c4countdown

So, the time has come once more for another series finals of Countdown, and like last spring, it's been extended to 2 weeks, thanks to Royal Ascot next week.

Ah well, the joyous thing about the finals though, is that the #1 seed goes first.

So, we welcome back the #1 seed, Mark "The Bristol Bombardier" Murray, and the #8 seed, Andy "The Reading Rover" Gardner for the first quarter-final of Series 70.

Now, it's stats time :

Firstly, No.1 Seed Mark "The Bristol Bombardier" Murray - 8 Wins, 902 Points. (Average: 112.75)
Highest Score: 122 vs. Mike Wilson (7th Game)
Lowest Score: 100 vs. Jim Sales (4th Game)
9's Achieved: 5/7
Total Points/Max/%: 902/1058 (85%)
Letters Points/Max/%: 547/658 (83%)
Numbers Points/Max/%: 295/320 (92%)
Conundrum Points/Max/%: 60/80 (75%)

Secondly, No.8 Seed Andy "The Reading Rover" Gardner - 6 Wins, 580 Points. (Average: 82.86)
Highest Score: 97 vs. Gerry Beirne (3rd Game)
Lowest Score: 74 vs. Martin Howes (2nd Game)
9's Achieved: 1/5
Total Points/Max/%: 580/900 (64%)
Letters Points/Max/%: 375/559 (67%)
Numbers Points/Max/%: 175/271 (65%)
Conundrum Points/Max/%: 30/70 (43%)

Anthony will be around for the recap later.

Mark is usually good at 3L and there are several ways to 380, so he was unlucky there - and 379 is possible too, it seems...

Thanks Tony..saw 380 3 ways and couldn't remember any of them by the time the clock had stopped! concentrated too hard on trying to find the target

1st numbers: (50*7)+(100+75-1/6). Got well after the 30 secs though

In Round 8, I was shouting for a final A but the I gave Mark a winning 8 anyway and a round of applause.
Would RETINOID have got bigger applause?

LEAKERS my risky alt the round before.

BOREDOM in the BEDROOM as anagrams of BROOMED! Unlucky Andy.

Assume you were going to risk HUMPIEST which is there in R12?

Well played Mark in a hard game (max 120 I think) - I just lost by a second on the conundrum having paced all the way through.

was thinking of both humpiest and chummiest..thanks Tony ..couldnt remember half the words until watching it back

You were right not to risk CHUMMIEST Mark, there was only one M!

chump iest (my spell check kept changing it on here to chummiest) lol

James Laverty wrote:1st numbers: (50*7)+(100+75-1/6). Got well after the 30 secs though

Very nice. I spent a few minutes looking for the solution but still couldn't see it.

Well played Mark, never really in doubt.

ENDNOTE (R4) and AREOLES (R7) for a couple of equallers.

Good contest, well done on making the semi-finals, Mark.