BoB Supplementary - First Round Review

Before you read this analysis of the first round of BoB, and preview of the semi finals, I want to give you a warning. Firstly, I missed the start of the series. So I didn’t get to hear the first heat in the series, and I don't know the contestants or the scores. So the semi final line up I’m going to give only includes 15 players – for the winner of the first heat I can only apologise. Secondly, the semi finals have already been recorded, and so I must be very guarded in what I say, for I have no wish to spoil the semi finals for any listener. So I will really try to limit my comments to what has happened in the first round.

Performance of the round was surely that of Ian Bayley. His 33 was a remarkable score. I was also impressed with Chris Quinn, whose 21 wasn’t just a very good score, but had the added bonus of having been achieved against some extremely formidable opposition. Bernard Fyles, Mastermind 2004 finalist Jim Cook, and 1990 Mastermind champion David Edwards all scored in the 20s as well. Everyone who reached the semis is worthy of praise too – even me – but I would particularly draw your attention to Rob Hannah, whose cool nerve to win a tie break on the buzzer was another of the highlights of this very enjoyable first round of shows. Even if you take the lowest winning score, 13, that of Martin Boult, you have to pay tribute to the fact that he had to battle past reigning Mastermind champion Nancy Dickmann to do it.

Speaking of Nancy, who was the first woman to win either MM or BoB since 1997, it reminds us of the fact that there are 3 ladies in the semi finals. Of them all, the most impressive was Anne Hegerty , whose 18 is comfortably in the top half of scores in this series so far.

No predictions now – as you know if you read my report at the time, I have already promised Ian Bayley that I won’t scupper his chances by tipping him to win, so its only fair that I don’t lumber anyone else either. For the record, these are the 15 qualifiers that I’m fairly sure about : -

Ian Bayley - 33
Bernard Fyles – 22
Chris Quinn – 21
Jim Cook – 20
David Edwards – 20
Anne Hegerty – 18
David Clark – 16
Anthony Payne – 16
Simon Pitfield – 16
Martin Wyatt – 16
Roger Johnson - 16
Rob Hannah – 15
Jane Anne Liston – 15
Ali Arnold - winner of heat 1 -