James Martin

James Martin

James Martin's famous numbers game.

James Martin was a semi-finalist from Series 34. He won the final eight heat games of the series to become the series's only octochamp and #1 seed for the final stages. He beat Norman Metcalfe in the quarter-finals before losing to Harshan Lamabadusuriya in the semis. Martin played in Championship of Champions IX, beating the tournament's only undefeated player Ray McPhie in the first round, before losing to eventual winner Natascha Kearsey in the quarter-finals.

Martin is probably best remembered for his fifth heat game against Gerald Foster, and specifically the first numbers game. The numbers were 25, 50, 75, 100, 3 and 6, and the target was 952. His method was:

• 100 + 6 = 106
• 106 × 3 = 318
• 318 × 75 = 23,850
• 23,850 - 50 = 23,800
• 23,800 ÷ 25 = 952

He is related to Edward Martin, who appeared five years earlier in Series 24.

Episodes

#	Date	Type	Contestant 1	Score	Contestant 2	Presenters				Guest	Lex	Max
1958	10/03/1997	P	Paul Morgan	16 – 67	James Martin	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Denis Norden	Susie Dent
1959	11/03/1997	P	Raymond Tate	55 – 59	James Martin	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Denis Norden	Susie Dent
1960	12/03/1997	P	Avril Goodall	18 – 52	James Martin	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Denis Norden	Susie Dent
1961	13/03/1997	P	Jon Barlow	41 – 52	James Martin	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Denis Norden	Susie Dent
1962	14/03/1997	P	Gerald Foster	20 – 68	James Martin	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Suzi Quatro	Susie Dent
1963	17/03/1997	P	Andrew Gait	39 – 53	James Martin	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Suzi Quatro	Susie Dent
1964	18/03/1997	P	Bea Rae	6 – 67	James Martin	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Suzi Quatro	Susie Dent
1965	19/03/1997	P	Mike Stamps	43 – 44	James Martin	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Suzi Quatro	Susie Dent
1966	20/03/1997	QF	Norman Metcalfe	16 – 54	James Martin	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Suzi Quatro	Susie Dent
1970	26/03/1997	SF	Harshan Lamabadusuriya	48 – 31	James Martin	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Richard Digance	Rob Scriven
2167	2/01/1998	CP	Ray McPhie	42 – 60	James Martin	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Denis Norden	Mark Nyman
2173	12/01/1998	CQF	James Martin	51 – 52	Natascha Kearsey	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Gloria Hunniford	Mark Nyman

External Link

• A video of Martin's famous numbers game on YouTube..