The Teams
Exeter
Ryker Moorcroft
Lucy Carr
Martin Newman (Capt.)
Elliott Mouelhi
Bristol
Ted Warner
Bridie Rogers
Kevin Flanagan (Capt.)
Olivia Watts.
Another Monday, another second round match. First round
form suggested that high scoring Bristol (325 in round one) might be too hot
for Exeter to handle in this West country derby.
I went early for Fauvism for the first starter. Bristol
skipper Kevin Flaagan was first to chance his arm with the same answer. This
earned a set of bonuses on medical terms beginning with peri-. Both Bristol and
I took a full house. Unlike me Bristol stayed on their chairs and did not set
off on a lap of honour. With the next starter it soon became obvious we were
looking for a harlequin duck. Kevin Flanagan took his double with this one. Depictions
of insects brought two bonuses, but the Soul of a Flea eluded Bristol. I did
think the description smacked of Blake who was, if truth be told, a bit of a
fruitcake. A flag was described for the next question and sadly Lucy Carr got
her Slovs mixed up and lost five with Slovenia. This allowed Ted Warner in with
Slovakia. Another full house on plant structures followed. The picture starter
showed an outline of China with a couple of administrative areas highlighted.
Exeter had a go but it was Ted Warner who supplied the correct answer of Bei,
as in -jing. More of the same brought another full house. The next starter
asked for a shipping area and Exeter buzzed first, but sadly incorrectly. This
allowed Bristol’s Captain Fantastic in again with Viking. Video games featuring
well known TV and film actors only brought one bonus but it really didn’t matter.
Exeter had been shut out completely so far and Bristol led by 110 to minus 10
at the 10 minute mark.
Diels Alder? Means nowt to me but Olivia Watts was in very quickly
with it for the next starter. Dishes named after the vessel in which they are
cooked brought two more bonuses for Bristol, and an unexpected full house for
me. Ted Warner continued the Bristol onslaught with Spinoza’s ever popular “Ethics.”
(His sequels, Suthics and Middlethics were less popular). Place names beginning
with Dur – piled on the agony for Exeter as Bristol took another full house.
Ted Warner wasn’t showing ay mercy to Exeter as he took the next starter,
recognising a description of the language Burmese. Leaders who were known as
The Apostle of . . . brought two bouse and put Bristol one full set away from
their double century. Nobody recognised the dulcet tones of Jonelle Monae for
the music starter. Incidentally this was the first starter of the competition
that Bristol failed to answer correctly. Had I not already taken my lap of
honour I would have done so for recognising the description of a quasar. Kevin
Flanagan knew it too. More songs inspired by movies brought the full house Bristol
needed for their double century. Kevin Flanagan took the next starter with
Problem Plays. A couple of literature bonuses followed. Finally, 17 minutes into
the competition, Exeter managed to get a word in edgeways as captain Martin
Newman supplied the term mezzo-soprano. They took one bonus on – ites. No, I
can’t tell you what the hell a transcendental number is, but my guess that pi
was the one the next question wanted was right on the money. Ryker Moorcroft took
it and earned bonuses on Spanish Pianist Alicia ‘Qui?’ de Larrocha brought them
another bonus. So, right on the 20 minute mark, they trailed Bristol 20 – 220.
Ted Warner got Bristol moving again by knowing Valladolid
for the next starter. Thebes in Greek Mythology brought just the one bonus. For
the second picture starter nobody recognised Aitama Bonmati. Neither did they
recognise clues to the word white. Kevin Flanagan knew that Paul Lynch won the
2023 Booker. Other notable players from the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup brought
two bonuses. Ted Warner knew the term cordillera. This brought Bristol another
two bonuses on astronomy. Nobody knew that Queen Anne ruled for another 7 years
after the Act of Union. The long migration of the artic tern (which is considerably
longer than that of the funny tern) was too easy for Ted Warner. WHR Rivers (surely
WHO Rivers?) brought just one bonus, but what of it? We were way past the stage
in which the outcome of the match had been in any doubt. Lucy Carr knew the
name Balthazar for the next starter, and Exeter took one bonus on 17th
century British politics. That was it. Bristol won by 290 – 35.
For the record Exeter managed a BCR of 33.3, but that was off
such a small number of bonuses I shouldn’t read too much into it. Bristol on
the other hand managed a BCR of 71.4 and it’s difficult not to read a lot into
that.
Amol Watch
“Good job you’ve got medics on your team.” Observed Amol
after the peri bonuses.”Good job you’ve got a biologist on your team.” He quipped
five minutes later after the plant bonuses. Alright, already, Amol. We’ve got
it. Vary your material, mate. On the one hand Amol was correct when he said “Plenty
of time to get starter,” to Exeter on 6:35, but on the other hand, how
discouraging must it have been to have been, essentially, told that you’re not
doing very well so early in the match?
Interesting Fact That I Didn’t Already Know Of
The Week
A musca depicta is a trompe l’oeil depiction of a fly on a
painting
Baby Elephant Walk Moment
I have to be fair. I didn’t know anything about many of the
questions, but none of them were soporific enough to be nominated for this
show.
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