Countdown recap for Thursday 7 March 2024.
C1: Champion Isabelle Heward (7 wins, 578 points.) From Lincolnshire.
C2: Challenger Phillip Lee. A long-distance lorry driver from Sheffield, but lives in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
DC: Susie Dent and Rory Bremner.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: G R N H E A U R J
R02: D B P E I O N R L
R03: 75, 8, 1, 6, 10, 2. Target: 869.
TTT: IHUNTRED - "I hunt the final red to win the frame, but left it over the pocket."
R04: G R T E A S E N T
R05: N S D I O A Y C G
R06: 100, 75, 3, 8, 6, 9. Target: 298.
R07: D W T D I E U N C
R08: T M V D A I E T A
R09: 75, 4, 6, 8, 5, 7. Target: 371.
TTT: AIRSEALS - "It was he who hit you on board the ship."
R10: S T O I E N T D F
R11: R M G I A U X S R
R12: W B N T E O O L F
R13: S R P H A E O P S
R14: 75, 50, 25, 4, 5, 4. Target: 303.
R15: V E R T I G O O S (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: G R N H E A U R J
Isabelle: RANGER (6)
Phillip: HANGER (6)
DC: HUNGER (6) REHANG (6)
OT: NURAGHE (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)
Round 2: D B P E I O N R L
Isabelle: BROILED (7)
Phillip: BLONDER (7)
DC: BLONDIE (7)
OT: POINDLER (8)
Score: 13–13 (max 15)
Round 3: 75, 8, 1, 6, 10, 2. Target: 869.
Isabelle: -
Phillip: -
RR: 869. ((8 / 2) + 75) x (10 + 1) (10)
Score: 13–13 (max 25)
Teatime teaser: IHUNTRED -> UNDERHIT
Round 4: G R T E A S E N T
Isabelle: ENTREATS (8)
Phillip: GREATEST (8)
DC: REAGENTS (8)
OT: RANGETTES (18)
Score: 21–21 (max 43)
Round 5: N S D I O A Y C G
Isabelle: CODINGS (7)
Phillip: COSYING (7)
OT: ADONICS (7) AGNOSIC (7) ANGICOS (7) GANOIDS (7) SYCONIA (7) SYNODIC (7)
Score: 28–28 (max 50)
Round 6: 100, 75, 3, 8, 6, 9. Target: 298.
Isabelle: 298. (3 x 100) - (8 - 6) (10)
Phillip: 298. (3 x 100) - (8 - 6) (10)
Score: 38–38 (max 60)
Rory talks about unusual phobias.
Round 7: D W T D I E U N C
Isabelle: WINCED (6)
Phillip: UNITED (6)
DC: INDUCTED (8)
Score: 44–44 (max 68)
Round 8: T M V D A I E T A
Isabelle: DATIVE (6)
Phillip: MATTED (6)
OT: ADAMITE (7) AMATIVE (7) AVIATED (7)
Score: 50–50 (max 75)
Round 9: 75, 4, 6, 8, 5, 7. Target: 371.
Isabelle: 371. (5 x 75) - 4 (10)
Phillip: 371. (5 x 75) - 4 (10)
Score: 60–60 (max 85)
Teatime teaser: AIRSEALS -> ASSAILER
Round 10: S T O I E N T D F
Isabelle: FOISTED (7)
Phillip: DENTIST (7)
OT: FESTINO (7) FODIENT (7) FONDEST (7) NIDEOTS (7) NITTOED (7) STINTED (7) TIENTOS (7) TONIEST (7)
Score: 67–67 (max 92)
Round 11: R M G I A U X S R
Isabelle: SUGAR (5)
Phillip: SUGAR (5)
OT: AGRUMS (6) MARRIS (6) MURGIS (6) MURRAS (6) SIMURG (6)
Score: 72–72 (max 98)
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "in the nick of time".
Round 12: W B N T E O O L F
Isabelle: FOOTLE (6)
Phillip: WOLF (4)
DC: BEFOOL (6) WEBTOON (7)
OT: WEBFOOT (7)
Score: 78–72 (max 105)
Round 13: S R P H A E O P S
Isabelle: SHAPERS (7)
Phillip: SHOPPERS (8)
OT: PHAROSES (8) PROPHASE (8)
Score: 78–80 (max 113)
Round 14: 75, 50, 25, 4, 5, 4. Target: 303.
Isabelle: 303. (4 x 75) + 5 - (50 / 25) (10)
Phillip: 303. (4 x 75) + 5 - (50 / 25) (10)
Score: 88–90 (max 123)
Round 15: V E R T I G O O S
Isabelle buzzes on 22 seconds to say GROOVIEST which is correct.
Final Score: 98–90 (max 133)
Crikey, Isabelle has been so dramatic, and has literally saved her best until last, especially as she has been battling illness since Monday's show.
Yet, even though she's an octochamp in early March, her octototal of 676 points sees her only in #5 on the leaderboard, so if we have another 4 octochamps before the end of the series, Isabelle will definitely be in a very rare position of possibly being only the second octochamp to not qualify for a series finals...
But, she certainly made it very exciting, and well done to Isabelle for persevering and even excelling when she needed to
Statistics Corner
Isabelle:
Total score - 98
Raw score - 105
Total % of max - 74
Raw % of max - 79
Total average score per round - 6.5
Raw average score per round - 7.0
Number of maxes - 6
Phillip:
Total score - 90
Raw score - 94
Total % of max - 68
Raw % of max - 71
Total average score per round - 6.0
Raw average score per round - 6.3
Number of maxes - 6
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=89