We're heading towards the series finals now, with seven places already decided. The final spot will go to either current number eight seed Grant Waters (7 wins, 722 points) or our current champion Sohail, who has just enough time left this series to squeeze into the finals. Let's find out if he'll continue his run of good form.
C1: Champion Sohail Virdi (2 wins, 179 points.) A locum pharmacist from Blackburn, he has had two fairly solid wins so far. Yesterday he saw off Duncan, the guy who made headlines for bizarre reasons.
C2: Challenger Ken Gibson. An apterite from Twickenham, he works as a postman. He plays in the London Backgammon League and has recently joined St. John's Ambulances. When announcing that Ken is a postman, Nick attempts a Jeff Stelling style gag; "He should be good with the letters then". Cue groans from the audience.
DC: Susie Dent and Paul Zenon.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: B R N I O E X D A
R02: C E R O T S E P A
R03: R C J I U E P B U
R04: T O G E P H I D E
R05: 100, 1, 5, 7, 1, 5. Target: 760.
TTT: THERACES - "They used banned substances to win the race"
R06: S U R I V N A R E
R07: M D K A I E F N O
R08: T E L O N T E N U
R09: M G N O A E Y R I
R10: 75, 50, 25, 10, 1, 1. Target: 938.
TTT: HEISCOOK - "The cook might feel like chickens tonight"
R11: D H V E A E C S A
R12: Z E P O L T E A C
R13: S R N E A O T L I
R14: 75, 50, 100, 1, 9, 3. Target: 679.
R15: V I S C I D L I E (conundrum)
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Round 1: B R N I O E X D A
C1: BRAINED (7)
C2: BANDIER (7)
DC: DEBONAIR (8)
OT: EXORDIA (7) ANDEROID (7) DIBORANE (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)
A good start by everyone, especially DC who get one of the two eights.
Round 2: C E R O T S E P A
C1: PROTEASE (8)
C2: COASTER (7)
DC: OPERATES (8)
Score: 15–7 (max 16)
A late spot from Sohail but it's a good one and he makes the breakthrough.
Round 3: R C J I U E P B U
C1: JUICER (6)
C2: JUICER (6)
DC: PUCER
Score: 21–13 (max 22)
A fairly unproductive selection in this round with just one six available. Too easy for everyone in the studio.
Round 4: T O G E P H I D E
C1: HOPED (5)
C2: TEPID (5)
DC: PITHED (6) EPIDOTE (7)
Score: 26–18 (max 29)
Again the selection is challenging as the contestants struggle to five apiece. DC impress with the last minute seven. EPIDOTE is yellow-green mineral, typically found in metamorphic rocks.
Round 5: 100, 1, 5, 7, 1, 5. Target: 760.
C1: 760. Mistake in working.
C2: 763. (100 + 5 + 5 - 1) x 7 (7)
RR: 760. (100 - 5) x (7 + 1) (10)
Score: 26–25 (max 39)
Easier than it first looks but Sohail messes up his method, allowing Ken to close the gap to just one.
Paul performs a trick by asking Susie to write the word CAT (chosen by Rachel) on one of several coins. He shuffles them and plays a game where the first between he and Susie to put their hand over the coin after turning it over wins. After all coins are turned over, the one with writing is nowhere to be seen. So Paul opens a small sealed box and reveals the coin with Susie's handwriting, as well as a piece of paper with CAT written on it.
Teatime teaser: THERACES -> CHEATERS
Round 6: S U R I V N A R E
C1: ruiners
C2: RAVINES (7)
DC: ARRIVES (7) INSURER (7)
Score: 26–32 (max 46)
Ken takes the lead for the first time thanks to his RAVINES and the fact that you can't be a ruiner, at least not according to the dictionary. Even Susie seemed to think it was fine at first.
Round 7: M D K A I E F N O
C1: MAIDEN (6)
C2: famined
DC: DOMAINE (7)
Score: 32–32 (max 53)
This time it's Ken's turn to offer an illegal word and since you can't famine something, Sohail levels the scores again. DC also spot the darrenic seven.
