Wahey, I'm back!
Only for one game, though, as Robbo is unavailable for tonight and in his words, “Desperate times call for desperate measures”. This time, the solution to the desperation is to temporarily bring me out of retirement.So, let's get to the situation regarding this series' leaderboard. So far, it shows that the top four players have six wins to their names; Bobby Banerjee, Priscilla Munday, Andy Gardner and the current champion, Andy Naylor, who is having a more successful spell this time than he did in 2003, when he lost his first game. Intriguingly, only eleven points separate the four players but Andy has played a game less and still level on points with second-place Priscilla. He's almost certain to be top after today's show but can he become the first player this series to make it to seven victories? Let's see.
C1: Champion Andy Naylor (6 wins, 586 points.) Despite his impressive form, Nick still warns against complacency. Going off how the series has developed, it's not a bad idea.
C2: Challenger Adrian Albon is a recruitment consultant from Portsmouth. He also enjoys playing the guitar and has performed in front of around 200 people at a French campsite, which he found intimidating.
DC: Susie Dent and Janet Street-Porter.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: K D S E O A T S I
R02: O A E D P L R W O
R03: 100, 9, 3, 6, 1, 8. Target: 585.
TTT: WOOLSTUB - "On a road or in a restaurant, these may leave you bursting."
R04: A I E C N R G T U
R05: O E I H N D R Y P
R06: 25, 3, 5, 8, 1, 10. Target: 955.
R07: R D N T S O E A M
R08: E I O F N G X P A
R09: 50, 100, 5, 1, 3, 9. Target: 858.
TTT: AUNTGRIM - "Aunt looks grim, she's not getting any younger."
R10: I E A N R T M S E
R11: B S L O I E H T A
R12: I O U S Q L T S I
R13: C A P I G S E O L
R14: 100, 4, 3, 2, 9, 8. Target: 871.
R15: G O A L S R U S H (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: K D S E O A T S I
C1: OAKIEST (7)
C2: SKATED (6)
OT: ADIOSES (7) IODATES (7) KETOSIS (7) SOSATIE (7) TOADIES (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)
OAKIEST has been offered a fair bit on Countdown in recent times and Andy uses it to his advantage to make the breakthrough.
Round 2: O A E D P L R W O
C1: LEOPARD (7)
C2: -
DC: PRELOAD (7)
OT: POLEWARD (8)
Score: 14–0 (max 15)
Ouch, Adrian blanks a letters round and I know how that feels. The champion's lead is doubled instantly, although everyone misses the impressive POLEWARD.
Round 3: 100, 9, 3, 6, 1, 8. Target: 585.
C1: 585. (100 - 1) x 6 - 9 (10)
C2: 585 X
Score: 24–0 (max 25)
No change in luck for Adrian, who eventually decides that he has gone wrong, so he already has a mountain to climb.
Teatime teaser: WOOLSTUB -> BLOWOUTS
Round 4: A I E C N R G T U
C1: CREATING (8)
C2: TRACING (7)
DC: CURTAIN (7) CATERING (8) REACTING (8)
OT: CURATING (8)
Score: 32–0 (max 33)
Andy is continually CREATING a larger lead for himself and is in cruise control.
Round 5: O E I H N D R Y P
C1: PONDER (6)
C2: PINDER (6)
DC: OPINED (6)
OT: HYPERON (7) PHONIER (7)
Score: 38–6 (max 40)
Adrian gets off the mark, while DC surprisingly miss a couple of sevens.
A HYPERON is an unstable subatomic particle, which is heavier than a neutron and a proton.
Round 6: 25, 3, 5, 8, 1, 10. Target: 955.
C1: 955. (3 x 10 + 8) x 25 + 5 (10)
C2: -
Score: 48–6 (max 50)
Andy registers ten more points with perfection, as Adrian fails to get anywhere near.
