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Champion (C1): Ed Rossiter (1 win, 105 points) a bar manager from Southampton, who is a seasoned Scrabble player - in 2008 he was #21 in the national rankings. The person he would most like to meet is Jeff Stelling - well there's not much chance of that!
Challenger (C2): Adam Haward, also from Southampton, who can juggle up to five balls at once - but can he juggle nine tiles into an 18-pointer? Time will tell!
DC: Susie Dent and 'Police, Camera, Alastair Stewart'
RR: Rachel Riley, whose yellowy green numbers is reminiscent of our old living room curtains
OT: Other words, solutions and incomprehensible tripe to fill the page up
Test yourself with the mini-recap:
R01: N M F U I E N S N
R02: G S J L A A O G O
R03: H R T I A E P P M
R04: T L F O E D Y U E
R05: 100, 4, 7, 9, 4, 8. Target: 688
TTT: KIWIEELS - "Exactly the same as Ernie, perhaps."
R06: S M S U I A N Z O
R07: S R N A A E T I R
R08: H D L E A V N O E
R09: W N Q I A E E T S
R10: 75, 2, 9, 4, 7, 1. Target: 561
TTT: SAINTMAY - "The most reliable part of a ship, perhaps."
R11: R G R O I E S N I
R12: T B D R E E A O S
R13: P X D I E A L T I
R14: 25, 8, 4, 5, 10, 3. Target: 499
R15: C I R Q U E O I L (conundrum)
Scroll down to see how well Ed and Adam performed in front of the cameras...
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Enjoy the show!
Round 1: N M F U I E N S N
C1: FUNNIES (7)
C2: FUNNIES (7)
DC: Alastair has spotted a nine - that is, NINE for 4!
Score: 7–7 (max 7)
Round 2: G S J L A A O G O
C1: GALAS (5)
C2: GOALS (5)
OT: Chris Davies found AGOGOS for (6) but there was GALAGOS (7) as a darrenic DC beater.
Score: 12–12 (max 14)
Round 3: H R T I A E P P M
C1: EPITAPH (7)
C2: PRIMATE (7)
DC: Susie couldn't have been HAPPIER (7) than when she found PERIAPT (7) - a charm or amulet worn as protection against mischief and disease.
OT: Kai points out that TERAPHIM (8) was also there (but this was in a post below, so he was probably cheating anyway!
)Score: 19–19 (max 21)
Round 4: T L F O E D Y U E
C1: FLOUTED (7)
C2: FLOUTED (7)
DC: FLOUTED (7)
OT: There was FEEDLOT (7) for a DC equaller - a plot of ground on which livestock are fattened for market. I bet DC were fed up not to spot it!
Score: 26–26 (max 29)
Round 5: 100, 4, 7, 9, 4, 8. Target: 688
C1: 688 = 7 × 100 - 8 - 4 (10)
C2: 688 = 7 × 100 - 8 - 4 (10)
Score: 36–36 (max 39)
Teatime teaser: KIWIEELS --> LIKEWISE
Round 6: S M S U I A N Z O
C1: sozins
C2: AMINOS (6)
OT: SUASION (7) is there as a DC beater - another word for persuasion.
Score: 36–42 (max 46)
Round 7: S R N A A E T I R
C1: TRAINERS (8)
C2: NARRATES (8)
DC: ARTESIAN, RESTRAIN and STRAINER (8)
OT: A regular plethora of eights: ANTISERA, SANTERIA, RETRAINS, TERRAINS and TRANSIRE (8)
Score: 44–50 (max 54)
Round 8: H D L E A V N O E
C1: HALVED (6)
C2: HALVED (6)
DC: HEAVEN (6)
OT: There aren't half a lot of sixes: ANELED, LEADEN, LEANED, ELEVON, ELODEA, HALOED, HANDLE, HEALED, HEAVED, LEAVED, LEVADE, LEAVEN, LOANED and LOANEE (6)
Score: 50–56 (max 60)
Round 9: W N Q I A E E T S
C1: tawnies
C2: NEWEST (6)
DC: STAIN and TWINS (5)
OT: An array of sixes once again: NEWIES, NEWSIE, SATEEN, SENATE, SEITAN, TINEAS, TISANE, TENESI, TWAINS, TWEENS, WITANS, TWINES and WISENT (6)
Score: 50–62 (max 66)
Round 10: 75, 2, 9, 4, 7, 1. Target: 561
C1: 561, but he ran out of time whilst showing his working.
C2: -
RR: 561 = 75 × 7 + 9 * 4 (10)
Score: 50–62 (max 76)
Teatime teaser: SAINTMAY --> MAINSTAY
Round 11: R G R O I E S N I
C1: IGNORERS (8)
C2: REGIONS (7)
DC: SIGNORE (7)
OT: Ed can be equalled with SEIGNIOR (8) as an alternative eight.
Score: 58–62 (max 84)
Round 12: T B D R E E A O S
C1: BREASTED (8)
C2: BROADEST (8)
DC: BROASTED (8)
OT: It's eights all round, with two more in the shape of BESTRODE and DEBATERS (8)
Score: 66–70 (max 92)
Round 13: P X D I E A L T I
C1: PLAITED (7)
C2: PLAITED (7)
DC: PIXILATED (18) is a fantastic niner - whilst meaning digitally 'mosaiced', as it were, in this spelling with two Is it can also mean bewildered.
Score: 73–77 (max 110)
Round 14: 25, 8, 4, 5, 10, 3. Target: 499
C1: 499 = 25 × 5 × 4 + 10 - 8 - 3 (10)
C2: 500
Score: 83–77 (max 120)
Round 15: C I R Q U E O I L
C1 buzzes on 0.8 seconds to say LIQUORICE which is correct.
Score: 93–77 (max 130)
Philpot's final thought:
A tight game all the way with some excellent spots made by both players - Ed was unlucky to declare the Scrabble-only sozins^ and run out of time on the second numbers, but even so with the fantastic IGNORERS in round 11 and a great solve on round 14 he stopped Adam at the final hurdle - a sweet victory, for sure! Just how many games can Ed win? Tune in tomorrow - same Countdown time, same Countdown channel!
This recap was written by miserly student Chris Philpot. Other summaries for this series are available at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=61
