News and Views: 2019–20 Season – 18 February 2020

By Haydn Thompson and Mark Watson.

Cup Semi–Finals: Results

The Dolphin–Queens score equals the highest aggregate for any Cup match currently recorded on the website. The previous occasion when this score was recorded was in Round 2 in the 1992–3 season, when the Millstone beat the Prince Albert by 116 points to 115.

(Please note however that the website's archive of Cup results is not complete.)

The Prince Albert were captained by Graham Bailey, who is of course a long–standing member of the League's Committee (currently Publicity and Prizes Secretary) and now captain of the Weaver. He's also one of our longest–standing competitors – if not the longest–standing of all.

In case anyone was wondering, the highest recorded score by any one team in a Cup match is 133. This was achieved by the Dolphin, relatively recently: in Round 1 of the 2016–17 competition, against the Pack Horse Bowling Club.

Cup Final

The provisional date for the Cup Final is 31 March. If this proves unworkable, we will aim to hold it on 7 April. This will be Easter Week; Good Friday is 10 April. (The League season finishes on 17 March.)

The questions for the Cup Final will be compiled by the Weaver and the Dolphin, from those set by all non–participating teams.

Plate Semi–Finals: Results

It's rare for both teams to score 100 or more in a Plate match. The only previous instance currently recorded on the website was in the 1995–6 season, when it actually happened in three of the four quarter finals. The highest–scoring match on that occasion was the Church House B's victory over the Star Inn by 110 points to 103. The aggregate score in the Nags Head's victory this week falls short of this one by a single point.

The highest team score ever in a Plate match (recorded on the website) was in the fourth of those 1995–6 quarter finals, when the Ox–fford 'B' beat the Weavers by 116 points to 94.

You can see the Plate results for that season (sadly lacking the Final result) here.

This was only the Ox–fford 'B''s second season in the League; they became the Ox–fford three years later, and that was the name we knew them by until the beginning of the current season. The Weavers moved to the British Flag in 1998, and they've been there ever since. The current Weaver (see above) is a different team.

Several members of the Church House 'B' began playing for the St. Dunstan in 1998. After a couple of venue changes, this team has been known since 2009 as ... the Nags Head. The Star Inn became the Ox–fford 'C' in 2002, and from the beginning of the current season they've been known as the Queens.

End of history lesson!

(When mentioning Plate records, we should point out that the website's current archive of Plate matches is far from complete. This issue will hopefully be addressed during the forthcoming summer break.)

Plate Final

The date for the Plate Final has yet to be agreed. The AGM will be held, as is customary, on the same evening.

The questions for the Plate Final will be compiled by the Park Timers and the Waters Green Rams, from those set by all non–participating teams.

Cup and Plate Final Questions

Attached to the score sheets next week (Week 15, 25 February) will be a sheet of paper and an envelope for each team to write twenty questions for use in the Cup and Plate finals. You don't need to handwrite the questions on this sheet if you don't want to – electronic files in any of the standard formats are perfectly acceptable – but twenty questions are required from each team. Even if you are still in either the Cup or the Plate, you should still supply some questions as they can be used for the other competition.

Please return the sealed envelope to the usual bag in the Waters Green as soon as you have done them, or in any event by close of play on 17 March (League Week 18 – the last round of league games for the current season).

© Macclesfield Quiz League 2020