Macclesfield Quiz League |
News & Views |
2023–4 Season |
Week 17 |
A League – Full Results |
B League – Full Results |
A League – Summary |
B League – Summary |
Cars & Vans 4U Trophy |
For a PDF version of this page, please click here.
Congratulations to the Poachers, who beat a weakened Nags Head 'B' team to increase the gap between first and second in the A League to an uncloseable six points, meaning the Poachers retain the title that they won for the first time last season.
Not only did 1st play 2nd in the A League this week, but 3rd played 4th, 5th played 6th and 7th played 8th. The Queens of the Castle were previously above the Dolphin only on goal difference, but they opened up a two–point advantage with a narrow victory (which could easily have been narrower still) this week. The other two matches went against previous form – Waters Green Weavers and Harrington Academicals taking the points. The Weavers' victory lifts them out of the bottom two, meaning that the Nags Head will have to beat Queens of the Castle next week to be sure of retaining their place in the A League. But other things being equal, the Academicals will be playing in the B League next year, as they remain in last place (despite their win) and have now played all of their games.
In the B League, Waters Green Nags were already assured of the title, and the Park Taverners strengthened their hold on second place with a victory over the Chester Road Tavern. Only the Sutton Club can deprive them of it now, and will do so if they beat the Park Timers and the Taverners lose to the Bate Hallers.
Top scorers this week were Bob Gratton (pb), Ashton Davies and Ian Grieve, all with 48. Alan Hodgson and Tony Browne (pb) both scored 42, and the top scorer in the B League was Mick Graves with 39 (pb).
There were five personal bests this week: two in Seat 4, and one each in seats 3, 6 and 8. But twice as many people failed to better their lowest scores of the season.
Alan Hodgson increased his lead over Alice Walker at the top of the A League Individual table to 12 points. Mark Watson can catch Alan in theory, if everything goes his way, but the only person other than Alice with any real chance is Ashton Davies, who has still only played ten games. If my sums are correct, Ashton's twin objectives must be to score at least as many as Alice and nine more than Alan.
After Week 16 it looked most unlikely that anyone would catch Paul Prior and Ian Musgrave at the top of the B League table, and that is now a mathematical impossibility. Paul and Ian remain neck and neck – their team having not played this week – but (according to my sums) Ian needs to score more than 30, and six more than Paul, to take the title.
The Waters Green Nags were one of the two teams that drew short straws this season and were asked to set two lots of questions. In Week 8, while the Specialist questions were well received, the General Knowledge proved to be quite difficult and were not popular.
This time there were no such issues. The Specialists are third (out of 34) in the Question Setters' Trophy table, and the General Knowledge are exactly in mid–table.
A couple of minor issues have been raised on the Forum: the descriptions of Dubai as a capital city, and of Exeter as a "city on the south coast". It turns out that Dubai is the capital of the Emirate to which it shares its name, and the most populous city in the UAE; but it is not (as the question implied) the national capital. And Exeter is arguably about ten miles from the coast, although if you count the Exe estuary as the sea (which I have suggested you maybe can) it's a lot closer.
Note: in this section, the home teams are on the left and the away teams are on the right.
Queens of the Castle | 165 | 160 | Dolphin |
Alice Walker Tim Massey |
36 36 |
42 | Alan Hodgson |
Poachers | 194 | 131 | Nags Head 'B' |
Bob Gratton (pb) Ashton Davies |
48 48 |
33 | Paul Morrissey |
Dolphin Hammers | 150 | 160 | Waters Green Weavers |
Dave Cooper Pete Sayers (pb) |
36 30 |
48 | Ian Grieve |
Nags Head | 144 | 153 | Harrington Academicals |
Tony Browne (pb) | 42 | 33 33 |
Dave Partington Alan James |
Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Total | Points | |
Poachers | 13 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 2293 | 24 |
Nags Head 'B' | 13 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 2150 | 20 |
Queens of the Castle | 13 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 2204 | 16 |
Dolphin | 13 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 2061 | 14 |
Dolphin Hammers | 13 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 1975 | 14 |
Waters Green Weavers | 14 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 2107 | 7 |
Nags Head | 13 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 1860 | 6 |
Harrington Academicals | 14 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 2083 | 5 |
Team | Played | Total | Highest | Lowest | Week 17 | |
Alan Hodgson | Dolphin | 13 | 519 | 54 | 39 | 42 |
Alice Walker | Queens of the Castle | 13 | 507 | 60 | 36 | 36 |
Ian Grieve | Waters Green Weavers | 14 | 498 | 54 | 36 | 48 |
Mark Watson | Nags Head 'B' | 11 | 498 | 54 | 36 | |
Greg Spiller | Poachers | 12 | 489 | 51 | 33 | 27 |
Haydn Thompson | Queens of the Castle | 13 | 486 | 57 | 33 | 33 |
Ashton Davies | Poachers | 10 | 471 | 60 | 39 | 48 |
Peter McBride | Dolphin | 13 | 444 | 51 | 36 | 36 |
Dave Barber | Dolphin Hammers | 12 | 441 | 48 | 33 | |
Dave Partington | Harrington Academicals | 14 | 429 | 48 | 33 | 33 |
Note: in this section, the home teams are on the left and the away teams are on the right.
