News and Views: 2023–4 Season, Week 13 – 5 March 2024

Results and Tables

In the A League the bottom two played each other, and the Waters Green Weavers recorded their second victory of the season. This enabled them to move above their opponents, the Harrington Academicals, into seventh place.

At the top of the table, the Nags Head 'B' went top of the table on goal difference, but they will be aware that the Poachers, who didn't play this week, now have a game in hand.

There were victories for the Dolphin and Queens of the Castle, who remain in third and fourth place but both moved two points closer to the top two.

In the B League the top two played each other, and the Waters Green Nags came away with the spoils. This enabled the Park Taverners and Bate Hallers, both of whom won, to move above the Sutton Club into second and third place.

Individual

There were eight personal bests this week – seven of them in the B League. The best seat would appear to have been Seat 4 – second on the team that started second. All three B League players in this position scored personal bests, while in the A League Mark Watson's 51 was the highest score of all. There was also one personal best in each of Seats 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7.

The next highest scorers, after Mark, were Heather Wallace and Haydn Thompson, each with 48. Peter McBride, Alice Walker and Ian Grieve all scored 45, while Alan Hodgson, Alan Gilday and Wendy Brown all scored 42 – bringing the total number of scores over 40 to nine.

There was no change in the A League Top Ten, and only five of the B League Top Ten played. One of those who didn't play was Wynne Keith–Davies, who was overtaken by both Graham Wallace and Anne Jeater.

Questions

Team scores were somewhat higher than average this week, but only for the teams that started first – the scores for those that started second (taken together) were exactly average.

Entertainment marks were good, both sets scoring over 6. The only negative comment on the Forum concerns two similar pop music questions going to the same person (in consecutive rounds). We all know how this happens, but it's something that both setters and vetters should be on the lookout for.

Most people seem to have forgotten about Top Ten albums for Snow Patrol in 2011 and Van Morrison in 2017. Setters should maybe also remember that it's customary to name two or three albums in such questions, no matter how well–known the artist or group.

I might also mention that as paired questions go, achluophobia is not really a match for agoraphobia. It means fear of darkness, and is listed by collinsdictionary.com as a New Word Suggestion – "being monitored for evidence of usage."

A League – Summary

Results

Note: in this section, the home teams are on the left and the away teams are on the right.

Table

Individual Top Ten

B League – Summary

Results

Note: in this section, the home teams are on the left and the away teams are on the right.

Table

Individual Top Ten

A League – Full Results

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 vs. Nags Head

Nags Head 'B' vs. Queens of the Castle

Harrington Academicals vs. Waters Green Weavers

B League – Full Results

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 vs. Pack Horse Bowling Club

Waters Green Nags vs. Sutton Club

Bate Hallers vs. Chester Road Tavern

Cars & Van 4U Question Setters' Trophy

The Park Timers' questions were somewhat easier than average, according to the spreadsheet, and both sets scored over 6 for Entertainment; the Specialists are 13th (out of 26) in that table, and the General Knowledge 16th. Unfortunately the balance was less good; the spreadsheet suggests a distinct bias in both sets towards the teams that started first. This is borne out by the fact that all six matches were won by those teams, although it may be worth noting that in every match, the team that went first had a higher average score than their opponents even before this week.

In the Specialist questions the teams that went first managed on average 108% of their average scores, while those that went second scored only 103%. In the General Knowledge the difference was even more pronounced: 115% to 97%. Overall the figures were 112% and 100%.

On an average team score of 154, this may have made a difference of up to 20 points.

For the full spreadsheet, please click here.

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