So, here we go. Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 8 June 2016.
C1: Champion Ollie Heath (1 win, 94 points.) A MORSE student at Warwick University. A fan of Liverpool F.C. as well.
C2: Challenger John Cullen. From Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. He's a keen golfer and is a member of the Vale of Leven Golf Club. He also plays darts for his local pub too.
DC: Susie Dent and Richard Madeley.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S A F U T O D I N
R02: S V G T E A I N F
R03: 50, 75, 10, 2, 2, 7. Target: 937.
TTT: MALENESS - "The lion had nothing male about it, and this was a good indication."
R04: T Q P C L E U O R
R05: S E Z I N E T D O
R06: 75, 6, 4, 2, 10, 1. Target: 456.
R07: S I L U R I N E B
R08: S T N L A O E K R
R09: 50, 7, 9, 2, 5, 9. Target: 227.
TTT: PAYBELLA - "You pay Bella for her collection of LP records, and they are in mint condition."
R10: M T S R H A O A I
R11: S E R A L I G E O
R12: N X H C D A I A O
R13: T U R A S E M I T
R14: 5, 3, 1, 5, 9, 2. Target: 474.
R15: P I N G U F L I T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: S A F U T O D I N
Ollie: FOUNDS (6)
John: FUTONS (6)
DC: fains ADUSTION (8)
Score: 6–6 (max 8)
A pair of 6's to start with, including the cool-sounding FUTONS.
Plus the odd-sounding darrenic 8 of ADUSTION. 
Round 2: S V G T E A I N F
Ollie: FEASTING (8)
John: FEASTING (8)
DC: SEATING (7) VINTAGES (8)
Score: 14–14 (max 16)
Plenty of FEASTING here, whilst DC gulp down the VINTAGES.
Round 3: 50, 75, 10, 2, 2, 7. Target: 937.
Ollie: 936. Mistake in working.
John: 938. Mistake in working.
RR: 937. (((50 x 10) + 7) x 2) - 2 - 75 (10)
Score: 14–14 (max 26)
Oh dear, oh dear. Double dilemma for our hapless 2, as both mess up their methods and we stay where we are.....
Teatime teaser: MALENESS -> MANELESS
Round 4: T Q P C L E U O R
Ollie: COPTER (6)
John: COPTER (6)
DC: CLOUT (5) ROUTE (5) COUPLET (7) CROQUET (7)
OT: CLOTURE (7) COULTER (7) COUPLER (7) OCTUPLE (7) PLOUTER (7) POULTER (7)
Score: 20–20 (max 33)
Flying round in the COPTERs, whilst the DC COUPLET enjoy a game of CROQUET.
POULTER is another name for POULTERER, a dealer in poultry and, typically, game.
Round 5: S E Z I N E T D O
Ollie: DENOTES (7)
John: STONED (6)
DC: TENSED (6) SEIZED (6)
OT: DESTINE (7) DOZIEST (7) ENDITES (7) NIDEOTS (7) ONSTEED (7)
Score: 27–20 (max 40)
The first break in the game, as Ollie's DENOTES give him a 7 point lead.
An ENDITE is an inwardly directed lobe on a limb segment of an arthropod, especially on the protopodite of a crustacean limb.
A NIDEOT (or NIDYED or NIDIOT) is a humorous term for an idiot or fool.
An ONSTEED (or ONSTEAD) is a Scottish/Northern English term for the farmhouse and other buildings belonging to a farm.
Round 6: 75, 6, 4, 2, 10, 1. Target: 456.
Ollie: 456. (75 + 1) x 6 (10)
John: 456. (6 x 75) + 4 + 2 (10)
Score: 37–30 (max 50)
Nice and easy.
NEXT 
Richard talks about meeting American Pie singer Don McLean, who was very annoyed at the aforementioned song being mentioned in his presence.
Round 7: S I L U R I N E B
Ollie: LINERS (6)
John: blinies
DC: BLINIS (6) RISIBLE (7)
OT: BRUNIES (7) INLIERS (7) RESILIN (7) RUBINES (7) SUBERIN (7) SUBLINE (7)
Score: 43–30 (max 57)
Ouchy, an incorrect spelling of the plural of BLINI sends Ollie further ahead.....
In Orkney and Shetland, a BRUNIE is a type of scone or bannock.
An INLIER is an older rock formation isolated among newer rocks.
RESILIN is an elastic material formed of cross-linked protein chains, found in insect cuticles, especially in the hinges and ligaments of wings.
RUBINE is a deep red colour resembling that of ruby.
SUBERIN is an inert impermeable waxy substance present in the cell walls of corky tissues.
A SUBLINE is a subdivision of a line of ancestry.
