Let's find out, enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 9 October 2014.
C1: Champion Dan McColm (1 win, 113 points.) An Apteforumite from Kineton, Warwickshire.
C2: Challenger Ben Hodgson. A floorlaying specialist from Basingstoke, Hampshire. He once drove a car into a field and was charged into by a bull.
DC: Susie Dent and Tony Jacklin.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: G M R A O I T O C
R02: N T N A O E D B U
R03: 75, 8, 6, 1, 7, 10. Target: 270.
TTT: LIFTSARE - "The lifts are out of order and this sort of person can't take the stairs"
R04: L R H C A I E Z P
R05: T A R T O A N E M
R06: 100, 9, 2, 3, 10, 10. Target: 766.
R07: D R P O I A L U T
R08: R Q S R O E O F R
R09: 25, 10, 2, 1, 4, 6. Target: 777.
TTT: PUSHEDIN - "The boy pushed his schoolmate in the playground, and was dealt with accordingly"
R10: D S M S I U E G R
R11: L S V A E O S E N
R12: W R S I E A T B P
R13: W N L A U I D E N
R14: 100, 25, 5, 9, 3, 1. Target: 383.
R15: P O A C H B I R D (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: G M R A O I T O C
Dan: AGOROT (6)
Ben: TRAGIC (6)
DC: MOTORIC (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)
A very odd looking darrenic 7 was available there, but our players begin with 6 apiece.
Round 2: N T N A O E D B U
Dan: NANOTUBE (8)
Ben: BANNED (6)
OT: UNATONED (8)
Score: 14–6 (max 15)
Staggering stuff from Dan there with a brilliant 8 to give him the lead.
Round 3: 75, 8, 6, 1, 7, 10. Target: 270.
Dan: 269. ((10 - 6) x (75 - 8)) + 1 (7)
Ben: 271. ((10 - 6) x (75 - 7)) - 1 (7)
RR: 270. (75 - (8 x 6)) x 10 (10)
Score: 21–13 (max 25)
Both players a bit undecided here, but both get 1 away, leaving Rachel to show us how it's done.
Teatime teaser: LIFTSARE -> FRAILEST
Round 4: L R H C A I E Z P
Dan: REPLICA (7)
Ben: PREACH (6)
DC: CHARLIE (7)
OT: CALIPER (7) HARELIP (7)
Score: 28–13 (max 32)
Ben didn't copy, so he didn't have Dan's REPLICA.
Round 5: T A R T O A N E M
Dan: TERATOMA (8)
Ben: notarate
DC: TORMENT (7)
OT: AMARETTO (8)
Score: 36–13 (max 40)
Nice to see TERATOMA again, brining memories of the Series 69 final, but Dan is taking control now, as Ben's offering of notarate isn't to be found.......
Round 6: 100, 9, 2, 3, 10, 10. Target: 766.
Dan: 766. ((100 - 3) x (10 - 2)) - 10 (10)
Ben: -
Score: 46–13 (max 50)
Ben thinks he has it, but lost it, but Dan has it, and he goes 33 clear.
Tony talks about an incident in South Africa when he shared a car with 2 other golfers and took the wrap for one of them after the car was tipped over.......
Round 7: D R P O I A L U T
Dan: TROUPIAL (8)
Ben: outlaid
DC: AUDITOR (7)
OT: TRIPODAL (8)
Score: 54–13 (max 58)
Yet another round stamping Dan's authority. Surely, we're not going to have back-to-back 13 maxers, are we
Round 8: R Q S R O E O F R
Dan: ROOFERS (7)
Ben: ROOFERS (7)
DC: ERRORS (6) FORE (4)
Score: 61–20 (max 65)
And now, we have a pair of ROOFERS.
Round 9: 25, 10, 2, 1, 4, 6. Target: 777.
Dan: 775. (((6 / 2) x 10) + 1) x 25 (7)
Ben: -
RR: 777. ((((10 - 2) x 25) - 6) x 4) + 1 (10)
Score: 68–20 (max 75)
Ben blanks again, and even though Dan is 2 away, this game is surely wrapped up already...........
Teatime teaser: PUSHEDIN -> PUNISHED
Round 10: D S M S I U E G R
Dan: MISUSED (7)
Ben: SMUDGIER (8)
DC: SURMISED (8)
Score: 68–28 (max 83)
Hmmm, Dan decides to take the safety first approach, which isn't a bad idea at this stage, but it does cut his lead by a smidge with Ben's SMUDGIER offering. (Incidentally, Dan did ask about smudgers, which isn't in, so no difference.)
Round 11: L S V A E O S E N
Dan: ELEVONS (7)
Ben: ENSLAVES (8)
DC: OVALNESS (8)
Score: 68–36 (max 91)
Well, well, well, surely not............
Another 8 from Ben, and within 2 rounds, Dan's lead has been cut by a third 
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of "tutu".
Round 12: "W" R S I E A T B P
Dan: BAPTISE (7)
Ben: WAITERS (7)
DC: PARTIES (7) PIRATES (7)
OT: WIRETAPS (8)
Score: 75–43 (max 99)
I've quoted the W, because it's actually an upside down M, which would have brought up BARMIEST as an 8, but there is one available in WIRETAPS, but no-one in the studio gets it...........
Round 13: W N L A U I D E N
Dan: LINDANE (7)
Ben: UNLINED (7)
DC: UNLAID (6)
OT: UNNAILED (8)
Score: 82–50 (max 107)
A very nice ODO 8 available here in UNNAILED, which was also on show at CoStAl back in July.
Dan has the game wrapped up now too, and he'll now want to push on for another century here. (He probably wasn't concerned at the time, but I wonder what Dan might be thinking, had he known that he missed 5 maxes on the spin......... 
) Round 14: 100, 25, 5, 9, 3, 1. Target: 383.
Dan: 383. ((100 - 25) x 5) + 9 - 1 (10)
Ben: 383. (5 x 3 x 25) + 9 - 1 (10)
Score: 92–60 (max 117)
Simple numbers here, but can Dan make it 2/2 centuries
Round 15: P O A C H B I R D
Ben buzzes on 7.25 seconds to say CHIPBOARD which is correct.
Final Score: 92–70 (max 127)
NO
And it's been quite a 3rd "half" for Ben, who beat Dan 48-22 in the last 6 rounds, which would've made the result even more interesting, if he had replicated that in the rest of the game. As it is, I'm sure Dan will be mighty relieved to get through that one.
As he trundled off, he did feel disconsolate, but us band of cheerleaders in the audience tried to make sure he wasn't too down, because even though he knew he could play better, he still won convincingly, and we were certainly all hoping that this was his nightmare game out of the way, but like Kirk & Glen, as mentioned above, hopefully he'll be an octochamp soon.
To find out if he does, join Anthony tomorrow.
Till next week, bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Dan:
Total score - 92
Raw score - 106
Total % of max - 72
Raw % of max - 83
Total average score per round - 6.1
Raw average score per round - 7.1
Number of maxes - 7
Ben:
Total score - 70
Raw score - 82
Total % of max - 55
Raw % of max - 65
Total average score per round - 4.7
Raw average score per round - 5.5
Number of maxes - 5
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=71