Monday November 30th 2015 (series 73, prelim 104)

[Andy McGurn]

Countdown recap for Monday 30 November 2015.

C1: Champion James Richards (5 wins 359 points) James Richards – Won all five games last week to return today as defending champion. The rap star from Tottenham will (apparently) get to show his rap skills if he makes eight wins.

C2: Challenger Steven Fletcher. –A journalist and publisher from Lincoln who is managing direcotr of the Lincolnshire Echo group of Newspapers. He has met David Cameron and Tony Blair in his time. As a journalist from Lincoln specifically though there is a certain event in that town that maybe he’ll want to cover soon?

DC: Susie Dent and Richard Madeley.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: D C T N I A O R E
R02: W P R U I E L Y N
R03: 10, 4, 7, 8, 10, 100. Target: 257.
TTT: LIONGREW - "the tone is coming right down in price"
R04: D S G O A U T I R
R05: S K E A O T N D F
R06: 10, 6, 8, 2, 7, 25. Target: 682.
R07: U O R V B W T E S
R08: G P I A T N L E D
R09: 3, 5, 6, 4, 4, 100. Target: 783.
TTT: TESTMINI - "its not about taking the mini for a test drive, its about the polo"
R10: M R A E T O B S A
R11: N X T S I A D N E
R12: G L V H A O E S R
R13: T M P I A O L E J
R14: 3, 9, 3, 10, 1, 100. Target: 803.
R15: L E V Y F R U I T (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.


Round 1: D C T N I A O R E

James: REACTION (8)
Steven: REDACTION (18)
Score: 0–18 (max 18)

Tough start for the champ who almost certainly had REDACTION but chose not to risk it. Steven does a Jack Hurst by hitiing a nine in the first round of his first game.


Round 2: W P R U I E L Y N

James: PURELY (6)
Steven: PUNILY (6)
OT: UNRIPELY (8)
Score: 6–24 (max 26)

A more standard round now as both contestants hit a six, an eight was available as well but no one spots it.


Round 3: 10, 4, 7, 8, 10, 100. Target: 257.

James: 248.
Steven: 257. ((100/4)*10)+7 (10)
Score: 6–34 (max 36)

Steven spots the simple, but missable, solution. James doesn’t get it and it looks like his run maybe over before we even reach the first advert break.


Teatime teaser: LIONGREW -> LOWERING


Round 4: D S G O A U T I R

James: AGOUTIS (7)
Steven: GRATIS (6)
DC: AUDITORS (8)
Score: 13–34 (max 44)

James wins his first round of the day but still trails by 21 points, so he’ll need more of this to have a chance to win.


Round 5: S K E A O T N D F

James: DONATES (7)
Steven: DANKEST (7)
DC: FANTODS (7)
OT: FONDEST (7) STONKED (7)
Score: 20–41 (max 51)

Steven declares “a very risky seven” which turns out to be the pretty obvious DANKEST. A common top player tactic.


Round 6: 10, 6, 8, 2, 7, 25. Target: 682.

James: 675. Mistake in working.
Steven: 682. Mistake in working.
RR: 682. ((6-2)*7)*25)-10-6 (10)
Score: 20–41 (max 61)

Steven declares first and has it, James declares 675 probably figuring he could wing his way there if Steven has misdeclared. Turns out he has, but James is no Carl Williams.



DC Guest – Richard tells a story about the late DC Guest Lance Percival imparted to him by Jeremy Lloyd, a friend of Lance. Apparently his friend alerted Lance to the fact that his girlfriend was a man with the words “Manchester United”.



Round 7: U O R V B W T E S

James: burtons
Steven: TOWERS (6)
DC: VOTERS (6) SUBVERT (7)
OT: OBVERTS (7)
Score: 20–47 (max 68)

James clearly really wants to keep winning and figures he has a risky word to try, but he has seen a phantom letter and now trails by 27 points.


Round 8: G P I A T N L E D

James: TANGLED (7)
Steven: TANGLED (7)
DC: PLEATING (8)
OT: DELATING (8) PANTILED (8) PLEADING (8)
Score: 27–54 (max 76)

There was a chance for James to make u some ground there. His performances in earlier games suggested he could get one of the eights here, but it seems like the scoreboard pressure is getting to him.


Round 9: 3, 5, 6, 4, 4, 100. Target: 783.

James: 782. ((4+4)*(100-3))+6 (7)
Steven: 784. ((5+3)*100)-(4*4) (7)
RR: 783. (((100+4)/4)*6*5)+3 (10)
Score: 34–61 (max 86)

Two simple one aways from the contestants, but getting it spot on is tougher and they need Rachael to show them the way.



Teatime teaser: TESTMINI -> MINTIEST



Round 10: M R A E T O B S A

James: BOASTER (7)
Steven: BOATERS (7)
DC: BROMATES (8)
Score: 41–68 (max 94)

For Steven he just needs to be matching James on these last few rounds to take the champions chair. He does it again here and edges closer to the win.


Round 11: N X T S I A D N E

James: STAINED (7)
Steven: STAINED (7)
DC: TISANE (6)
OT: DESTAIN (7) DETAINS (7) INDENTS (7) INSTEAD (7) INTENDS (7) SAINTED (7) SATINED (7) TANNIES (7) TIENDAS (7)
Score: 48–75 (max 101)

Just the sort of round that the challenger wants at this stage, a round where seven is the max and its easy to spot one.



OoW – Susie explains the meanings of a couple of phrases pertaining to happiness.



Round 12: G L V H A O E S R

James: shorage
Steven: LOVERS (6)
DC: SHAVER (6) GHERAOS (7)
OT: GAOLERS (7) GLOVERS (7) GRAVELS (7) GROVELS (7) HALVERS (7) LOVAGES (7) VERGLAS (7)
Score: 48–81 (max 108)

When James said he would risk a seven I thought it would be one of the words that is available (like GRAVELS or LOVAGES) but instead he has the implausible shorage, meaning that barring a nine in the next round for James Steven is the new champion.


Round 13: T M P I A O L E J

James: POLITE (6)
Steven: POLITE (6)
DC: OPTIMAL (7)
Score: 54–87 (max 115)

And Steven gets the win with the last letters round.


Round 14: 3, 9, 3, 10, 1, 100. Target: 803.

James: 803. (9-1)*100)+3 (10)
Steven: 803. (9-1)*100)+3 (10)
Score: 64–97 (max 125)

Simple stuff in this dead rubber.

Round 15: L E V Y F R U I T

Steven buzzes on 10 seconds to say FURTIVELY which is correct.
Final Score: 64–107 (max 135)

The challenger confirms his win witha century as he spots FURTIVELY. He gained the initiative at the very beginning and was never not a two figure score ahead.

Sad for James who was a very likeable champion, but at least he gets to end the show by doing a rap which is very impressive.

Steven seems like not a bad player who could potentially claim the eighth spot in the finals. Join Jennifer tomorrow to see if he can make it to a second win.