University Challenge 2024 Semi Final 2 - UCL v. Manchester

The Teams

UCL

James Hall

Ali Izzatdust

Tayana Sawh (Capt.)

Jacob Finlay

Manchester

Bluma de Los Reyes-White

Ilya Kullman

Hiru Sanaheedhera (capt.)

Dan Grady

For me, little can beat the pleasure I get from watching a Mastermind Grand Final. Let me be honest though, a good UC semi-final comes close. Last week we saw Imperial University take out Trinity, Cambridge. Coincidentally before last night Imperial were the only team to have defeated Manchester in this series. UCL had an average of 195 going into this match – not as high as Imperial’s, but higher than Manchester’s 165. This was an interesting match, a team with 2 great buzzer slingers ably backed up by the other two team members – UCL – against a team where all 4 team members make good contributions on the starters - Manchester. The head said UCL, but it also reminded me that you’re never going to get rich betting against Manchester in UC.

Ali Izzatdust – one of UCL’s star buzzslingers, took a very early buzz on the first starter, recognising the work of WH Auden. The plays of Arthur Miller only yielded one bonus. A Maths starter followed, duly taken by Hiru Senehedheera on Goldbach. Wasn’t he the Trotskyesque bogeyman in 1984? No. Two bonuses on German architecture were taken to give them an early lead. A lead which was take back by Ali Izzatdust who recognised clues pointing to the artist Bridget Riley. Bonuses on Blaise Pascal brought two more correct answers. Ali Izzatdust took his third starter recognising that the Ragamuffin War occurred in the south of Brazil. A set on dentistry unsurprisingly yielded none of us anything. For the picture starter a 1947 map of India showing the so-called Princely States brought an incorrect answer from UCL – I too thought the state highlighted included Kashmir, which allowed Hiru Senehedheera in with Jammu and Kashmir. Three more of the larger princely states yielded nothing. James Hall took his first starter of the evening with the Wisconsin born mathematician Knuth. A full house on Italian film directors finally got things moving after a rather stuttering start. Dan Grady knew “The Wretched of the Earth” – I didn’t- . Three questions on the word red in other languages brought one correct answer. So just after the 10-minute mark, UCL led by 70-45. All to play for.

The next starter was about my 4x great uncle’s Russian pal, Pushkin. (Seriously, my four x great grandfather Henry Dawe’s brother, George Dawe was a highly successful portrait painter who was engaged by Tsar Alexander 1 to paint portraits of his victorious generals. There’s over 300 of them in the Hermitage. Pushkin even wrote a poem to him. Not the one in the question, mind you.) Dan Grady took a chance with Eugene Onegin without hearing the full question. Given the rest Ali Izzatdust and I both knew the Bronze Horseman. Hip hop production promised nowt but delivered me one for Pharrell Williams, while UCL took a full house. Hox genes. Prefer Levis or Wranglers myself. That gave Bluma De Los Reyes-White his first starter. African footballers brought two correct answers and rather amazingly gave me a full house. I had a note from my Mum excusing me from a lap of honour on this one. Dan Grady knew that the sequel novels – Phineas – and Rabbit are linked by the word Redux. Bonuses on St. Oswald did not fall Manchester’s way. On to the music round, and jazz. Niiiccceeee. Ali Izzatdust zigged with Sarah Vaughan, Hiru Sanehedheera zagged with Ella Fitzgerald and took the points. One music bonus was enough to narrow the gap between the teams to ten points. James Hall pushed it out to a full set again, recognising a description of astatine. Maths bouses saw me earn a lap of honour. The first asked for a Swiss mathematician, and so I took a punt with Bernoulli. A full house for UCL pushed the gap out again. Ali Izzatdust knew that Guwahati is in Assam. The Behistun Inscription in Iran (Darius woz ‘ere?) provide another full house, and the gap had stretched from 10 points to 60 in short order. Ali Izzatdust recognised Archduke Maximilian of the Hapsburg Austro Hungarian Empire, as did I, and we both answered Mexico. Not what was required, and that’s what can happen when you go early. Given the full questio it allowed Ilya Kullmann to give the answer wanted, namely that he was Emperor of said country. Places named in Beatles songs saw Dan Grady waxing lyrical, literally, His full house and the UCL penalty cut the lead in half. UCL came in too early for the next starter and lost a further five. Bluma de Los Reyes-White knew the answer to the starter was iron. French economists did not suit Manchester leading the captain to despairingly ask his team to make a French noise. Nonetheless the gap at the 20 minute mark had narrowed to fifteen as Manchester led by 135 to 120. Squeaky bum time.

UCL had first bite at the picture starter that followed, but it fell to Hiru Saneheedhera to identify the two anklebiters it showed as Romulus and Remus. Twins or figures that resemble each other failed to add to their score. Shame that they didn’t recognise the work of Sir John Tenniel – last year I tried to copy all 90+ illustrations Tenniel made for Lewis Carroll’s Alice books – check out my art blog if you’d like to see my copies. My Art Blog - John Tenniel

Only five points in it now. Ali Izzatdust did the business for UCL, as he had so many times in this series, identifying the first rulers of Flanders. Dungeons and Dragons saw them take a timely full house. With the gap at 30 a full house would not be enough to completely wipe out the gap for Manchester. Again, though, Manchester came back, Bluma De Los Reyes – White recognising nitric acid. Foods sharing the last letters of their names with the last letters of the names of African capital cities provided a fun UC special set which Manchester swallowed with relish. Five point game again. Nobody knew the word paean for the next starter but UCL took a five point penalty. With no more than a couple of minutes left, both teams were square. But again, the irrepressible Ali Izzatdust refused to be bested and came in early with his 7^th starter on Billy Budd. Only one bonus on species and families of bats kept the gap down to fifteen – Manchester could still take the lead with one visit to the table. James Hall denied them the chance, recognising references to Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd. They needed one bonus on early fantasy to leave Manchester needing snookers. Which is exactly what they got. Was there enough time left? Ilya Kullman took the next starter on Swahili. Bonuses on words containing hertero – failed to add to their score. Was there time for the one full house that Manchester needed? It didn’t matter since Jacob Finlay took the next starter, knowing Inchon in South Korea. A full house on figures from Greek mythology mentioned in Handel operas put the seal on victory. The gong ended the match, and UCL had won by 210 to 165.

A great match, played in a fabulous spirit by both teams. UCL had a terrific BCR of 70, while Manchester’s off the same number of bonuses was 33 – and you need look no further than that for the difference between the teams. Very hard lines. The bonus gods were not with you, Manchester, yet you took it right to the last 2 minutes. Very well played UCL and yes, it makes an alumnus of another London University College (Goldsmiths in my case) feel very happy. An all-London final awaits.

Amol Watch

Did Amol have it written down that Descartes died in 1650 so he couldn’t be the right answer to a starter? If not it’s a very impressive display of knowledge. I liked his encouragement to Manchester on the St. Oswald set to ‘give yourself a chance’ – good advice, considering that you lose nothing for incorrect answers on bonuses. Later on he told them on the music bonuses – it looks like you’re having a good time but you are behind. – Kick a man while he’s down, why don’t you?

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

In Brazil there was an uprising known as the Ragamuffin War

Baby Elephant Walk Moment

This one was shaping up as a corker before Bluma De Los Reyes-White buzzed in to put me out of my misery –

What three letter abbreviation is given to a group of transcription factor genes found in most animal species and crucial in specifying regions along the -