Thursday 25th June 2009 (Series 61, Prelim 4)

[Jon Corby]

Countdown recap for Thursday 25 June 2009.

C1: Champion Clive Brooker (1 win, 66 points.)
C2: Challenger Innis Carson.
DC: Susie Dent and Tim Vine.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S M P E E O H L A
R02: D X E I O G S P T
R03: G N D E I O N F U
R04: E M R A O R T J Y
R05: 2, 9, 9, 5, 4, 4, . Target: 637.
TTT: CASEHOLE - "The eyes have it - so do the feet"
R06: S D R I O T E U S
R07: T L D T E O A C E
R08: S L O I R T A O M
R09: S P N E O I T N O
R10: 100, 50, 2, 7, 9, 8. Target: 903.
TTT: RODLANCE - "You might find this rather draining"
R11: S M D T E A I T A
R12: R P R O A I H L G
R13: C S R E I A S Z V
R14: 50, 100, 4, 9, 1, 10. Target: 588.
R15: M A L E D R A M A (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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It's a battle of two c4c forummers today as Innis Carson steps up to take on newly crowned champion Clive Brooker. Clive edged past Nilesh yesterday with a fairly low-scoring win, but one in which he showed considerable skill on the numbers, which is always impressive. Clive is from Lydney in Gloucestershire where he lives with Moira and his three daughters, and his ambition is to be tidy. Innis is an A-Level student from Bearsden in East Dumbartonshire, has two cats (one called 'Puppy') and is a fanatical trumpet player.

Tim Vine returns in dictionary corner, which is always enjoyable. Also worth mentioning that Rach has changed her look a little today - the straight hair is now all wavy (sorry I don't know the correct term for such things). Combined with the awesome black dress, she is looking hot, hot, hot, a surefire 10/10... oh whoops, sorry wrong site.

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: S M P E E O H L A

C1: SHALOM (6)
C2: SAMPLE (6)
OT: HALESOME (8)
Score: 6–6 (max 8)

Round 2: D X E I O G S P T

C1: DOPIEST (7)
C2: PODGIEST (8)
DC: POXIEST (7) TOPSIDE (7) DEPOSIT (7)
Score: 6–14 (max 16)

Innis edges ahead with the darren in this round...

Round 3: G N D E I O N F U

C1: FOUNDING (8)
C2: FOUNDING (8)
DC: DUNGEON (7)
Score: 14–22 (max 24)

... and both players find it in this one.

Round 4: E M R A O R T J Y

C1: REMORA (6)
C2: ROTAMER (7)
DC: MORTAR (6) MARTYR (6)
Score: 14–29 (max 31)

Three-in-a-row (is that worth a playing card?) for Innis giving him a fairly comfortable lead heading into the first numbers - Clive will surely be looking to use his one pick to haul himself back into contention...

Round 5: 2, 9, 9, 5, 4, 4. Target: 637.

C1: 630. Mistake in working.
C2: 630. (5+2)*9*(9+4/4) (5)
RR: 637. (9*5+4)*(4+9) (10)
OT: 637. (10)
Score: 14–34 (max 41)

...which he does attempt by picking 6 small, but it throws up a tricky game which hands Innis another five points.

Teatime teaser: CASEHOLE -> SHOELACE

Round 6: S D R I O T E U S

C1: OUTSIDERS (18)
C2: OUTSIDERS (18)
Score: 32–52 (max 59)

Great spot from both contestants, but Innis is still sitting pretty with a twenty point lead.

Round 7: T L D T E O A C E

C1: LOCATED (7)
C2: CLOTTED (7)
OT: CLEATED (7) LADETTE (7) TOADLET (7)
Score: 39–59 (max 66)

Round 8: S L O I R T A O M

C1: AMORIST (7)
C2: ISOLATOR (8)
DC: MORALIST (8)
Score: 39–67 (max 74)

Another super spot from Innis has surely put this match to bed...

