University Challenge First Round - Birmingham v. Leicester

The Teams

Brimingham University

Elif Cetin

Teddy Fogel

Waleed Ghani (Capt)

Zhangir Satzanov

Leicester University

Abu Burton

Emma Hague-Wright

Samuel Carlier (Capt)

Patrick Loughrey

We kicked off with historical events in Portugal, which fell to Zhangir Satzanov with a fine early buzz. Birmingham took two bonuses on environmental disasters. Emma Hague-Wright worked out that cephalophores are saints traditionally depicted carrying their own heads. Knowing about time dilation brought me a lap of honour around the Clark sofa and Leicester a full house. Who knew that there was a region in Argentina called Mesopotamia? I didn’t at the start of the question but I’d worked it out by the end. So had Emma Hague-Wright. Disrupted weddings in Victorian Literature saw them fail to score on a gettable set. The picture starter showed us a map showing a disputed region of India. -Can’t be as easy as Kashmir – said I and I was right to say so. What was required was Jammu and Kashmir as supplied by captain Waleed Ghani of Birmingham. Three capitals of Indian states that lose some of their government functions during the winter brought their own full house. A Science starter sent me into Slumberland. When I woke up slightly later nobody had answered it correctly. For the next starter on “Why I Never Became a Dancer” by Tracey Emin, Teddy Fogel took his first correct buzz. Teddy, of course, was a semi finalist in last year’s Mastermind. He played like it in the second half of this contest too. Two bonuses on 1645 followed and provided Birmingham with a lead of 60-35 on 10 minutes.

Birmingham came in too early for the next starter allowing Leicester to listen until it became clear was looking for the term intermezzo, supplied by Patrick Loughrey, which delighted him no end. Greek mythological characters brought two correct answers. The Jikji Memory of the World Prize was another of those questions you had to wait and wait and then pounce. Best pouncer in this race was Samuel Carlier, who correctly answered that the country required was South Korea. Organs of the human body stubbornly refused to yield any points. None of the youngsters in both teams had a sufficient knowledge of rather obscure 80s chart acts to get Heaven 17 for the next starter. Another body parts question saw Elif Cetin actually know the right answer, but give it in the wrong way, giving the whole word rather than the initial asked for, and so Emma Hague-Wright knocked that ball into the open goal. This earned the musical bonuses on other groups or artists’ songs referencing A Clockwork Orange. A full house meant Leicester were steaming ahead. Brimingham came back when Teddy Fogel recognised various Fairy Queens for the next starter. Two bonuses on Oscar winning choreographers narrowed the gap further. Nobody quite managed to get the phrase balance of trade for the next starter. Samuel Carlier knew ground state (perfumery, stationery and leather goods, wigs and haberdashery, kitchenware and food going up.. . yeah, ask your grandparents) Islands that have declared energy self sufficiency brought two bonuses and so at the 20 minute mark Leicester had a decent lead of 110 – 70.

Saoirse Ronan brought Patrick Loughrey the next starter and this time he only did a single fist pump as opposed to the doubler he did earlier. Words of Malay origin used in English only yielded one bonus with orangutan – they’ll be kicking themselves about missing tea caddy. For the second picture starter we saw what was obviously an Impressionist painting, but nobody managed to zag with Monet, so it went begging. The next starter allowed Teddy Fogel to answer Shane Warne and Amol to remind us that Shane Warne is his hero. I thought that was Bertrand Russell – who , to be fair, never took quite as many test wickets as Shane Warne. This earned the picture bonuses on pine tree paintings, and they recognised the one by Cezanne. Says who? Various clues gave Teddy Fogel the word Liberty for the next starter. Moons of the Solar System brought us both a full house. Waleed Ghani knew the derivation of the word doula. A bonus on capitals of the state of Tennessee brought the scores level but all of the momentum was with Birmingham. Teddy Fogel knew that of the African countries with the furthest east , north, west and south points on the continental mainland only Tunisia did not begin with the same letter as the others. Solipsism, which provided me with a rare philosophy bonus, and brought Birmingham 2 bonuses. Teddy Fogel knew some Polish Nobel laureates and suddenly the bookies would have let you name your own price if you wanted to bet on Leicester. Foods associated with Milan brought a full house, and there was no need to ask for which of these teams the bell tolled. Elif Cetin hammered another nail in the coffin lid by giving the answer ligand for the next starter. 2 bonuses on biology applied a little more gloss to Birmingham’s score, and they won by 190 – 125.

In the end Birmingham outlasted Leicester and ended with a BCR of 70%, while Leicester achieved 52.3% which tells its own story.

Amol Watch

A good safe job done again. Well done, sir.

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

Saints depicted on Art carrying their own heads are called cephalophores.

Baby Elephant Walk Moment

Answer as soon as your name is called. Giving the names of the two scientists – one French, one Scottish – who, in the 19^th century posited hypothetical entities to argue respectively for a deterministic view of the universe and against the second law of thermodynamics – (incorrect interruption) – both of which are commonly described as demons? – After a break of a fortnight it’s welcome back ridiculously long and complex questions. I haven’t missed you. That would be dum de dumdum dum dum dum dum dumdum.