Prepare for the end
Oh, and enjoy my recap too.
Countdown recap for Thursday 21 July 2011.
C1: Champion Mark Deeks (7 wins, 698 points.) An Apterforumite from Braughing, Hertfordshire. He says he has surpassed his expectations, but you wouldn't expect him to say anything else, would you
C2: Challenger Lesley Lewis. A retired banker from Rugby, Warwickshire, but she is also a volunteer worker for the witness service. While working as a banker, she worked at 99 different branches, and was actually refused permission to join her 100th
DC: Susie Dent and Mark Durden-Smith.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: C S E A L N I G N
R02: B G P F A U E C I
R03: R S A D E I S T W
R04: D L R T O I E A M
R05: 25, 50, 75, 100, 3, 8. Target: 988.
TTT: STEPKNEE - "What Alex Stepney might use when fishing"
R06: T S R P E A U K R
R07: N E R X O A C E O
R08: S G T L A O I J A
R09: V Z F R E O A T L
R10: 25, 5, 10, 7, 9, 1. Target: 868.
TTT: BATHDUET - "Top and bottom combine to form an attack"
R11: M G E A S N E S D
R12: R H O E N I L M O
R13: T U P M E O T V N
R14: 100, 4, 2, 9, 1, 4. Target: 128.
R15: T E E T H T W I N (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: C S E A L N I G N
C1: CLEANSING (18)
C2: CLEANSING (18)
Score: 18–18 (max 18)
Well, that's not a bad start, isn't it
I think that's Mark's 1st 9 of his run too. 
Round 2: B G P F A U E C I
C1: PUBIC (5)
C2: pause
OT: PIGFACE (7)
Score: 23–18 (max 25)
A horrid round, in which the darren was literally in the bottom of the trough
Round 3: R S A D E I S T W
C1: STEWARDS (8)
C2: waisters
DC: WAISTED (7) WAITRESS (8) DISRATES (8)
OT: DISASTER (8)
Score: 31–18 (max 33)
Oh dear, a DISASTER for Lesley, as Mark goes further ahead. Maybe she should have gone with DISASTER
Round 4: D L R T O I E A M
C1: IDOLATER (8)
C2: TRAILED (7)
DC: MEDIATOR (8)
OT: TAILORED (8)
Score: 39–18 (max 41)
Another 8 spotted by Mark, and after that 9er start, this game is suddenly turning one-sided.........
Round 5: 25, 50, 75, 100, 3, 8. Target: 988.
C1: 988. ((50 + 75) x 8) - ((100 / 25) x 3) (10)
C2: 985.
Score: 49–18 (max 51)
Mark looked very unsure when declaring 988, but he shows off some good skills yet again.
Mark talks about another one of his unusual pastimes..........., using self-service checkouts in races.
(Well, I suppose it beats looking at his mum's holiday snaps. )Teatime teaser: STEPKNEE -> KEEPNETS
Round 6: T S R P E A U K R
C1: UPRATES (7)
C2: PASTURE (7)
DC: RAPTURES (8)
Score: 56–25 (max 59)
DC go darrenic leaving us all to wonder if Mark was thinking of RAPTURES after sticking with a "safe 7".
Round 7: N E R X O A C E O
C1: ENCORE (6)
C2: RACOON (6)
DC: CORONA (6) CORONAE (7)
Score: 62–31 (max 66)
DC like going darrenic in this 2nd half with another good offering.
Round 8: S G T L A O I J A
C1: GLOATS (6)
C2: GLOATS (6)
DC: OTALGIA (7)
OT: GALIOTS (7) SOLATIA (7)
Score: 68–37 (max 73)
At you can't get OTALGIA from reading one of these recaps
(In case you didn't watch, OTALGIA is earache.)A GALIOT is a small galley propelled by both sails and oars.
A SOLATIUM (plural SOLATIA) is damages awarded to a plaintiff as compensation for personal suffering or grief arising from an injury.
Round 9: V Z F R E O A T L
C1: FLOATER (7)
C2: flavor
DC: REFLOAT (7)
OT: FLOREAT (7) LEVATOR (7)
Score: 75–37 (max 80)
And after 3 tied rounds, Mark strikes with his FLOATER.
A LEVATOR is a muscle that raises a part of the body.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of war words, "kamikaze" and "marathon".
Round 10: 25, 5, 10, 7, 9, 1. Target: 868.
C1: 868. (((9 x 5) - 10) x 25) - 7 (10)
C2: 866.
Score: 85–37 (max 90)
No mercy from the numbers either, and Mark is now very close to octochampdom now.
Teatime teaser: BATHDUET -> HEADBUTT
Round 11: M G E A S N E S D
C1: MESSAGED (8)
C2: SEAMEN (6)
DC: ENDGAMES (8)
OT: GAMENESS (8) SEEDSMAN (8)
Score: 93–37 (max 98)
Mark is slowly creeping up to the win now thanks to that 8.
Round 12: R H O E N I L M O
C1: HORMONE (7)
C2: LOONIER (7)
DC: MOORHEN (7)
OT: HEIRLOOM (8)
Score: 100–44 (max 106)
A surprising miss by DC there. There'll be some OTALGIA coming their way later
But, in the meantime, let's congratulate Mark on becoming an octochamp, but can he topple Graeme Round 13: T U P M E O T V N
C1: MUTTON (6)
C2: TEMPO (5)
DC: POTMEN (6)
OT: POTENT (6) TENUTO (6) TOPMEN (6)
Score: 106–44 (max 112)
Mark skewers Lesley even further with his MUTTON, and he can now rub it in even further into Graeme, by taking away his high score of the series as well.
Round 14: 100, 4, 2, 9, 1, 4. Target: 128.
C1: 128. ((9 - 2) x 4) + 100 (10)
C2: 127.
Score: 116–44 (max 122)
An easy numbers game (well, not for Lesley), sees Mark now become the new #1 seed, but can he get the added bonus of having the highest score of the series, as well as equalling the highest score of the year, set by Adam Gillard back in January.
Round 15: T E E T H T W I N
C1 buzzes on 6.5 seconds to say TWENTIETH which is correct.
Final Score: 126–44 (max 132)
HE CAN!!!!
Well, what a finish to an exciting run. People might criticise Mark for his unusual style and early finishing in numbers games, for example, but he is, without a doubt, a very good Countdowner. Those 824 points put him 11 clear of Graeme at the top of the leaderboard. But, will he still be there by the time the finals arrive Mike will be here tomorrow when 2 new challengers will occupy the champions' and challengers' chairs.
Unfortunately, the show is now heading into its summer break, and I actually don't know when it's returning. I'm putting an educated guess for a Robinson Recap return on August 17/24th.
So, till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Mark:
Total score - 126
Raw score - 126
Total % of max - 95
Raw % of max - 95
Total average score per round - 8.4
Raw average score per round - 8.4
Number of maxes - 10
Lesley:
Total score - 44
Raw score - 83
Total % of max - 33
Raw % of max - 63
Total average score per round - 2.9
Raw average score per round - 5.5
Number of maxes - 1
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65