Round 8: T E L O N T E N U
C1: NOTELET (7)
C2: NOTELET (7)
DC: TUNNEL (6) OUTLET (6)
OT: LUNETTE (7) TOLUENE (7)
Score: 39–39 (max 60)
A good spot by both as this game remains on a knife edge.
TOLUENE is a colourless liquid hydrocarbon present in coal tar and petroleum, used as a solvent against organic synthesis.
Round 9: M G N O A E Y R I
C1: MANGIER (7)
C2: ROMAINE (7)
DC: ROAMING (7) IMAGERY (7) ORANGEY (7)
OT: AGRIMONY (8)
Score: 46–46 (max 68)
No one can find the tricky eight but there are plenty of sevens available.
An AGRIMONY is a plant (surprise, surprise) of the rose family which bears slender flower spikes and hooked fruits, found in north temperate regions.
OoW: Susie reveals the origins of "Tom Foolery" and "bedlam", which are apparently linked.
Round 10: 75, 50, 25, 10, 1, 1. Target: 938.
C1: -
C2: -
RR: 936/940. (7)
OT: 939. (75 + 25 - 1) x 10 - 50 - 1 (7)
Score: 46–46 (max 75)
Ken gambles on three large in a bid to separate the scores. Unfortunately, the selection doesn't really do anyone any favours as an absolute stinker comes out, completely dumbfounding both contestants. One away is as good as it gets and even Rachel didn't get that. I was hoping it was doable by adapting the 937.5 rule (usually used for four large) slightly but sadly I was disappointed.
Teatime teaser: HEISCOOK -> CHOOKIES
Round 11: D H V E A E C S A
C1: HEAVES (6)
C2: SHEAVED (7)
DC: HEADCASE (8)
Score: 46–53 (max 83)
Ken's slight gamble pays off as he has the lead once again. A very good eight from the corner too.
Round 12: Z E P O L T E A C
C1: POLECAT (7)
C2: PLACE (5)
DC: CAPOTE (6)
Score: 53–53 (max 90)
That is some response from Sohail though as he finds a superb darren of his own and means that once again, the scores are tied. 53-53 may be fairly low at this stage of the contest but it does not reflect the quality of play from both.
Round 13: S R N E A O T L I
C1: RELATIONS (18)
C2: ORIENTALS (18)
DC: LATRINES (8) TRENAILS (8) TENSORIAL (18)
Score: 71–71 (max 108)
Now the seond most common nines (on apterous) turn up and both players add 18 points to their tally, although they appeared to spot it at different stages. Ken sat back after a few seconds and Sohail didn't have it written down but it still counts. DC reveal the third and most obscure nine in there.
Round 14: 75, 50, 100, 1, 9, 3. Target: 679.
C1: 679. 75 x 9 + 3 + 1 (10)
C2: 679. 75 x 9 + 3 + 1 (10)
Score: 81–81 (max 118)
Ken sticks with three large despite the nightmare of the last numbers round and this time the target is much easier. It means that the scores are dead level going into the crucial conundrum, which has looked on the cards for some time. Who will prevail?
Round 15: V I S C I D L I E
C1 buzzes on 11.5 seconds to say CIVILISED which is correct.
Final Score: 91–81 (max 128)
Sohail is the one who spots it after a tense eleven and a half seconds to win his third game and send the apterite packing without a teapot. Ken certainly gave the champion a very good game today and was unlucky to lose. Sohail will live to fight another day and we will have to wait a little longer before we know the lineup for the finals for sure. This is bound to annoy folk hero Grant Waters (who sits dangerously in eigth place) and his fans but as long as Sohail doesn't become an octochamp, or seven-time winner with a higher points tally, the top eight will stay as it is. Join James tomorrow to see if he can make it to half octochampdom and make Grant sweat even more. I'll be back next week for what I believe will be the last preliminary of the series and the year, as well as possibly Sohail's octochamp game. See you then, be sure of it.
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=67