Round 9: S P N E O I T N O

C1: PENSION (7)
C2: pontines
OT: INTONES (7) TENSION (7) ISOTOPE (7) NOTIONS (7) OPSONIN (7) OPTIONS (7) POTIONS (7) POINTES (7) PONTINE (7) TENPINS (7)
Score: 46–67 (max 81)

...but he slips up with a risky eight! Could Clive use his numerical skill to dent the lead further?

Round 10: 100, 50, 2, 7, 9, 8. Target: 903.

C1: 903. 100*9+7-8/2 (10)
C2: 903. 100*9+8-7+2 (10)
Score: 56–77 (max 91)

No. CECIL throws up a stupidly easy one.

Teatime teaser: RODLANCE -> COLANDER

Round 11: S M D T E A I T A

C1: STATED (6)
C2: MISDATE (7)
DC: SATIATED (8)
OT: DIASTEMA (8)
Score: 56–84 (max 99)

Round 12: R P R O A I H L G

C1: PHIAL (5)
C2: GRAPH (5)
DC: gorila
OT: HIROLA (6)
Score: 61–89 (max 105)

Round 13: C S R E I A S Z V

C1: CRAZIES (7)
C2: CRAZIES (7)
DC: VISCERA (7)
OT: SCARVES (7) VARICES (7)
Score: 68–96 (max 112)

Round 14: 50, 100, 4, 9, 1, 10. Target: 588.

C1: 589. Mistake in working.
C2: 588. Mistake in working.
RR: 589. (50+9)*10-1 (7)
OT: 588. 50*10+100-9-4+1 (10)
Score: 68–96 (max 122)

Both players AND Rachel surprisingly blob a fairly routine numbers game.

Round 15: M A L E D R A M A

C2 buzzes on 1 second to say MARMALADE which is correct.
Score: 68–106 (max 132)

A lightning fast conundrum spot hands Innis his first century in his first game - and I don't think it's sticking my neck out much to anticipate that I'll be recapping his sixth one in a weeks' time (which is usually the kiss of death). Commiserations to Clive, but at least he leaves with a teapot!

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=60

[Jon Corby]

[David O'Donnell]

Well done, Innis! Good debut - didn't catch yesterday's game but we got off work today at 4 so I will catch it on 4+1. I'll be gunning for ya!

[Clive Brooker]

Nice recap Jon - thanks. I'm relieved.

I notice that CountdownWiki has our contributions for R10 reversed - this recap is correct. I've no idea what the best way of reporting this is, so here will have to do.

[Howard Somerset]

I notice that CountdownWiki has our contributions for R10 reversed - this recap is correct. I've no idea what the best way of reporting this is, so here will have to do.

Thanks for noticing this, Clive. Normally the wiki report is published as a by-product of the recap issued here, but for some reason last Thursday's report was done differently. The wiki recap has now been corrected.

[Jon Corby]

Is it possible that I keyed them wrongly and then changed it at a later date, after the wiki page had been created? I have absolutely no recollection of doing so, but I wouldn't rule it out.

[Howard Somerset]

Is it possible that I keyed them wrongly and then changed it at a later date, after the wiki page had been created? I have absolutely no recollection of doing so, but I wouldn't rule it out.

No Jon. No problem with what you did. Somebody else did the wiki page quite independently of you, and got R10 wrong.

[Jon Corby]

Nice recap Jon - thanks. I'm relieved.

Haha, what do you mean by that?!

[Clive Brooker]

Knowing that my appearance was going to be commented on by the people who really know what it's all about added a lot to the experience IMO. But the views expressed can be quite forthright so it was a bit scary as well.



Edit - when I said "appearance" I didn't mean...never mind.

[Jon Corby]

Knowing that my appearance was going to be commented on by the people who really know what it's all about added a lot to the experience IMO. But the views expressed can be quite forthright so it was a bit scary as well.



Edit - when I said "appearance" I didn't mean...never mind.

Yeah, I didn't really know about the "online Countdown scene" when I first filmed, and it was a little deflating after feeling that you've done well when your shows go to air and it seems like everybody has beaten you in every round. I personally never denigrate the efforts of the contestants though (well, there was one kinda notable exception), or even post if I've beaten them or anything like that, because I agree with you that it doesn't make pleasant reading for those in question, and it's really quite pointless.