C1: Champion Rose Boyle (6 wins, 540 points.) An accountant from Dublin, she has certainly performed admirable so far, averaging 90 points a game. She certainly has plenty of resilience as she's had to come from behind in four of her six games so far against some tough opponents.
C2: Challenger Sam Leek. He's 6 foot 4 and a half inches tall and fifteen stone, having previously been 23 and a half. He lost this weight in just eight months. He's from Gainsborough and is a fan of 70s and 80s rock.
DC: Susie Dent and Jon Culshaw.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: M R T A I E D T R
R02: L P A O N S L A O
R03: T F V I E O H R E
R04: T A E S H P I S M
R05: 50, 100, 25, 5, 10, 5. Target: 825.
TTT: BIGANGEL - "On the hunt for Snoopy, perhaps"
R06: O T S Q A E L S P
R07: S D B U O E R G A
R08: M D I X A E C I N
R09: D T W E I A S D E
R10: 2, 7, 3, 8, 3, 2. Target: 696.
TTT: SNAGHEEL - "You may snag your heels if you wear these"
R11: T R S U O I L A N
R12: W G M E O N E U K
R13: N T C A E U L N E
R14: 5, 7, 1, 1, 5, 7. Target: 926.
R15: U S E P R O M P T (conundrum)
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Round 1: M R T A I E D T R
C1: MARRIED (7)
C2: MARRIED (7)
DC: ATTIRED (7) TARRIED (7)
OT: ADMIRER (7) MARDIER (7) RATTIER (7) READMIT (7) TARDIER (7) TARTIER (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)
A gentle start to today's proceedings.
Round 2: L P A O N S L A O
C1: SPOON (5)
C2: SALOON (6)
DC: SLOOP (5) APOLLOS (7)
OT: POLLANS (7)
Score: 7–13 (max 14)
Sam strikes first as Rose can only muster a five, meaning that for the fifth time in seven games, she will have to fight back from behind. Susie gets one of the two sevens.
Round 3: T F V I E O H R E
C1: HEFTIER (7)
C2: OVERHIT (7)
OT: THEREOF (7)
Score: 14–20 (max 21)
Good words by both here.
Round 4: T A E S H P I S M
C1: MISSHAPE (8)
C2: PASTIMES (8)
DC: EMPHASIS (8) STEAMSHIP (18)
OT: SHIPMATES (18)
Score: 22–28 (max 39)
Susie initially seems to think that Rose's offering is no good without the N at the end. MISSHAPE is there as a verb though so it's fine. DC reveal one of the nines but miss the other.
Round 5: 50, 100, 25, 5, 10, 5. Target: 825.
C1: 825. (10 - 5/5) x 100 - 50 - 25 (10)
C2: -
Score: 32–28 (max 49)
Not the most difficult of numbers games but Sam loses the plot and allows Rose to creep into the lead going into the anecdote.
Teatime teaser: BIGANGEL -> BEAGLING
Round 6: O T S Q A E L S P
C1: APOSTLES (8)
C2: APOSTLES (8)
DC: STAPLES (7)
Score: 40–36 (max 57)
Both players expertly spot the darren here. Yesterday's challenger may have got it in the singular but it's still very good, as they continue to set a good standard. Sam appeared to sit back after only a few seconds.
Round 7: S D B U O E R G A
C1: ROSEBUD (7)
C2: BADGERS (7)
DC: BROGUES (7) BODEGAS (7)
OT: AROUSED (7) BODGERS (7) BORAGES (7) DAUBERS (7) DROGUES (7) EARBUDS (7) GOURDES (7) GROUSED (7) SUGARED (7)
Score: 47–43 (max 64)
This round produces a pancake but Rose livens it up slightly by picking out the word which starts with her name.
Round 8: M D I X A E C I N
C1: MIXED (5)
C2: MINCED (6)
DC: CINEMA (6) MANIC (5)
OT: DIAMINE (7)
Score: 47–49 (max 71)
The lead changes hands again as Rose misses a fairly obvious six. This time the darren is missed by DC.
Round 9: D T W E I A S D E
C1: STEADIED (8)
C2: WAISTED (7)
DC: SEDATED (7) TEDDIES (7)
Score: 55–49 (max 79)
The champ makes up for that blip with a good darren to retake the lead.
Round 10: 2, 7, 3, 8, 3, 2. Target: 696.
C1: -
C2: 693. (3 x 8 x 2 x 2 + 3) x 7 (7)
RR: 696. ((7 + 2) x 3 + 2) x 3 x 8 (10)
Score: 55–56 (max 89)
This roller coaster of a game continues as the lead changes hands for the third round running and fourth time overall. Sam makes a bold declaration by asking for six small and he makes better use of a tricky one to bag seven points, as this time it's Rose's turn to fire a blank on the numbers round. Rachel proves it's easy enough when you spot that the target's divisible by 87. Just a solitary point in this.
Teatime teaser: SNAGHEEL -> LEHENGAS
Round 11: T R S U O I L A N
C1: TAILORS (7)
C2: 7 X
DC: INSULATOR (18)
Score: 62–56 (max 107)
Another twist in this match, make that four rounds in a row! After Rose declares her seven, Sam hesitates before declaring a seven, before eventually deciding he hasn't got one afterall. I just hope for his sake that Corby didn't watch this episode. After this, there's just enough time for DC to pull out their second niner of the day.
Round 12: W G M E O N E U K
C1: WOMEN (5)
C2: GNOME (5)
DC: GENOME (6)
Score: 67–61 (max 113)
This selection is challenging to say the least. Fives for Rose and Sam, who could have levelled matters by adding an E to his word. DC are quick to pick up on this and it turns out to be the only six.
Round 13: N T C A E U L N E
C1: TUNNEL (6)
C2: CLEAN (5)
OT: NUCLEATE (8)
Score: 73–61 (max 121)
Rose picks up a vital six points as Sam can only muster a five. Had he added the UN on the front though, he would have restored his lead. Surprisingly, DC can's see past six when there are a few sevens available and one eight, which a couple of people pick up on in the spoilers thread.
Round 14: 5, 7, 1, 1, 5, 7. Target: 926.
C1: 926. Mistake in working.
C2: -
RR: 931. ((5 - 1) x 5 - 1) x 7 x 7 (7)
Score: 73–61 (max 128)
With a 12 point deficit to make up, Sam unsurprisingly tries his six small strategy. With two of each of 1, 5 and 7 and a huge target, it's not surprising that he can't get close, which ends his chances of a teapot. Rose does have a go though and produces the solution which gets as close as possible. Unfortunately for her though, she declares the actual target rather than 931 so she doesn't receive any points for her efforts. She can sit comfortably now though.
Round 15: U S E P R O M P T
C2 buzzes on 3.5 seconds to say UPPERMOST which is correct.
Final Score: 73–71 (max 138)
Sam has the final word with a good conundrum solve to lose by a cruel two points. He certainly proved to be a decent opponent, as many of Rose's challengers have been but the Dubliner has produced another masterclass in how to come from behind. Tomorrow will be her last game for some time, whatever the outcome, where she will be bidding to become the fifth octochamp of the series. If she manages it, it'll be the first time we've had back-to-back female octochamps since series 48. Join James tomorrow for the possible coronation recap. I'll be back next week when I'll be recapping a game between two different contestants. In fact, I already know who they are because I was at the recording but you'll have to wait to find out.
I'll see you then.Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=67
