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By Tom Buehler
Answer: PIXIE

While on the surface this looks like a puzzle about the bat-and-ball game cricket, it’s actually about the darts game cricket.

Each of the numbered entries represents a throw in a dart game. The field position corresponds to a number on a dart board. The number of runs is an index into the player’s name. Taking the indexed letter for every entry spells the message: NOPE FIRST FIND OUT ALL HITS THAT SCORE THEN YOU HAVE TO IGNORE NEAR MISSES TO GET A CLUE SOLVING THE TASK THEN YOUR WORK DECODING THAT ACQUIRED STATEMENT.

This means that you have to take the letters from only the throws that would score in a game of darts cricket. Score the game according to the standard rules of darts cricket, and the letters from just the scoring throws gives the message: FINAL SCORE VIGENERE USING KEYWORD QUITE.

The final score of the game is 63-629. Converting each number in the score to letters gives FCFBI. When deciphered with a Vigenère cipher using the key QUITE, it becomes PIXIE, which is the answer.

Below is the full rundown of the darts game.


1. 15 N

2. 20 O

3. 18 P

4. 19 E

5. 19 F

6. 19 I 19s opened

7. 17 R

8. 11 S

9. 15 T

10. 19 F 0-19

11. 19 I 0-38

12. 19 N 0-57

13. 11 D

14. 19 O

15. 20 U

16. 25 T

17. 19 A 0-76

18. 19 L 0-95

19. 18 L

20. 25 H

21. 15 I 15s opened

22. 25 T

23. 19 S 0-114

24. 25 T Bulls opened

25. 18 H 18s opened

26. 11 A

27. 19 T

28. 20 S

29. 25 C 0-139

30. 19 O 0-158

31. 15 R 15-158

32. 16 E

33. 11 T

34. 15 H

35. 19 E 15-177

36. 16 N

37. 11 Y

38. 11 O

39. 11 U

40. 20 H

41. 20 A 20s opened

42. 19 V 15-196

43. 11 E

44. 11 T

45. 25 O

46. 25 I 15-221

47. 19 G 15-240

48. 15 N

49. 19 O 19s closed

50. 17 R

51. 15 E 30-240

52. 20 N 30-260

53. 25 E 30-285

54. 17 A

55. 15 R 45-285

56. 11 M

57. 19 I

58. 15 S 15s closed

59. 18 S

60. 20 E 45-305

61. 15 S

62. 19 T

63. 11 O

64. 16 G

65. 16 E 16s opened

66. 19 T

67. 19 A

68. 15 C

69. 15 L

70. 20 U 45-325

71. 19 E

72. 16 S 45-341

73. 11 O

74. 11 L

75. 16 V

76. 20 I 45-361

77. 20 N 45-381

78. 25 G 45-406

79. 19 T

80. 11 H

81. 15 E

82. 15 T

83. 17 A

84. 17 S 17s opened

85. 18 K 63-406

86. 20 T 20s closed

87. 15 H

88. 16 E 63-406

89. 20 N

90. 17 Y 63-439

91. 20 O

92. 11 U

93. 19 R

94. 16 W 63-455

95. 25 O 63-480

96. 17 R 63-497

97. 20 K

98. 15 D

99. 19 E

100. 11 C

101. 15 O

102. 25 D 63-522

103. 11 I

104. 17 N 17s closed

105. 20 G

106. 18 T

107. 15 H

108. 17 A

109. 19 T

110. 19 A

111. 17 C

112. 16 Q 63-538

113. 16 U 63-554

114. 25 I 63-579

115. 20 R

116. 17 E

117. 11 D

118. 11 S

119. 25 T 63-604

120. 20 A

121. 16 T 16s closed

122. 20 E

123. 17 M

124. 25 E 63-629

125. 17 N

126. 18 T 18s closed, game over