Abela falls at final hurdle as Berndt retains title

Marcus Berndt successfully defended his title at the recently-held Malta Open Championships, one of the Swedish bowling star’s favourite international events.

After three days of qualifying rounds at the Eden SuperBowl, wherein competitors had multiple chances to advance to the next stage under the popular re-entry format, the top 16 bowlers made it through to the final Sunday stages, joined by another two bowlers from the single-game, last-chance Desperado squad.

Irishman Paul Stott Jr. led the field ahead of two-time Malta Open champion Sue Abela in second place. Belgian Christian Vandamme, another former winner, qualified in third followed by Berndt, the defending champion.

Other Maltese bowlers to advance to the latter stages were Mark Spiteri (seventh), Kenneth Arpa (ninth), Rankin Camilleri (10th), Justin Caruana Scicluna (13th) and Mauro Anastasi (14th).

Abela and Berndt progressed through the gruelling final stages to set up a showdown for the title in a best-of-three game.

It was Berndt who seized the early advantage, easily winning the opening game 198-258. The home fans feared that Abela was down and out after her first-game loss but the Maltese star, known for her ability to perform under pressure, was having none of it. She powered back into contention with an excellent 240-189 game-two leveller and set the stage for a very exciting deciding game.

Abela and Berndt did nothing to disappoint the crowd, producing one of the most thrilling Malta Open finals in the tournament’s 20-year history. The pair matched each other shot for shot for much of the game, Abela carrying an eight-pin ladies’ bonus against Berndt’s scratch score but she lost out to the young Swede by just three pins (223-226).

Berndt thus lifted the championship trophy for the second year running.

300-game

Before watching his mother play in yet another tournament final, Justin Caruana Scicluna, a local bowling star in his own right, provided a few minutes of thrills and excitement at the SuperBowl by bowling a ‘perfect’ 300-game, the second of his career to date.

Caruana Scicluna’s first 300, achieved by shooting 12 consecutive strikes in a single game, was bowled in the final game of the penultimate round robin stage at last year’s Malta Open. Number two came earlier this year, in the opening game of Final Stage One.

Bowling just one 300-game is every bowler’s dream, let alone bowling two or even more.

Caruana Scicluna now joins only two other Maltese bowlers who have managed multiple 300s, namely Ray Falzon Reale (four times) and Dennis Mercieca (two times, including the first ever 300 for a Maltese bowler worldwide).

Other locals who achieved that golden scoreline (during sanctioned competition) are Leli Baldacchino, Brian Farrugia, Colin Attard, Rankin Camilleri, Kenneth Arpa, John Balani, Ramon Casha and Mark Spiteri.

Unbelievable as it may seem, conspicuous by her absence from that list is Malta’s most prolific and successful bowler of all time, Sue Abela. Her best effort to date came in the 2008 MTBA National Championships when she rolled 11 perfect strikes in a row, but rounded off her game with a 9-count for a brilliant, yet frustrating 299.