Chester Road Tavern | 113 | 144 | Park Taverners |
Tom Radley (pb) | 33 | 33 | Heather Wallace |
Sutton Club | 136 | 116 | Bate Hallers |
Simon Rumsey | 33 | 33 | Malcolm Asquith |
Pack Horse Bowling Club | 120 | 140 | Sutton Mutton |
Tim Bloor | 30 | 39 | Mick Graves (pb) |
Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Total | Points | |
Waters Green Nags | 13 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1983 | 24 |
Park Taverners | 13 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 1806 | 18 |
Sutton Club | 13 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 1778 | 16 |
Bate Hallers | 13 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1703 | 15 |
Chester Road Tavern | 13 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 1826 | 10 |
Sutton Mutton | 13 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 1618 | 10 |
Park Timers | 131 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 1641 | 8 |
Pack Horse Bowling Club | 13 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 1454 | 3 |
Team | Played | Total | Highest | Lowest | Week 17 | |
Paul Prior | Waters Green Nags | 13 | 441 | 57 | 27 | |
Ian Musgrave | Waters Green Nags | 12 | 441 | 48 | 30 | |
John Poyser | Park Timers | 13 | 372 | 42 | 27 | |
Graham Wallace | Park Taverners | 12 | 360 | 39 | 24 | 27 |
Wynne Keith–Davies | Sutton Mutton | 13 | 357 | 48 | 21 | 30 |
Heather Wallace | Park Taverners | 12 | 333 | 51 | 12 | 33 |
Anne Jeater | Bate Hallers | 13 | 333 | 39 | 21 | 18 |
Shauna Barstow | Park Taverners | 11 | 327 | 42 | 12 | |
Wendy Brown | Sutton Club | 11 | 321 | 42 | 15 | 21 |
Andrew Fenton | Park Timers | 13 | 303 | 39 | 21 | |
Simon Rumsey | Sutton Club | 12 | 303 | 39 | 18 | 33 |
Note: in this section, the teams that went "first first" (first in the Specialist questions) are on the left in the tables. In the headings, the home teams are given first.
Dolphin | Spec | GK | Total | Queens of the Castle | Spec | GK | Total |
Rossi Albanese | 12 | 15 | 27 | Alice Walker | 18 | 18 | 36 |
Alan Hodgson | 18 | 24 | 42 | Haydn Thompson | 12 | 21 | 33 |
John Brown | 9 | 12 | 21 | Stuart Orford | 12 | 12 | 24 |
Peter McBride | 15 | 21 | 36 | Tim Massey | 15 | 21 | 36 |
Conferred | 8 | 14 | 22 | Conferred | 8 | 15 | 23 |
Passed over | 3 | 9 | 13 | Passed over | 4 | 9 | 13 |
Totals | 65 | 95 | 160 | Totals | 69 | 96 | 165 |
Poachers | Spec | GK | Total | Nags Head 'B' | Spec | GK | Total |
Ed Baron | 18 | 21 | 39 | Mark Shaw | 9 | 9 | 18 |
Bob Gratton (pb) | 24 | 24 | 48 | Steve Carter | 15 | 15 | 30 |
Ashton Davies | 18 | 30 | 48 | Laurence Plant | 12 | 12 | 24 |
Greg Spiller | 18 | 9 | 27 | Paul Morrissey | 15 | 18 | 33 |
Conferred | 3 | 13 | 16 | Conferred | 10 | 13 | 23 |
Passed over | 3 | 13 | 16 | Passed over | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Totals | 84 | 110 | 194 | Totals | 62 | 69 | 131 |
Waters Green Weavers | Spec | GK | Total | Dolphin Hammers | Spec | GK | Total |
Maddy Griffiths | 12 | 12 | 24 | Liz Horrocks | 12 | 15 | 27 |
Ian Grieve | 21 | 27 | 48 | Pete Sayers (pb) | 15 | 15 | 30 |
Alan Gilday | 6 | 18 | 24 | Keith Duffield | 6 | 12 | 18 |
Keith Bebbington | 12 | 3 | 15 | Dave Cooper | 18 | 18 | 36 |
Conferred | 11 | 21 | 32 | Conferred | 11 | 18 | 29 |
Passed over | 3 | 14 | 17 | Passed over | 3 | 7 | 10 |
Totals | 65 | 95 | 160 | Totals | 65 | 85 | 150 |
Harrington Academicals | Spec | GK | Total | Nags Head | Spec | GK | Total |
Dave Partington | 15 | 18 | 33 | Neil Drummond | 9 | 12 | 21 |
Alan James | 15 | 18 | 33 | Neil Johnson | 3 | 15 | 18 |
Rob Parkin | 9 | 15 | 24 | Phil Davies | 15 | 21 | 36 |
Steve Dale | 18 | 9 | 27 | Tony Browne (pb) | 15 | 27 | 42 |
Conferred | 5 | 11 | 16 | Conferred | 8 | 7 | 15 |
Passed over | 7 | 13 | 20 | Passed over | 6 | 6 | 12 |
Totals | 69 | 84 | 153 | Totals | 56 | 88 | 144 |
Note: in this section, the teams that went "first first" (first in the Specialist questions) are on the left in the tables. In the headings, the home teams are given first.
