Liew became the sixth octochamp of the series so we are without a champion. Let's see if today's challengers can make a genuine push for the finals, either this series or next.
C1: Challenger Tim Bluck is an office administrator from Worcester. He has done a tandem skydive for charity and is a fan of 60's and 70's country and reggae music.
C2: Challenger George Skinner is a student from Swindon, who plays for the football team Swindon Spitfires. He is hoping to study economics at university after completing his A-Levels.
DC: Susie Dent and Pam Ayres.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: R A W I D M N S E
R02: T V A O B I S P E
R03: 75, 50, 2, 5, 9, 6. Target: 976.
TTT: IPELTAMY - "I pelt Amy with snowballs during the school break."
R04: V U A O N M R I H
R05: Q A R L R E C G A
R06: 25, 75, 9, 8, 4, 1. Target: 678.
R07: R E N I X L S C O
R08: T I U O D T P G E
R09: 25, 10, 3, 2, 9, 6. Target: 661.
TTT: BEERLAMP - "A short introduction before a leisurely stroll."
R10: D I T H A E S N K
R11: R A G O I F S E R
R12: T A R B U E J S N
R13: A Z S O E I L E Y
R14: 50, 25, 2, 8, 3, 3. Target: 509.
R15: U N D I D P O E M (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: R A W I D M N S E
C1: WIDEN (5)
C2: MAIDENS (7)
DC: INWARDS (7) SARDINE (7) WIREMAN (7)
OT: ADMIRES (7) MANDIRS (7) MARINES (7) MEDIANS (7) MEDINAS (7) MINDERS (7) MISREAD (7) REMAINS (7) REMANDS (7) REMINDS (7) REWINDS (7) SANDIER (7) SEMINAR (7) SIDEARM (7) SIDEMAN (7) SWARMED (7) WANDERS (7) WARDENS (7) WINDERS (7)
Score: 0–7 (max 7)
Loads of sevens to choose from but Tim makes a nervy start and only offers a five, not even thinking to add the S to WIDEN. George makes the perfect start, even though he sounded uncertain about his MAIDENS.
Round 2: T V A O B I S P E
C1: PASTE (5)
C2: BOATS (5)
DC: OBVIATES (8)
Score: 5–12 (max 15)
An impressive darren from the corner as the contestants fail to see past five.
Round 3: 75, 50, 2, 5, 9, 6. Target: 976.
C1: -
C2: 976. 50 x 2 x 9 + 75 + 6 - 5 (10)
Score: 5–22 (max 25)
George is spot on with this two large numbers game which turns out to be easier than it first looks (for me anyway
).Teatime teaser: IPELTAMY -> PLAYTIME
Round 4: V U A O N M R I H
C1: -
C2: MOURN (5)
DC: MOHAIR (6) MANOIR (6)
OT: RUMINA (6)
Score: 5–27 (max 31)
Tough selection. George wins the round with a five as Tim draws a blank, while DC offer a couple of sixes.
Round 5: Q A R L R E C G A
C1: LARGER (6)
C2: RAGER (5)
OT: REALGAR (7)
Score: 11–27 (max 38)
Tim wins his first round to get back in the game, while an obscure seven is missed by all.
Round 6: 25, 75, 9, 8, 4, 1. Target: 678.
C1: -
C2: 678. 75 x 9 + 4 - 1 (10)
Score: 11–37 (max 48)
Tim realises he's messed up late on so George goes even further in front.#
Pam performs one of her poems from her book about her little grandson.
Round 7: R E N I X L S C O
C1: RESIN (5)
C2: SIREN (5)
DC: LEXICONS (8)
OT: LICENSOR (8)
Score: 16–42 (max 56)
Only fives for the players while Susie finds an appropriate eight.
Round 8: T I U O D T P G E
C1: POUTED (6)
C2: POUTED (6)
DC: PUTTIED (7) TIPTOED (7)
Score: 22–48 (max 63)
Round 9: 25, 10, 3, 2, 9, 6. Target: 661.
C1: 675.
C2: -
RR: 661. (25 x 3 - 2) x 9 + 10 - 6 (10)
Score: 22–48 (max 73)
A double blank here so Rachel is called into action.
Teatime teaser: BEERLAMP -> PREAMBLE
Round 10: D I T H A E S N K
C1: STINK (5)
C2: THANKED (7)
DC: SKINHEAD (8) HANDIEST (8)
Score: 22–55 (max 81)
George is in control of this match as he comes up with another winner, despite missing a couple of eights.
Round 11: R A G O I F S E R
C1: RAGES (5)
C2: FRASE X
DC: FORAGERS (8)
Score: 27–55 (max 89)
DC pull off their third triple contestant beater of the day but Tim makes up some ground.
OoW: Susie dazzles us with the origin of the word "quarantine".
Round 12: T A R B U E J S N
C1: -
C2: BUTANES X
DC: TREASON X BREAST (6) BANTERS (7) JAUNTERS X
OT: ABJURES (7) BARNETS (7) BURNETS (7) NATURES (7) SAUNTER (7) TURBANS (7)
Score: 27–55 (max 96)
BUTANE is a mass noun so no luck for George again but Tim blanks again.
Round 13: A Z S O E I L E Y
C1: LIASE X
C2: LAZY (4)
DC: EASILY (6) SLEAZY (6)
OT: ASYLEE (6) SLEAZE (6) SLEAZO (6)
Score: 27–59 (max 102)
Tim was probably thinking of LIAISE and spelling it with just one I is a common mistake. He almost ended up picking six vowels too but luckily Rachel noticed just in time. George's LAZY four wins the round and secures him the coveted teapot.
Round 14: 50, 25, 2, 8, 3, 3. Target: 509.
C1: 509. (8 + 2) x 50 + 3 x 3 (10)
C2: 509. (8 + 2) x 50 + 3 x 3 (10)
Score: 37–69 (max 112)
Nice and straightforward.
Round 15: U N D I D P O E M
C2 buzzes on 9 seconds to say IMPOUNDED which is correct.
Final Score: 37–79 (max 122)
George rounds off his debut win by solving the conundrum. He's now the last person who can deny Gemma Church the final finals spot and he can only make the finals of this series by winning six, losing his seventh (the last prelim of the series) and end up with a higher score than Gemma. He'll realistically have to improve on today's showing for that to happen though. Join James tomorrow to find out if he can at least make it to two wins. I'll be back next week, hopefully at an earlier time, see ya!
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=69