Prepare yourselves for this friendly match-up between 2 of the show's nicest characters of recent years.
Countdown recap for Monday 14 March 2011.
C1: Series 62 Runner-Up Nicki Sellars (10 matches, 8 wins, 807 points.) From Swindon, Wiltshire. Since appearing on the show, she has got a place on a teacher training course, which she will begin in September.
C2: Series 62 Semi-Finalist Lee Graham (9 matches, 7 wins, 757 points.) Presumably still a book editor from Highgate, London.
Past matches
Friday April 30th 2010 - Preliminary - Nicki Sellars 73 - 76 Lee Graham
Thursday June 17th 2010 - Semi-Final - Lee Graham 51 - 89 Nicki Sellars
Monday March 14th 2011 - Decider - ???
DC: Susie Dent and John Parrott, who appropriately enough was in DC for their original match-up.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S Y R E A O T Q P
R02: B N G I I A D C D
R03: R L N S O I A E L
R04: H T V O I A R U Z
R05: 25, 8, 2, 5, 2, 3. Target: 602.
TTT: SLICKHIT - "These sort of people are funny souls"
R06: L N H C E A R I A
R07: X R T E E I M J F
R08: S R T F A O I P T
R09: P T S D A E U T A
R10: 75, 10, 7, 8, 5, 4. Target: 725.
TTT: RUNATLAS - "Not sharp or flat, just born to do something"
R11: S M R E I I E N W
R12: S N T D A U O G E
R13: D T S E I A R V O
R14: 25, 100, 50, 75, 5, 7. Target: 274.
R15: S U N T R I V I A (conundrum)
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Round 1: S Y R E A O T Q P
C1: POSTER (6)
C2: POETRY (6)
DC: SPORTY (6) TEAPOYS (7)
OT: ESPARTO (7) PROTEAS (7) SEAPORT (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)
A nice 6 apiece to start today's game off, but DC go one better with one of the few available 7's.
ESPARTO is any of several grasses, especially Stipa tenacissima, of southern Europe and northern Africa, used for making paper, cordage, etc.
Round 2: B N G I I A D C D
C1: BIDDING (7)
C2: cadding
DC: ABIDING (7)
Score: 13–6 (max 14)
Lee takes the first gamble of the day, and like in the semi-final match-up, his guessing isn't paying off so far.
Round 3: R L N S O I A E L
C1: RALLIES (7)
C2: RALLIES (7)
DC: AILERONS (8) ROSALINE (8)
OT: LLANEROS (8)
Score: 20–13 (max 22)
Some RALLIES from Lee and Nicki here, while DC impress with some very good 8's.
Round 4: H T V O I A R U Z
C1: AUTHOR (6)
C2: AUTHOR (6)
OT: THORIA (6)
Score: 26–19 (max 28)
More rallying with the AUTHORs here.
THORIA is a white, heavy, water-insoluble powder, ThO2, used chiefly in incandescent mantles, such as the Welsbach gas mantle.
Round 5: 25, 8, 2, 5, 2, 3. Target: 602.
C1: 602. (8 x 3 x 25) + 2 (10)
C2: 602. (8 x 3 x 25) + 2 (10)
Score: 36–29 (max 38)
Nicki seems to claim that Lee has been practising his numbers, although whether he has or not, we won't know based on this easy round.
John talks about his other passion, Everton F.C., and how he supported the mighty Everton team of the 80's, both home and away.
Teatime teaser: SLICKHIT -> TICKLISH
Just before picking his letters, Lee says that it's time to sort this game out....
Round 6: L N H C E A R I A
C1: INHALER (7)
C2: chainer
DC: CARLINE (7)
OT: ACARINE (7) ACHIRAL (7) ALCHERA (7) CARINAE (7) CARINAL (7) CHARLIE (7) CHARNEL (7) CRANIAL (7) HERNIAL (7)
Score: 43–29 (max 45)
...he might regret saying that after giving another illegal 7, pushing Nicki even further in front.
ACARINE is any of numerous arachnids of the order Acarina, comprising the mites and ticks.
CHIRAL means (of a molecule) not superimposable on its mirror image, so ACHIRAL means the opposite of that.
A CARINA (plural CARINAE or CARINAS) is a keellike part or ridge, especially a ridge of bone on the ventral side of the sternum of birds.
A CHARNEL is a repository for dead bodies.
