Monday 26th September 2011 (Series 65, Prelim 61)

[Ryan Taylor]

Countdown recap for Monday 26 September 2011.

C1: Champion Jayne Wisniewski (1 win, 88 points.)
C2: Challenger Craig Anderson.
DC: Susie Dent and Kate Humble.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: R D O I L T A E Z
R02: D T E O S F A X M
R03: R C E O N T A E O
R04: N R S I E O L N U
R05: 75, 4, 10, 8, 9, 6. Target: 523.
TTT: MECCAAID - "It's all irrelavent now said the scholar"
R06: R H O I U D G A N
R07: S M I E N R A E S
R08: S G T I O E V S O
R09: Y M A I L P E B D
R10: 100, 50, 5, 9, 9, 8. Target: 703.
TTT: DRIPGOAL - "Wasteful and extravagant like the famous son"
R11: Q R A I N W E A C
R12: R T S I A E P W N
R13: G D O I T E U L S
R14: 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 10. Target: 332.
R15: J E T A D V I C E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Jayne Wisniewski managed to see off Andy last Friday although it was very close up until the final letters round when Jayne stunned Andy with her niner effectively winning the game. She is from Barton Green in Worcestershire and enjoys such calming activities as yoga and swimming although does support Aston Villa which isn't exactly too calming given their start to the season. Sure, they're unbeaten but I think they drew for the 5th time yesterday and are looking like this season's draw specialists. And in case you don't know a lot about Jayne already it seems she enjoys all sorts of music admitting that she loves West End musicals but has also been seen at Muse, The Killers and even Linkin Park concerts!

A man from Ayrshire, Craig Anderson, is the challenger today. he is a PhD student who loves football. And being from Scotland it turns out he is a season ticket holder for Kilmarnock. Crikey. If that isn't bad enough it then transpires that he is a member of the Scotland Supporters Club. Let's see if Craig can do what his national team has never done and that's progress into the quarter-finals stage. It's all very early though as first he has Jayne to overcome...

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: R D O I L T A E Z

C1: LEOTARD (7)
C2: TRAILED (7)
DC: IDOLATER (8) TAILORED (8)
OT: TRIAZOLE (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)

Judging by Jayne's smile before announcing her word I could tell she was going to say LEOTARD, the most classic of classics. Craig is on the board too.

Round 2: D T E O S F A X M

C1: MOATED (6)
C2: FASTED (6)
DC: MASTED (6)
OT: DEFATS (6) FOAMED (6) MODEST (6)
Score: 13–13 (max 14)

A pretty naff selection of letters leaves everyone with a bit of disdain on their face when they all come up with 6's. That proved to be the max for the round though so well done.

Round 3: R C E O N T A E O

C1: CARTOON (7)
C2: TRANCE (6)
DC: CANTER (6) CAROTENE (8)
Score: 20–13 (max 22)

Jayne strikes the first blow picking out one of a few 7's in there (CORONET/ACETONE) but wily DC have beaten everyone with the darren. I thought maybe someone would be tricked into going for CORONATE^ but I was wrong. These two are too wise.

Round 4: N R S I E O L N U

C1: SINNER (6)
C2: SUNNIER (7)
DC: UNRISEN (7) ELUSION (7) NEURONS (7) LOUSIER (7)
OT: REUNIONS (8)
Score: 20–20 (max 30)

I'm sure Jayne will be furious at herself as after just gaining a small lead she is pegged back by missing a couple of -IER words which Craig is wise too. For the second round in a row though a darren is available but no one was getting that, tough spot.

Round 5: 75, 4, 10, 8, 9, 6. Target: 523.

C1: 523. (9-(10-8))*75-(6-4) (10)
C2: 520.
Score: 30–20 (max 40)

Solid numbers solution from Jayne once again puts her back in front. A very pleasing solution using all of the 6 numbers.

Teatime teaser: MECCAAID -> ACADEMIC

Round 6: R H O I U D G A N

C1: roughing
C2: HOARDING (8)
Score: 30–28 (max 48)

Just like before Jayne doesn't reinforce her lead that she carved as she makes a double vision error meaning Craig is right up her bum after his darrenic spot.

Round 7: S M I E N R A E S

C1: MARINES (7)
C2: REMAINS (7)
DC: ARISEN (6) SEMINARS (8)
OT: NEMESIAS (8) SERIEMAS (8)
Score: 37–35 (max 56)

If either of the two had seen that their words were anagrams of SEMINAR then they may have been able to reach into the 8 bracket by adding the S (as DC did).

NEMESIA is a shrub and a SERIEMA is a bird. Now why doesn't either of those surprise me.

Round 8: S G T I O E V S O

C1: EGOISTS (7)
C2: STOVIES (7)
OT: GOOIEST (7) SOVIETS (7) STOGIES (7) STOOGES (7)
Score: 44–42 (max 63)

Both contestants getting twitchy as they risk there 7's but no need to be as both are perfectly fine. GROOVIEST in touch.

Round 9: Y M A I L P E B D

C1: IMPALED (7)
C2: BEADILY (7)
DC: BIPEDAL (7)
OT: IMPLEAD (7) PIEBALD (7)
Score: 51–49 (max 70)

Again both say they risk their 7's but there's nothing risky at all about them. The scores stay poised at that 2 point gap.

Susie: Susie speaks.

Round 10: 100, 50, 5, 9, 9, 8. Target: 703.

C1: 701. (5+9)*50+9-8 (7)
C2: 705. 8*100-50-9*5 (7)
RR: 703. 5*100+50+(9+8)*9 (10)
Score: 58–56 (max 80)

Both get different targets but are just as close meaning this game looks like it could go all the way to the conundrum. Rachel flounders but after the interval she manages to get to 703.

Teatime teaser: DRIPGOAL -> PRODIGAL

Round 11: Q R A I N W E A C

C1: WINCER (6)
C2: CRANE (5)
DC: ARCANE (6) CARINAE (7)
OT: ACARINE (7)
Score: 64–56 (max 87)

Jayne is pushing for that 11 point gap that she has been unable to find thus far in this contest but one more letters beater and that will do it.

Round 12: R T S I A E P W N

C1: RAINSWEPT (18)
C2: PANTRIES (8)
Score: 82–56 (max 105)

And there it is! And what a way to do it. Fuck me. The spot of the week. I wonder if it was a raw spot or a result of her hours of work put in on apterous to remember it as PRAWNIEST^? Or maybe she recalled it from when it was a conundrum and Kirk solved it or even when it came up some time this year too. Either way, Jayne has managed to do it again, producing a 9 in the final third leaving her opponent with no time to catch up.

Round 13: G D O I T E U L S

C1: GODLIEST (8)
C2: TOILED (6)
DC: EULOGIST (8)
OT: SOLITUDE (8)
Score: 90–56 (max 113)

And that blow to Craig in the last round carries over into this as he struggles to a 6 whilst Jayne is only spurred on even more finding a max again. What a difference a 9 makes.

Round 14: 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 10. Target: 332.

C1: 333. (3*10+4)*10-7 (7)
C2: 334.
RR: 332. ((3+6)*10-7)*4 (10)
Score: 97–56 (max 123)

Craig fails to score again as Jayne pips him by one to the numbers but maybe Craig can prevent Jayne from getting a century...

Round 15: J E T A D V I C E

C2 buzzes on 5 seconds to say ADJECTIVE which is correct.
Final Score: 97–66 (max 133)

...and he can. The record of consecutive unsolved conundrums is not achieved thankfully as a quick spot disturbs the streak.

The score doesn't do Craig justice as that 9 from Jayne really affected the last few rounds as up until then it was a pretty good contest.

Good day.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65