Round 8: S T N L A O E K R
Ollie: TANKERS (7)
John: TANKERS (7)
DC: STOLEN (6) STONKER (7) STALKER (7) ANKLETS (7)
OT: AKETONS (7) ALTERNS (7) ANTLERS (7) ETALONS (7) LANKEST (7) LOANERS (7) LORNEST (7) NORATES (7) OESTRAL (7) OLESTRA (7) ORANTES (7) RANKEST (7) RANKETS (7) RANKLES (7) RELOANS (7) RENTALS (7) RETALKS (7) ROANEST (7) SALTERN (7) SANTERO (7) SENATOR (7) SNORKEL (7) STERNAL (7) TALKERS (7) TREASON (7)
Score: 50–37 (max 64)
7's aplenty, although these guys are just a couple of TANKERS.
An AKETON (or ACTON) is a padded jacket or jerkin worn under armour for protection.
OLESTRA is a synthetic compound used as a calorie-free substitute for fat in various foods because of its ability to pass through the body without being absorbed. It is a polyester derived from sucrose.
A RANKET (or RACKETT) is a double-reed woodwind instrument of the Renaissance and Baroque periods, with a squat cylindrical body in which nine parallel bores are drilled lengthwise to form a continuous undulating tube.
STERNAL is an adjective meaning relating to the sternum.
Round 9: 50, 7, 9, 2, 5, 9. Target: 227.
Ollie: 228. (50 + 7) x (9 - 5) (7)
John: 227. Mistake in working.
RR: 227. (50 x 5) - (9 + 9 + 7 - 2) (10)
Score: 57–37 (max 74)
Oh dear, oh dear, John had the chance to get really back into the game, but instead Ollie pulls 20 clear....
Teatime teaser: PAYBELLA -> PLAYABLE
Round 10: M T S R H A O A I
Ollie: RATIOS (6)
John: MOHAIRS (7)
OT: AMORIST (7) MORITAS (7) ROAMISH (7) SHARIAT (7) TAIHOAS (7)
Score: 57–44 (max 81)
Hmmm, the controversial MOHAIRS is allowed this time. Safe to say it wasn't always the case, but I'm sure John will be happy with that decision.
A MORITA is a dried, smoked jalapeño pepper, used especially in Mexican cookery; a variety of chipotle.
In New Zealand, a TAIHOA is a request or instruction to delay or be patient.
Round 11: S E R A L I G E O
Ollie: SERAGLIO (8)
John: SERAGLIO (8)
DC: REGALISE (8)
OT: AEROGELS (8) GASELIER (8) GASOLIER (8) GIRASOLE (8)
Score: 65–52 (max 89)
Nice to see players remembering words that were mentioned the day before, especially if it's a word like SERAGLIO.
A GASELIER or GASOLIER is a chandelier with gas burners rather than light bulbs or candles.
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of "diesel".
Round 12: N X H C D A I A O
Ollie: CHAIN (5)
John: CHAIN (5)
DC: DIOXAN (6) HANDI (5)
OT: ADONIC (6) ANODIC (6) ANOXIA (6) ANOXIC (6) DONCHA (6)
Score: 70–57 (max 95)
CHAINed up this time, whereas DC have a nice 6 out of the six 6's available.
DONCHA (or DONTCHA) is a contraction of "don't you".
Round 13: T U R A S E M I T
Ollie: MURIATES (8)
John: MISTREAT (8)
DC: MATTERS (7) MATUREST (8)
OT: MARTITES (8) MITRATES (8) SMUTTIER (8) STRIATUM (8)
Score: 78–65 (max 103)
And again with memories of yesterday thanks to MISTREAT.
MARTITE is a form of haematite occurring in octahedral or dodecahedral crystals, pseudomorphous after magnetite.
MITRATE is any member of the order Mitrata of fossil invertebrates of the Palaeozoic era, having a mitre- or leaf-shaped theca formed of calcite plates, generally regarded as atypical primitive echinoderms but sometimes interpreted as primitive chordates (calcichordates).
Round 14: 5, 3, 1, 5, 9, 2. Target: 474.
Ollie: 475. ((9 x 2) + 1) x 5 x 5 (7)
John: 480.
RR: 474. ((((5 x 5) + 1) x 9) + 3) x 2 (10)
Score: 85–65 (max 113)
John does the right thing and gamble with a 6 small selection, but unfortunately for him, being 6 away isn't close enough to Ollie's 1 away, and the student has his 2nd win wrapped up.
Round 15: P I N G U F L I T
Ollie buzzes on 6.25 seconds to say "No. Er, no, I didn't", which is incorrect.
John does not buzz.
The answer was UPLIFTING.
Final Score: 85–65 (max 123)
A moment of hesitation from Ollie there, and it leaves John with the rest of the time, but unfortunately he can't make anything of it.
So, a tight game with few critical moments, but Ollie has his 2nd win, and if he wins tomorrow, he'll be heading into Series 75 as the carryover champion. But, standing in his was is Apterite Norm Ahmad. Can he stand up to the challenge
I'll be back tomorrow to find out. Till then, bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Ollie:
Total score - 85
Raw score - 91
Total % of max - 69
Raw % of max - 74
Total average score per round - 5.7
Raw average score per round - 6.1
Number of maxes - 6
John:
Total score - 65
Raw score - 76
Total % of max - 53
Raw % of max - 62
Total average score per round - 4.3
Raw average score per round - 5.1
Number of maxes - 6
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=74