Well this has been quite a week, as Antoinette Ryan has taken the Countdown world by storm and is now on the threshold of becoming an Octochamp. With less than a week to go before the start of the Quarter Finals, we now know who the 8 players will be. It's just a question now of how far up the board Antoinette can go. James worked out the permutations on his last recap, so if you are interested please take a look. Today, Matt Willock hopes to spoil Antoinette's party by snatching victory today. Enjoy.Countdown recap for Friday 5 December 2014.
C1: Champion Antoinette Ryan (7 wins, 747 points.) Bidding to be an Octochamp today. An Apterite and full-time mum from Nenagh, County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland.
C2: Challenger Matt Willock. From Hinckley in Leicestershire, enjoys sport, season ticket holder at Leicester City, plays hockey.
DC: Susie Dent and Alistair McGowan.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S C T G A U E T X
R02: N I T H O E S N O
R03: 2, 2, 10, 6, 7, 3, . Target: 526.
TTT: BEASTRAN - "The beast ran riot in the kitchen until I put this down."
R04: S D I A L R E A T
R05: S V L D U A O E S
R06: 4, 6, 9, 4, 1, 100. Target: 234.
R07: R C L P I O E I E
R08: T R A I M S N A E
R09: 5, 8, 4, 9, 10, 100, . Target: 538.
TTT: ESTERHAD - "Esther had a long day so this helped her relax."
R10: J F A O E K T I L
R11: R V W N A E I D N
R12: D R U E O P M U R
R13: G L D I E A Q P O
R14: 10, 5, 3, 9, 100, 75. Target: 891.
R15: C R A V E I R O N (conundrum)
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Round 1: S C T G A U E T X
Antoinette: EXACTS (6)
Matt: STAGE (5)
DC: CATGUT (6)
OT: SCUTAGE (7)
Score: 6–0 (max 7)
A good start for Antoinette as she gets EXACTS for 6. Matt gets STAGE for 5.
Round 2: N I T H O E S N O
Antoinette: NOTIONS (7)
Matt: SOOTHE (6)
DC: TENSION (7)
OT: HISTONE (7) INTONES (7)
Score: 13–0 (max 14)
Another 7 for Antoinette with NOTIONS as Matt tries to SOOTHE his way through.
Round 3: 2, 2, 10, 6, 7, 3. Target: 526.
Antoinette: 523. (7+2) x 6 - 2 x 10 + 3 (7)
Matt: -
RR: 526. (7+6) x 2 x 10 + 3 x 2 (10)
Score: 20–0 (max 24)
A tricky numbers game which even Rachel needs the break to get results in another 7 for Antoinette with 3 away, as Matt fails to score again.
Teatime teaser: BEASTRAN -> RATSBANE
Ratsbane is rat poisoning apparently.
Round 4: S D I A L R E A T
Antoinette: RADIATES (8)
Matt: DIALERS (7)
DC: TRAILED (7) DETAILS (7) DILATES (7) REALIST (7) LARDIEST (8) SALARIED (8)
Score: 28–0 (max 32)
Antoinette RADIATES her way to another 8, while Matt gets DIALERS for 7.
Round 5: S V L D U A O E S
Antoinette: AVULSED (7)
Matt: LOADS (5)
DC: SOLVED (6) VALUES (6) VALUED (6)
OT: AVULSES (7) LASSOED (7) SALVOES (7)
Score: 35–0 (max 39)
Antoinette gets another 7 with AVULSED. Matt gets LOADS but not loads of points.
Round 6: 4, 6, 9, 4, 1, 100. Target: 234.
Antoinette: 235. (6-4) x 100 + (9x4) - 1 (7)
Matt: 235. (6-4) x 100 + (9x4) - 1 (7)
RR: 234. (100+4) / 4 x 9 (10)
Score: 42–7 (max 49)
Both players miss the target and get 1 away, so Rachel once again has to rescue the situation.
At last Matt has now scored some points.Alistair McGowan talks about tennis players who talk tactics during the game.
Round 7: R C L P I O E I E
Antoinette: POLICE (6)
Matt: COPIER (6)
DC: POLICIER (8)
Score: 48–13 (max 57)
It's 6 points each with POLICE and COPIER.
Round 8: T R A I M S N A E
Antoinette: MARINATES (18)
Matt: MARINATES (18)
DC: MINARETS (8)
Score: 66–31 (max 75)
It's 9 for the players here with MARINATES. That helps the scores somewhat.
Round 9: 5, 8, 4, 9, 10, 100. Target: 538.
Antoinette: 538. (10-4) x (100-9) - 8 (10)
Matt: 538. (5 x 100) + (9x4) + (10-8) (10)
Score: 76–41 (max 85)
And another 10 for both players with the numbers.
Teatime teaser: ESTERHAD -> HEADREST
Round 10: J F A O E K T I L
Antoinette: FOLIATE (7)
Matt: FOLIATE (7)
DC: JETFOIL (7) FLOKATI (7)
Score: 83–48 (max 92)
It's another 7 for both players with FOLIATE.
Round 11: R V W N A E I D N
Antoinette: WAIVED (6)
Matt: WAVIER (6)
DC: DRIVEN (6) WINDER (6) INWARD (6) INVADER (7) RAVINED (7)
OT: INDRAWN (7)
Score: 89–54 (max 99)
It's 6 each here with WAIVED and WAVIER.
Susie talks about words related to travelling.
Round 12: D R U E O P M U R
Antoinette: PROUDER (7)
Matt: PURRED (6)
DC: POURER (6) POURED (6) MURDER (6)
OT: RUMOURED (8)
Score: 96–54 (max 107)
If only Matt had got off to a better start, this could have been quite a match. He PURRED in this round, but this time Antoinette takes the points with PROUDER.
Round 13: G L D I E A Q P O
Antoinette: GOALIE (6)
Matt: GLIDE (5)
DC: PLAID (5) GAOLED (6)
OT: DIPOLE (6) EIDOLA (6) LAPDOG (6) PEDALO (6) PLEIAD (6)
Score: 102–54 (max 113)
As regular forum members will know, Antoinette plays football, so this time it was the GOALIE that scored. Matt did GLIDE to a 5, but nil points this time.
Round 14: 10, 5, 3, 9, 100, 75. Target: 891.
Antoinette: 891. (100+75) x 5 + (9-3) + 10 (10)
Matt: 892.
Score: 112–54 (max 123)
It's another 10 for Antoinette, points which now mean she will be number 2 seed in the Quarter Finals.
Well done Antoinette 
Round 15: C R A V E I R O N
No one buzzes. The answer was CARNIVORE.
Final Score: 112–54 (max 133)
Nobody got the conundrum, so a lady in the audience got it instead. She was taken for a mug, a Countdown mug.
So Antoinette has done it! An Octochamp and number 2 seed in the Quarter Finals. Matt did have a good spell during this game where he got points in a few rounds in a row, but he didn't meet the requirements of beating our Antoinette Ryan, who has played superbly throughout her run and thoroughly deserves her strong seeding. Other Quarter Finallists will be worried about playing her now. But before the Quarter Finals, we have to see out the remaining prelims of this series. Monday will see 2 new players both hoping to be the Quarter Finallists of tomorrow, tomorrow being series 72. Join Andy McGurn on Monday to see who we get. I'll be back next Friday, by which time the Quarter Finals will be well underway. It looks like I'll be recapping Antoinette's Quarter Final against Dave Stanford. I hope you will join me then. In the meantime thank you very much for reading, and goodbye.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=71
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