Let's see how he goes. Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 13 June 2013.
C1: Champion Glen Webb (6 wins, 702 points.) An Apterite and financial advisor from Cradley Heath, West Midlands.
C2: Challenger Anne Whitehead. From Garstang, Lancashire. She is retired, but does run her own reflexology practice. She also makes jams for her local branch of the WI.
DC: Susie Dent and Dan Snow.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: N G R D E A I M T
R02: O I A N S R Z E T
R03: 100, 2, 5, 3, 6, 7. Target: 984.
TTT: AWETHARE - "It's what the Scotsman might shed over this little bird"
R04: I A E H G N I L T
R05: C P L M O U A E B
R06: 100, 8, 9, 7, 7, 10. Target: 269.
R07: R S D W O E I P L
R08: I E O S N V C A S
R09: 75, 1, 3, 2, 1, 6. Target: 733.
TTT: ANYFUELS - "Any fuels stored near flames are stored thus"
R10: E U I E G N H Y S
R11: D F R T I E A N I
R12: O E A D V O I R T
R13: B S G T A E A Q S
R14: 100, 5, 8, 6, 5, 10. Target: 125.
R15: V I C H H E W E R (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: N G R D E A I M T
C1: DREAMING (8)
C2: DREAMING (8)
DC: MIGRATED (8) GRADIENT (8) EMIGRANT (8)
OT: DERATING (8) MARGINED (8) TREADING (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)
I'm DREAMING of a perrrrrrrr-fect start.
(At least you lot didn't have to hear me sing it 
)Round 2: O I A N S R Z E T
C1: NOTARIZES (18)
C2: STAIN (5)
Score: 26–8 (max 26)
What is it with 9's and round 2 with Glen
That's his 5th 9 of his run so far, and that's his 4th one that come in round 2 
Round 3: 100, 2, 5, 3, 6, 7. Target: 984.
C1: 984. (2 x 5 x 100) - (7 + 6 + 3) (10)
C2: 998.
Score: 36–8 (max 36)
And that's a nice little bonus for Glen, as Anne is out of the picture, letting him go 28 points clear at this early stage.
Teatime teaser: AWETHARE -> WHEATEAR
Round 4: I A E H G N I L T
C1: HEALING (7)
C2: HALTING (7)
DC: TAILING (7) HAILING (7) thingie
Me: ATHELING (8)
Score: 43–15 (max 44)
Glen decides to stay safe with 7. I wonder if the 8 that was left by everyone was the 8 he was thinking of............
In Early English history, an ATHELING was a man of royal blood.
Round 5: C P L M O U A E B
C1: PLACEBO (7)
C2: BECALM (6)
DC: AMPOULE (7)
OT: CEMBALO (7) LEUCOMA (7)
Score: 50–15 (max 51)
Another good spot from Glen, and he has his half-century already.
A CEMBALO is another word for a harpsichord.
LEUCOMA is a white opaque scar of the cornea.
Round 6: 100, 8, 9, 7, 7, 10. Target: 269.
C1: 269. ((9 + 8) x 10) + 100 - (7 / 7) (10)
C2: -
Score: 60–15 (max 61)
A nasty looking numbers there with that low target, but it's no problem for Glen, and I think he can already start thinking of making a return at the start of July.
Dan talks about his recent archaeological dig where he help dig up a Spitfire that was buried in a bog in Northern Ireland.
Round 7: R S D W O E I P L
C1: POWDERS (7)
C2: SPOILER (7)
DC: WEIRDOS (7)
OT: DESPOIL (7) DIPOLES (7) DOWRIES (7) PERIODS (7) POLDERS (7) PROWLED (7) ROWDIES (7) SOLDIER (7) SOLIDER (7) SPOILED (7) SWIRLED (7) WILDERS (7)
Score: 67–22 (max 68)
There almost looked like there was an obvious eight or eights in that one, but no, just a flatbed of 7's.
A DIPOLE is a pair of electric point charges or magnetic poles of equal magnitude and opposite signs, separated by an infinitesimal distance.
