Evening all. So, we're half way through the first round heats, and seven teams are safe. The repechage board is also full, with Manchester at the top on 160, and last week's runners-up, Sheffield, bottom on 130. A losing score today above that would remove them; a tying of it would put both on the sidelines, as William G. Stewart would say.
Bath University was originally a trade school in Bristol, and moved to Bath in 1963, becoming a plate-glass university shortly afterwards. Alumni include weatherman Bill Giles and ex Sainsbury's boss Justin King. Its UC teams have not fared well in recent years, sending either decent teams who get drawn against really good teams (2008-09 and 2011-12), or rather average teams (2012-13 and last year). Hoping for a good showing tonight were:
Phil Herbert, from Harrogate, studying Computer Science and Maths
Scott Kemp, from Hertford, studying Maths
Captain: Miles Thomas, from London, studying Maths
Henry Rackley, from Cirencester in Gloucestershire, studying Chemistry
Glasgow University is the second oldest in Scotland, after St Andrews, founded in 1451. Alumni include economist Adam Smith, TV inventor John Logie Baird and Lib Dem MPs Vince Cable, Sir Menzies Campbell and Charles Kennedy. It last sent a team to UC way back in 2004-05, where they lost a low scoring first round match to local rivals Edinburgh. This year's quartet were:
Jonathan Gillan, from Inverness, studying Classics
Christina McGuire, from Glasgow, studying Chemistry
Captain: Daniel Hill, from Cupar in Fife, studying Archaeology and History
Erin White, from Edinburgh, studying Genetics
Incidentally, I wonder if Scottish unis will still be allowed to enter UC if there's a Yes vote next week.
Off we set again then, and Glasgow struck first, with Miss McGuire getting the first two starters, and only one bonus was wrongly answered from those six. The Scots maintained their buzzer advantage throughout the early stages, and after the first picture round, on album listings with the title track removed, they led 75-0.
Bath needed to get a move on, but all they could respond with was a slip-up. They soon made up for it through, getting their first starter, only to losing a third of their score to another slip-up. Glasgow recovered and reclaimed their advantage, moving further ahead. Bath got a second starter, and took two bonuses, unluckily missing the third.
The music round, on trios of songs whose performers are linked by places in the States, went to Glasgow; in all three cases, they got the answer from the first track, but chose to wait and hear all three first! Their lead now stood at 120-30. Another starter followed, taking the lead to 100 points; no bonuses followed, but that didn't really matter at that moment. Bath got back into the game with the next starter, but no bonuses from a rather tricky set followed.
The second picture round, on depictions of WW1 world leaders, went to Glasgow, and their lead grew to 165-40. It looked like game over as a contest, meaning Bath were playing for pride. A suggestion that Ben Nevis is in Yorkshire got them nowhere, but Miles Thomas then began a run on the buzzer which saw him get three starters in a row, which lifted the side into three figures, and within touching distance of the repechage.
Glasgow recovered back into the game, and took all three bonuses, which only served to confirm their victory. Most of the remaining starters went to Bath, but they couldn't quite acquire the points to push Sheffield off the repechage. At the gong, Glasgow won 190-120.
Well done Glasgow on a reasonably good first showing, and best of luck to them for next time. Bad luck to Bath, who recovered well late on, but just couldn't quite make up the required scores; well done to them on a fair showing anyway.
Miles Thomas' impressive late run saw him emerge the night's best buzzer, with five starters (all of them achieved in the final quarter), while Daniel Hill was best for Glasgow with four; all eight players got at least one starter correct, which is good. On the bonuses, Bath converted a respectable 10 out of 23 (with two penalties) and Glasgow a rather good 18 out of 30.
Next week's match: Leicester vs the Open University
As for Only Connect, in its second week on BBC2, it also saw a previously defeated side from a previous series reappear for a second time for the first time, something I'd always presumed was not allowed. Maybe they were short on teams for the expanded format.
Yeah, this is the first year OC is allowing past contestants back on.
ReplyDelete