Week 17 of the Middlesea Valletta Life National League sees the top two, okmalta.com and Globalair Travel tied at the top of Division I on 102 points apiece, with just one final week of league fixtures remaining. In the mean time Ramis are mathematically sure of third place, while Fina can do no better than their disappointing fourth place this season. With the bottom two sides, The Clan and Bank of Valletta already relegated, the only week 18 matches of any interest therefore are the title-deciding clashes of okmalta.com vs Salitos, and Globalair Travel vs Bank of Valletta.
The previous week’s leaders Globalair Travel could only manage a 4-4 draw against sixth placed HSBC in week seventeen, thus allowing rivals okmalta.com a chance to make ground. Globalair opened the scoring by taking game one 821-772, but HSBC then fought back to go level as they won the second by the narrowest of margins, 787-788.
The bankers then also won the last of the set 799-827, but two games from three wasn’t enough for them to clinch the match, as Globalair stole the series points by twenty pins on the night (2407-2387). Sammy Borg (HSBC), 605. Neil Sullivan (Globalair Travel), 618.
Okmalta dropped two points against week seventeen opponents PharmaVet (seventh), but their majority victory meant that they took back the lead from Globalair thanks to their better season pinfall total. Game one was very tight, with okmalta.com winning it by a mere four pins (741-745).
Game two was every bit as tense as just four pins again separated the two sides, this time PharmaVet’s 718-714 win squaring the match. Game three was a little more open, and it was okmalta.com who finally won it 734-759 to take the series and the match by 25 pins (2193-2218). Mark Spiteri (okmalta.com) 609. Colin Attard (PharmaVet), 555.
Ramis are sure of third place, having thrashed arch rivals Fina 8-0 this week, meaning the latter must settle for fourth place, a league position they have not sunk to in many a season. Ramis exploded into the lead with a massive 909-739 opening win, and then doubled their advantage by taking game two 814-672 against a Fina side who seemed to be a shadow of their former league-dominating selves. Ramis wrapped up the whitewash with a final more subdued 753-747 game three win. Rankin Camilleri (Ramis), 674, Bowler of the Week. Joanna Attard (Fina), 567, Bowler of the Week.
In other matches, Turu’s Knights also took all eight against bottom team Bank Of Valletta to consolidate their fifth place. The game scores progressed; 791-725, 779-727, 724-722. Philippe Vancell (Turu’s Knights), 615. Simon Zammit (Bank of Valletta), 547.
The Clan may well be beyond salvation in this their second season in the top flight, but that didn’t stop them from picking up a majority win at the expense of eighth placed Salitos in this penultimate league meeting.
Salitos opened with a good 705-809 game one win, but then The Clan responded with a 793-680 win in the second to make it 2-2. They took the very close deciding third game 735-731 to take the series points by thirteen pins (2,233-2,220). James Vassallo (The Clan), 581. Benny Hili (Salitos), 571.
Standings – Div. I, Week 17
Okmalta.com-102, Globalair Travel-102, Ramis-89, Fina-80, Turu’s Knights-69, HSBC-64, PharmaVet-62, Salitos-55, The Clan-39, Bank of Valletta-18
Standings - Div I, Week 19
Royal Shock-120, Wasadol-104, NINE-96, J Grima & Co-86, Gladiators-80, Supreme Casino-80, Blitzkrieg-70, Vintage-68, Four Play-60, X S-54, Baboons-52, Touch of Class-42
Bowlers of the Week
Joanna Attard (Fina) 567 ; Rankin Camilleri (Ramis) 674