A POLDER is a tract of low land, especially in the Netherlands, reclaimed from the sea or other body of water and protected by dykes.
Round 8: I E O S N V C A S
C1: CASINOS (7)
C2: VOICES (6)
DC: NAVIES (6)
OT: CAVESSON (8) EVASIONS (8)
Score: 74–22 (max 76)
A trip to the slots seems to have done the trick for Glen, as his lead now goes upto a half-century.
A CAVESSON is the noseband of a bridle or a halter.
Round 9: 75, 1, 3, 2, 1, 6. Target: 733.
C1: 731. ((75 - 2) x (6 + 3 + 1)) + 1 (7)
C2: 731. ((75 - 2) x (6 + 3 + 1)) + 1 (7)
RR: 732. (7)
OT: 734. (((75 x 2) - 3) x (6 - 1)) - 1 (7)
Score: 81–29 (max 83)
Another one of similar difficulty to the last, but this time one away is as good as it gets.
Teatime teaser: ANYFUELS -> UNSAFELY
Round 10: E U I E G N H Y S
C1: EYEING (6)
C2: USING (5)
DC: HYGIENE (7) hygienes
Score: 87–29 (max 90)
Glen is EYEING up victory #7, while DC clean up with exceptional HYGIENE.
Round 11: D F R T I E A N I
C1: DAINTIER (8)
C2: FRIEND (6)
OT: RATIFIED (8)
Score: 95–29 (max 98)
Game, set and match, Webb. Yet another brilliant 8 seals the deal for him, but how big a score will it be this time
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of the word "idiot".
Round 12: O E A D V O I R T
C1: AVOIDER (7)
C2: AVOIDER (7)
DC: DEVIATOR (8)
Score: 102–36 (max 106)
AVOIDER reappears for Glen, giving him his 6th century, while DC do some deviating with the darrenic 8.
Round 13: B S G T A E A Q S
C1: STAGES (6)
C2: AGATES (6)
DC: TEABAGS (7)
OT: BAGASSE (7) SEABAGS (7)
Score: 108–42 (max 113)
TEABAGS make an appearance, not just in people's teapots for once.
BAGASSE is crushed sugar cane or beet refuse from sugar making.
Round 14: 100, 5, 8, 6, 5, 10. Target: 125.
C1: 125. (5 x 5) + 100 (10)
C2: 125. (5 x 5) + 100 (10)
Score: 118–52 (max 123)
The easiest numbers of the day see Glen in position to get his 2nd highest score of his run.
Round 15: V I C H H E W E R
C1 buzzes on 9.25 seconds to say WHICHEVER which is correct.
Final Score: 128–52 (max 133)
A nice little reference to our host in the scramble, but Glen sees through it to get another super awesome score under his belt
So, Glen has got to 7 wins with a phenomenal total of 830 already, meaning he even has an outside chance of toppling Giles Hutchings' record of 965 when he returns for his octochamp game on July 1. Although, probably getting 117 to overtake Jack Hurst at #2 is more realistic.
So, tomorrow starts the series finals, mainly due to the fact that next week will have just one match thanks to Royal Ascot. So, join whoever it is for the match between the #1 Seed Giles "The Farnham Firestorm" Hutchings, and the man who at the start of the day was the #10 Seed, but thanks to Glen's transfer and the sad withdrawal (down to personal reasons) of Rachael Moran, is now the #8 Seed, and the first person since Roger Green and Malcolm Fairy in Series 36 to qualify for a finals with just 2 wins, Peter "The Leeds Limper Over The Line
" Fenton.I'll be back on June 26, when I'll be back with the 1st semi-final, followed by the 2nd semi-final the day after.
So, till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Glen:
Total score - 128
Raw score - 128
Total % of max - 96
Raw % of max - 96
Total average score per round - 8.5
Raw average score per round - 8.5
Number of maxes - 10
Anne:
Total score - 52
Raw score - 80
Total % of max - 39
Raw % of max - 60
Total average score per round - 3.5
Raw average score per round - 5.3
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=68