C1: Champion Bev Jones (1 win, 58 points.)
C2: Challenger Chris Davies.
DC: Susie Dent and Rick Wakeman.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: P M N E I E H R J
R02: I E E D S L S P O
R03: S B M U I R S A I
R04: U E O P L D D G E
R05: 75, 9, 4, 7, 10, 6. Target: 656.
TTT: GINSKIRT - "Refusal to work hits all ten pins."
R06: O A O Q W R E D S
R07: N R S R A I E A Y
R08: E I A G S N L C T
R09: X N M O A A T G O
R10: 50, 8, 2, 3, 7, 3. Target: 970.
TTT: CREEDLAD - ""I'm not battling any longer" he announced."
R11: N C B A I U S K E
R12: E I I T D S N T O
R13: A A I T L R Z E R
R14: 75, 5, 5, 1, 10, 6. Target: 976.
R15: T H Y G L O O M Y (conundrum)
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I got slightly distracted for a few minutes during the introductions today by Carol announcing "I do love a good tank" so I apologise if anything is incorrect.... ahem.
Bev stumbled to an unconvincing victory yesterday, often forgetting what she was supposed to be doing. So well done to her. Today she will be facing Chris Davies, an adminstrator from Saltney in Chester (or at least she will during those moments where she's not somewhere else.) Des also informs us that Chris is a romantic as he drove all the way to Wales to surprise his girlfriend Angharad with a marriage proposal. It was a surprise because she was still at home in Chester. Kyuk kyuk. Not really, they're getting married next August. Hooray! Can Chris win a teapot for his new wife to dust as she carries out her wifely duties? Read on...
Round 1: P M N E I E H R J
C1: MINER (5)
C2: MINER (5)
DC: ERMINE (6) PIEMEN (6) MENHIR (6)
OT: EMPIRE (6) EPIMER (6) HEMPEN (6) HEREIN (6) INHERE (6) REPINE (6)
Score: 5–5 (max 6)
Lots of sixes here that I can't be bothered to list. But I don't need to, Charlie's awesome new recap writer does it all for me!
Round 2: I E E D S L S P O
C1: SLOPED (6)
C2: SPOILED (7)
DC: EPISODES (8) DESPOILS (8)
Score: 5–12 (max 14)
Round 3: S B M U I R S A I
C1: arabs
C2: RUMBAS (6)
DC: IAMBUS (6)
OT: AIRMISS (7)
Score: 5–18 (max 21)
Arabs is all kinds of wrong, it's capitalized and there's only one 'A' in the selection anyhow. An airmiss is an instance of two or more aircraft in flight on different routes being less than a prescribed safe distance apart.
Round 4: U E O P L D D G E
C1: PLEDGED (7)
C2: PUDDLE (6)
OT: DELUGED (7)
Score: 12–18 (max 28)
Bev looks startled as it's her turn to pick the numbers...
Round 5: 75, 9, 4, 7, 10, 6. Target: 656.
C1: -
C2: 656. (75-9)*10-4 (10)
Score: 12–28 (max 38)
Rick leads us into the break with one of those "think of a number, multiply it by..." things which I really hope Carol was feigning astonishment at.
Teatime teaser: GINSKIRT -> STRIKING
Round 6: O A O Q W R E D S
C1: SWORD (5)
C2: WADERS (6)
DC: DOWSER (6)
OT: ADORES (6) DEWARS (6) DOWERS (6) DROWSE (6) OREADS (6) RODEOS (6) SOARED (6) WOOERS (6)
Score: 12–34 (max 44)
I wonder if Bev realised as she said her answer that she could have scored six with a homophone. Probably not.
I also really hope Carol was joking when she said that dowsing and water divining works.
Round 7: N R S R A I E A Y
C1: YEARNS (6)
C2: SIREN (5)
DC: SIERRA (6)
OT: YARRANS (7)
Score: 18–34 (max 51)
A yarran is a small Australian acacia with durable scented timber.
Round 8: E I A G S N L C T
C1: lancing
C2: STEALING (8)
DC: GENITALS (8)
OT: CASTLING (8)
Score: 18–42 (max 59)
Bev's crown definitely looks to be slipping away as she sees a phantom duplicate letter for the second time today...
...and once again she's startled by having to choose the letters.
Round 9: X N M O A A T G O
C1: AMONG (5)
C2: TANGO (5)
DC: TAXMAN (6)
OT: MAGNOX (6) TAONGA (6)
Score: 23–47 (max 65)
Magnox is a magnesium-based alloy used to enclose uranium fuel elements in some nuclear reactors, while taonga is, in Maori culture, an object or natural resource which is highly prized.
Round 10: 50, 8, 2, 3, 7, 3. Target: 970.
C1: -
C2: -
CV: 970. (50*2-3)*(7+3) (10)
Score: 23–47 (max 75)
Teatime teaser: CREEDLAD -> DECLARED
Round 11: N C B A I U S K E
C1: SKEIN (5)
C2: INCASE (6)
DC: SUNBAKE (7)
Score: 23–53 (max 82)
Sunbake is an Aussie term for 'sunbathe'.
Round 12: E I I T D S N T O
C1: tension
C2: DITTIES (7)
DC: EDITIONS (8) SEDITION (8)
Score: 23–60 (max 90)
The game looks well and truly up for Bev as she sees a phantom duplicate letter for the third time today...
...and yet again she is startled by being asked to choose the letters. "Oh, I've done it again - I'll be banned" she quipped. In a few minutes' time, effectively yes, you will
Round 13: A A I T L R Z E R
C1: TRAILER (7)
C2: TRAILER (7)
DC: ARTIER (6)
OT: ARTERIAL (8)
Score: 30–67 (max 98)
Round 14: 75, 5, 5, 1, 10, 6. Target: 976.
C1: -
C2: -
CV: 970. (5)
OT: 976. ((6*10+5)/5)*75+1 (10)
Score: 30–67 (max 108)
Round 15: T H Y G L O O M Y
C2 buzzes on 4 seconds to say MYTHOLOGY which is correct.
Score: 30–77 (max 118)
I can't be bothered to check, but I'm going to stick my neck out and say that 30 probably might be one of the lowest scores ever recorded by a defending champ. Maybe. Chris looked reasonably solid on the letters, including a quick conundrum spot, but will probably need to improve on the numbers if he has a long stay in mind; his first numbers solution was very neat but he then failed to declare anything on his own two choices. Congratulations though! Oh, and Carol closes the show by neatly explaining how Rick's "think of a number" thingy worked, although it was generally met with blank expressions. Which I guess explains their wonderment at it in the first place.
Further summaries are at:
http://www.thecountdowncorral.com/cd/se ... ?series=59