GRAND FINALS

GRAND FINALS

Three events decided in the last few days, won by the three favourite options and many quizzers achieved the hat trick, including the new leader, John Edwards, who looks threatening as the end of the season approaches. Which means inevitably 2023 Quiz is in the planning stages. Quiz HQ made SUCH a total mess of 2022.Has anybody got suggestions for new events or new twists on old events?

37)In Australia, the Cats trounced the Swans in the AFL Grand Final by eighty points. The Cats were the most experienced team, the oldest ever team to contest a Grand Final. If you rolled out of bed this Autumn morning feeling creaky and short of energy, take hope from the Cats’ team sheet. And if you’re wondering about the habitats of Cats and Swans, the Cats come from Geelong in VICTORIA, the Swans from Sydney so the very few quizzers who deserted Victoria had hope till the very last day. It was the Cats’ tenth Grand Final win.

38)Meanwhile at Old Trafford, ST HELENS won their ninth Super League Grand Final and their fourth in a row. Not quite the trouncing seen in Melbourne-the Leeds Rhinos kept fighting to the end after conceding a try in two minutes and a late consolation try for Leeds made the final scoreline look competitive though it wasn’t. Is this St Helens the best Rugby League side ever?

Neil Southwood,Cub Reporter,went to Amsterdam.No red lights; he focussed on darts action.

40)The World Series of Darts Finals saw 24 players from around the world lock horns over one September weekend in Amsterdam. The event used to be dominated by Dutchman Michael Van Gerwen, who won four of the first five tournaments between 2015 and 2019. Recent times however have seen considerable BRITISH success and in 2022 it was the world number one Gerwyn Price from Wales who triumphed in dramatic style.

The only real surprise of the early rounds saw 2021 finalist Dmitri Van den Bergh from Belgium eliminated 6-2 by Englishman Ryan Joyce. It formed a clear trend of Brits defeating overseas rivals. Only two of the eight quarter-finalists came from overseas, with Van Gerwen joined by compatriot Dirk van Duijvenbode. The latter ended Joyce’s run with a narrow 10-9 win, whilst Van Gerwen was edged out by 2021 champion Jonny Clayton.

It looked odds-on at that stage that the final would end up being another all-Welsh battle, with Clayton and Price having enjoyed some brilliant tussles in recent years. Van Duijvenbode hadn’t read that script. Backed by a vociferous home crowd, Dirk dethroned Clayton 11-8 in the first semi-final whilst Price edged past Englishman James Wade 11-9 in the other.

The home favourite then roared into an early lead in the final but Price’s experience in major TV tournaments over the past few years kept him in contention. Despite being heckled and whistled throughout, Price kept his composure at the crucial moments and forced the match into a sudden-death final leg with checkouts of 146, 121 and 115 in quick succession. In the deciding leg, van Duijvenbode’s previously-consistent scoring suddenly let him down. Price had first shot at the title with 90 on the board and, despite the crowd on his back, he pinned double 15 to secure victory. It was his second success at the event, and a third in a row for Wales, who are clearly the force to be reckoned with in darts at the moment.