The U-16 Crodino Championships came to an exciting climax at the Eden SuperBowl last Sunday. All bowlers started with a round robin contest, where a system of bonus points was awarded.

Rankin Camilleri led the boys' field with 2,134 pins from the 12 stage one games. But it was very close with just 30 pins separating the top three.

Camilleri was 12 pins ahead of Maurizio Anastasi as Carl Borg held the third spot on 2,104. They held their positions throughout the five-game round robin, Camilleri winning four of his games to qualify for the final where he met Anastasi who finished just 30 points better than Borg.

Anastasi rolled a 208 against Camilleri's 182 to take game one. This upset jolted the latter's confidence as he then succumbed to a 181-164 loss to Anastasi who thus landed the 2002 boys' title.

The top six girls after stage one were Tiziana Carannante, Anne-marie Bonello, Valentina Bezzina, Stephanie Said, Claire Bugeja and Faye Formosa.

The top three here also retained their positions during the round robin phase as Carannante picked four wins for a total of 2,776. Bonello won three from five for a 2,531 tally.

Bezzina won three games to finish a mere nine points behind Bonello and out of the reckoning.

The stage was now set for the final between Carannante and Bonello. The former had led the field from day one, and was not ready to let her chance of a national title slip away.

It was neck and neck bowling up until frame seven when Bonello suffered a run of three open frames.

Carannante capitalised with two spares and took the game 142-131 along with the Crodino 2002 title.