Will Gerry have the luck of the Irish, or will Tracey sprinkle a little bit of magic her way to get to the final
Let's find out, enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 11 June 2015.
C1: #2 Seed Gerry "The Dublin Destroyer" Tynan (9 wins, 960 points.) An Apterite and accountant from Lucan, County Dublin. He defeated the #7 seed Steve Redfern 93-77 in his quarter-final last Thursday.
C2: #3 Seed Tracey "The Stockport Sparkler" Mills (9 wins, 935 points.) An Apteforumite and housewife from Stockport, Greater Manchester. She defeated the #6 seed Jordan Barker 99-66 in her quarter-final on Monday.
DC: Susie Dent and Jo Brand.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: D N I L T E O N A
R02: H G Z I E O M R L
R03: 75, 1, 6, 5, 4, 5. Target: 505.
TTT: MADGRAPE - "Tore threw the streets as the slope got older"
R04: N D S A U O G T E
R05: M R I Y S A K L O
R06: 50, 6, 4, 8, 8, 3. Target: 474.
R07: V B I T A U R E M
R08: J S R T O A I V A
R09: 1, 4, 5, 3, 7, 6. Target: 571.
TTT: LILYSKIN - "Lily draped the garment over her skin seductively"
R10: D R T O I E A H R
R11: W L O X N E P N A
R12: G P F M U I E S O
R13: D G A R R U I S Q
R14: 25, 3, 8, 6, 1, 7. Target: 504.
R15: M I S T I B E A N (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: D N I L T E O N A
Gerry: DELATION (8)
Tracey: DELATION (8)
DC: INDOLENT (8) ANOINTED (8)
OT: ANTINODE (8) DENTINAL (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)
A perfect start by our 2 semi-finalists. Did we expect anything less from these guys though
DENTINAL relates to DENTINE, hard dense bony tissue forming the bulk of a tooth, beneath the enamel.
Round 2: H G Z I E O M R L
Gerry: HOLIER (6)
Tracey: HOMIER (6)
DC: hogzip HOMEGIRL (8)
Score: 14–14 (max 16)
While both players stick to their types (in a way), DC (or should that be upstairs.....) find the late darrenic 8.
Round 3: 75, 1, 6, 5, 4, 5. Target: 505.
Gerry: 505. ((6 + 1) x 75) - (5 x 4) (10)
Tracey: 505. ((6 + 1) x 75) - (5 x 4) (10)
Score: 24–24 (max 26)
Not too taxing in the numbers department early doors......... It's building up nicely is this one.
Teatime teaser: MADGRAPE -> RAMPAGED
Round 4: N D S A U O G T E
Gerry: ASTOUND (7)
Tracey: OUTAGES (7)
DC: DONATES (7) goutsand
OT: AUGENDS (7) DOTAGES (7) NOUGATS (7) ONSTAGE (7) OUTSANG (7) SNOUTED (7) SOUTANE (7) TANGOED (7) TANGOES (7) TONGUED (7) TONGUES (7)
Score: 31–31 (max 33)
Whatever Gerry was thinking wasn't there (maybe unstaged), which is good, as this game is still right on a knife-edge.
In maths and computing, an AUGEND is the number to which another is added.
Round 5: M R I Y S A K L O
Gerry: SMOKILY (7)
Tracey: ROYALISM (8)
Score: 31–39 (max 41)
GAME-CHANGER!!! A superb darrenic 8 from Tracey there. The first lead might be the most crucial here.....
Round 6: 50, 6, 4, 8, 8, 3. Target: 474.
Gerry: 474. ((50 + 8) x 8) + 6 + 4 (10)
Tracey: 474. ((50 + 8) x 8) + 6 + 4 (10)
Score: 41–49 (max 51)
Top marks in the numbers again by both our players.
Jo talks about the subject she studied at university............, sociology.
Round 7: V B I T A U R E M
Gerry: verbatum
Tracey: AMBIVERT (8)
DC: VERBATIM (8)
Score: 41–57 (max 59)
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear for Gerry. Whether it's an Irish thing and that hearing it makes it sound like it has a U in it, as some people on Twitter seem to be saying, it's cruel luck on Gerry, as the correct spelling of VERBATIM is even in the selection......
But, Tracey takes full advantage with the brilliant anagram word of AMBIVERT.
Round 8: J S R T O A I V A
Gerry: AVIATORS (8)
Tracey: AVIATORS (8)
DC: AORTAS (6)
Score: 49–65 (max 67)
Great spotting once more. This is top-drawer stuff that we cry out for
WOOP WOOP Round 9: 1, 4, 5, 3, 7, 6. Target: 571.
