Can they cope with the early start today
Enjoy. 
Countdown recap for Thursday 29 May 2014.
C1: Champion Samir Pilica (6 wins, 615 points.) An Apterite originally from Bosnia-Herzegovina.
C2: Challenger Steve Parrett. A project manager from Doddiscombsleigh, Devon. He is a fan of the Exeter Chiefs rugby union team, who recently beat the Northampton Saints in the final of the Amlin Cup. (I had also been giving him a few tips beforehand via Twitter, but unfortunately, I had no idea he'd be up against Samir......
)DC: Susie Dent and Myleene Klass.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S C L R U E O H E
R02: M T P O A E N I D
R03: 50, 75, 10, 2, 9, 1. Target: 269.
TTT: EDTILING - "Ed's tiling the bathroom and he's hell bent on doing a good job of it"
R04: R Z S B E A O E L
R05: Y D T Q I A I S U
R06: 25, 9, 1, 4, 4, 1. Target: 978.
R07: P D S G E A I V A
R08: N R E F A T U P E
R09: 25, 75, 9, 3, 4, 2. Target: 414.
TTT: TOACRISP - "These are lovely to eat when dried to a crisp"
R10: S M I O I T L P E
R11: T G N S A O E M A
R12: D S N O I U G R O
R13: T J X R E I A C O
R14: 100, 4, 7, 2, 9, 3. Target: 475.
R15: I C A N T D O I T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: S C L R U E O H E
Samir: CLOSURE (7)
Steve: COURSE (6)
DC: LECHEROUS (18)
Score: 7–0 (max 18)
Samir seems to hold back from offering something more in this one, wonder if it was that 9...............
No matter, the 7 will do for now. Round 2: M T P O A E N I D
Samir: DOPAMINE (8)
Steve: MATED (5)
DC: DOMINATE (8) PTOMAINE (8)
OT: ANTIPODE (8) PIEDMONT (8) TAMPONED (8)
Score: 15–0 (max 26)
Especially, when he can combine it with another one of his brilliant 8's.
A PIEDMONT is a district lying along or near the foot of a mountain range.
Round 3: 50, 75, 10, 2, 9, 1. Target: 269.
Samir: 266. ((2 + 1) x 75) + 50 - 9 (7)
Steve: -
RR: 269. ((75 - 50 + 2) x 10) - 1 (10)
Score: 22–0 (max 36)
Hmmm, definitely not the best start to the numbers today. Steve completely blanks out and Samir can only get to 3 away. Clearly the tiredness is getting into him today, but luck seems to still be on his side as Steve can't capitalise at all..............
Teatime teaser: EDTILING -> DILIGENT
Round 4: R Z S B E A O E L
Samir: RESALE (6)
Steve: BLAZERS (7)
DC: BEZOARS (7)
OT: EARLOBES (8)
Score: 22–7 (max 44)
Well, Steve has got in now thanks to his BLAZERS. Can he push on further
Surprising miss in EARLOBES for the darrenic 8 there............. 
Round 5: Y D T Q I A I S U
Samir: STUDY (5)
Steve: STUDY (5)
DC: AUDITS (6) STAID (5) QUIDS (5)
OT: DIQUAT (6)
Score: 27–12 (max 50)
STUDY, STUDY, STUDY, clearly more needed here, with just the 5's, and the sole 6 from DC.
A DIQUAT is a yellow crystalline substance, C12H12Br2N2, used as a selective postemergence herbicide to control weeds on noncrop land and for aquatic weed control.
Round 6: 25, 9, 1, 4, 4, 1. Target: 978.
Samir: 976. (((9 x 4) + 4 - 1) x 25) + 1 (7)
Steve: -
RR: 978. (((9 + 4) x 25) + 1) x (4 - 1) (10)
Score: 34–12 (max 60)
Eeeeeeeek, a very nasty looking numbers, but Samir gets 7 points again, with Steve all at sea. Rachel (after some more time) does get the only solution to this 89%-er.
Myleene talks about going cave diving with sharks in South Africa.
