Weber Cup - Tenpin Bowling

[luckyeddie]

you sure ?! im crap at bowling(ten-pin) more of a cricketer myself...you ?!

I've never been much good at cricket - I played for 30 years or so but that was love of the game. Only made 2 centuries in all that time. When I started getting injured I concentrated on tenpin for 10 years or so, but that too has been badly affected by knee problems. I struggle to average much more than 180 now.

Never mind.

 

[steds]

Try dominoes

 

[luckyeddie]

Try dominoes

I'm not Jamaican

 

[PY]

That's dominoors. Different thing all together. Doobies are obligatory.

 

[luckyeddie]

That's dominoors. Different thing all together. Doobies are obligatory.

My mistake.

 

[luckyeddie]

The Saturday afternoon session started with the Scotch Doubles, a game where one player bowls the first ball of each frame and his partner has to throw at the spares. If the first player strikes, then the partner has to bowl the first ball in the next frame.

Europe pitted Stu Williams and Jens Nuckel against Mike Mullin and David Haynes.

The game was nip and tuck with neither side able to double until frame 6, when Williams followed Nickel's strike in frame 5 to give the Europeans the lead. Another strike in frame 7 consolidated the position and it looked as though Europe would run away with it until Stu punched a huge hole, leaving the 6-7-9 split, a truly difficult spare. Jens nailed it, and the Americans were unable to respond with Europe running out 202-196 victors.

Europe 4 USA 3

 

[Barney Rubble]

I've never been much good at cricket - I played for 30 years or so but that was love of the game. Only made 2 centuries in all that time. When I started getting injured I concentrated on tenpin for 10 years or so, but that too has been badly affected by knee problems. I struggle to average much more than 180 now.

Never mind.

I've only bowled once in the last 18 months (bowled a 148), but in the previous year before that I bowled a few frames a month with friends etc, and averaged about 140. Is that pretty good for a 16-year-old? You seem to know your stuff.

I should probably start bowling more regularly again actually, when I did bowl on a skiing trip with some mates earlier this year my 148 wiped the floor with them. Might ask my Uni flatmates if they fancy doing it soon.

 

[superkingdave]

lol the USA guy just got a manic spare

 

[luckyeddie]

An utterly incredible eighth game between European No 1 Paul Moor and Tony Manna Jr demonstrated just about everything that tenpin bowling has to offer.

Paul started with a messy strike on frame 1, the leftie only just getting the ball back to the pocket, but soon settled into his usual line down the outside of the lane. Tony Manna too found his strike line immediately and both men looked set for big scores. Tony missed the head pin on frame 3, put the pins were kind as the 1, 2 and 4 fell forwards leaving him a simple spare. Moor just continued striking until frame 5 when a solid 7 pin stopped his run.

Tony threw a four-bagger of his own between frames 5 and 8 and as both men went into the foundation (frame 9) Moor was just shading it. A horror shot by Paul Moor left him facing the 1-3-7 washout which he failed to convert, but just as Tony looked as though he was ready to take the game, he threw an awful shot himself to leave the 2-8-10, almost impossible for a right-hander.

Almost, but not quite. Manna skimmed the 2 pin over to the right where it flicked the 10, bounced out of the gutter and rolled across to trip out the 8 to convert the 1 in a 1000 spare. Paul Moor jusd edged the vital 10th frame and won the game by the narrowest margin, 234 to 233.

Europe 5 USA 3

 

[luckyeddie]

Game 9 saw more problems for Team USA as Tim Mack, suffering with his shoulder injury, was repeatedly unable to strike. His partner, Bill Hoffman, was unable to convert the 3-7-9 split on frame 3 as Europe, through Lintila and Leandersson, surged ahead. Mack and Hoffman managed to double on frames 4 and 5 but it was the European pair who put the game to bed with a 4-bagger to win 235 to 183.

This is not the Tim Mack I know, struggling as he is with a shoulder injury that is hampering his follow-through. It is important that he finds something soon as the lead is growing rapidly.

Europe 6 USA 3

 

[luckyeddie]

Game 10 featured the captains up against each other. Tomas found his ball breaking early as he left the 3-6-10 but he cleaned the spare without difficulty. Tim on the other hand threw a weak first ball and left the 1-2-4-6-10, but the American skipper brought the crowd to its feet by blowing the pins off the deck. It was suddenly Tomas under pressure, and an unconverted split left Team USA with a big advantage.

