C1: Series 73 Semi-Finalist Tom Carey (10 games, 9 wins, 1,141 points.) An Apteforumite and maths student at Queens' College, Cambridge, but is originally from Bingley, West Yorkshire.
C2: Series 76 Champion Stephen Read (11 games, 11 wins, 1,230 points.) An Apteforumite and maths tutor from Lymm, Cheshire.
DC: Susie Dent and Kate Humble.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T U H O W A F I N
R02: T F E A G E S A B
R03: 75, 2, 8, 7, 6, 4. Target: 217.
TTT: NEARERRAG - "Move all the letters around to find a nine-letter word."
R04: L M O E G I B O A
R05: S E Z O D I K E L
R06: 10, 5, 1, 4, 3, 9. Target: 244.
R07: R I Q A G O S I N
R08: L R E A T E R O V
R09: 75, 25, 100, 50, 4, 3. Target: 335.
TTT: BRIDELATE - "The bride wasn't late for her wedding, she was free from traditional ideas."
R10: D S I U W O S I T
R11: G A R I S A T E I
R12: P N E O M I P N A
R13: M E T U H I V U R
R14: 50, 25, 6, 7, 2, 8. Target: 679.
R15: H A I R Y D E N T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T U H O W A F I N
Tom: FAINT (5)
Stephen: NOWHAT (6)
OT: FITNAH (6) UNTHAW (6)
Score: 0–6 (max 6)
An unusual 6 from Stephen, but unusual is better than wrong in our book, and he takes the lead early doors.
Round 2: T F E A G E S A B
Tom: TEABAGS (7)
Stephen: GABFEST (7)
Score: 7–13 (max 13)
Round 3: 75, 2, 8, 7, 6, 4. Target: 217.
Tom: 217. ((7 - 4) x 75) - 8 (10)
Stephen: 217. ((6 / 2) x 75) - 8 (10)
Score: 17–23 (max 23)
A nice double double keeps Stephen's lead intact for now.
Teatime teaser: NEARERRAG -> REARRANGE
Round 4: L M O E G I B O A
Tom: GLIOMA (6)
Stephen: OBLIGE (6)
DC: GAMBOL (6) GAMBLE (6) GIMBAL (6)
OT: MIGALOO (7)
Score: 23–29 (max 30)
No max game, but that in itself is a bit of a sideshow...
Round 5: S E Z O D I K E L
Tom: OILSEED (7)
Stephen: doelike
DC: DIESEL (6) KELOIDS (7)
Score: 30–29 (max 37)
WOAH!! So many "animal"-like words are seemingly in nowadays, but not yet room for doelike.
Round 6: 10, 5, 1, 4, 3, 9. Target: 244.
Tom: 244. ((9 - 1) x 3 x 10) + 4 (10)
Stephen: 244. ((10 - 1) x 9 x 3) + 5 - 4 (10)
Score: 40–39 (max 47)
Kate talks about her 20 years presenting Animal Park at Longleat.
Round 7: R I Q A G O S I N
Tom: SOARING (7)
Stephen: SOARING (7)
DC: RAISING (7) ORIGINS (7)
OT: SIGNORIA (8)
Score: 47–46 (max 55)
Round 8: L R E A T E R O V
Tom: ELEVATOR (8)
Stephen: OVERRATE (8)
DC: OVERLATE (8)
OT: REVELATOR (18)
Score: 55–54 (max 73)
No maxes in the last 2 rounds, but Tom is still ahead, but this game is still on a knife-edge.
Round 9: 75, 25, 100, 50, 4, 3. Target: 335.
Tom: 335. ((100 - 4) x (75 / 25)) + 50 - 3 (10)
Stephen: 335. ((100 - 4) x (75 / 25)) + 50 - 3 (10)
Score: 65–64 (max 83)
4 large isn't going to separate these 2 maths geniuses...
Teatime teaser: BRIDELATE -> LIBERATED
Round 10: D S I U W O S I T
Tom: STUDIOS (7)
Stephen: IDIOTS (6)
Score: 72–64 (max 90)
But STUDIOS will widen the gap...,
Round 11: G A R I S A T E I
Tom: GAIATRIS (8)
Stephen: agrestia
Score: 80–64 (max 98)
..., and the super incredible GAIATRIS looks like it will take Tom out of sight
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "square meal".
Round 12: P N E O M I P N A
Tom: PEPINO (6)
Stephen: PIPEMAN (7)
DC: monie PIEMAN (6)
OT: PAEONIN (7)
Score: 80–71 (max 105)
What was I thinking
It's a CoC, of course it's not THAT straightforward, and the gap is back down to single figures thanks to Stephen's PIPEMAN. 
Round 13: M E T U H I V U R
Tom: VIRTUE (6)
Stephen: VIRTUE (6)
DC: HERMIT (6)
OT: ERUVIM (6) HUMERI (6) MITHER (6) THRIVE (6) THUMRI (6)
Score: 86–77 (max 111)
Patience is said to be a VIRTUE, but I think both these players will be relieved in one way or another when this game is done, but it's a nailbiter...
Round 14: 50, 25, 6, 7, 2, 8. Target: 679.
Tom: 679. ((7 + 6) x 50) + 25 + (8 / 2) (10)
Stephen: 679. ((7 + 6) x 50) + 25 + (8 / 2) (10)
Score: 96–87 (max 121)
No surprise that both players solve the numbers, and no surprise that this match has inevitably gone to a CRUCIAL CONUNDRUM...
Round 15: H A I R Y D E N T
Tom buzzes on 1.5 seconds to say ANHYDRITE which is correct.
Final Score: 106–87 (max 131)
A super swift spot by Tom, which gives him the win in this brilliant battle of the number 1 seeds. Stephen played his part in a tight affair, but Tom's brilliance in part 3 saw him seal the deal in the end, and he will play the winner of tomorrow's eagerly awaited match between Paul Erdunast and Zarte Siempre in the quarter-finals next week....
Statistics Corner
Tom:
Total score - 106
Raw score - 117
Total % of max - 81
Raw % of max - 89
Total average score per round - 7.1
Raw average score per round - 7.8
Number of maxes - 10
Stephen:
Total score - 87
Raw score - 93
Total % of max - 66
Raw % of max - 71
Total average score per round - 5.8
Raw average score per round - 6.2
Number of maxes - 8
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=-18