Let's find out, enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 13 July 2016.
C1: Champion Stephen Fuller (1 win, 79 points.) An Apterite and freelance author and editor from Basingstoke, Hampshire. He's the great-great nephew of Lord Montgomery of El-Alamein. :O
C2: Challenger Jonny Guy. A sales worker for a cyber security company from York.
DC: Susie Dent and Chris Packham.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S N T O E I M H A
R02: U E A C G P M S I
R03: 25, 10, 2, 8, 6, 4. Target: 708.
TTT: HARRYLED - "Harry led the way in identifying the coat of arms; he was an expert in this."
R04: O U E L D N Z R P
R05: L N B P A E I S T
R06: 75, 100, 7, 8, 2, 9. Target: 921.
R07: C T R T O E I N A
R08: U E A F T D R F O
R09: 100, 9, 5, 1, 2, 9. Target: 816.
TTT: BADFLIER - "It's not a bad flier, but it prefers to sit in a tree."
R10: E I A V M G R D Y
R11: R N R L E O U O T
R12: A I E D H R G T V
R13: T D M U A I S O J
R14: 25, 100, 6, 1, 3, 5. Target: 528.
R15: E M P T I K I S S (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: S N T O E I M H A
Stephen: MOANIEST (8)
Jonny: MONTHS (6)
DC: AMNIOTES (8)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)
All those years of MOANIEST not being in the dictionary never seem to detract players from still going for it, but luckily now that it's in vogue, there's no stopping it!! Good for Stephen too.
Round 2: U E A C G P M S I
Stephen: gumpies
Jonny: MAGPIES (7)
DC: PIGS (4) EMUS (4) APES (4)
OT: AECIUMS (7) AGEUSIC (7) AUSPICE (7) CAESIUM (7) GUIMPES (7) PUMICES (7)
Score: 8–7 (max 15)
I wonder if Stephen was thinking of GUIMPES, rather than gumpies
Either way, Jonny gets straight back in with his MAGPIES, while DC becomes a zoo. 
An AECIUM is a fruiting body produced on the mycelium of a rust fungus at a particular stage in its life cycle (especially, in heteroecious species, that occurring on an alternate host), within which aeciospores are produced.
AGEUSIC is a substance that causes ageusia or a person affected with ageusia, a loss of the sense of taste.
A GUIMPE (or GUIMP) is a high-necked blouse or undergarment worn showing beneath a low-necked dress.
Round 3: 25, 10, 2, 8, 6, 4. Target: 708.
Stephen: 706. Mistake in working.
Jonny: 718. ((6 / 2) x 10 x 25) - (4 x 8) (5)
RR: 708. (25 x 4 x (10 - (6 / 2))) + 8 (10)
Score: 8–12 (max 25)
Oh dear, both players make a meal of this numbers game, with Stephen throwing it away, and Jonny only just scraping 5 points.
Teatime teaser: HARRYLED -> HERALDRY
Round 4: O U E L D N Z R P
Stephen: PLUNDER (7)
Jonny: POUND (5)
DC: POUNDER (7) ROUNDEL (7)
OT: PLEURON (7) PUNDLER (7) UNROPED (7)
Score: 15–12 (max 32)
Jonny PLUNDERs the round by not sticking the ER to his POUND for a POUNDER, so Stephen retakes the lead.....
A PUNDLER is a term in the Orkney Islands for a steelyard.
Round 5: L N B P A E I S T
Stephen: PLAINEST (8)
Jonny: PLAINEST (8)
DC: PANTILES (8)
OT: BIPLANES (8) EPIBLAST (8) PENTAILS (8)
Score: 23–20 (max 40)
Well, that's the PLAINEST round of the lot so far....
Round 6: 75, 100, 7, 8, 2, 9. Target: 921.
Stephen: 922. (100 x 9) + (7 x 2) + 8 (7)
Jonny: 919.
RR: 921. ((100 + 2 - 8) x 9) + 75 (10)
Score: 30–20 (max 50)
Stephen now have a 10 point lead by getting one closer than Jonny to this target.
Chris talks about some recent discoveries about poisonous birds.
