Tuesday 12th August - Series 71, Prelim 26

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Callum Todd
Series 69 Champion
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Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 3:38 pm
Location: Leeds

Tuesday 12th August - Series 71, Prelim 26

Post by Callum Todd »

Countdown recap for Tuesday 12 August 2014.

C1: Champion Mark Davies (2 wins, 213 points.) He's been impressive so far, can he continue his good run?
C2: Challenger John Cook.
DC: Susie Dent and Gethin Jones.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: K D G A E O R U T
R02: N X T I E S M O I
R03: 100, 75, 5, 7, 9, 4. Target: 718.
TTT: SEABAITS - "You have done tremendously well if you get past these".
R04: G R E L I S R U F
R05: L R N A E U V A H
R06: 100, 2, 4, 5, 6, 10. Target: 154.
R07: B C P O I E L O G
R08: R N M U A S E L D
R09: 100, 25, 9, 9, 7, 5. Target: 661.
TTT: LIAMSTEN - "Liam's ten times more masculine than everyone else".
R10: H T R O T A N E V
R11: T S D O I A T O F
R12: Y P W E T U N S O
R13: J D N E A E R A P
R14: 7, 9, 10, 8, 5, 4. Target: 327.
R15: R A N T H E G I G (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: K D G A E O R U T

Mark: OUTRAGED (8)
John: OUTRAGED (8)
DC: GROUTED (7)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)

Good darrenic start from both players.

Round 2: N X T I E S M O I

Mark: MOISTEN (7)
John: MOISTEN (7)
DC: TIMES (5) TOXINS (6) NIXES (5)
Score: 15–15 (max 15)

2 darrens out of 2 or both players now.

Round 3: 100, 75, 5, 7, 9, 4. Target: 718.

Mark: 718. 7x100+9+5+4 (10)
John: 718. Mistake in working.
Score: 25–15 (max 25)

Mark has the numbers, and so does John - except he used a number twice so Mark alone takes the points.

Teatime teaser: SEABAITS -> ABATISES

Round 4: G R E L I S R U F

Mark: FIGURES (7)
John: FIGURES (7)
DC: SURFER (6) SURLIER (7) FLURRIES (8)
Score: 32–22 (max 33)

Each contestant FIGURES out a seven, but FLURRIES was there for eight.

Round 5: L R N A E U V A H

Mark: UNREAL (6)
John: VERNAL (6)
DC: LEARN (5) UNRAVEL (7)
Score: 38–28 (max 40)

Sixes for both contestants here but there is a darrenic seven there to be UNRAVELled from the selection.

Round 6: 100, 2, 4, 5, 6, 10. Target: 154.

Mark: 154. 5x10+4+100 (10)
John: 154. 5x10+4+100 (10)
Score: 48–38 (max 50)

Nice easy numbers boosts both players' scores.

Round 7: B C P O I E L O G

Mark: POLICE (6)
John: POLICE (6)
DC: BOOGIE (6)
OT: BLOOIE (6) COOLIE (6) GOOLIE (6) OBLIGE (6)
Score: 54–44 (max 56)

A fairly flat round here sees both contestants max another round.

Round 8: R N M U A S E L D

Mark: NUMERALS (8)
John: LAUNDERS (8)
DC: SURNAMED (8)
OT: LURDANES (8) MANDRELS (8) MAUNDERS (8) MENSURAL (8)
Score: 62–52 (max 64)

And another flat round, this time with eights rather than sixes.

Round 9: 100, 25, 9, 9, 7, 5. Target: 661.

Mark: 661. (100-25)x9-9-5 (10)
John: "no".
Score: 72–52 (max 74)

John struggles here so Mark doubles his lead.

Teatime teaser: LIAMSTEN -> MANLIEST

Round 10: H T R O T A N E V

Mark: ANOTHER (7)
John: notator
DC: HOTTER (6) THROAT (6)
Score: 79–52 (max 81)

John uses the O twice so for the first time today, somebody wins a letters round. Mark now has a comfortable 27 point lead.

Round 11: T S D O I A T O F

Mark: STAID (5)
John: AFOOT (5)
DC: STIFADO (7)
OT: TOSTADO (7)
Score: 84–57 (max 88)

Both contestants are stuck on five but DC has one of the two sevens.

Round 12: Y P W E T U N S O

Mark: UNSWEPT (7)
John: unwets
DC: UNWEPT (6)
OT: UPTOWNS (7)
Score: 91–57 (max 95)

Mark and John both take a risk here, but unfortunately for John it is only Mark's that pays off.

Round 13: J D N E A E R A P

Mark: ENDEAR (6)
John: REAPED (6)
DC: PARADE (6) PANDER (6)
OT: EARNED (6) NEAPED (6) NEARED (6) PANEER (6) PRAJNA (6)
Score: 97–63 (max 101)

A flat round of sixes to see the letters games off for today. Perhaps the nicest word available here is PRAJNA, which is a Buddhism thing that I don't quite understand.

Round 14: 7, 9, 10, 8, 5, 4. Target: 327.

Mark: 329.
John: 327. 10x4x8+7 (10)
Score: 97–73 (max 111)

John gives Rachel the choice of either 6 small or 4 large to make things interesting. She chooses six small and it works out for him as he can solve it while Mark can't. The points gap is closed, but it won't be enough to win this game for John.

Round 15: R A N T H E G I G

Mark buzzes on 1 second to say GATHERING which is correct.
Final Score: 107–73 (max 121)

Mark reasserts his control over the game with a very speedy conundrum solve. He came up against a tough competitor today but played very well again to win fairly comfortably. That's three centuries out of three now, but can he make it four? Join James tomorrow to find out.

Statistics
Raw score: Mark 107 - John 73
Maximums: Mark 11 - John 7

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=71
Mark Deeks wrote:Callum Todd looks like a young Ted Bundy.
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