‘Any 11-year-old could tell you that!’ The University Challenge final, reviewed by last year’s winner

This bid of University Challenge has been different corker, and the last a gripping showdown betwixt 2 brilliantly clever teams warring bony and nail for each point. After 36 matches and 26 teams knocked out, Warwick and Christ’s College, Cambridge, are near standing. But these 2 person met before, coming look to look successful their 2nd quarter-finals. Then, Christ’s College emerged victorious (205 – 155).

Could Christ’s triumph again? Or would Warwick assertion their 3rd University Challenge victory? All we knew for definite was that the trophy would beryllium presented to a skipper called Oscar.

First, a connection for the fashion. Amol Rajan’s dapper tuxedo: precise nice. The students each looked precise astute (in some senses), but for me, Christ’s Brendan Bethlehem wins champion dressed for his knitted number.

To the lucifer then, and Warwick took an aboriginal and convincing lead, winning 5 of the archetypal six starter questions, with buzzes from Benjamin Watson, Thomas Hart and skipper Oscar Siddle. Warwick had afloat conversion of bonuses connected poetry, British-Ghanian creator John Akomfrah and Laplace’s equation, taking the people to 105-25.

Happily, for Christ’s, a biochemistry starter was won by their biochemist captain, Oscar Despard, marking the commencement of their comeback. Two buzzes from Bethlehem connected Mozart and singing styles and a maths buzz from their mathematician, Linus Luu and Christ’s had soon made triple digits, too, making the people 140 Warwick – 105 Christ’s.

Bethlehem got a cracking buzz connected a Chinese poem, but the squad were incapable to get immoderate bonuses from it. Warwick’s last interaction of the proverbial shot was a buzz from Watson and an awesome conversion of points connected the Yoruba religion recovered mostly successful westbound Africa.

Warwick ne'er mislaid their leisurely gait and relaxed reasoning done answers, adjacent portion clip was whittling down and the scores were getting closer. Christ’s was good skippered by Despard, who kept the squad moving rapidly done the past questions of the bid to bully effect, closing the spread successful the last seconds of the game.

The last buzz came 30 seconds earlier the gong from Christ’s Anniko Firman, (the sanction of Clytemnestra’s hubby and the member of Menelaus – Agamemnon) and levelled the scores: 170-170. The winning reply came from Bethlehem seconds aboriginal (the sanction of George II eldest lad – Frederick). Final score: 175-170. Victory for Christ’s College, Cambridge. They’ll astir apt fto Rajan disconnected for not accepting Alexandrine alternatively of Alexandrina, each things considered.

On to the ADC theatre successful Cambridge, then, for the trophy presumption by the large Ian McKellen. The ADC theatre was a fitting venue to big him, fixed that helium made his signifier debut determination successful 1958. Good to perceive that helium liked the Shakespeare question: maine too.

Some of the questions felt precise sporting for the final, though immoderate year-seven pupil should beryllium capable to archer you the astir communal isotope of carbon. The Edward Hopper was the astir textbook of Hoppers. And I anticipation I don’t upset Sir Ian successful saying this, but Hecate was besides a spot of an casual 1 for the final! It was baffling, too, that nary of this brainy clump knew diesel was some an motor benignant and a fuel.

Thrilling to the end, it was an implicit nailbiter of a finale. Both teams were firing connected each cylinders with each subordinate contributing. We each consciousness for the Warwick squad losing by that astir constrictive of margins astatine virtually the past minute. Oscar Siddle, Ananya Govindarajan, Thomas Hart and Benjamin Watson played a large lucifer and should beryllium tremendously arrogant of their success. Who knows however the bid would person ended had we had conscionable 1 much question.

But the last connection indispensable spell to Christ’s College, Cambridge: Oscar Despard, Anniko Firman, Brendan Bethlehem and Linus Luu. Huge congratulations connected your historical triumph – the archetypal University Challenge triumph for Christ’s College successful the programme’s 63-year history. I’ll adjacent forgive you for knocking retired Imperial successful the quarter-finals.