Round 7: C T R T O E I N A
Stephen: CREATION (8)
Jonny: CATTIER (7)
DC: CORTINATE (18)
OT: CARNOTITE (18)
Score: 38–20 (max 68)
A beautiful CREATION from Stephen, and is the train at full steam now
Also a phenomenal 9 from DC too. 
CARNOTITE is a lemon-yellow radioactive mineral consisting of hydrated vanadate of uranium, potassium, and other elements.
Round 8: U E A F T D R F O
Stephen: RUFFED (6)
Jonny: RAFTED (6)
DC: OUTDARE (7)
OT: OUTREAD (7)
Score: 44–26 (max 75)
OUTDARE also seems to appearing more frequently too in recent times. Not bad for a new entry.
Round 9: 100, 9, 5, 1, 2, 9. Target: 816.
Stephen: 815.
Jonny: 816. (9 - 1) x (100 + 2) (10)
Score: 44–36 (max 85)
Oh dear, a shocker of a miss from Stephen, and Jonny is now only 8 behind....
Teatime teaser: BADFLIER -> LEAFBIRD
Round 10: E I A V M G R D Y
Stephen: IMAGED (6)
Jonny: IMAGERY (7)
DC: GRAVID (6)
OT: MIRAGED (7)
Score: 44–43 (max 92)
And that's just a kick in the teeth.
Round 11: R N R L E O U O T
Stephen: LOOTER (6)
Jonny: ROUTER (6)
DC: ROOTLE (6)
OT: LORNER (6) NOTOUR (6) RETOOL (6) RETOUR (6) RETURN (6) ROOTER (6) ROTURE (6) RUNLET (6) TOOLER (6) TORERO (6) TOURER (6) TURNER (6) TURRON (6) UNROOT (6)
Score: 50–49 (max 98)
Six, six, six, six, sixes wherever you look.
NOTOUR is a Scottish term for well-known or notorious.
In pre-revolutionary France, a ROTURE was a tenure of land subject to payment of rent as opposed to feudal obligations of homage and personal service.
A RUNLET is a small stream.
TURRON is a kind of Spanish confectionery resembling nougat, made from almonds and honey.
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of the "liberal arts".
Round 12: A I E D H R G T V
Stephen: RIGHTED (7)
Jonny: RIGHTED (7)
DC: GIRTHED (7) VIRGATE (7)
OT: ADITHER (7) ADREIGH (7) HEADRIG (7) THRIVED (7) TRIAGED (7)
Score: 57–56 (max 105)
Well, they've both RIGHTED themselves in this round, but with the gap still at a single point, it's anyone's game.....
ADITHER is an adjective meaning in a state of excitement, anxiety, or confusion, often in expectation of something.
ADREIGH is a Scottish adverb meaning at or to a distance; away, off.
HEADRIG is a strip of land at the end of a ploughed field which is left unploughed until after the main ploughing is complete, for convenience in turning the plough.
Round 13: T D M U A I S O J
Stephen: MASTOID (7)
Jonny: JOUST (5)
DC: DIATOMS (7)
OT: JUDOIST (7) STADIUM (7)
Score: 64–56 (max 112)
Well, has Stephen got a foothold in tomorrow's show
He now has an 8 point lead, but will he need to win another crucial conundrum like yesterday's show Round 14: 25, 100, 6, 1, 3, 5. Target: 528.
Stephen: 528. (100 x 5) + 25 + 3 (10)
Jonny: 528. (100 x 5) + 25 + 3 (10)
Score: 74–66 (max 122)
Well, a simple numbers game appears, so it is a CRUCIAL CONUNDRUM
Round 15: E M P T I K I S S
Stephen buzzes on 6.75 seconds to say SKIMPIEST which is correct.
Final Score: 84–66 (max 132)
And like yesterday, it's Stephen gets in to seize the day, and continue his winning run. Well, it's only 2 wins for now, but who knows how many more it will be....
Join me tomorrow to see if Stephen can indeed make it a hat-trick of wins. Till then, bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Stephen:
Total score - 84
Raw score - 97
Total % of max - 64
Raw % of max - 73
Total average score per round - 5.6
Raw average score per round - 6.5
Number of maxes - 8
Jonny:
Total score - 66
Raw score - 96
Total % of max - 50
Raw % of max - 73
Total average score per round - 4.4
Raw average score per round - 6.4
Number of maxes - 7
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=75