Park Taverners | Spec | GK | Total | Chester Road Tavern | Spec | GK | Total |
Nick Crowdy | 9 | 12 | 21 | Tony Moores | 6 | 9 | 15 |
Heather Wallace | 12 | 21 | 33 | Chris Moores | 6 | 9 | 15 |
Pete Dykstra | 12 | 12 | 24 | Tom Radley (pb) | 9 | 24 | 33 |
Graham Wallace | 15 | 12 | 27 | Karl Burgess | 9 | 6 | 15 |
Conferred | 9 | 11 | 20 | Conferred | 11 | 12 | 23 |
Passed over | 6 | 13 | 19 | Passed over | 2 | 10 | 12 |
Totals | 63 | 81 | 144 | Totals | 43 | 70 | 113 |
Bate Hallers | Spec | GK | Total | Sutton Club | Spec | GK | Total |
Dave McGuinness | 6 | 12 | 18 | Wendy Brown | 15 | 6 | 21 |
Malcolm Asquith | 15 | 18 | 33 | Simon Rumsey | 15 | 18 | 33 |
Anne Jeater | 6 | 12 | 18 | John Green | 6 | 12 | 18 |
Pat Jeater | 9 | 0 | 9 | Emma Griggs | 15 | 9 | 24 |
Conferred | 8 | 16 | 24 | Conferred | 10 | 12 | 22 |
Passed over | 1 | 13 | 14 | Passed over | 9 | 9 | 18 |
Totals | 45 | 71 | 116 | Totals | 70 | 66 | 136 |
Pack Horse Bowling Club | Spec | GK | Total | Sutton Mutton | Spec | GK | Total |
Reg Bloor | 9 | 6 | 15 | Mike Proctor | 18 | 6 | 24 |
Mary Bloor | 9 | 15 | 24 | Mick Graves (pb) | 15 | 24 | 39 |
Tim Bloor | 12 | 18 | 30 | Wynne Keith–Davies | 9 | 21 | 30 |
Andrew Vickerstaff | 21 | 6 | 27 | (No 4th player) | |||
Conferred | 9 | 9 | 18 | Conferred | 13 | 14 | 27 |
Passed over | 3 | 3 | 6 | Passed over | 5 | 15 | 20 |
Totals | 63 | 57 | 120 | Totals | 60 | 80 | 140 |
Wk | Setters | Difficulty | Balance | Ent'ment | Total | Last Yr | ||
1 | 6 | Spec | Park Taverners | 10.00 | 9.47 | 6.83 | 26.30 | 26.00 |
2 | 1 | GK | Nags Head 'B' | 10.00 | 8.19 | 7.16 | 25.35 | 21.64 |
3 | 5 | GK | Harrington Academicals | 8.22 | 9.86 | 5.83 | 23.91 | 12.37 |
4 | 12 | GK | Chester Road Tavern | 7.34 | 9.72 | 6.83 | 23.88 | 12.39 |
5 | 9 | Spec | Waters Green Weavers | 6.63 | 9.95 | 6.93 | 23.51 | 24.51 |
6 | 12 | Spec | Chester Road Tavern | 7.41 | 8.00 | 6.75 | 22.15 | 19.64 |
7 | 13 | Spec | Park Timers | 7.09 | 8.22 | 6.33 | 21.64 | 25.21 |
8 | 17 | Spec | Waters Green Nags | 7.14 | 7.23 | 6.98 | 21.35 | 10.58 |
9 | 7 | Spec | Nags Head | 5.58 | 8.49 | 6.75 | 20.82 | 10.58 |
10 | 7 | GK | Nags Head | 6.00 | 8.43 | 6.25 | 20.68 | 15.55 |
11 | 8 | Spec | Waters Green Nags | 4.70 | 8.95 | 6.16 | 19.81 | 15.55 |
12 | 2 | Spec | Sutton Club | 4.82 | 8.21 | 6.66 | 19.69 | 21.98 |
13 | 4 | Spec | Dolphin Hammers | 4.00 | 9.36 | 6.17 | 19.53 | 11.27 |
14 | 6 | GK | Park Taverners | 4.52 | 8.65 | 5.67 | 18.84 | 19.10 |
15 | 11 | GK | Poachers | 5.27 | 6.53 | 6.41 | 18.20 | 18.62 |
16 | 9 | GK | Waters Green Weavers | 5.97 | 5.57 | 6.46 | 18.00 | 18.08 |
17 | 17 | GK | Waters Green Nags | 3.88 | 8.21 | 5.84 | 17.94 | 8.08 |
18 | 14 | GK | Sutton Mutton | 4.37 | 8.86 | 3.75 | 16.98 | 13.50 |
19 | 1 | Spec | Nags Head 'B' | 9.41 | 0.10 | 7.25 | 16.77 | 19.80 |
