Week 11 of the Middlesea Valletta Life National league has been completed at the Eden SuperBowl, where champions Aercomms continue to play ‘follow the leader’ with top team Fina First. Both sides picked up 6-2 wins this week, while hopefuls Union Capital Group in third suffered a 6-2 beating by PharmaVet. The remaining two matches also finished with 6-2 results, as Ramis went down against Royal Shock, and QF Ltd. overcame bottom side Redwell Heating.
Leaders Fina First stay seven points clear thanks to their week eleven win which came at the misfortune of team NINE. It was easy pickings for Fina in game one which they won easily 786-688, but then NINE bounced back with a closer 741-775 equalising win in game two.
The win may be looked at as going against the flow of the match, as NINE were low again in game three, shooting a poor 652 against a match winning 755 from the Fina foursome. Sue Abela (Fina First), 653, Female Bowler of the Week. Alan Borg (NINE), 520.
Aercomms too ended up 6-2 winners against relegation threatened HSBC, to keep the top spot within their sight. HSBC gave the defending champions an early scare by narrowly taking game one 741-754, only to see that gift of an early lead blown to pieces with a massive 879-774 second game win from Aercomms to make it 2-all. A huge 265 individual effort from Kenneth Arpa was a telling factor in the game. Aercomms were over 800 again in game three (804-740), taking the series by 156 pins (2,424-2,268). Kenneth Arpa (Aercomms), 649, Male Bowler of the Week. Helenio Grech (HSBC), 609.
Union Capital Group are still holding on to third place, but are sinking further away from the top two after losing out 6-2 at the hands of PharmaVet (6th) this week. PharmaVet opened with a four-bowler broadside to stun their opponents with an 843-643 opening win, and were quick to double their lead in a closer game two, which they clinched 803-782. Game three was the tightest of the set, decided in the final frame 735-738 in favour of Union Capital to hand them their quarter share of the spoils. Franco Ricci (PharmaVet), 603. Simon Burke (Union Capital), 571.
Fourth placed Royal Shocked claimed victory against Ramis in the fourth 6-2 result of the night. They went into a 2-0 lead thanks to an easy 698-771 opening win, and then made it 0-4 by taking the second 711-775. Ramis suddenly came to life in a thrilling third game, just snatching their two point prize with a 775-767 win. David Fenech (Royal Shock), 617. John Balani (Ramis), 555.
It was 6-2 yet again in the final clash of the week, fifth placed QF Ltd. finishing the encounter on the winning side against strugglers Redwell Heating. QF were first to make the scoreboard with their 766-730 game one win, and then their opponents levelled it with their 739-780 response in game two. The match was anyone’s for the taking as the deciding game commenced, and it was QF Ltd. who pulled it off with a 764-732 win to take the series with a modest 27 pin advantage (2,269-2,242). Ryan Grech (QF Ltd.), 593. Joanna Attard (Redwell Heating), 561.
Standings – Div. I (Week 11)
Fina First-70, Aercomms-63, Union Capital Group-53, Royal Shock-47, QF Ltd-46, PharmaVet-40, Ramis-34, HSBC-32, NINE-26, Redwell Heating-25
Bowlers of the Week
Kenneth Arpa (Aercomms) 649; Sue Abela (Fina First) 653