University Challenge: Round 2: St. Hilda's, Oxford v. Trinity, Cambridge

The Teams

St. Hilda’s , Oxford

Luca Chilvers

Akshay Pal

Catriona Dionisio (capt)

Christopher Bennett

Trinity, Cambridge

Hattie Innes

Navonil Neogi

Ludwig Brekke (capt)

Luke Kim

Hello, dearly beloved. How are you? Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Never mind. Let’s cheer ourselves up a little by studying the form guide to last night’s match for a moment. St. Hilda’s just got past UCL by 140-135 in their first round clash. Mind you, that in itself seemed to tell a story, for UCL made it to the repechage and were only narrowly beaten by a good St. John’s team. Trinity meanwhile had a more comfortable win over Durham by 190-90.

I was a little surprised to see both teams sitting on their buzzers for the first question, but eventually Luca Chilvers buzzed in with the answer anthology to open St. Hilda’s account. Bonuses on Cleopatra saw them pick up two correct answers. Christopher Bennett had a rush of blood to the head and buzzed in early on the next starter. Asked for a 6 letter word which was Bonnie Parker’s partner in crime, he offered the 5 letter first name, not the 6 letter surname. This lost 5 and let in Navonil Neogi. Economics bonuses garnered me my usual zero, but two correct answers gave Trinity the lead. Being as I’m still self isolating following last week’s positive test for Covid I waived my right to a lap of honour for getting the next astronomy based starter right, and Luke Kim also took his own first starter of the evening recognising a description of the moon Miranda. Three words ending in the suffix – some brought 10 more points. So to the picture round. What we saw was a description of a ballet position in French, and what was required was the correct term, in French. I was rather pleased with my schoolboy/schoolteacher French for giving me the answer en pointe before Navonil Neogi buzzed in with the same. More French ballet positions brought Trinity another 10 points. Luke Kim took his second starter, recognising that it was Nicholas II whose troops carried out the 1905 Bloody Sunday massacre. The US psychologist, Louis Leon Thurston – Louis Leon Who? in LAM Towers – provided just the one correct bonus, but the momentum was all with Trinity, who had established a comfortable 75 – 15 lead by just after the 10 minute mark.

For the next starter, Hattie Innes was the first to recognise a series of works with titles beginning with the words The Way – Of All Flesh, Of the World, We Live Now, if I’m correct. Towns and cities on the Danube brought two correct answers, and pushed Trinity’s collective nose hard against the 100 barrier. A barrier they soon burst through with Luke Kim’s third starter, as he recognised a description of William III, or William of Orange (or The New Black) as he was known to his mates). Bonuses based on the idea of ‘slouching towards Bethlehem’ from Yeats’ The Second Coming brought another ten points. At this stage of the game, St. Hilda’s desperately needed to sling some buzzer, to upset Trinity’s rhythm if for nothing else. And fair play to Luca Chilvers, that’s what he did. Sadly he chose to come in early on a Shakespeare question you really needed to wait a little with, but so what? I’m firmly of the opinion that you might just as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb on UC, and the best way to turn around a contest in your favour is to buzz, and buzz and buzz. Given a wee bit of thinking space this let skipper Ludwig Brekke in with Jacques (or Hattie, as his mates called him. Ask your grandparents.) Tarsila do Amaral (yes, Tarsila Quien? In LAM Towers) brought just the one bonus. This took us to the music starter, and Ludwig Brekke was in remarkably quickly to identify the work of David Bowie. Other musicians who also made use of alternate personas brought a full house. I didn’t really understand the next starter, but the answer “Myers-Briggs” was quickly supplied by Ludwig Brekke. Tombs of military leaders brought another full house. Neither team knew the term chantry or the next starter, although I don’t blame Christopher Bennett for buzzing in and having a pop. Sadly, what had appeared to be the end of the question was just a pause, and he lost 5. It never rains but it pours, so when the next question began - the birthplace of the Emperors Trajan and Hadrian – I would have done exactly what Catriona Dionisio did and buzzed in with the answer -Spain. Not what the question was looking for, though. It wanted the modern day city close to where they were born. The 5 point penalty emptied the St. Hilda’s account. Navonil Neogi supplied the correct answer of Seville. Questions on opera brought a further 10 points, and meant that Trinity led by 200 – 0.

It was at this point that JP decided to issue the dreaded ‘Plenty of time to get going’ encouragement to St. Hilda’s. I wish he wouldn’t do this. I know he’s trying to be encouraging, but the way I see it is that you know you’re doing badly when he feels he has to say this. Especially when you’re 200 points behind and there’s already 20 minutes on the clock. Plenty of time indeed! The next starter allowed Luke Kim to name check our old friend, the Higgs Boson. The novels of James Baldwin – played in Corrie by the late Johnny Briggs, surely – brought us both just the one bonus, but this was purely academic since the contest was already won. None of us recognised the work of Edvard Munch for the second picture starter. And still the agony continued for St. Hilda’s as Luke Kim won the buzzer race to identify Saladin for the next starter. All he got for his pains, though, was a difficult set of picture bonuses which brought none of us any joy. I was pleased with myself for getting the logic starter which followed right after, but I was even more pleased for Luca Chilvers. Nobody wants to ever see a team get zero. Sadly St. Hilda’s were no better with the biology bonuses that followed than I was. At least they had found their buzzer range, since Catriona Dionisio buzzed in to supply the correct answer – Sojourner Truth – for the next starter. Kings of England who were anklebiters when they ascended the throne saw them take two more correct answer. And skipper Catriona Dionisio took the next startera s well, although she benefitted from some leniency from JP who accepted just Offa for the Offa’s Dyke Path. Point of order, Sir Jeremy – would you have accepted that answer if St. Hilda’s were only 5 points behind? Whatever the case they earned a set on collaborations between Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. They managed one of a very gettable set. That was enough of that – Luke Kim buzzed in to correctly answer a hypothetical question about light passing through a refractive substance. The contest was gonged before JP finished the first of a set of bonuses on world languages. This gave Trinity a very comprehensive win by 235 to 45.

St. Hilda’s are better than they showed here, but just couldn’t get their buzzer fingers going until the contest was as good as over. It happens. As for Trinity, this was a highly encouraging performance, and they’ll feel confident going into the quarter final stages. Well played.

Interesting fact that I didn’t Already Know Of The Week

Tsar Nicholas II was nominated for the 1901 Nobel Peace Prize