I hope everyone had a good Christmas, and a Happy New Year to all.Monday saw the launch of series 72, with incumbent champion Andy Noden having won 1 game. Well since then he's won another 4, so goes into today's game looking for his 6th win. Basia Foster stands in his way. Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Friday 9 January 2015.
C1: Champion Andy Noden (5 wins, 507 points.) A retail adviser from St Helen's Merseyside, also an apterite.
C2: Challenger Basia Foster. A Hospice worker originally from Birmingham, now living in Leicester. Favourite place in the world is Krakow, where she owns an apartment.
DC: Susie Dent and Jon Culshaw.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: R U E I A T C M K
R02: T R L E O V I M F
R03: 10, 4, 2, 3, 7, 25. Target: 627.
TTT: TOMISSUE - "Tom has an issue with Jerry because he's this."
R04: D N X E A I H C N
R05: E A R M I O D W T
R06: 10, 3, 7, 7, 8, 100. Target: 848.
R07: P L A I O N S N A
R08: D T G E O N P E U
R09: 2, 5, 9, 1, 7, 75. Target: 200.
TTT: NAPSLEEP - "He never has a nap or a sleep, he's too busy being mischievous."
R10: T S D Y E O E A M
R11: O E N B R U Q I L
R12: S R G P O E U L C
R13: A E B S G T S O A
R14: 6, 8, 7, 2, 6, 50. Target: 577.
R15: M I K E G R A N T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: R U E I A T C M K
Andy: MURIATE (7)
Basia: MUCKIER (7)
OT: MURICATE (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)
It's 7 each to start proceedings with MURIATE and MUCKIER.
Round 2: T R L E O V I M F
Andy: VOMITER (7)
Basia: TREFOIL (7)
DC: OVERLIT (7)
OT: LOFTIER (7) MOTLIER (7)
Score: 14–14 (max 15)
And again 7 points all round. VOMITER and TREFOIL.
Round 3: 10, 4, 2, 3, 7, 25. Target: 627.
Andy: 627. ((7 x 3) + 4) x 25 + 2 (10)
Basia: -
Score: 24–14 (max 25)
Andy gets a perfect 10 with the numbers and takes the lead as Basia doesn't get close.
Teatime teaser: TOMISSUE -> MOUSIEST
Round 4: D N X E A I H C N
Andy: ECHIDNA (7)
Basia: CHAINED (7)
OT: CHINNED (7) ENCHAIN (7)
Score: 31–21 (max 32)
Any good Countdowner knows ECHIDNA is an anagram of CHAINED. The reason why it's a better bet is because if there's an S in the selection it can be pluralised. After all, nobody ever said 'chaineds' did they.
Anyway, it's another 7 points a piece here.
Round 5: E A R M I O D W T
Andy: READMIT (7)
Basia: ADMIRE (6)
DC: MEDIATOR (8) MIDWATER (8)
Score: 38–21 (max 40)
Andy gets 7 with READMIT as Basia only gets to ADMIRE her 6.
Round 6: 10, 3, 7, 7, 8, 100. Target: 848.
Andy: 848. 10 - (7 - 3) + 100 x 8 (10)
Basia: 849.
Score: 48–21 (max 50)
Well well well. Andy seems to have found a new zest for numbers, as he gets another perfect 10 with 848. Basia only manages 849.
Jon Culshaw does impressions of political characters with the General Election coming up.
Round 7: P L A I O N S N A
Andy: SAPONIN (7)
Basia: PLAINS (6)
DC: PIANOLAS (8)
Score: 55–21 (max 58)
Andy gets the unusual word SAPONIN to go a further 7 ahead. Basia got PLAINS for 6 but it wasn't enough.
Round 8: D T G E O N P E U
Andy: TONGUED (7)
Basia: TONGUED (7)
DC: PUNTED (6) OPENED (6)
OT: PENTODE (7)
Score: 62–28 (max 65)
Both players got TONGUED for 7 more here.
Round 9: 2, 5, 9, 1, 7, 75. Target: 200.
Andy: 200. (75 x 2) + ((9 + 1) x 5 ) (10)
Basia: 199.
Score: 72–28 (max 75)
Is Andy actually going to get a perfect 40 for numbers? Here's another step. Basia got 1 away again.
Teatime teaser: NAPSLEEP -> SPALPEEN
Round 10: T S D Y E O E A M
Andy: MOSEYED (7)
Basia: STEAMED (7)
DC: DEMOTES (7) MODESTY (7)
OT: OEDEMAS (7) SOMEDAY (7)
Score: 79–35 (max 82)
Andy MOSEYED to get a 7, while Basia STEAMED her way to also get 7 points.
Round 11: O E N B R U Q I L
Andy: RONQUIL (7)
Basia: BOILER (6)
DC: LIQUOR (6)
OT: OBLIQUE (7)
Score: 86–35 (max 89)
Andy comes up with another big word RONQUIL to get another 7. Basia's BOILER for 6 didn't score here.
Susie talks about the origin of the phrase 'bless you' when you sneeze, and the Black Death.
Round 12: S R G P O E U L C
Andy: COUPLERS (8)
Basia: GROUPS (6)
Score: 94-35 (max 97)
Andy gets COUPLERS for 8, while Basia only manages GROUPS for 6.
Round 13: A E B S G T S O A
Andy: SABOTS (6)
Basia: STAGES (6)
DC: SABOTAGES (18)
Score: 100–41 (max 115)
Oh deary deary me. Andy sees the 9 just too late, as he declares SABOTS for 6. Basia STAGES an attempt to score and gets 6 also.
Round 14: 6, 8, 7, 2, 6, 50. Target: 577.
Andy: 579.
Basia: 576. (50 + 7) x (8 + 2) + 6 (7)
RR: 577. (50 x 6) - 8 x 2 - 7 (10)
Score: 100–48 (max 125)
Well it was too much to ask wasn't it? Andy getting 40 from the numbers. He got 2 away here and that allowed Basia to score 7 as she got 1 away.
Round 15: M I K E G R A N T
Andy buzzes on 1 second to say MARKETING which is correct.
Well he didn't waste much time on that one! A 1 second conundrum from Andy with MARKETING to finish the game.
Final Score: 110–48 (max 135)
So Andy collects win number 6, and is looking set to go all the way here. Will he make it? Only time will tell. Certainly today he looked in good form all round, both with letters and numbers, and then that unstoppable conundrum. Join Andy McGurn on Monday to see if he can make it to 7 wins. I'll be back next Friday. I hope you can join me then. In the meantime, thank you for reading, and goodbye.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=72
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