Round 7: P D S G E A I V A
Samir: VISAGED (7)
Steve: ADVISE (6)
OT: SAVAGED (7)
Score: 41–12 (max 67)
Samir seems to be back in form with this 7 here.
Round 8: N R E F A T U P E
Samir: FEATURE (7)
Steve: NATURE (6)
DC: PARENT (6) REPUTE (6)
Score: 48–12 (max 74)
And with that darren to boot, he's back in complete control.
Round 9: 25, 75, 9, 3, 4, 2. Target: 414.
Samir: 413. ((3 + 2) x 75) + 25 + 9 + 4 (7)
Steve: 414. Mistake in working.
RR: 414. (75 - 25 - 4) x 9 (10)
Score: 55–12 (max 84)
Well, Steve looks like he's going to get the maximum 10, but unfortunately, he has messed up his workings, and Samir pulls away even further..............
Teatime teaser: TOACRISP -> APRICOTS
Round 10: S M I O I T L P E
Samir: IMPOLITE (8)
Steve: IMPOLITE (8)
DC: OPTIMISE (8) MILEPOST (8)
OT: LIMEPITS (8) PISOLITE (8) POLITIES (8)
Score: 63–20 (max 92)
8's aplenty in this one, although the contestants seem to be happy with being IMPOLITE.
PISOLITE is limestone composed of rounded concretions about the size of a pea.
A POLITY is a particular form or system of government.
Round 11: T G N S A O E M A
Samir: MONTAGES (8)
Steve: MAGNATES (8)
DC: MEGATONS (8)
OT: MAGENTAS (8) MAGNETOS (8)
Score: 71–28 (max 100)
8's aplenty again, need I say more.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "jukebox".
Round 12: D S N O I U G R O
Samir: GROUNDS (7)
Steve: SOURING (7)
DC: INDOORS (7) GOURDS (6)
OT: DOUSING (7) DRONGOS (7) DURGONS (7) GUIDONS (7) ROUSING (7) SINDOOR (7) SORDINO (7) UNGIRDS (7)
Score: 78–35 (max 107)
7's aplenty once more, and that also wraps up win #7 for Samir too, dodging the bullet of the other 5 contestants who had 6 wins.
A GUIDON is a small flag or streamer carried as a guide, for marking or signalling, or for identification.
A SORDINO is a mute for a stringed or brass musical instrument.
To UNGIRD is to loosen or remove a girdle or belt from something.
Round 13: T J X R E I A C O
Samir: ACTOR (5)
Steve: CORTEX (6)
DC: EROTICA (7) EXOTICA (7)
OT: EXACTOR (7)
Score: 78–41 (max 114)
Samir seems to have powered down again, with only a 5, so Steve's 6 gets the points, while DC go into a spot of EROTICA and EXOTICA
Round 14: 100, 4, 7, 2, 9, 3. Target: 475.
Samir: 477.
Steve: 475. (100 - (9 - 4)) x (2 + 3) (10)
Score: 78–51 (max 124)
Well, Samir's numbers brain is still on the blink and Steve capitalises to make the score more respectable in his eyes.
Round 15: I C A N T D O I T
No one buzzes. The answer was DICTATION.
Final Score: 78–51 (max 134)
Well, a complete blank from the contestants, so a woman from the audience gives the answer (with Tracey Mills in the background
), and it's clear that tiredness was the winner today. Samir escapes with his 7th win, thanks to Steve's failures to take advantages early on in the game.
So, Samir will be up for the octochamp chance tomorrow, join Anthony to see if he can do it. He's currently #3 seed, but a win of 89 or more will take him into the #2 spot on the leaderboard.
I'll be back on Wednesday for the next installment.
See you then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Samir:
Total score - 78
Raw score - 96
Total % of max - 58
Raw % of max - 72
Total average score per round - 5.2
Raw average score per round - 6.4
Number of maxes - 6
Steve:
Total score - 51
Raw score - 74
Total % of max - 38
Raw % of max - 55
Total average score per round - 3.4
Raw average score per round - 4.9
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=70