June at the SuperBowl saw the MTBA's qualifying event for this year's Qubica-AMF World Cup, to be held in Zagreb, Croatia, between October 15 and 24.
This is one of the biggest events in the worldwide tenpin bowling calendar, with typically in excess of 80 nations taking part. Malta will be represented by Mark Spiteri and Sue Abela this year.
The World Cup qualifier follows a simple format with all bowlers playing three eight-game sessions, and the highest pinfall from those 24 games determining the male and female winners.
The male division rolled off with a competitive field of hopefuls but Spiteri gained a clear edge on day one with a 1,694 session including a high opening game of 278. He was narrowly trailed by Rankin Camilleri in second on 1,672 and Philippe Vancell on 1,601.
Spiteri retained composure and position for the second eight with a 3,344 interim total ahead of Camilleri on 3,292. The third place holder changed, however, as Kenneth Arpa sneaked in with a good 1,667 set for a 3,250 16-game tally.
That's how the top three stayed on the final day of the event, with Spiteri claiming victory on 4,940 pins (205.8 average), although Camilleri almost overtook him at the last hurdle, placing second with just 15 pins separating them.
Arpa's 4,890 total kept him in third place, while Justin Caruana Scicluna took fourth on 4,763 pins.
Abela was a cut above the rest in the women's division, finishing her first eight with a sound 1,658 to take the early lead ahead of Melissa Swift on 1,566, and Joanna Attard with 1,526 pins.
There was some jostling for positions on day two as Abela's game dropped somewhat, although 1,479 was enough to keep her on top with 3,137 pins over 16. Attard advanced to second on 3,026, taking a two-pin advantage over Swift on 3,024.
Only a disaster could stop Abela from winning the event on day three, and she succeeded with a final 4,739 total (197.4 ave). Attard remained second (4,443), finishing just 20 ahead of Swift. Tiziana Carannante was fourth on 4,205 pins.
300-club expands While there is a growing list of Maltese bowlers who have rolled a 300-game, these are still very rare achievements. Not so in the case of the final day of this year's Malta Open however, when not one but two managed this ultimate bowling feat.
The first perfect game of the day went to Mark Spiteri. He lived up to his nickname - Mr Boom - as all 10 pins started falling. Then came the all-important and high pressure 10th frame and a further three strikes for the big score.
The gruelling 11-game Round Robin continued, and in fact it was in the 11th game that the day's second Maltese 300 was recorded, by rising star Justin Caruana Scicluna.
He achieved that much to the pleasure of those watching, not least of all Caruana Scicluna's mother, none other than Malta's most successful bowler to date, Sue Abela, who is surprisingly yet to have her own first 300-game.