Thursday 3th June 2021 (Series 83, Preliminary 109)

[Rhys Benjamin]

Day 2 of the Test Match, Day 5 of Louis Ross's run...

Countdown recap for Thursday 3 June 2021.

Nick starts off with a prank video gone wrong, almost as if he's doing a clickbait video title, about a girl with a nut allergy.

C1: Champion Louis Ross (4 wins, 369 points.)
C2: Challenger Lesley Fernley. Nearing partial retirement and determined to get out of the country. Answers Nick's questions with 7 consecutive "yes"es. I've always to meet someone called Yes.
DC: Susie Dent and Dr Phil Hammond.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: E O E N G T B L I
R02: D S F E O R G A P
R03: 50, 2, 1, 8, 9, 6. Target: 707.
TTT: STRIVEON - "It's not his birthday, but he's hoping for many happy returns."
R04: R M W O E N R O P
R05: E I E B S T S U I
R06: 100, 4, 5, 8, 2, 3. Target: 487.
R07: E E I G Y W R D U
R08: S H P T O E O O M
R09: 50, 4, 1, 6, 4, 3. Target: 941.
TTT: DONSAWAY - "It's the present that you just can't take back."
R10: N K L A O P S C E
R11: T I E I C R S E L
R12: T F H O A I A M A
R13: I I U D N M S L E
R14: 75, 1, 5, 6, 9, 4. Target: 508.
R15: K O W F A R M E R (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: E O E N G T B L I

Louis: BOLTING (7)
Lesley: BELTING (7)
DC: GENTILE (7) BILTONG (7)
OT: BEETLING (8) BELONITE (8) NOBLEITE (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8, jos 7)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)

Sevens all round to start. The computer can get us to eight, mind you.

Round 2: D S F E O R G A P

Louis: FORAGES (7)
Lesley: GRASPED (7)
OT: DEFRAGS (7) FEDORAS (7) FORAGED (7) PARODES (7) PODGERS (7) SPARGED (7)
Score: 14–14 (max 15, jos 14)
Darren-o-meter: 0/2 (0%)

Another set of sevens all around.

Round 3: 50, 2, 1, 8, 9, 6. Target: 707.

Louis: 707. (6 + 8) × 50 + 9 − 2​ (10)
Lesley: 708.
Score: 24–14 (max 25, jos 24)

This is a poor miss from Lesley and it gives Louis a 10-point lead after just 3 rounds.

Teatime teaser: STRIVEON -> INVESTOR

Round 4: R M W O E N R O P

Louis: poormen (risk) (two words)
Lesley: MOONER (6)
DC: ROMPER (6) ROOMER (6)
OT: POMERON (7)
Score: 24–20 (max 32, jos 30)
Darren-o-meter: 1/3 (33%)

Lesley strikes back with a six. Louis risks a seven, but POOR MEN is two words. There was one seven there but no one saw it at all.

Round 5: E I E B S T S U I

Louis: BUSIEST (7)
Lesley: BUSIEST (7)
DC: BESTIES (7)
OT: SUBITISE (8)
Score: 31–27 (max 40, jos 37)
Darren-o-meter: 2/4 (50%)

Sevens for our contestants and Dictionary Corner, but they are beaten by an eight from the computer.

Round 6: 100, 4, 5, 8, 2, 3. Target: 487.

Louis: 487. 100 × 5 − (8 + 4 + 3 − 2)​ (10)
Lesley: 487. 100 × 5 − (8 + 3 + 2)​ (10)
Score: 41–37 (max 50, jos 47)

Louis goes all around the houses to make 13, but otherwise it's easy enough for both of our players.

Phil continues his theme on retirement, and asks Nick about life expectancy - how morbid...! Apparently 103-year-olds are more than 50% likely to make it to 104, but it drops below 50% at that age. Sounds a bit odd to me - Louis's guess is closest at 90. There then follows a discussion on how to live longer in retirement (which is REALLY relatable to me as a 22-year-old...(!)). Walkers at 5kph (3mph) live longer, apparently...

Round 7: E E I G Y W R D U

Louis: WEDGIE (6) (risk)
Lesley: GREEDY (6)
OT: REGUIDE (7)
Score: 47–43 (max 57, jos 53)
Darren-o-meter: 3/5 (60%)

Risk and reward for Louis. Although it's not a numbers round, Lesley gives us an Ariana Grande song. Maybe my terminology is catching on after all.

