c4countdown

So, after an quite amazing group of episodes last week, can we expect more of the same this week, I wonder

After Mark Hartnett's brilliant 3 wins, he was dethroned on Friday by the returner, Bradley Cates, who put in a sensational performance to win with a score of 111 points. Will we get a repeat performance today

His opponent today is another member of the Aptoranks in Sean D (don't ask about the surname, I don't know either. ). Will he avenge his fallen Apto-comrade

Arlene Phillips carries on in DC for today and tomorrow, before we have a male presence for the first time in ages, with Dr. Phil Hammond in for the rest of the week.

Graeme will be recapping later on.

One of the best decisions to pick for a final vowel I've ever seen - was hoping Sean would capitalise there - AEROLITES for 9 in round 2 as a DC beater.

Andy Platt wrote:One of the best decisions to pick for a final vowel I've ever seen - was hoping Sean would capitalise there - AEROLITES for 9 in round 2 as a DC beater.

Unfortunately not everyone knows how to fish as well as you! I stuck with EARLIEST (other 8s available too).

Alt 1st numbers (75+3-2)x(10+1)+6

Round 6 numbers: (100 x 50 - 75 - 5) / 5 - 25 = 959 as a Rachel-beater

Is Bradley an apterite under a psuedonym or one of the best non-apterites in recent memory? I'm not sure.

Andy Platt wrote:Round 6 numbers: (100 x 50 - 75 - 5) / 5 - 25 = 959 as a Rachel-beater

Awesome, I spent ages on it and still couldn't even get to 960. Was it in time?

Edit: SPIKENARD in R10.

Jordan F wrote:Is Bradley an apterite under a psuedonym or one of the best non-apterites in recent memory? I'm not sure.

After SFUMATO, I'm thinking the same thing. Sorry if I sound like an elitist prick, but I refuse to believe that anybody picks that up without apterous. The other alternative is that he has made himself some sort of excel-based game with dictionary file like this guy did (remember HORTENSIA, DIATRIBE, etc).

Jack Worsley wrote:

Andy Platt wrote:Round 6 numbers: (100 x 50 - 75 - 5) / 5 - 25 = 959 as a Rachel-beater

Awesome, I spent ages on it and still couldn't even get to 960. Was it in time?

Took me about three or four seconds.

Jordan F wrote:Is Bradley an apterite under a psuedonym or one of the best non-apterites in recent memory? I'm not sure.

He was quite good when he won his shows before - and there are other ways to practice and study too.

Anybody work out what SPRAINED+K was?

Tony Atkins wrote:Anybody work out what SPRAINED+K was?

Jack Worsley wrote:SPIKENARD in R10.

Edit

Round 14: ((75 + 2) x 50 x 3 + 100) / 25, took me well over 30 seconds though.

Unlucky Sean there, thought you played well enough to beat around 75% of contestants, but unfortunate to run into Bradley there.
His only weakness seems to be the tricky numbers.

Andy Platt wrote:

Tony Atkins wrote:Anybody work out what SPRAINED+K was?

Jack Worsley wrote:SPIKENARD in R10.

That was his edit to the posting.

Jordan F wrote:Is Bradley an apterite under a psuedonym or one of the best non-apterites in recent memory? I'm not sure.

Rachel W perhaps?

Great performance again. Well played too Sean, very few people would have coped with Bradley today.

Last numbers: (75+3)*(100+50)/25-2 = 466

SFUMATO came from Bradley's list of art/music terms! He said he's not on apterous and no reason to doubt that.
Bah AEROLITES .... 5 vowels is my relative strength in letters and the nice selection prompted me to go 5 vowels- though I wasnt specifically chasing anything I felt it was the type of selection I'd played on Apterous before.... and then I couldn't even see earliest !!
Pleased enough to get to 955 in studio conditions. I found 960 a little later. 959 is super elite 4L territory!

Will post later when I've had a look at the recording

Jordan F wrote:Is Bradley an apterite under a psuedonym or one of the best non-apterites in recent memory? I'm not sure.

I have an inkling that it's Matthew Brockwell, however correct me if I'm wrong.

SFUMATO has come up on the show before, and so have things like OSTERIA and BEGONIA, it's possible he's just been watching the show devoutly and has a good memory for words. Or perhaps discovered these words through other means as people have said. If his appearances as an 11-year-old prove anything, it's that he has a good 'natural' ability for finding words, and so didn't necessarily need the help of apterous to reach the standard he's at now.

Two very tough 4L rounds there - I was happy with 960 for round 6 and did (75+3)*(100+50)/25-2 for round 14.

Another high quality game there, well done Sean - unlucky to come up against such a strong player.

I was told Bradley has a photographic memory. He plays Countdown games, just not apterous.

James S Roper wrote:

Jordan F wrote:Is Bradley an apterite under a psuedonym or one of the best non-apterites in recent memory? I'm not sure.

I have an inkling that it's Matthew Brockwell, however correct me if I'm wrong.

That was who I suspected. But Matthew was playing on Apto while (I believe) Bradley would've been filming on the 31st August.

If he told Sean and Mark he's not on Apterous, fair enough - he doesn't really stand to gain anything by lying.

Jennifer Steadman wrote:

James S Roper wrote:

Jordan F wrote:Is Bradley an apterite under a psuedonym or one of the best non-apterites in recent memory? I'm not sure.

I have an inkling that it's Matthew Brockwell, however correct me if I'm wrong.

That was who I suspected. But Matthew was playing on Apto while (I believe) Bradley would've been filming on the 31st August.

If he told Sean and Mark he's not on Apterous, fair enough - he doesn't really stand to gain anything by lying.

I personally asked him on Twitter why he doesn't go on Apterous or attend CO-events, and he said it just wasn't his thing, which is fair enough.

But, a fantastic competitor none the less.

James S Roper wrote:

Jordan F wrote:Is Bradley an apterite under a psuedonym or one of the best non-apterites in recent memory? I'm not sure.

I have an inkling that it's Matthew Brockwell, however correct me if I'm wrong.

To end the speculation, I can confirm that Matthew Brockwell is my real name, and so is not anyone playing under a pseudonym. I guess not being on Facebook (at the moment) and hard(ish) to Google makes it difficult to track someone down .

Matthew Brockwell wrote:To end the speculation, I can confirm that Matthew Brockwell is my real name, and so is not anyone playing under a pseudonym. I guess not being on Facebook (at the moment) and hard(ish) to Google makes it difficult to track someone down .

Heh, sorry!