And this time it IS on a Friday. 
We have been blown away just recently with the standard of our champions. Immediately following the departure of Tricia Pay last week after becoming the first Octochamp of the series, we meet who could possibly be our second. Mark Davies has already won 5 games and today seeks his 6th win in his bid to join the series 71 elite. Today he faces Keith Myers-Sleight. Countdown recap for Friday 15 August 2014.
C1: Champion Mark Davies (5 wins, 506 points.) A technical officer for the Environmental Agency from Widnes, Cheshire.
C2: Challenger Keith Myers-Sleight. From Quakers Yard in South Wales. Shortly to take part in a World Bog Snorkling Championship.
DC: Susie Dent and Angellica Bell.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: N C R E O A S I T
R02: P D O E E N T D L
R03: 1, 6, 3, 9, 100, 25. Target: 940.
TTT: BRATEARN - "The brat earned a reputation for this sort of behaviour."
R04: U O U A X S R T E
R05: L R D U A I M E L
R06: 3, 1, 1, 9, 7, 50, . Target: 646.
R07: P W M A O E V A G
R08: T G F E U I R A T
R09: 7, 6, 6, 10, 100, 50. Target: 633.
TTT: TINPEARS - "You might find tins of pears stored in these."
R10: W S I E D T O S M
R11: B S J E I E L A N
R12: O E O C D T R S U
R13: N P T A A I C E S
R14: 8, 1, 4, 4, 1, 75. Target: 283.
R15: S P I C I F E 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: N C R E O A S I T
Mark: REACTIONS (18)
Keith: CREATIONS (18)
OT: ACTIONERS (18) NARCOTISE (18)
Score: 18–18 (max 18)
What a start by both players! There were actually four 9 letter words available in this round and they managed to get 2 of them between them. There were certainly some REACTIONS to these CREATIONS.
Round 2: P D O E E N T D L
Mark: PENTODE (7)
Keith: DEPEND (6)
DC: DENOTED (7)
Score: 25–18 (max 25)
Keith only got 6 so he had to DEPEND on Mark slipping up. Unfortunately for him he didn't and got PENTODE for 7.
Round 3: 1, 6, 3, 9, 100, 25. Target: 940.
Mark: 940. (100+1) x 9 + 6 + 25 (10)
Keith: 940. (9x100) +25 + ((6-1) x 3) (10)
Score: 35–28 (max 35)
A perfect 10 for both players, as 940 is achieved.
Teatime teaser: BRATEARN -> ABERRANT
Round 4: U O U A X S R T E
Mark: ROUTES (6)
Keith: SUTURE (6)
DC: EXTRAS (6) UTERUS (6)
OT: AUTEURS (7)
Score: 41–34 (max 42)
It's 6 a piece here with ROUTES and SUTURE.
Round 5: L R D U A I M E L
Mark: RALLIED (7)
Keith: MAILER (6)
DC: DERAIL (6)
OT: ALLURED (7) DIALLER (7) ILLUMED (7) MEDULLA (7) MIAULED (7)
Score: 48–34 (max 49)
Mark RALLIED to another 7 points. The MAILER didn't deliver for Keith in this round.
Round 6: 3, 1, 1, 9, 7, 50. Target: 646.
Mark: 644. (50-1) x (9+1+3) +7 (7)
Keith: 646. Mistake in working.
RR: 646. (50x7) -(9x3) x (1+1) (10)
Score: 55–34 (max 59)
It looks as though Keith has managed to foil Mark, but unfortunately he's made a mistake and declared wrongly. Mark goes a similar route and gets 2 away. So it's left to Rachel to bring perfection to proceedings.
Angellica Bell talks about how joining CBBC changed her life.
Round 7: P W M A O E V A G
Mark: AGAPE (5)
Keith: ampage
DC: MEOW VAMP
OT: PAVAGE (6)
Score: 60–34 (max 65)
Only 5 points, but AGAPE is enough for Mark to extend his lead. Keith gets 'ampage' disallowed.
Round 8: T G F E U I R A T
Mark: TUFTIER (7)
Keith: FRIGATE (7)
DC: RIFE GIFT FATTIER (7)
OT: FRUITAGE (8)
Score: 67–41 (max 73)
It's TUFTIER and FRIGATE for 7 each in this round.
Round 9: 7, 6, 6, 10, 100, 50. Target: 633.
Mark: 633. (100+6) x 6 - (10-7) (10)
Keith: 633. (6x100) + 50 -10 - 7 (10)
Score: 77–51 (max 83)
A perfect 10 as 633 is achieved by both.
Teatime teaser: TINPEARS -> PANTRIES
Round 10: W S I E D T O S M
Mark: MODISTE (7)
Keith: moists
OT: MODISTES (8)
Score: 84–51 (max 91)
Mark gets another 7 with MODISTE. Unfortunately 'moists' is disallowed for Keith.
Round 11: B S J E I E L A N
Mark: ENABLES (7)
Keith: ENABLES (7)
DC: BASELINE (8) BASENJI (7)
Score: 91–58 (max 99)
This round ENABLES both players to score 7 points.
Susie talks about the origins of expressions in English including 'bringing home the bacon.'
Round 12: O E O C D T R S U
Mark: OUTSCORED (18)
Keith: SCOURED (7)
DC: DOCTORS (7) COURTED (7) OUTRODE (7)
Score: 109–58 (max 117)
Mark OUTSCORED Keith in this round, as he SCOURED the letters for a 7. A second nine letter word.
Round 13: N P T A A I C E S
Mark: CAPTAINS (8)
Keith: CAPTAINS (8)
DC: PANTIES (7)
OT: ESTANCIA (8)
Score: 117–66 (max 125)
The CAPTAINS take charge of this round, and it's 8 points each.
Round 14: 8, 1, 4, 4, 1, 75. Target: 283.
Mark: 283. (75-4) x 4 - 1 (10)
Keith: 283. (75-1) x 4 -8 -4 -1 (10)
Score: 127–76 (max 135)
Another perfect 10 for both players on the numbers.
Round 15: S P I C I F E E D
Mark buzzes on 2 seconds to say SPECIFIED which is correct.
Final Score: 137–76 (max 145)
Mark SPECIFIED the word he wanted to say here and ends with another 2 second conundrum.
So it's win number 6 for Mark, as Keith is outdone by some excellent words. A high scoring game and Keith put up a good fight but just couldn't keep up as Mark blew us away once again. Now just 2 wins away from becoming the second Octochamp of the series, Mark will go into next week confident of succcess. Will he do it? Join Andy McGurn on Monday to see if he can make it to win number 7. Yet again though ***SIGH*** I have been banished to the recap sidelines next week by the horseracing. I will therefore be back in 2 weeks time. Thank you very much for reading, and goodbye.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=71
