Birkbeck College has laid its University Challenge ghost to rest by beating Northampton to reach the TV quiz final. The Birkbeck team beat Northampton 5 points to 245 in the contest screened on Tuesday. They will now face either the London School of Economics or Magdelene College, Oxford. Birkbeck's success is in stark contrast to its dismal performance last year when the team achieved what at that time was the worst ever final score of 40 points.