This game was as much about character as anything else. Tim Mack, rolling with a light ball, made fewer mistakes and found a much more consistent strike line. Leandersson, on the other hand, found the ball jumping all over the place as the lane dried out and big splits were the result. Tomas ended with an awful 159, a game that contained 4 open frames, whereas Tim Mack held his shot together and ran out the winner with a 210.

Europe 6 USA 4

 

[luckyeddie]

I've only bowled once in the last 18 months (bowled a 148), but in the previous year before that I bowled a few frames a month with friends etc, and averaged about 140. Is that pretty good for a 16-year-old? You seem to know your stuff.

I should probably start bowling more regularly again actually, when I did bowl on a skiing trip with some mates earlier this year my 148 wiped the floor with them. Might ask my Uni flatmates if they fancy doing it soon.

You'll probably find your university has a bowling club - in which case there might be some free (or cheap) instruction available. When I coached juniors there were some with averages as low as 50 and some as high as 190 - dependent upon age and experience, of course. A quick course of instruction from your local pro shop owner/coach will add 20 pins to your average no problem.

 

[luckyeddie]

Was yesterday's pattern of 'win 3 lose 3' to be repeated today? The next Scotch Doubles featured Stu Williams and Paul Moor against Mike Mullin and Tony Manna.

The Americans started hot with Mullin striking on frame 2 and Tony Manna following him home in frame 3 to give Team USA an early lead. Stu Williams, a bowler who absolutely detests dry lanes, left a nasty 4-6-7 split on frame 1, then when he left the 3-6-10 on frame 2, he seemed to be struggling to find any sort of a line. This game can change in an instant though, and Lady Luck threw him a lifeline in frame 3 when a high hit left 4 pins standing, then one by one they all fell over. Moor stepped up, doubled to Mike Mullin's washout and Europe suddenly found themselves in control.

Another poor shot, this time by Tony Manna who put his frame 6 ball straight through the nose, left the Americans needing to find a run of strikes from somewhere. A change of line as all the right-hand bowlers went deeper on the lane saw the Americans close the gap to just a spare, but when Paul Moor threw a strike on frame 10, Europe were certain to end the session in front.

Europe 7 USA 4

 

[luckyeddie]

The final game of the session was the Baker team game, the format where every bowler is called upon to roll in turn - and this was quite remarkable for the shots that were missed rather than made. It's worth bearing in mind that these games are played under intense television lights, and this causes the conditioner to dry out quickly. hen that happens, the lanes become increasingly difficult to bowl on.

Stu Williams and David Haynes managed strikes on frame 2, but then everyone's wheels seemed to fall off for a while. Paul Moor, Bill Hoffman and Tony Manna all contrived to miss single pins, but it was the splits that decided the game. Stu Williams left the 6-7-10 which he converted with some aplomb, but Jens Nickel and Lasse Lintila left themselves too much to do.

David Haynes and Bill Hoffman produced a double for Team USA in the second half of the game, but that was the best of a bad lot. When Tim Mack opened on frame 10, the Americans had managed a paltry 170 - but even that was too good for Europe who managed 154. All the players seemed relieved to just get off the lanes and lick their wounds before this evening's session.

Europe 7 USA 5

 

[Barney Rubble]

You'll probably find your university has a bowling club - in which case there might be some free (or cheap) instruction available. When I coached juniors there were some with averages as low as 50 and some as high as 190 - dependent upon age and experience, of course. A quick course of instruction from your local pro shop owner/coach will add 20 pins to your average no problem.

It does have a bowling club actually - one which I did actually pick up a flyer about joining, but never got around to following up, like many other things (including the Ultimate Frisbee Club - what was I thinking!?! ). Might have to give it a try.

 

[luckyeddie]

I can't cover any more tonight - want to watch the footy match. Hope you liked reading about the first dozen games.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

(including the Ultimate Frisbee Club - what was I thinking!?! ).

PY played Ultimate Frisbee.

*slander over*

 

[PY]

I'm enjoying the updates.

And you fish-face, shut it.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Suddenly Scrabble seems almost cool... oh by the way World Scrabble Championship in London next week.

 

[luckyeddie]

Suddenly Scrabble seems almost cool... oh by the way World Scrabble Championship in London next week.

The problem is, if a group of Geordies and Glenn McGrath played each other at Scrabble, they'd be out of 'F's after 4 turns each.