Tuesday, 17 July 2012

University Challenge 2012/13 - Match 1

Guess what is back!!!!


University Challenge 2012/13 - Round 1 Match 1

York vs Trinity Laban

University Challenge crept back onto BBC Two last night for the start of the 2012/2013 run. Its good to have it back even though I was not expecting to see it so early in the year.

As usual we will be following the show on TQA and here is hoping this years University Challenge is as entertaining as last years series.

The first match of the first round this year pitted York against newcomers Trinity Laban with the line ups as follows -

York - Alex Leonhardt, Robin Virgo, Rebecca Woods, Edward Haynes

Trinity Laban  - Kate Barton, Dicken Cooper, Sam Draper, Amber Jackson-Bond

Here we go…

York got the first score on the board and a strong buzz by Virgo resulted in them taking a further lead early on.  Trinity Laban were not long in gettig points of thier own on the board and it was lining up to be a very close encounter to kick off the series!

A tough picture round on types of photographic film was picked up quickly by Draper who couldn't quite capitalise on the buzz pushing Trinity Laban into the lead. A string of wrong answers followed though but York got back into the lead with a buzz through Woods. Everyone looked to Leonhardt for answers but only one bonus was picked up. This looked liked it could run to the wire.

It was a case of failing to take on bonuses points after buzzing as York managed a few solid buzzes but failed to build up a singificant lead by topping up with bonuses...always risky on University Challenge!

York had  built up a 35 point lead though heading into a cracking music round focusing on bands with common band members. Trinty Laban managed to get the music bonuses following a further buzzer question. A very enjoyable round and Trinity Laban showed a key mistake in quizzing...assuming the answer is right without hearing all clues/parts of the question and getting that answer stuck in the head. We have all done it! They did not manage to put together a correct answer and still trailed.

Jackson-Bond buzzed impressively for her first real show of the night and the debutants were looking to form a path back into the contest. Everyone seemed to be looking at Cooper for answers but just the one was forthcoming taking the gap down to ten points. Draper managed to pick up a bonus and draw the contest level at 65-65.

The lead soon followed and Draper really tookn the captains lead and for the first time York trailed. With no one really dominating buzzer it was wide open heading into the final third.

York soon had the lead back heading into a interesting picture round with pictures of cities to identify. If the question setting tonight is anything to do by then we are in for a cracking series!

Under 5 minutes remained and a run by York took them to a 40 point lead which seemed to be a winning margain. This lead kept building and building and York had come into form where it mattered in the final moments.

The final score ended up with 180-105 in favour of York.

Based on this evidence York may be able to make a run to the latter stages. Well done to Trinity on debut in University Challenge but York went on a run towards the end that ended thier hopes. Neither team really took full advantage of thier bonuses and as I have said, a close match turned into a comfortable win points-wise for York.

Its good to have University Challenge back and as mentioned, if the question setting is of the standard seen tonight we are in for a treat!







1 comment:

  1. Hi Dan

    First round form is notoriously unreliable - witness the fact that Emmanuel were beaten in the first round in the 2009/10 series - but I would suggest that to have a chance of getting to the quarter final stage York will have to play like they played the last 10 minutes, and not like they played the first 20.

    I'm honestly not trying to be horrible here, but York did drop enough gettable questions m
    to make me think that they won't be among the favourites for the series. I just got the impression that there are knowledge gaps in their team - the show certainly wasn't the easiest I've ever seen in UC, but the bonus conversion rates tell their own story. Still, I will be happy to be proved wrong . . .

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