University Challenge 2012/2012 - Match 7
Monday is turning into a good night for pigging out in fronmt of the TV with quiz shows and as usual this week started off again with the latest heat in this years University Challenge....
Lincoln College, Oxford
Victor Jones
Michael Hopkins
Jackie Thompson
Hugh Reid
Michael Hopkins
Jackie Thompson
Hugh Reid
University of Manchester
David Brice
Adam Barr
Richard Gilbert
Debbie Brown
Well, what a contest we had tonight. It was pitched right from the start as the battle between the small Lincoln College and an institution 60 times larger, the University larger. And lets not forget the latter are the current reigning University Challenge champions...
It was Lincoln that stormed into a hefty lead early on though and for some reason I found myself rooting for them. in the opening 15 minutes they showed great all round knowledge, everyone was contributing and they looked to be steam rolling over the champions. Michael Hopkins in particular was racking up buzzes and combined with efforts from Victor Jones, as well as Manchester's overeagerness, and there was a huge gap of 90 - minus 10 opened. 100 point lead? Surely it was plain sailing.
But University Challenge is all about momentum at times. Adam Barr finally got Manchester going but every time they seemed to get a foot in the game Lincoln got control. There was a fantastic music round on classical music sampled in Dance tracks and even at thus point it seemed as it Lincoln were winners in waiting.
Manchester kicked in though and soon the gap dropped and dropped....125-55, 135-80....Gilbert was leading Manchester to strong conversions. Hopkins actually gifted two answers to UCM with his slightly wrong answers and the tide was turning. 155-100 with 5 minutes to go...surely Manchester did not have this in them?
But they did this produced a frantic finish....Lincoln went to 175, surely enough, but it wasn't to be. Manchester pulled it back 175-175 with seconds left, failed on the first bonus and just a milli second before the gong they picked up the score and won 180-175.
Well done to Manchester who scraped through by the skin of their teeth, however I expect due to what seems like a better all round knowledge Lincoln may just end up going further.
Either way one of my favourite UC episodes in recent memory!
David Brice
Adam Barr
Richard Gilbert
Debbie Brown
Well, what a contest we had tonight. It was pitched right from the start as the battle between the small Lincoln College and an institution 60 times larger, the University larger. And lets not forget the latter are the current reigning University Challenge champions...
It was Lincoln that stormed into a hefty lead early on though and for some reason I found myself rooting for them. in the opening 15 minutes they showed great all round knowledge, everyone was contributing and they looked to be steam rolling over the champions. Michael Hopkins in particular was racking up buzzes and combined with efforts from Victor Jones, as well as Manchester's overeagerness, and there was a huge gap of 90 - minus 10 opened. 100 point lead? Surely it was plain sailing.
But University Challenge is all about momentum at times. Adam Barr finally got Manchester going but every time they seemed to get a foot in the game Lincoln got control. There was a fantastic music round on classical music sampled in Dance tracks and even at thus point it seemed as it Lincoln were winners in waiting.
Manchester kicked in though and soon the gap dropped and dropped....125-55, 135-80....Gilbert was leading Manchester to strong conversions. Hopkins actually gifted two answers to UCM with his slightly wrong answers and the tide was turning. 155-100 with 5 minutes to go...surely Manchester did not have this in them?
But they did this produced a frantic finish....Lincoln went to 175, surely enough, but it wasn't to be. Manchester pulled it back 175-175 with seconds left, failed on the first bonus and just a milli second before the gong they picked up the score and won 180-175.
Well done to Manchester who scraped through by the skin of their teeth, however I expect due to what seems like a better all round knowledge Lincoln may just end up going further.
Either way one of my favourite UC episodes in recent memory!
Yes, I found myself rooting for Lincoln as well, for some reason. I think it was something to do with captain Thompson. There was something rather charismatic about her. She was attractive, but not overly attractive, she kept very calm throughout, and she looked a good leader, listening to the whole team.
ReplyDeleteAlso, compared to the normal level of quizzing, the second set of picture bonuses seemed unusually easy (the seven deadly sins question).
George - I think you weren't the only one who found captain Thompson appealing. At times it seemed to me that Jeremy Paxman was almost drooling !
ReplyDelete