C1: Champion Ronan " The Ramsgate Wonderkid " Higginson (9 wins, 1163 points.)
C2: Champion Adam "The Worcestershire Wizard " Dexter (7 wins, 815 points.)
DC: Susie Dent and Maggie Aderin Pocock .
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: W L F O E A M E N
R02: D N M O O A G I N
R03: 100, 75, 25, 50, 1, 2. Target: 667.
TTT: ENDEDBIRD - "He ended his hobby of birdwatching when he could no longer get up."
R04: G S L E I U H A S
R05: O E A T S N H O L
R06: 4, 9, 7, 1, 10, 5, . Target: 843.
R07: A I E X T R S A E
R08: D S N O A I C E D
R09: 75, 100, 50, 25, 5, 9. Target: 140.
TTT: SARAHSGIN - "Sarah's had too much gin, and is starting to upset people."
R10: R B F O U O N A R
R11: I A E T P S M U E
R12: N R T I O A S O G
R13: E U I L G D E P U
R14: 50, 75, 100, 25, 10, 3. Target: 692.
R15: S I T O N S A N 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: W L F O E A M E N
Ronan: LOANEE (6)
Adam: wolfman
DC: FLAMEN (6)
OT: ENAMEL (6) FEMALE (6) FOEMAN (6) FOEMEN (6) LAWMEN (6) LEAFEN (6) MAENOL (6) MELENA (6)
Score: 6–0 (max 6)
6s all round........but Adam's risky 7 with Wolfman sadly doesn't pay off
Round 2: D N M O O A G I N
Ronan: MONODIA (7)
Adam: DAMNING (7)
DC: GOODMAN (7) MOONING (7)
OT: DOOMING (7) MAGNOON (7) MIDNOON (7) MOANING (7) MONDAIN (7)
Score: 13–7 (max 13)
Lots's of 7s..........moving on !!!
Round 3: 100, 75, 25, 50, 1, 2. Target: 667.
C1: 672. (100 − 75) × 25 + 50 − 2 − 1 (7)
C2: 672. (100 − 75) × 25 + 50 − 2 − 1 (7)
RR: 663. (7)
Score: 20–14 (max 20)
Rachel says that this impossible........5 away is as good as it gets
Teatime teaser: ENDEDBIRD -> BEDRIDDEN
Round 4: G S L E I U H A S
Ronan: SLEIGHS (7)
Adam: SLEIGHS (7)
DC: SILAGES (7)
OT: GEISHAS (7) GLASSIE (7) LIGASES (7) SHEILAS (7) SLUSHIE (7)
Score: 27–21 (max 27)
7s all round..............let's move on shall we ?????
Round 5: O E A T S N H O L
Ronan: ANETHOLS (8)
Adam: ETHANOLS (8)
DC: ETHANOLS (8)
Score: 35–29 (max 35)
8s all round........in this rather tight contest ! Adam has Ronan firmly in his sights ! Not letting him go !
Round 6: 4, 9, 7, 1, 10, 5. Target: 843.
C1: 844. (7 × 10 − 5) × (9 + 4) − 1 (7)
C2: 844. (10 + 5) × 7 × (9 − 1) + 4 (7)
Score: 42–36 (max 42)
Another stinker of a numbers game Rachel says 1 away is good as it gets
Round 7: A I E X T R S A E
Ronan: AERATES (7)
Adam: AERATES (7)
DC: RETAXES (7)
OT: ATRESIA (7) EXISTER (7) SERIATE (7)
Score: 49–43 (max 49)
7s all round..........Adam isn't letting Ronan out of his sight just yet....... in this rather tight contest !
Round 8: D S N O A I C E D
Ronan: DIOCESAN (8)
Adam: ANODISED (8)
DC: ADENOIDS (8)
OT: ADONISED (8)
Score: 57–51 (max 57)
8s all round from our Semi-finalists ................in this rather nail biting contest !
Round 9: 75, 100, 50, 25, 5, 9. Target: 140.
C1: 140. 100 + 75 − 25 − (50 ÷ 5) (10)
C2: 140. (75 − 5) × (100 ÷ 50) (10)
Score: 67–61 (max 67)
Nice and straightforward this solve...........do you honestly think these guys wouldn't pick up 10 points ?????????
Teatime teaser: SARAHSGIN -> HARASSING
Round 10: R B F O U O N A R
Ronan: RURBAN (6)
Adam: UNROOF (6)
OT: ARBOUR (6) FOOBAR (6)
Score: 73–67 (max 73)
CAN RONAN DO IT ..............I DON'T WANT TO JINX THIS OR TEMPT FATE ???????? HE IS 5 ROUNDS AWAY FROM A MAX GAME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Round 11: I A E T P S M U E
Ronan: AMPUTEES (8)
Adam: epistema
OT: SEPTEMIA (8)
Score: 81–67 (max 81)
A cracking 8 from Ronan with Amputees..............this is something you don't see very often my hubby beating me on a letters round........very unfortunate for Adam as he has his 8 disallowed by Susie........this means that Ronan can extend his lead further
4 ROUNDS TO GO !!!!!!!!!
Round 12: N R T I O A S O G
Ronan: ROGATIONS (18)
Adam: ROGATIONS (18)
Score: 99–85 (max 99)
This is top drawer stuff........our semi finalists spotting a 9..........you guessed it.............. I spotted this !!!!
3 ROUNDS TO GO !!!!!!!!!!
Round 13: E U I L G D E P U
Ronan: PLEDGE (6)
Adam: PLEDGE (6)
OT: DELUGE (6) GULPED (6)
Score: 105–91 (max 105)
Ronan and Adam are cleaning up with their 6 and polishing themselves up by learning new words !
2 ROUNDS TO GO !!!!!!!!!!!
Round 14: 50, 75, 100, 25, 10, 3. Target: 692.
C1: 693. 75 × 10 − 50 − (100 ÷ 25 + 3) (7)
C2: 693. 75 × 10 − 50 − (100 ÷ 25 + 3) (7)
Score: 112–98 (max 112)
1 MORE ROUND TO GO !!!!
Rachel says that 1 away is as good as it gets...........all he needs is the conundrum to achieve another max game !!!
STANDY BY !!!!!!!
Round 15: S I T O N S A N D
1.
1.25 RONAN BUZZES !!!!
C1 buzzes on 1.25 seconds to say DISSONANT which is correct.
Final Score: 122–98 (max 122)
OH MY GOD HE HAS GONE AND DONE IT AGAIN A TELEVISED A MAX GAME......IN THE SEMI FINAL !!!!!!!!! THERE IS CLEARLY NO STOPPING THIS TALENTED YOUNGSTER
This game had a few notable highlights:
Higginson's performance was a max game — the fourteenth in the history of Countdown, and it was the second time it had occurred in just over a month.
This also made him the first person to obtain two max games in a single regular series.
Notably, this was the second known occasion of a player getting the max score in every round without getting the best solutions — the first time being on 16 December 1996. In Round 3, Dexter and Higginson still scored the max of seven points, with both declaring a target of 672, but neither of them could find the closest possible target of 663.
Firstly congratulations to Ronan for making into the series 87 grand final, he is the first person ever to achieve 2 max games in a regular series, and the first to do it more than once since Conor Travers did it thrice in the 30th Birthday Championship. Secondly take nothing away from Adam he can hold his head high and be proud of what he has achieved 98 points is a pretty respectable score by no means........join me again for the second semi final and the penultimate game of series 87........in the meantime it is bye for now !
