Hello fellow Countdowners and happy new year!
The Worsley Recap is back after a three week break and it's a pleasure to be able to do some recaps on what promises to be the best series ever! Yesterday we saw Tom Hargreaves set the standard for the 30th Birthday Championship with a crushing 117-57 win over Nicki Sellars, which included the niner EPILATORS. Can either of today's two contestants replicate or even better Tom's brilliance? With a series champion and a series runner-up in the studio, there is certainly plenty of promise already.C1: Series 28 runner-up Wayne Kelly (8 wins, 3 defeats, 640 points, all 9-rounders except the 14-round grand final.) A finance advisor from Warrington, he is an avid Scrabble player. He is a member of the Warrington Scrabble Club and impressively in 2011, he became the UK national Scrabble champion. This is his first appearance on the show since losing in the Supreme Championship against Gareth Williams in 1996. He started his Countdown career way back in August 1994, winning six games before being forced to retire due to other commitments. He made it to the series final a few weeks later but lost on the crucial conundrum STERILISE against some guy called Damian Eadie, whoever he is.
He was beaten in his first Champion of Champions game by Richard Campbell in January 1995.C2: Series 56 champion Nick "George Smith" Wainwright (13 wins, 1 defeat, 1307 points, all 15-rounders.) An operational researcher from Reading who now lives in London, he initially wanted to be a strategist for Formula One. His hobbies include travelling to Pacific Asia. He appeared on the show much more recently than Wayne, winning Series 56 on the crucial conundrum PUSSYFOOT in 2007. He also had a good run in the most recent Champion of Champions tournaments as he made it to the semi final before succumbing to eventual winner Steve Briers on a crucial conundrum. Perhaps his most impressive spot was DEUTERONS in his quarter final against Kai Laddiman, which was a game-changing moment. He fears he may not have practised enough since his success on the show but we'll soon find out.
DC: Susie Dent and Dave Myers.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: P S E C U N O S R
R02: T N R G E I E A Q
R03: N O V E C I F T O
R04: S R N S E A I W E
R05: 75, 100, 50, 3, 3, 2. Target: 488.
TTT: EVERREDS - "Rather quiet and private about a pre-booked table"
R06: K M R L A I U H A
R07: Z E M T A O E C R
R08: G D S P I A E E L
R09: T O N X U E M D A
R10: 5, 3, 1, 5, 6, 1. Target: 684.
TTT: HINGESET - "Angry about a marine creature, perhaps"
R11: S T E U D N I J D
R12: W V T O A L E I M
R13: G Y R E A S T D I
R14: 1, 7, 2, 7, 6, 10. Target: 790.
R15: T R A C Y F O O L (conundrum)
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: P S E C U N O S R
C1: POUNCES (7)
C2: POUNCES (7)
DC: PROCESS (7)
OT: CORNUSES (8) CORPUSES (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)
Both players wisely resist adding the R to their word and claim seven points each. Many top players have fallen into that trap on the show and online before and since it's valid in Scrabble (OK, pretty much any old rubbish is), the fact that Wayne leaves it is even more impressive. There were a couple of eights though which no one finds except a couple of people in the spoilers thread.
Round 2: T N R G E I E A Q
C1: GRATINEE (8)
C2: GRATINEE (8)
DC: TANGIER (7)
OT: ENARGITE (8)
Score: 15–15 (max 16)
Nick and Wayne decide to try and eight and they are successful with the same word. With the remaining Q and no U, there's obviously no nine available, just a nice alternative eight.
Round 3: N O V E C I F T O
C1: NOVICE (6)
C2: NOTICE (6)
DC: CONFIT (6) FOOTIE (6)
OT: COOTIE (6) COVINE (6) INFECT (6) NOETIC (6)
Score: 21–21 (max 22)
Six is as good as it gets here.
Round 4: S R N S E A I W E
C1: WEARINESS (18)
C2: WEARINESS (18)
DC: WARINESS (8)
Score: 39–39 (max 40)
Nine time!
Too easy for these two as the word "nine" draws one or two gasps from the audience. I'm sure we'll be hearing that word many more times over the next eight weeks. It's not the first time we've heard it in these championships either as Tom Hargreaves got one of his own yesterday. Round 5: 75, 100, 50, 3, 3, 2. Target: 488.
C1: 485. (3 + 2) x (100 - 3) (7)
C2: 485. (3 + 2) x (100 - 3) (7)
RR: 488. (75 - 2) x (3 + 3) + 50 (10)
Score: 46–46 (max 50)
Wayne's choice of three from the top and three small is apparently because it's the only combination he hasn't faced in his Countdown career, until now. The points are shared again as both get stuck on three away but Rachel shows it's arguably not as difficult as it looks.
Dave talks about umami, which is a fifth taste apparently.
