The XIII Mediterranean Championship qualifiers are ongoing at the Eden SuperBowl, where last weekend saw 16 games played over two sessions, from the qualifying total of 24 games. This is a scratch event, therefore the final positions will be determined by the highest tallies from those 24 games, in both male and female

categories.

The men's competition is always hotly contested by a good number of hopefuls, and the majority of the 13 participating males could realistically find themselves in the top positions providing their shot can do justice to the specific lane conditions adopted for the tournament.

Day one saw a great start for team Ramis regular Dennis Mercieca, who went first with a solid 1,750 count from eight games, including highs of 230, 234 and a brilliant 255 game.

Neil Sullivan was just 24 behind on 1,726, his series comprising a pair of 268's, and other great efforts of 230 and 237. Third place was Mark Muscat's for his 1,674 effort (high games: 258, 256).

Mercieca and also Sullivan managed to retain their positions through Sunday's set of eight games, their pace dropping only a little. Dennis Mercieca stayed top on 3,410 (213.1 ave) after registering two 239 games, while Sullivan is on 3,340 pins (208.7 ave) two thirds of the way through the event (session high game, 239). Third place is currently held by Justin Caruana Scicluna, who rounded off day two with games of 245 and 258 for a 3,330 interim total (208.1 ave).

With Sue Abela on the registration list, the ladies competition is often more about the race for second place rather than first which is so often a foregone conclusion.

True to form, Abela headed the ladies' classification after eight games (1,556 pins), but youth bowler Tiziana Carannante showed excellent form to go second after, just nine pins down on the National Champion with an impressive 1,547 total, including a brace of 232's.

Carannante could easily have gone top had it not been for a disappointing low game of 142 in the eighth.

Last year's second place qualifier Joanna Attard fell foul of a neck injury, causing her to retire after six games.

Sunday's second session saw Sue Abela get off to a shaky start by her own

standards (157-189), but she then rallied to bang in six 200+ games including a 234 and a 232, finishing the day on 3,239 pins (202.4 ave).

Carannante had another good session, holding on to second place with 3,104 pins (194 ave) ahead of Melissa Swift in third on 3,022 (188.8 ave).

The tournament will be concluded tomorrow morning with the final eight-game session. The top two bowlers from each category will then go on to represent Malta in the XIII Mediterranean Championships, to be held in Paphos, Cyprus between 13 and 18 April.