Monday 1st March 2010 (Series 62, Prelim 36)

[Howard Somerset]

Countdown recap for Monday 1 March 2010.

C1: Champion Raheel Mirza (1 win, 89 points.)
C2: Challenger Sarah Wilkinson.
DC: Susie Dent and Nicholas Owen.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

In a very close game on Friday, Raheel disposed of footballer Clarke after a crucial conundrum. After a weekend to recover, he now comes up against Sarah, an events project manager from Sicup in Kent. Sarah likes acting, and hopes to peform in the West End sometime.

R01: L K F R O A E O S
R02: V D S J C I E A T
R03: Y N T W U E I E N
R04: O I E M R D P S O
R05: 25, 4, 7, 10, 1, 1. Target: 476.
TTT: PILLCASE - "Did the group of female singers cook with this?"
R06: H R D L C E E I A
R07: S H S P O I E V L
R08: A O R M T R A U T
R09: S P B O I E O M F
R10: 25, 3, 3, 1, 7, 8. Target: 943.
TTT: BOREWINS - "These small guides are nuts about chocolate."
R11: T R M C U A E N I
R12: S R N D A E A T U
R13: N L B R A I E T N
R14: 25, 8, 4, 9, 3, 6. Target: 890.
R15: T R A C K S H O E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: L K F R O A E O S

C1: LOAFERS (7)
C2: foolers
DC: LOOKERS (7)
OT: AEROSOL (7) ROSEOLA (7) FORSAKE (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)

Not a good start from Sarah, making up her own seven letter word, when there are a number of others available.

Round 2: V D S J C I E A T

C1: casted
C2: CADETS (6)
DC: DATIVES (7)
OT: ACTIVES (7) ADVECTS (7) ADVICES (7)
Score: 7–6 (max 14)

And this time its Raheel's turn to make up a word; in all senses of the verb CAST, the past tense is still only CAST.
So Sarah quickly draws back to within one point of Raheel.

Round 3: Y N T W U E I E N

C1: ENTWINE (7)
C2: ENTWINE (7)
OT: UNTWINE (7)
Score: 14–13 (max 21)

Round 4: O I E M R D P S O

C1: MOODIER (7)
C2: MOODIER (7)
DC: PROMISED (8)
OT: MOIDORES (8) PREDOOMS (8)
Score: 21–20 (max 29)

Round 5: 25, 4, 7, 10, 1, 1. Target: 476.

C1: 472.
C2: 475. (10 + 7 + 1 + 1) x 25 (7)
RR: 476. (25 + 4 - 1) x (10 + 7) (10)
Score: 21–27 (max 39)

Neither of the contestants get spot on, but it's Sarah who goes into a six point lead as she's three closer that Raheel.

Teatime teaser: PILLCASE -> ALLSPICE

Round 6: H R D L C E E I A

C1: CHAIRED (7)
C2: DECLARE (7)
DC: HERALDIC (8)
Score: 28–34 (max 47)

Round 7: S H S P O I E V L

C1: POLISHES (8)
C2: POLISHES (8)
OT: PLOSIVES (8)
Score: 36–42 (max 55)

Round 8: A O R M T R A U T

C1: TRAUMA (6)
C2: ARMOUR (6)
DC: AUTOMAT (7)
OT: MUTATOR (7)
Score: 42–48 (max 62)

Round 9: S P B O I E O M F

C1: posie
C2: BOOMS (5)
DC: IMPOSE (6)
OT: BIOMES (6)
Score: 42–53 (max 68)

Another mistake from Raheel, gives Sarah a more comfortable eleven point lead.

Round 10: 25, 3, 3, 1, 7, 8. Target: 943.

C1: -
C2: -
RR: four away, but didn't say which way.
OT: 944. (25 x (3 + 3 - 1) - 7) x 8 (7)
Score: 42–53 (max 75)

Even one away, this is classes as "very difficult", with only the single solution.
Unfortunately, Rachel's four away wasn't possible. Apart from the one away solution, there's another at two away, but then the next nearest is five away.
Anyway, neither contestant makes an offering, so it's Sarah still in the lead with 11 points as we go into the final section.

Teatime teaser: BOREWINS -> BROWNIES

Round 11: T R M C U A E N I

C1: MANICURE (8)
C2: TRANCE (6)
DC: RUMINATE (8) MURICATE (8)

Raheel's not finished yet, and narrows the gap. Just one round could swing it for him.

Score: 50–53 (max 83)

Round 12: S R N D A E A T U

C1: UNRATED (7)
C2: SAUNTER (7)
DC: DATURAS (7)
OT: TRANSUDE (8)
Score: 57–60 (max 91)

Round 13: N L B R A I E T N

C1: INTERNAL (8)
C2: TRIBAL (6)
Score: 65–60 (max 99)

And with the final letters round of the day, Raheel takes back the lead, albeit a very slender one.

Round 14: 25, 8, 4, 9, 3, 6. Target: 890.

C1: 891. 25 x 4 x 9 - (6 + 3) (7)
C2: 889. 9 x 4 x 25 - 8 - 3 (7)
RR: 890. (25 x 4 + 9) x 8 + 6 x 3 (10)
Score: 72–67 (max 109)

All on the conundrum now, the second crucial one in succession for Raheel.

Round 15: T R A C K S H O E

C1 buzzes on 23 seconds to say SHOCKRATE which is incorrect.
C2 does not buzz.
The answer was SHORTCAKE.
Score: 72–67 (max 119)

Neither of them get it, so it's Raheel who once again triumphs, in a very close game. Indeed Raheel and Sarah had the same raw score. Can Raheel's heart stand a third crucial conundrum. If I've got it right it should be Dinos who'll be letting us know in tomorrow's recap.

As I feared, I was called upon at the last minute to stand in to do today's recap. Although computers are available at the young offenders' institution, they're not allowed access to Sky+ or to 4oD, so Kai was unable to see today's programme. Hopefully he'll be released in time for next Monday's.

Statistics Corner

Raheel:
Total score - 72
Raw score - 79
Total % of max - 60.5
Raw % of max - 66.4
Total average score per round - 4.8
Raw average score per round - 5.3
Number of maxes - 5

Sarah:
Total score - 67
Raw score - 79
Total % of max - 56.3
Raw % of max - 66.4
Total average score per round - 4.5
Raw average score per round - 5.3
Number of maxes - 2


Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62