Teatime teaser: EVERREDS -> RESERVED
Round 6: K M R L A I U H A
C1: ALARUM (6)
C2: murial
DC: KARAHI (6)
OT: ALMIRAH (7)
Score: 52–46 (max 57)
After a "half" of stalemate, the deadlock is broken by Wayne. The selection is very awkward and both players offer sixes but only Wayne's is a real word. ALARUM is an impressive spot by anyone's standards but an even bigger well done to anyone who got the superb darren.
An ALMIRAH is an Indian free-standing cupboard or wardrobe.
Round 7: Z E M T A O E C R
C1: CREMATE (7)
C2: METEOR (6)
DC: REMOTE (6) RECOAT (6)
Score: 59–46 (max 64)
Wayne immediately extends his lead with the darren as Nick misses CREMATE, slightly surprisingly.
Round 8: G D S P I A E E L
C1: PLEASED (7)
C2: epigeals
DC: PLEDGES (7)
OT: AEDILES (7) ELAPSED (7) EPIGEAL (7) PALSIED (7) PELAGES (7) PLEIADS (7) SILAGED (7) SPIELED (7)
Score: 66–46 (max 71)
Nick's attempt to close the gap backfires and only worsenes the situation. He is very unlucky though as EPIGEAL is a great word but just listed as an adjective. After promising a very tight game at the break, the gap is suddenly at twenty.
Round 9: T O N X U E M D A
C1: AMOUNTED (8)
C2: AMOUNTED (8)
Score: 74–54 (max 79)
Nick does at least steady the ship by spotting the darren but he still has it all to do as Wayne is equal to the task.
OoW: Susie continues her food theme from yesterday.
Round 10: 5, 3, 1, 5, 6, 1. Target: 684.
C1: -
C2: -
RR: 700.
OT: 700. (6 + 1) x (3 + 1) x 5 x 5
Score: 74–54 (max 79)
Oh dear, you've got to feel sorry for Nick. He opts for six small in a bid to claw back some points but is thwarted by a numbers game where it is impossible to even get within ten, so the scores stay the same. I've been trying to think of the last time we had a numbers game with no points available, can anyone remember?
Teatime teaser: HINGESET -> SEETHING
Round 11: S T E U D N I J D
C1: STUDIED (7)
C2: UNITED (6)
DC: DISTEND (7) UNDIES (6)
Score: 81–54 (max 86)
Wayne has clearly STUDIED hard for this tournament, which helps him to extend his lead even further and it should be just about game up for the Series 56 champion.
Round 12: W V T O A L E I M
C1: VIOLATE (7)
C2: VIOLATE (7)
Score: 88–61 (max 93)
A fairly easy darren troubles no one here.
Round 13: G Y R E A S T D I
C1: GYRATED (7)
C2: TRIAGED (7)
DC: STAGIER (7) TRAGEDY (7) AGISTED (7)
OT: AGISTER (7) ASTRIDE (7) DIETARY (7) DISRATE (7) GAITERS (7) GYRATES (7) SATYRID (7) STAIDER (7) STRAYED (7) TADGERS (7) TIRADES (7) TRIAGES (7)
Score: 95–68 (max 100)
The flattest round of the game secures Wayne's place in the next round. Both players offer some interesting words here.
Round 14: 1, 7, 2, 7, 6, 10. Target: 790.
C1: -
C2: 790. Mistake in working.
RR: 790. ((7 x 6 + 1) x 2 - 7) x 10 (10)
Score: 95–68 (max 110)
Undaunted by the last six small game, Nick decides to try again. This time it's possible but again Wayne blanks completely. Nick thinks he has it but then realises he hasn't so again, it's zero points each. Finding the 79 without using the 10 is not as easy as you might think but Rachel never disappoints us when called upon.
Round 15: T R A C Y F O O L
C1 buzzes on 4.25 seconds to say OLFACTORY which is correct.
Final Score: 105–68 (max 120)
Wayne rounds off a commanding performance with a good conundrum solve and earns a deserved century. To beat a player of Nick's quality by that margin is quite an impressive feat and I don't think anyone will relish the prospect of playing Wayne in the next round. If he can sort his numbers out, he should be able to give anyone a run for their money. Nick had some good spots too but he also had some bad luck in the middle section of the show, particularly EPIGEALS, which went a long way to deciding the outcome. We will discover Wayne's First Round opponent tomorrow as the one and only Mark Deeks takes on record holder Jack Hurst. That one's bound to be a belter and James will bring you all the drama from that one in tomorrow's recap. Next Tuesday will see Jackie McLeod take on Barry Grossman in a repeat of the Series 21 final in 1991. Join me then to find out if Jackie can avenge her defeat. See you then, be sure of it.
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=67