University Challenge: Round 2: Emmanuel, Cambridge v. St. Catherine's, Cambridge

Emmanuel v. St. Catherine’s

The Teams

Emmanuel

Nicole Pullinger

Nicholas Thatte

Kara Malcolm (capt)

James Wrathall

St. Catherine’s

Jenny Hay

Emma Dinnage

Nick Scott (capt)

Lydia Michaelides

Shall we start with a glance at the form guide, dearly beloved? Emmanuel lost by a measly five points to St. Andrews first time out, but came back strongly to comfortably win the second repechage against RNCM. Fellow Cambridge college St. Catherine’s had a narrow squeak in the first round, winning by 10 points against University College, Oxford. This is probably a little mean, but my main memory of that match was the way the Cambridge team liked to discuss each bonus question in more detail than many teams, hence the low scoring match.

The first starter had Wagner written all over it, which is just as well since ‘twas the correct answer. Lydia Michaelides took that one, which reminds me to take a moment to pay tribute to their team sweatshirts, with, appropriately enough, St. Catherine’s wheel on them. This starter earned them a rather gettable set on painters. It seemed as if Art really isn’t their thing, as they failed to score, and indeed, profligacy with bonuses was to remain something of a problem for the team throughout the match. I don’t know the Black Book of Carmarthen (although I’ve been in a few people’s black books in Carmarthen, but that’s a story for another time), but I did know the Black Mountains and the Black Death for the next starter. It seemed as if James Wrathall did too, since he provided the correct answer for Emmanuel. Bonuses on -bel- brought two correct answers. Now, Jenny Hay made the opposite mistake to one I made in my semi final GK round on Mastermind. We were both asked about a London street associated with publishing. Jenny Hay answered Fleet when Paternoster was required, and I did vice versa. I lost nothing but time, but since this was an early buzz, St. Catherine’s lost 5. Emmanuel couldn’t capitalise. Nicholas Thatte took his team’s second stanza, correctly guessing the MMX mission will visit Mars’ moon Phobos in 2024. Answers all ending in lia brought a full house. I don’t often do brilliantly with the first picture starter, so I was pleased to punt correctly when we were shown a lyricist's awards and honours with Sir Tim Rice. Kara Malcolm went for the composer of the score of some of these with Andrew Lloyd Webber, allowing Lydia Michaelides to nip in with the right answer. Other winners of the set of EGOT – Emmy – Grammy – Oscar – Tony ( named after the 4 human members of the Famous Five?) brought 1 bonus. Given the date and birthplace, I felt that Joseph Priestley was a good shout for the following chemistry starter. Nicholas Thatte thought so too, although unlike me he didn’t get up and do a lap of honour when it was proven right. Just for fun I also had two of the scientific equipment bonuses as well – as did Emmanuel. This ensured that they led by 65 – 20 at the ten minute mark.

Skipper Nick Scott of St. Catherine’s took his first starter with the Price Index. Works in the random jottings genre (no questions about LAM, I noticed) brought us both just the one bonus. Kara Malcolm came in early for the next starter, identifying the highest peak of the Hindu Kush. Bonuses on the scientist Elizabeth Blackburn (Elizabeth Who, in LAM Towers) brought me nowt, but Emmanuel 2 correct answers. None of us recognised the work of Public Enemy for the music starter. Jenny Hay won the buzzer race to identify the city West of Amsterdam that gave its name to an area of New York as Haarlem (Harlem). St. Catherine’s bad luck with the way the bonuses were falling continued when they received the music bonuses for their pains – three songs from the 2010s which sampled US political discourse. Nothing there for either of us. A brace of historical Joans was taken by James Wrathall brought a set on classical compositions used in film soundtracks. Emmanuel took two of these. Nicholas Thatte knew that the heaviest element known to be a gas at room temperature is radon. This earned Emma a set on shared place names. And again they took a couple. This meant that just before the 20 minute mark, they had established a lead of 125 – 45, and were 80 points ahead. At this point the result seemed a foregone conclusion.

Jenny Hay knew that Kemal Ataturk was born in Thessaloniki. It was essential for St. Catherine’s to get a friendly set of bonuses now, and constellations whose names differed by just two letters brought a most welcome 20 points. None of us recognised a self portrait by Rousseau, le douanier. I never really got the next starter about the faces of a cube, but Nick Scott correctly answered that the total number of faces involved was 3. This brought St. Catherine’s 3 bonuses on paintings which had depictions of the Eiffel Tower within them. Typical of their luck with the bonuses, these were far from easy and they failed to add to their score. I must confess to being surprised that neither team knew that perk is short for perquisite. I’m not surprised that neither team knew hapkido – never heard of it myself. Emma Dinnage won the buzzer race to answer that the ozone layer blocks UV rays. Finally the bonus fairy smiled upon them as a set on accents and diacritical marks hit their sweet spot to give them a full house. Now both teams were on triple figures, and the lead was down to 20. Not for long, though. James Wrathall identified your friend and mine, King Idris of Libya, for the next starter. Emmanuel couldn’t do anything with a set of bonuses on birds, though. With a rush of blood to the head, Nicholas Thatte buzzed early to try to put the match beyond St. Catherine’s, yet lost five for his pains. This allowed Lydia Michaelides to supply the answer, the stage direction exeunt. Two bonuses on separatist movements cut the deficit to just 5 points. Was there time for St. Catherine’s to snatch an unlikely win?

No.

The contest was gonged just as JP was coming to the end of the next starter, allowing Emmanuel into the quarter final stages. Well done! In all honesty there wasn’t a great deal to choose between the teams in terms of buzzing, but a failure to convert enough of those early bonuses cost St. Catherine’s in the end.

Interesting Fact That I Didn’t Already Know Of The Week

Mars’ moon Phobos is only 26km across at its largest diameter.