The 30th Birthday Championship continues, and the standard of play shows no signs of dropping. Yesterday, we saw Series 65 winner Graeme Cole and Series 66 victor Jack Worsley notch up an astounding 13 maxes each. Today, it is the turn of two more series champions to compete for a place in the last 16 of this contest.
First up we have Series 38 champion John Ashmore, a payroll clerk from Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk. After last appearing on Countdown, he became involved in tournament Scrabble, and in the course of that time met Anne, who is now his wife. John also plays volleyball, and has taken part in a number of grass court tournaments on the Dutch island of Texel.
And next to him is Kirk Bevins, the champion of Series 60, the first series to feature Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley as presenters. Kirk’s third show was the first ever perfect (max) game in the 15-round format. He is a trainee actuary, formerly a maths teacher, from York, as well as being a darts referee. Once, while he was practising darts at university, he bent down to pick up flight that had fallen off a dart, and the back of his trousers ripped.
Now, boys and girls, it’s time to stop thinking about Kirk’s backside, and find out what happened in the game!
C1: John Ashmore (7 wins, 513 points.)
C2: Kirk Bevins (12 wins, 1390 points.)
DC: Susie Dent and Mark Foster.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: N T P I E O R J I
R02: M Q R K E U A S P
R03: R N B O A I V E T
R04: S D N A U E S M D
R05: 100, 75, 50, 7, 6, 3. Target: 107.
TTT: ROYALTEA - "Between 1 and 6, depending on how it falls."
R06: G S F A U O L D B
R07: N Z S U A I T P E
R08: C Y G E U I T N L
R09: N P R E E A F L X
R10: 25, 6, 9, 10, 6, 9. Target: 735.
TTT: TEAALBUM - "Go for a walk, but behind schedule, by the sounds of it."
R11: M G S I O O R V T
R12: C N S E I E T R O
R13: D C A E M A L A G
R14: 100, 9, 10, 3, 7, 5. Target: 998.
R15: B A C O N V I C E (conundrum)
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: N T P I E O R J I
C1: POINTIER (8)
C2: POINTIER (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)
Both contestants break their duck by finding the darrenic eight.
Round 2: M Q R K E U A S P
C1: MARQUES (7)
C2: MARQUES (7)
DC: MASQUER (7)
OT: MARKUPS (7)
Score: 15–15 (max 15)
John and Kirk spot sevens to stay on level pegging.
Round 3: R N B O A I V E T
C1: BARITONE (8)
C2: BARITONE (8)
DC: ABORTIVE (8)
OT: BEVATRON (8) OBTAINER (8)
Score: 23–23 (max 23)
The contestants treat us to a baritone duet. Bevatron (valid) and bevinator (sadly, invalid) both go unmentioned in this otherwise excellent round.
Round 4: S D N A U E S M D
C1: MADNESS (7)
C2: ASSUMED (7)
DC: DEMANDS (7) MEDUSAS (7)
OT: DESMANS (7) MADDENS (7) SADDENS (7) SUNDAES (7)
Score: 30–30 (max 30)
John and Kirk stay neck and neck: will the numbers round end the deadlock?
Round 5: 100, 75, 50, 7, 6, 3. Target: 107.
C1: 107. 100 + 7 (10)
C2: 107. 100 + 7 (10)
Score: 40–40 (max 40)
Mathematical genius. What can I say
Teatime teaser: ROYALTEA -> ALEATORY
Round 6: G S F A U O L D B
C1: FLAGS (5)
C2: BUSLOAD (7)
DC: BAGFULS (7)
Score: 40–47 (max 47)
Kirk takes the lead with a seven-letter word never before declared on Countdown.
Round 7: N Z S U A I T P E
C1: PETUNIAS (8)
C2: PETUNIAS (8)
OT: SUPINATE (8)
Score: 48–55 (max 55)
A double dose of flower power keeps the gap at seven points.
Round 8: C Y G E U I T N L
C1: ELUTING (7)
C2: CULTIGEN (8)
Score: 48–63 (max 63)
Kirk extends his lead with another previously undeclared word. A ‘cultigen’ is a plant species or variety known only in cultivation, especially one with no known ancestor.
Round 9: N P R E E A F L X
C1: FLAXEN (6)
C2: REFLEX (6)
OT: LEANER (6) LEAPER (6) PANEER (6) PLANER (6) REPEAL (6) REPLAN (6)
Score: 54–69 (max 69)
Six is as good as it gets as we move on to the Kirkulator’s first numbers selection.
Round 10: 25, 6, 9, 10, 6, 9. Target: 735.
C1: 735. (9 - 6) × 10 × 25 - (9 + 6) (10)
C2: 735. (9 - 6) × 9 × 25 + 6 × 10 (10)
Score: 64–79 (max 79)
Perfect tens, and Kirk has not missed a trick in the first ten rounds.
Teatime teaser: TEAALBUM -> AMBULATE
Round 11: M G S I O O R V T
C1: vomitors
C2: GROOMS (6)
DC: VROOMS (6)
OT: GRIOTS (6) MOTORS (6) VIGORO (6) VOMITS (6)
Score: 64–85 (max 85)
John’s eight is disallowed, while Kirk gets his 11th max in a row.
Round 12: C N S E I E T R O
C1: RESECTION (18)
C2: ERECTIONS (18)
DC: SECRETION (18)
OT: NEOTERICS (18)
Score: 82–103 (max 103)
Three of the four available nines are found by the contestants and Dictionary Corner. A neoteric, according to ODE3, is "a modern person; a person who advocates new ideas".
Round 13: D C A E M A L A G
C1: CALMED (6)
C2: ALAMEDA (7)
Score: 82–110 (max 110)
Victory is Kirk’s as he comes up with another word never before offered on the show. An ‘alameda’ is a public walkway or promenade, shaded with trees.
Round 14: 100, 9, 10, 3, 7, 5. Target: 998.
C1: 998. 100 × 10 - (5 - 3) (10)
C2: 998. 100 × 10 - (5 - 3) (10)
Score: 92–120 (max 120)
Ten points apiece, and Kirk has the highest score of the championship so far, and 14 maxes in a row! But can he get the conundrum? Are we about to witness the second perfect game of the 15-round era? Drum roll, please!
Round 15: B A C O N V I C E
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C2 buzzes on 1.5 seconds to say BICONCAVE which is correct.
Final Score: 92–130 (max 130)
At this rate, we're gonna need some more emoticons for the rest of this championship!Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=-16