Just before this round starts, Nicki says that she hopes that the score stays as it is
....Round 7: X R T E E I M J F
C1: MERIT (5)
C2: MIXER (5)
DC: METIER (6)
OT: RETIME (6)
Score: 48–34 (max 51)
...and the gap does remain the same as a stinky set arrives, with only a couple of 6's available.
Round 8: S R T F A O I P T
C1: PROFITS (7)
C2: PROFITS (7)
DC: PATRIOTS (8)
Score: 55–41 (max 59)
The contestants are happy with their PROFITS, but DC are even happier with their darrenic 8.
Round 9: P T S D A E U T A
C1: UPDATES (7)
C2: UPDATES (7)
DC: UPSTATE (7) STATUED (7)
OT: DUPATTAS (8)
Score: 62–48 (max 67)
More copying from the contestants, as the darren is left alone.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of the detective-based words, "sleuth", "gumshoe" and "private eye".
Round 10: 75, 10, 7, 8, 5, 4. Target: 725.
C1: 725. ((75 - (5 - 4)) x 10) - (8 + 7) (10)
C2: 725. ((75 - 4) x 10) + 8 + 7 (10)
Score: 72–58 (max 77)
Lee seems not to be aware of Nicki's claims of practising numbers games, but both still know their stuff with slightly differing methods.
Teatime teaser: RUNATLAS -> NATURALS
Round 11: S M R E I I E N W
C1: WINERIES (8)
C2: WINERIES (8)
Score: 80–66 (max 85)
A super impressive darren by the contestants. There was me happy with WIENERS and ERMINES.
Round 12: S N T D A U O G E
C1: OUTAGES (7)
C2: unstaged
DC: TONGUES (7) TANGOED (7) SOUTANE (7)
OT: ASTOUND (7) DONATES (7) DOTAGES (7) NOUGATS (7) ONSTAGE (7) OUTSANG (7) SNOUTED (7) TANGOES (7) TONGUED (7)
Score: 87–66 (max 92)
ARGH, Lee seemed to know that his 8 was probably no good, but the temptation was too strong, and Nicki is now selecting for the match.
Nicki apologises to Lee before the selection, keeping up the good humour which has appeared in this match in abundance.
Round 13: D T S E I A R V O
C1: oversaid
C2: DEVIATORS (18)
Score: 87–84 (max 110)
OH MY GOD!!! With all of Lee's wild guesses, many of you might have been forgiven for thinking that he was going to say any random 9, but no, he gets the darren, and all of a sudden, Nicki's lead has been cut from 21 to 3.
This game has been brilliant so far, and now we are in for an exciting finish too.
Lee decides to use the same tactic that he used in his first game, by going for 4 large. Someone should remind him that when he did it the first time, he didn't score any points.
Round 14: 25, 100, 50, 75, 5, 7. Target: 274.
C1: 275. (5 x 50) + 25 (7)
C2: 275. (5 x 50) + 25 (7)
RR: 274. ((5 + 7 + 75) x (50 / 25)) + 100 (10)
Score: 94–91 (max 120)
As it is, both of them get the fairly simple one away, meaning that this epic special is going to be decided by a crucial conundrum.
It might not be for a title or a place in a final, but I'm sure both of these two competitors will want the glory and a nice win.
Round 15: S U N T R I V I A
C2 buzzes on 25.75 seconds to say ANTIVIRUS which is correct.
Final Score: 94–101 (max 130)
WOW! WOW!! WOW!!! Lee completes possibly the most astonishing comeback in the whole history of the show. Being behind for nearly all the show, and still being 21 behind with 3 rounds to go, would make anyone say you were dead and buried, but Lee, desperate to gain revenge on Nicki for knocking him out in that semi-final, manages one of the greatest comebacks ever seen in the Countdown studios.
But, everyone's a winner today, as we have witnessed an awesome match between two very good competitors. Time and time again they have impressed with their words, and this game should be forever remembered as one of the best ever in terms of skill, entertainment and excitement.
Thank goodness for the break this week, I'll probably need it all to get over the brilliance that I, and hopefully you have enjoyed too.
I'll be back in 9 days time, when normal service will be resumed. But, you can join Marcus next Monday to see how much further the current champion, Andy McGurn, will get.
Till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Nicki:
Total score - 94
Raw score - 94
Total % of max - 72
Raw % of max - 72
Total average score per round - 6.3
Raw average score per round - 6.3
Number of maxes - 7
Lee:
Total score - 101
Raw score - 101
Total % of max - 78
Raw % of max - 78
Total average score per round - 6.7
Raw average score per round - 6.7
Number of maxes - 6
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=-14