20 | 2 | GK | Sutton Club | 4.22 | 5.93 | 6.58 | 16.73 | 20.28 |
21 | 11 | Spec | Poachers | 5.71 | 3.94 | 6.41 | 16.07 | 21.07 |
22 | 3 | Spec | Queens of the Castle | 2.55 | 7.52 | 5.50 | 15.57 | 16.72 |
23 | 5 | Spec | Harrington Academicals | 4.96 | 3.93 | 5.67 | 14.56 | 23.24 |
24 | 3 | GK | Queens of the Castle | 3.54 | 5.12 | 5.75 | 14.40 | 13.47 |
25 | 13 | GK | Park Timers | 6.35 | 1.78 | 6.16 | 14.29 | 25.93 |
26 | 15 | Spec | Dolphin | 4.46 | 4.21 | 5.42 | 14.10 | 19.51 |
27 | 10 | GK | Bate Hallers | 1.58 | 7.84 | 3.50 | 12.93 | 8.82 |
28 | 15 | GK | Dolphin | 3.12 | 4.09 | 5.33 | 12.54 | 18.76 |
29 | 14 | Spec | Sutton Mutton | 7.12 | 0.52 | 3.67 | 11.31 | 21.09 |
30 | 4 | GK | Dolphin Hammers | 3.34 | 2.59 | 5.16 | 11.09 | 20.60 |
31 | 8 | GK | Waters Green Nags | 0.00 | 7.55 | 2.93 | 10.48 | 8.08 |
32 | 16 | GK | Pack Horse Bowling Club | 5.02 | 0.00 | 5.41 | 10.43 | 18.91 |
33 | 10 | Spec | Bate Hallers | 0.00 | 5.30 | 3.75 | 9.05 | 8.11 |
34 | 16 | Spec | Pack Horse Bowling Club | 1.75 | 0.00 | 4.25 | 6.00 | 22.08 |
The Waters Green Nags were one of the two teams that drew short straws this season and were asked to set two lots of questions. The previous time, as the above table shows, the Specialists scored well and are currently in eighth place (out of 34). But most teams struggled with the General Knowledge, which (as the setters later acknowledged) had been made deliberately on the difficult side; and this resulted in poor marks for both Difficulty and Entertainment.
This week saw a noticeable improvement. According to the spreadsheet, the Specialist questions were easier than average, and well balanced, and a decent Entertainment mark puts them in third place on that measure. Overall they're three places higher than the previous set, in eighth. And this time the General Knowledge questions did much better; while still apparently slightly on the hard side, they scored well for Balance and are 19th out of 34 on Entertainment (just outside the top half of the table). Overall they just made it into the top half, ranked 17 out of 34.
The spreadsheet detected a slight bias in both sets towards the teams that started first. Those teams scored (on average) 111% of their average marks in the Specialists, 97% in the General Knowledge, and 103% overall; for the teams that started second the figures were (respectively) 101%, 94%, and 97%.
We should point out that of the teams that went second, one had only three players and at least one other was missing their star player. The former managed to win despite their handicap, scoring 99% of their average mark, but the latter scored only 79% and lost – albeit to the A League leaders, whose victory makes them Champions Elect.
For the full spreadsheet, please click here.
© Macclesfield Quiz League 2024