Now to Janet Street-Porter's anecdote, oh joy of joys! If you somehow want to listen to it again, you know what to do.
Round 7: R D N T S O E A M
C1: STOREMAN (8)
C2: ROASTED (7)
DC: MONSTERA (8) TRANSOMED (18)
Score: 56–6 (max 68)
A nice nine by the corner, while Andy just continues to extend his lead, which his reached the half century already.
Round 8: E I O F N G X P A
C1: FOXING (6)
C2: FAXING (6)
DC: AXEING (6) PIGEON (6) APEING (6)
OT: APEXING (7)
Score: 62–12 (max 75)
A nice seven is missed by all here.
Round 9: 50, 100, 5, 1, 3, 9. Target: 858.
C1: 858. (9 - 1) x 100 + 50 + 5 + 3 (10)
C2: 858. 9 x 100 - 50 + 5 + 3 (10)
Score: 72–22 (max 85)
No trouble for either of them, next please!
Teatime teaser: AUNTGRIM -> MATURING
Round 10: I E A N R T M S E
C1: EMIRATES (8)
C2: MASTER (6)
DC: TRAINEES (8)
OT: MATINEES (8) MINARETS (8) RAIMENTS (8) RESINATE (8) STEAMIER (8)
Score: 80–22 (max 93)
Another impressive eight from Andy, as he stands on the brink of ending the curse of the seventh game.
Round 11: B S L O I E H T A
C1: HOSTILE (7)
C2: BLATES X
DC: OBLATES (7) LOATHES (7) ABOLISH (7) BOLSHIE (7)
OT: ABLEIST (7) ASTILBE (7) BESTIAL (7) BOATELS (7) BOATIES (7) BOTHIES (7) EOLITHS (7) HOLIEST (7) ISOLATE (7) LATEISH (7) LITHOES (7) OBELIAS (7) STABILE (7)
Score: 87–22 (max 100)
Lots of sevens but Adrian fails to find any of them. He could have done by adding the O to his BLATES^ and just to rub it in further, his offering isn't in. As a result, Andy has wrapped up the game already.
OoW: Susie talks about some terms for women.
Round 12: I O U S Q L T S I
C1: QUILTS (6)
C2: QUILTS (6)
DC: QUOITS (6) LOTUS (5)
OT: SLUITS (6) SQUITS (6)
Score: 93–28 (max 106)
Not much here but both contestants max it.
Round 13: C A P I G S E O L
C1: POLICES (7)
C2: SPECIAL (7)
DC: SPOILAGE (8)
OT: PELAGICS (8)
Score: 100–35 (max 114)
Sevens for Andy (who secures a century) and Adrian but there are two eights available. DC spot the more common of the two.
PELAGIC is an adjective relating to fish inhabiting the upper layers of the open sea, or to a bird inhabiting the open sea. As a noun, it refers to a fish or bird with these characteristics.
Round 14: 100, 4, 3, 2, 9, 8. Target: 871.
C1: 871. (100 + 9) x 8 - (4 - 3) (10)
C2: 876.
Score: 110–35 (max 124)
Another perfect numbers solve for the champ and he now has the chance to score a very impressive 120 points. I messed up the same situation in my third game so can Andy show me how it's done?
Round 15: G O A L S R U S H
No one buzzes. The answer was HOURGLASS.
Final Score: 110–35 (max 134)
Sadly not as the conundrum stumps both contestants. Andy still records the highest score of the series so far, beating his own record he set on Monday by one. Today he succeeded where others have failed this series by winning his seventh game emphatically. He shoots to the top of the leaderboard and tomorrow, he will have the chance to become the first octochamp since early December. If I've interpreted the filming and transmissions thread correctly, then forumite and keen scrabbler Martin Thompson stands in his way, so it could be a very interesting game. Join Anthony for that and Robbo will be back on Thursdays as per usual from next week. I hope to provide you all with another recap before to long so whenever that is, see you all then!
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=70