Just two heats to play now to find out who the carry-over champion will be at the start of Series 70.
C1: Champion Rod Chatfield (3 wins, 257 points) is a guesthouse owner from Devon. He's only played three games but he's solved four conundrums, thanks to needing a tiebreak to win his first game.
C2: Challenger Joe Miall is a third year medical student, originally from Worcester but studying at Edinburgh University. He recently volunteered for some more hands-on work in Ghanaian hospitals.
DC: Susie Dent and Dan Walker.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T H M O I Y X E L
R02: C R C A O G E R S
R03: 25, 7, 10, 7, 3, 5. Target: 797.
TTT: DUEAPRIL - "Due in April and considering having this."
R04: H S L I O D A B O
R05: S T K A E S L I M
R06: 25, 5, 7, 3, 2, 10. Target: 914.
R07: V S R A E F R O N
R08: D P N A E R I D L
R09: 25, 5, 3, 4, 6, 3. Target: 472.
TTT: DICKDOES - "Dick does a hard day's work here, unloading the ships."
R10: N J P E A B E V M
R11: N T R I U M G I E
R12: T N D A O G T I E
R13: F H P T O A E S N
R14: 75, 50, 4, 3, 10, 8. Target: 518.
R15: A N H U N D R E D (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T H M O I Y X E L
C1: MOTHILY X
C2: HOTLY (5)
DC: TIMELY (6) HOMELY (6)
OT: EOLITH (6) HOMILY (6) METHYL (6) MOIETY (6) MOTILE (6) MOTLEY (6) MYTHOI (6) THYMOL (6)
Score: 0–5 (max 6)
An unfortunate start for the champion as MOTHIER and MOTHIEST are both fine but MOTHILY^ isn't a valid variant. Joe's five gives him the early advantage although there were a few sixes available.
Round 2: C R C A O G E R S
C1: CARGOES (7)
C2: SCORER (6)
DC: GROCERS (7) SOCCAGE (7)
OT: COARSER (7) CORSAGE (7) SCARCER (7)
Score: 7–5 (max 13)
Rod hits back with CARGOES to give himself a small lead.
Round 3: 25, 7, 10, 7, 3, 5. Target: 797.
C1: 805.
C2: 799. 25 x 3 x 10 + 7 x 7 (7)
RR: 797. (7 x 5 - 3) x 25 - (10 - 7) (10)
Score: 7–12 (max 23)
Rod's a fair way out so Joe's two away sees the lea change hands again and Rachel solves what appeared to be an awkward numbers game at first glance but it's not that tricky when you see it.
Teatime teaser: DUEAPRIL -> EPIDURAL
Round 4: H S L I O D A B O
C1: ABOLISH (7)
C2: BLOODS (6)
DC: DIABOLOS (8)
Score: 14–12 (max 31)
This time it's Rod's turn to snatch the lead off Joe while DC impress with DIABOLOS.
Round 5: S T K A E S L I M
C1: MISTAKES (8)
C2: MISTAKES (8)
DC: TALKIES (7) SLAKES (6)
Score: 22–20 (max 39)
No MISTAKES in this round by either contestant as they both spot the darren.
Round 6: 25, 5, 7, 3, 2, 10. Target: 914.
C1: 910. 7 x 5 x (25 + 3 - 2) (7)
C2: -
RR: 914. ((5 + 3 + 10) x 25 + 7) x 2 (10)
Score: 29–20 (max 49)
Joe's too far out so Rod's fancy four away solve gives him a bigger lead. Good solve by Rachel as ever.
Dan reads out a letter he once received from a Football Focus viewer about his pronunciation. Apparently, he kept pronouncing "championship" as "championchip" and was advised to think about boats rather than potatoes.
Round 7: V S R A E F R O N
C1: ROVERS (6)
C2: SNORER (6)
DC: RAVENS (6) RAVERS (6) FRONS (5)
OT: FORERAN (7) OVERRAN (7) SERRANO (7)
Score: 35–26 (max 56)
Surprisingly no one including the corner can find any of the three sevens.
Round 8: D P N A E R I D L
C1: PAINED (6)
C2: DRAINED (7)
DC: PRALINE (7) PADDLER (7)
OT: DANDIER (7) PIDDLER (7) PLAIDED (7) PLAINED (7) PLAINER (7) PREDIAL (7)
Score: 35–33 (max 63)
Rod may feel PAINED as he doesn't insert the L into his word, maybe he's feeling DRAINED being in his fourth game. Joe's the one who spots the latter to close the gap to just two points.
Round 9: 25, 5, 3, 4, 6, 3. Target: 472.
C1: 475. (5 x 4 - 3/3) x 25 (7)
C2: 466.
RR: 472. (25 x 5 - (3/3 + 6)) x 4 (10)
Score: 42–33 (max 73)
Similar story to the last number's round but Rod will be happy to extend his lead to nine, while again Rachel doesn't disappoint.
Teatime teaser: DICKDOES -> DOCKSIDE
Round 10: N J P E A B E V M
C1: PAVEN X
C2: NAME (4)
DC: ENEMA (5)
OT: APEMEN (6)
Score: 42–37 (max 79)
No PAVEN^ in the dictionary so Joe closes the gap, despite the medical student missing the very nasty ENEMA. APEMEN goes unnoticed for six points from a very tricky selection.
Round 11: N T R I U M G I E
C1: MITREING X
C2: RETIMING (8)
OT: INTRIGUE (8) MERITING (8) MITREING (8)
Score: 42–45 (max 87)
Controversy alert! Susie insists MITREING can only be spelt without the E but we give it as fine so I think Rod's very unlucky. The -ING form of MITRE isn't specified in the dictionary so maybe as a rule, the E should be excluded but I'm not sure on that. Surely she should have at least checked, unless she did off screen. Joe retakes the lead.
OoW: Susie talks about "heels" in the villainous sense.
Round 12: T N D A O G T I E
C1: DATING (6)
C2: TAINTED (7)
DC: TANGOED (7) ANTIDOTE (8)
Score: 42–52 (max 95)
All of a sudden, Joe's ten points clear and in pole position to win now.
Round 13: F H P T O A E S N
C1: PHAETONS (8)
C2: FASTEN (6)
DC: PHONATES (8) STANHOPE (8)
OT: SATPHONE (8)
Score: 50–52 (max 103)
Having spotted PHAETONS on Friday's show, the word makes a timely reappearance for Rod. The game is alive again.
Round 14: 75, 50, 4, 3, 10, 8. Target: 518.
C1: 518. (4 - 3 + 50) x 10 + 8 (10)
C2: 517.
Score: 60–52 (max 113)
The lead changes hands yet again as Rod pulls clear at a crucial moment. He's solved all four (including a tiebreak) of his conundrums so far, he just needs to hope that Joe doesn't get this one to win the game.
Round 15: A N H U N D R E D
C1 buzzes on 22 seconds to say UNDERHAND which is correct.
Final Score: 70–52 (max 123)
Make that five out of five as Rod seals win number four. He needs to win tomorrow to carry on into Series 70 and if he does that, he'll have a shot at making the finals next series. Speaking of the finals, they get underway for this series on Thursday so tomorrow is the 111th and final preliminary of this long series. My final recap between Bradley Cates and Alex Fish should follow shortly.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=69