Round 8: S H P T O E O O M

Louis: SMOOTH (6)
Lesley: PHOTOS (6)
DC: PHOTOES (7)
OT: HOOPOES (7) SMOOTHE (7)
Score: 53–49 (max 64, jos 60)
Darren-o-meter: 3/6 (50%)

Both contestants miss very straightforward stems, one of which is pointed out by Phil.

Round 9: 50, 4, 1, 6, 4, 3. Target: 941.

Louis: 942. (6 × 3 + 1) × 50 − 4 − 4​ (7)
Lesley: 942 (but I'm not sure if I've done it right). (6 × 3 + 1) × 50 − 4 − 4​ (7)
RR: 941. (6 × 4 − 4) × (50 − 3) + 1​ (10)
Score: 60–56 (max 74, jos 70)

Lesley's indecision about her one away solution proves to be a non-event when it turns out to be the same as Louis's and the gap stays at four points. Rachel gives the one and only solution.

Teatime teaser: DONSAWAY -> NOWADAYS

Round 10: N K L A O P S C E

Louis: PLANKS (6)
Lesley: SPOKEN (6)
DC: SLACKEN (7) CANKLES (7)
OT: ENCLASP (7) NESPOLA (7) NOCAKES (7) NOPALES (7) PALONES (7) POCKLES (7) POLACKS (7) SPACKLE (7)
Score: 66–62 (max 81, jos 77)
Darren-o-meter: 3/7 (43%)

Both contestants miss approximately a million 7s.

Round 11: T I E I C R S E L

Louis: RECITES (7)
Lesley: riciest (risky)
DC: TIERCELS (8)
OT: RETICLES (8) SCLERITE (8) SERICITE (8)
Score: 73–62 (max 89, jos 85)
Darren-o-meter: 3/8 (38%)

A risk too far for Lesley as RICIEST - the most ricey - isn't in. There were four eights available, and Susie picks out one of them. The lead goes out to 11 points and that might be what Louis needed.

Question from Chris Buckle, an amateur maker of cigar box guitars. He asks about the different meanings of "fret" and Susie confirms what he already knew, they're all very diverse words.

Round 12: T F H O A I A M A

Louis: FATHOM (6)
Lesley: FAITH (5)
OT: HAMFAT (6) TAIAHA (6) TAIHOA (6)
Score: 79–62 (max 95, jos 91)
Darren-o-meter: 3/9 (33%)

Louis's six extends his lead further to 17, as Lesley can only see a five.

Round 13: I I U D N M S L E

Louis: unsmiled (risk)
Lesley: mudlines (risk) (hyphenated)
DC: MIDLINES (8)
OT: MISLINED (8) MUSLINED (8)
Score: 79–62 (max 103, jos 99)
Darren-o-meter: 3/10 (30%)

Oh dear, this isn't great Countdown. Both contestants go for risks when they don't really need to, especially Louis who has first mover advantage in this case (bit of game theory for you there). Lesley gets her vowels the wrong way round, Phil declares that they should both be allowed and "never mind the dictionary" (really??) and Nick declares "Lesley is playing well". I mean, she hasn't scored in the last three rounds, but you do you, Nick...

It's time for the last numbers round, and Rachel tries, and fails, to persuade Lesley to gamble.

Round 14: 75, 1, 5, 6, 9, 4. Target: 508.

Louis: 508. (75 + 9) × 6 + 4 (10)
Lesley: -
Score: 89–62 (max 113, jos 109)

It's immaterial anyway as Louis picks up the 10 points, and Lesley doesn't even get close. Can he pick up another conundrum?

Round 15: K O W F A R M E R

Louis buzzes on 6.5 seconds to say FRAMEWORK which is correct.
Final Score: 99–62 (max 123, jos 119)

Indeed he can - again to make the scoreline flatter him a little bit. 37 points is the winning margin and even the buzz time is the same as yesterday.

Louis moves on to five wins - just three more to go, although it would seem that he might make the finals even if he loses tomorrow.

Join me again tomorrow evening, after the cricket, for the recap.


Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=83