The Teams
Durham
Joe Ancell
Emilia Brookfield-Pertusini
Jake Roberts (capt.)
Luke Nash
Open University
Nicky Maving
Tom Barber
Karie Westermann (capt.)
Hector Payne
The first starter asked for the name of an Africa capital
city. Both teams sat back a little but Luke Nash was in with the correct name
of Harare before the end of the question. They took two bonuses on glass. Joe
Ancell knew that the word Matrix is derived from the latin for womb or source.
Bonuses on pirates – arrrhhhh, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum, me hearties etc.
etc. brought just the one correct answer. Nicky Maving managed to drag the Open
into the competition, knowing the term picaresque for the next starter.
Questions on electronics meant nowt to any of us but at least took us up to the
first picture starter. My old mate KD Johnson will have shouted ‘peregrine
falcon!’ the moment he saw the bird silhouette we were shown. He often
complains that the bird questions on the show are easy and that people don’t
get them when they should. I didn’t.
Luke Nash had it. Three more silhouettes brought two correct answers – we both
recognised the buzzard and the red kite, but not the sparrowhawk. A fine early
buzz from Karie Westerman recognised the words of artist’ Jenny Saville. Three
questions on Love’s Labours Lost brought no points. I always thought a costard
was an apple, there you go. Luke Nash recognised the Palmetto as being a symbol
of South Carolina. Durham took what I thought were the two harder bonuses on
classical music, but surprisingly missed Delius’ On Hearing the First Cuckoo of
Spring. Nonetheless, at just past the ten minute mark Durham were leading by 75
– 20.
Neither team knew the answer to the next question. That was
central – gawd knows what the question was about, but it wasn’t – what is the
red line on the tube map, more’s the pity. AAARRRGGGGHHHH! The next starter
mentioned Milos Forman who lost me thousands of pounds on Millionaire.
(Alright, strictly speaking it was me who lost the money, but the question was
about him.) I know he’s Czech now. So did Hector Payne. Large lakes in smaller
countries provided one correct answer but at least Open were closing the gap.
Karie Westerman knew about samphire for the next starter. Morphogenesis, who I
believe may have been a renegade Time Lord during the JNT era of Doctor Who, bought
just the one bonus. The music starter followed and Hector Payne very quickly
recognised the work of Richard Wagner. Other pieces of music using the Dresden
Amen – no, me neither – brought the Open a timely full house and tied the
scores. Nicky Maving recognised a reference to Riot grrrl to take the next
starter. Player managers in football brought another full house. This was
turning into a very good spell for the Open. This continued as Nicky Maving
took a second consecutive starter with Leap Second. Like a Leap Year, it is a tradition
for ladies to ask gentlemen to marry them on a leap second, but they have to do
it quickly. Cocteau provided Eaupen with two beaunuses. Godel, Escher, Bach
escaped all of us for the next starter. Nicky Maving struck again with Keystone
species for the next. Rulers brought a full house. At just past the ten minute
mark Open had inflicted a ten minute shut out on Durham and led by 75 to 145.
For the picture starter nobody recognised the work of Paula
Rego. Joe Ansell knew about a diplomatic mission to the Qing Empire. More
pictures depicting dancers by the sea brought two correct answers in quick
time. This seemed to energise Durham and skipper Jake Roberts took the next
starter with electronegativity. Avant garde cinema brought one bonus, but the Durham
charge was on. Luke Nash buzzed early for the Ardennes and he buzzed correctly
to earn bonuses on Adam Bede, but sadly they just failed to take points on
them. They were only a full set behind Open though. Karie Westermann recognised
several meanings of the phrase Hail Mary, and the gap stretched again. Towns on
the English coast with names ending in – mouth brought just the one bonus, but
importantly it ran the clock down. Nobody knew Lagrange for the next starter. Jake
Roberts went all in for the next starter, but came too early, leaving Nicky Maving
to give the correct answer of quick. Particle physics just washed over me for
the bonuses and brought nowt to the Open. But again, it brought the gong ever
closer. There was just time for Karie Westermann to give us the Crime Writers
Association and then that same gong announced the end. Open had won by 180 to
115.
Both teams had similar BCRs – Durham had 48 while Open
finished with 47, but when you look at the contest as a whole Open were better
on the buzzer which is why they won, even if the gap between the teams did
flatter them a little at the end. Just my opinion, feel free to disagree.
Amol Watch
I think Amol was as surprised as I was when Durham missed
the cuckoo and suggested woodpecker. “Said with such confidence. But no.” I
wonder if it was with a sense of irony that Amol stated ‘Six minutes to go
Durham, plenty of time.’ Either one or the other, Amol, but not both.
Interesting Fact That I Didn’t Already Know Of
The Week
The word Matrix is derived from the latin for womb or
source. How have I never heard that before? Just ignorant, I suppose.
Baby Elephant Walk Moment
The German biologist Christine Nusslein-Volhard discovered the
first morphogenic protein, named bicoid, as part of her work on which popular
model organism? Thomas Hunt Morgan had earlier used it to demonstrate
sex-linked inheritance. Huh? Dum de dumdum dum dum dum dum dumdum.
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