Gerry: 571. (((7 x 6) - 4) x 3 x 5) + 1 (10)
Tracey: -
Score: 59–65 (max 77)
Gamble time for Gerry, as he deploys a 6 small to try and recover some ground, and it couldn't have worked out any better, as Tracey is all at sea, and the luck of the Irish seems to have returned to Gerry.
IS THIS THE TURN OF FORTUNE THAT GERRY NEEDED??Teatime teaser: LILYSKIN -> SLINKILY
So, we now head into the third "half", and with the game now evenly poised thanks to the 6 small, one mistake might cost the game for either player....
Round 10: D R T O I E A H R
Gerry: HARRIED (7)
Tracey: HOARDER (7)
DC: TARRIED (7) drtoehair
OT: TRIHEDRA (8)
Score: 66–72 (max 85)
No-one spots the darrenic 8 here, so we're still as tight as a tightrope here......
Round 11: W L O X N E P N A
Gerry: PANEL (5)
Tracey: WEAPON (6)
Score: 66–78 (max 91)
WHAT A CRUCIAL SPOT!!! A very sneakily hidden 6 is spotted in the selection by Tracey, and her leads doubles to a dozen.
IS THAT THE KILLER SELECTION THAT TRACEY NEEDED???Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of punctuation marks.
Round 12: G P F M U I E S O
Gerry: GUIMPES (7)
Tracey: GUIMPES (7)
Score: 73–85 (max 98)
It's darren o'clock in round 12. While Tracey will be hoping for something similar in the next round, Gerry will be hoping his pick of letters have other ideas......
Round 13: D G A R R U I S Q
Gerry: RADIUS (6)
Tracey: GUARDS (6)
DC: SUGAR (5) squidrag
OT: GRADUS (6) SIRDAR (6)
Score: 79–91 (max 104)
A nasty set appears, but spot a 6 out of it, and with the gap still at a dozen, Tracey is surely the firm favourite now, as she just needs some points in the numbers to seal her place in the final.
A GRADUS is a manual of classical prosody formerly used in schools to help in writing Greek and Latin verse.
A SIRDAR (or SARDAR) is either an Indian leader often used as a proper name or a formal name for a Sikh.
Round 14: 25, 3, 8, 6, 1, 7. Target: 504.
Gerry: 504. (25 - (8 - 6 - 1)) x 7 x 3 (10)
Tracey: 504. (25 - 1) x 3 x 7 (10)
Score: 89–101 (max 114)
Not the easiest of one large selections, but both players get to the target, and that means that TRACEY IS IN THE FINAL
Round 15: M I S T I B E A N
Gerry buzzes on 17.75 seconds to say MINIBEATS which is incorrect.
Tracey does not buzz.
The answer, which Gerry got after the time was MINIBEAST. *ouch*
Final Score: 89–101 (max 124)
Just to add unfortunate insult to injury, Gerry gets as close to the right answer without getting it as you could.
(I'm sure he'll be relieved that it wasn't a crucial in the end).But, what a fantastic game that was to watch, and I was definitely honoured to watch it in the audience 10 weeks ago, and while I offer commiserations to Gerry for putting a brilliant fight, I was so happy to see Tracey win, as I was there at the end of last year, cheering her on in her final 5 heats, and even though she was nervous at times then, I was there to offer her my support, which I could tell that she certainly loved having.
So, when she invited me along for the finals, I was so delighted to see her progress. I knew she could make the final, I think she doubted herself at times, but I gave her some moral support, which I hoped would help her get to the final at least, and luckily it has.
So, as Rachel says, will she become the first female champion since Kate Ogilvie in Series 39 over 16 years ago
It's a tall order for her to beat the #1 seed, Tom Cappleman, tomorrow, but I bet no-one thought Antoinette Ryan would get so close to Dan McColm in the last series final......Join Anthony Endsor for the dramatic climax to the series tomorrow.
Series 73 starts next week with one episode, before Royal Ascot takes over for the rest of the week. So, my next recap will be on June 24.
See you all then, and best of luck to both Tom and Tracey for the grand final tomorrow. May the best person win.
Till then, bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Gerry:
Total score - 89
Raw score - 101
Total % of max - 72
Raw % of max - 81
Total average score per round - 5.9
Raw average score per round - 6.7
Number of maxes - 9
Tracey:
Total score - 101
Raw score - 101
Total % of max - 81
Raw % of max - 81
Total average score per round - 6.7
Raw average score per round - 6.7
Number of maxes - 11
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=72