The qualifying round of the 2012 TENOVAR Gold Cup tournament was completed at the Eden SuperBowl after two six-game sessions.

The male division was characterised by a perfect 300-game which catapulted Matthew Cossai into third place on 2,366.

In spite of a positive start to the 2012 TENOVAR Gold Cup, with just one game remaining in the 12-game qualifying round, youth bowler Matthew Cossai, 20, was languishing in ninth place, and all but out of the running for qualification. It was at this ‘last chance saloon’ that the youngster realised every tenpin bowler’s dream, and shot a game of 12consecutive strikes, for the perfect scratch score of 300 (304 including handicap). That was enough to take him up to third place and into the final stages.

The incredible feat, although the latest in a growing list of Malta’s bowlers to have achieved that magical score, is Cossai’s first ever 300. As the strikes started to accumulate on the SuperBowl’s overhead scoring display, so did the spectators all eager to witness the event, including Matthew’s mother Marthese, who had just completed her own six games on adjacent lanes.

The excitement reached fever pitch as the final frame saw strikes ten and eleven take Matthew’s tally to 290 with just one ball still to play. Cossai stepped up, encouraged by the considerable crowd now gathered behind him, and took the shot, which he snatched at and immediately turned away, visibly disappointed with himself. The ball travelled the length of the lane, going through the headpin, scrappily taking out nine to leave the 9-pin teetering for what seemed like an eternity, before it finally fell for strike number 12. Matthew still had his back to the pins expecting something like a 7-count, but the cheers of his bowling peers and friends were confirmation enough of the 300 game total.

In the female division, favourite Stephanie Said finished the table-topper and it only took her two games (207-218), in the first of her two qualifying sessions to stamp her authority on the ladies competition. Said finished the front six with a considerable 114 pin lead over nearest rival, Marianne Mula (1,254- 1,140). Bringing up the rear were Josette Falzon Reale and Josephine Borg in respective third and fourth positions.

Stephanie continued to dominate on day 2. She topped the 200 mark in no less than four of of her six games, peaking at 229 and finishing in first place on 2,441 pins (2,369 scratch, 197.4 ave).