c4countdown

Stop the press........It's that time again.........you heard it first it's the series 93 finals week........after 126 bruising heats.........that's right we are down to the cream of the crop.............the last eight will do battle over the coming days................it's our first quarter final and a rematch from their prelim game way back in April...........and this time this is personal......so which one of these legends will come out on top and earn their place in the semi-final............so let's get this show on the road and get this first quarter final underway





C1: Champion Patrick "The Gazelle " Thompson (8 wins, 977 points.)
C2: Champion Tom "The Oldham Onager " Bashford (4 wins, 463 points.)
DC: Susie Dent and Charlene White .
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: N G R T E I A D E
R02: O I A P L S N M T
R03: 75, 50, 100, 25, 7, 3. Target: 639.
TTT: GRIPSPOON - "(50 ÷ 25 + 75) × 7 + 100"
R04: U E J K S P G O D
R05: N L B S I U O N R
R06: 8, 4, 2, 4, 9, 3. Target: 501.
R07: S Q N T I E A H E
R08: I S A I R N S T S
R09: 75, 50, 25, 100, 4, 2, . Target: 993.
TTT: ALBUMHINT - "If you want a hint, think about the digital photo album."
R10: E O U N S R G E F
R11: R L P D A E U G P
R12: O A O A R T M T V
R13: R T F C E O E T I
R14: 3, 8, 6, 5, 5, 3. Target: 240.
R15: H A S L Y R I C S (conundrum)


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Round 1: N G R T E I A D E

Patrick: DENIGRATE (18)
Tom: DENIGRATE (18)
DC: GRATINEED (18)
Score: 18–18 (max 18)

What a fantastic start from our quarter finalists kicking off the day proceedings with a 9.......... Gratineed was the other 9 was spotted by DC..... my spot was Denigrate too



Round 2: O I A P L S N M T

Patrick: IMPLANTS (8)
Tom: SPLINT (6)
DC: MAINTOPS (8)
OT: TAMPIONS (8)
Score: 26–18 (max 26)

More brilliance from our top seed Patrick with his 8 Implants........sad to say that our 8th seed can only manage an 6.........Maintops was the other 8 that DC and our recap writer spotted !



Round 3: 75, 50, 100, 25, 7, 3. Target: 639.

C1: 639. (50 ÷ 25 + 75) × 7 + 100 (10)
C2: 641.
Score: 36–18 (max 36)

What a fantastic solve from our top seed Patrick.........this extends his lead further



Teatime teaser: GRIPSPOON -> PROPOSING

Round 4: U E J K S P G O D

Patrick: SOUPED (6)
Tom: SPOKE (5)
DC: JOKES (5)
OT: JOUKED (6) JUDGES (6) KOPJES (6) PODGES (6) PSEUDO (6) SPOKED (6)
Score: 42–18 (max 42)

Plenty of sixes to be had but not for Tom sadly who has been stuck on 18 points since the first round.............there is nothing more to see so lets move on shall we !





Round 5: N L B S I U O N R

Patrick: LOINS (5)
Tom: BUNIONS (7)
DC: BUNIONS (7)
Score: 42–25 (max 49)

Game Changer kudos to our 8th seed for spotting the only available seven and with Patrick's max game now off ... Is the turning point that Tom needs to get himself back into this quarter final ?








Round 6: 8, 4, 2, 4, 9, 3. Target: 501.

C1: 502. (3 + 4) × 8 × 9 − 2 (7)
C2: 502. (3 + 4) × 8 × 9 − 2 (7)
RR: 501. (8 + 2 + 4) × 4 × 9 − 3 (10)
Score: 49–32 (max 59)

Not the easiest of six smalls our quarter finalists do well to get 1 away and 7 useful points.........but Ms Riley gets to shine and produce the perfect solution





Round 7: S Q N T I E A H E

Patrick: SENATE (6)
Tom: STAIN (5)
DC: HASTEN (6)
OT: ASHINE (6) ETHANE (6) HENTAI (6) SAITHE (6) SATEEN (6) SEITAN (6) SHANTI (6) THANES (6) THEINE (6) TISANE (6)
Score: 55–32 (max 65)

Again more of the same lots of sixes and one of those was spotted by Patrick but Tom is all sea with his 5 it would take a miracle for him to get back into this contest ........next please !





Round 8: I S A I R N S T S

Patrick: STRAINS (7)
Tom: RAISINS (7)
DC: STRAINS (7) RAISINS (7)
OT: INSISTS (7) INSTARS (7)
Score: 62–39 (max 72)

Sevens all round.............not worth fighting over...........so play nicely children





Round 9: 75, 50, 25, 100, 4, 2. Target: 993.

C1: 992. (75 + 50 + 25 + 100 − 2) × 4 (7)
C2: 996.
Score: 69–39 (max 79)

This cannot be solved perfectly.......Rachel says 1 away is as good as it gets



Teatime teaser: ALBUMHINT -> THUMBNAIL

Round 10: E O U N S R G E F

Patrick: GENEROUS (8)
Tom: GENEROUS (8)
DC: SURGEON (7)
Score: 77–47 (max 87)

What a generous looking selection of letters.........our quarter finalists spot the only available eight !





Round 11: R L P D A E U G P

Patrick: GRAPPLED (8)
Tom: PLAGUED (7)
DC: GRAPPLED (8)
Score: 85–47 (max 95)

More brilliance from our top seed Patrick spotting the only available 8 Grappled which was my spot too.........so let's jump to the next round !





Round 12: O A O A R T M T V

Patrick: TOMATO (6)
Tom: ovator
DC: TOMATO (6)
OT: MATTAR (6) TOTARA (6)
Score: 91–47 (max 101)

Sixes all round but not for Tom as Susie disallows his word.............nothing worth arguing over !




Round 13: R T F C E O E T I

Patrick: COTTIER (7)
Tom: COTERIE (7)
DC: COTTIER (7)
Score: 98–54 (max 108)

Sevens all round........nothing to see here........so lets move along now !



Round 14: 3, 8, 6, 5, 5, 3. Target: 240.

C1: 240. (5 + 5) × 3 × 8 (10)
C2: 240. (5 + 5) × 3 × 8 (10)
Score: 108–64 (max 118)

A piss easy six small that doesn't seem to trouble our quarter finalists..........as it bags them 10 more points each.......but for our seed 8th seed Tom it is game over





Round 15: H A S L Y R I C S



C1 buzzes on 1.25 seconds to say CHRYSALIS which is correct.
Final Score: 118–64 (max 128)

Oh Yes ! what a speedy buzz from our top seed Patrick who now advances to the first semi-final where he will play the winner of Daniel Face or Ian Kinsella that will be coming to our screens on Tuesday and should be a really good contest between the 4th and 5th seeds.............secondly take nothing away from Tom coming up against the top seed Patrick Thompson is no easy task but he can be proud of his achievement as a Countdown quarter finalist.........you can join me for the next recap where Charlie Harrison and Megel Barker will face off tomorrow for a place in the next Semi-final.........in the meantime it is bye for now