Fina First stop valiant Aercomms

Only two matches were of any significance during the MTBA National League Position Night which marked the end of the season.

The matches were at the top of Division One. Fina First clashed with Aercomms to decide who would finally clinch the league title while Fina Excel took on New Blood bidding to improve on their third place. That depended on their sister team pummeling the defending champions 8-0 and Excel duplicating that scoreline in their own match to demote Aercomms down into third.

Although it was not to be for Excel, Fina First walked off with the top prize after a nail-biting majority win over Aercomms.

Fina First only needed a draw to make sure of reclaiming the title after a three-season drought that saw them playing second fiddle to Aercomms, then Veltins, and Aercomms again.

This latest season took Fina First on quite a bizarre course, the team having claimed the top spot in week three and then stay there, apparently unshakeable, and boasting a 20-point lead by mid-season.

Then the tide started to turn slowly, as the wind was taken out of their sails by a shocking 8-0 beating in week 13 at the hands of lowly Sammy's Embroideries and an equally surprising 6-2 defeat by Fireballs in week 16. Both teams are now relegated.

As the leaders continued to drop points, a serious threat was emerging in the form of Aercomms, who continued to close in on top spot with a string of mighty performances, as did Fina Excel.

At the end of round two, Fina First were just a single point ahead of Aercomms (129-128) while Fina Excel were third on 121. This meant that going into the ultimate position round, none of the three top spots had been firmly decided.

The opening game of Fina First vs Aercomms was a Fina classic with star player Sue Abela inspiring her side to a big 844-676 win after her stunning 280 individual effort.

Aercomms looked shaky and out-of-sorts, not helped by the vociferous support between the Fina team-mates. Word quickly spread through the 10 teams also playing that the title was surely in Fina First's bag, but then Aercomms went on to produce their own 'classic' in the second game, in which they regained 74 of the lost pins by winning 767-841 to level the match.

They had to win the match to snatch the title and were still adrift by a 94-pin deficit, but with just a little more effort both sides knew that Aercomms could maybe pull it off against all odds.

The nervous third and final game got underway and it was a much more evenly matched affair than the previous two, and as it progressed it became apparent that Aercomms were fighting a losing battle, unable to produce the championship winning result they so desperately needed.

Fina First oozed confidence in the final frames, already celebrating and congratulating each other for a job well done.

The new league, to be sponsored by Middlesea Valletta Life, will commence after just a short break over the festive season.

Anyone interested in joining or forming a team can obtain all information and entry forms from the Eden SuperBowl on 2138-7398, or by emailing superbowl@edenleisure.com, bowladmin@edenleisure.com.

Final standings: Fina First 135, Aercomms 130, Fina Excel 127, New Blood 108, Ramis 102, Globalair Travel 101, Interwetten Alley Catz 86, Right Deal 80, Storm II 76, Fireballs 59, Sammy's Embroideries 58, O'Caseys 42.

Bowlers of the week: Mark Spiteri (634, Fina Excel); Sue Abela (710, Fina First).