While Div I leaders Aercomms can apparently do nothing wrong in the current season of the Middlesea Valletta Life National League, winning all eight points again at the Eden SuperBowl against Storm in week six, there were also important advances for Veltins and Ramis to push both teams further up in the classification.
Fina First lost against ex-Div II Alley Catz, while Fina Excel won all eight against Right Deal to leapfrog their sister team to claim second place. There was a also a majority win for Globalair Travel against bottom side Blues Brothers.
Aercomms extended their lead by another two points as they made light work of their 0-8 win against Storm (8th), notching up the highest team series of the week in the process (2,387 pins).
Game one was the closest of the series, but Aercomms still took it by a considerable 66 pin margin (733-799). Game two was easier still, falling to the leaders 669-787, but their biggest winning margin came in the final game which ended 123 pins in Aercomms favour (678-801). Ray Falzon Reale boasted a 619 set for Aercomms, and Storm’s Paul Gray went one better, literally, with a 620 for his side.
Fina Excel displaced sister team Fina First by taking second place, after a 100% win over Right Deal who are now sixth. Excel were by far the better outfit of the two, with a comfortable 665-741 win in the opener, followed up by a 735-787 result in game two.
The whitewash was complete after a 742-802 score line in the third which meant Fina Excel jumped to second place, nine behind Aercomms on 34 points. Brian Farrugia was top dog for the winners yet again with his 625 tally (Bowler of the Week), and best for the losers was Melissa Camenzuli on 576 pins.
Fina First are now third having lost out to newcomers Alley Catz in a 6-2 result. It was very tight during the first two pressure filled games, with Fina scraping through to a 720-736 win in the first before the Alley Catz levelled it by winning the second by the narrowest possible of margins, 734-733.
The match was riding on game three which wasn’t quite as tense as the previous two, and Alley Catz secured the victory with a 794-727 score. Youth Champion Lorraine Casha took 580 pins for Alley Catz, and Matthew Caruana rolled a 599 for the losing side.
The third and final eight point win of week six fell to Veltins, who rise to fifth place as a result. The Rascals (11th) were their unlucky opponents, and seemed sadly inadequate from the outset, losing 682-737 in the first of the series, before crashing out 699-796 in game two. Veltins were way ahead, and lay claim to the third game with a huge 711-819 win to complete the slaughter. Sue Abela shot a solid 609 for the outgoing champs, and there was a 529 for Rascals’ Joey Camilleri.
Ramis move up one position to fifth with their 2-6 beating of Royal Shock (10th). Game one was low scoring but close, finishing 666-669 in favour of Royal Shock. Ramis came straight back, taking a slight advantage with a 756-787 win in game two, before clinching the match win with a 660-732 result in the final game, taking the series points with their 98 pin advantage (2082-2180). Evergreen Roy Swift rolled a 554 series for Ramis, as Clive Farrugia knocked over 587 for the losing side.
Globalair currently sit mid-table (7th) and were 6-2 winners against pushover team, the Blues Brothers (12th), this week. The bottom side opened the scoring with a 676-765 win in the first game, but their lead was short lived as Ramis began to take control of the match, winning game two 744-641, and then making sure of the major share of the points with a 763-711 win in game three, finishing 66 pins over on the series (2183-2117). Raymond Farrugia was high man for the winners on 576, and the best the losing side could manage was a good 587 from Sammy Borg.
Standings - Div. I, Week 6
Aercomms-43, Fina Excel-34, Fina First-30, Veltins-28, Ramis-28, Right Deal-26, Globalair Travel-24, Storm-22, Alley Catz-16, Royal Shock-15, The Rascals-12, Blues Brothers-10
Bowlers of the Week
Brian Farrugia (Fina Excel) 625; Sue Abela (Veltins) 609.