News and Views: 2022–3 Season, Week 15 – 28 March 2023

Results

In the A League's top–of–the–table clash, the Queens opened up a useful lead by half–way through the General Knowledge but only just managed to hang on to it by the end. Meanwhile in the B League, the Chester Road Tavern enjoyed their second win of the season.

Tables

The Queens moved above the Poachers to top the A League table for the first time this season, but only on quite a narrow goal difference. The only other change in that table was that the Nags Head 'B' went above the Waters Green Weavers, who set the questions and were asking them.

In the B League, something very weird happened. Here the leaders (Dolphin Hammers) were asking the questions, but 2nd played 4th, 3rd played 5th, 6th played 8th, and 7th played 9th. And in every case, the tables were turned as it were: 4th beat 2nd, 5th beat 3rd, 8th beat 6th, and 9th beat 7th. The Waters Green Nags (who unfortunately were one player short once more) managed to hold on to second place, but the Sutton Club dropped two places to fifth, as both the Park Taverners and the Plough Horntails went above them on goal difference; and the Sutton Mutton swapped places with the Pack Horse Bowling Club.

The Hammers, who are already promoted (next season's League structure permitting), can secure the B League title if they win next week, as they will be at least six points clear of the WG Nags with only two games to play. In fact they have it in the bag right now, to all intents and purposes, as they have a virtually unassailable advantage in game points.

Individual

Top scorers this week were Ashton Davies and Haydn Thompson, each with 51. There were four scores in the 40s: 48 for Alan Hodgson, 45 for Alice Walker, and 42 each for Neil Drummond and Peter McBride. Top scorers in the B League were Malcolm Asquith and Paul Prior with 36 each.

There were only five personal bests this week, but only the same number of people failed to beat their lowest scores of the season so far.

Mark Watson is beginning to catch a few people who've now played their 'counting quota' of eleven games, and moved up from 8th to 5th in the A League table. In the B League there was no change in the top five, but Malcolm Asquith returned to the top ten for the first time since Week 9 thanks to a personal best 36 this week.

Questions

This week's questions were set by the Waters Green Nags. The Specialists went down well and are 5th in the table for Entertainment; the General Knowledge are 16th (out of 30) – solidly in mid–table. There are literally no complaints on the Forum.

Some teams struggled slightly with the General Knowledge – particularly those that went first in the first half. But overall the questions were slightly easier than average and pretty well balanced (according to the spreadsheet).

More details at the end of this page.

A League

Results

Table

Individual Top Ten

B League

Results

Table

Individual Top Ten

Cars & Van 4U Question Setters' Trophy

The Waters Green Weavers' Specialist questions scored well all round: the Entertainment, Difficulty and Balance marks were respectively the fifth, sixth and equal sixth best of the season. The General Knowledge scored almost as well for Entertainment and Balance, but several teams found them quite hard and they were held back by the Difficulty mark.

Most of the teams that struggled slightly with the General Knowledge had started first; on average they scored only 94% of their average marks for the season so far, while those that started second scored 101%. Even so, the Balance mark was more than respectable: 17th out of 30.

Overall, the teams that started first scored (on average) 101% of their average for the season, while those that started second scored 104%. On an average team score of 142 this can only have made a difference of four or five points at most, and there were no matches where the result was that close.

For the full spreadsheet, please click here.

© Macclesfield Quiz League 2023