MEN ROUND TWO

"No, I didn't change the lane conditioning pattern today," stated tournament director Neil Dent, asked if he'd doctored anything as the scores of round two jumped a few notches over the standards of the last couple of days. The question was prompted after Goran Otterdahl of Sweden opened the squad with a 299, leaving the 10-pin with his last ball, but setting a new record for not only the high game of this tournament, but for all eight Malta Senior Opens.

There was another chance of a perfecto in the second game when Owe Hermann strung ten strikes, but the pressure of a silent bowling center whilst he rolled his eleventh ball was too much and he left the 1-2-4-10 'washout'.

Then along came Jack Smith of England, hitting the first ten in the fourth game, but a stubborn 9-pin robbed him of that elusive 300, ending with 289.

The lanes were certainly scoring higher today, but the better bowlers are now performing and a bit of sunshine after a few overcast days has cut down the humidity.

When the dust of battle had settled and the group reduced by the cut to 36, veteran Torbjorn Halling of Boras, Sweden (pictured) was still the frontrunner, holding a 43-point buffer over second-placed Owe Hermann, with Stewart Meadus of England in third place.

The cut to 36th place was a 3131 tie between Erich Behrends of Germany and England's Keith Hodge. The tie rule is for the highest last game, including bonus points, to go through and it was Behrends who squeezed through by a single point, 214-213.

Four players progressed from the 37-72 group to play in the top 36, Kalle Gaiser, Terry Bowler, Robin Skinner and Erich Behrends.

This elite group advance to Round Three at 16:30. Currently the lanes are occupied by the top 36 ladies, bowling four games before the field is cut to 18.

MEN - 1 - 72 - CUT TO 36:

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For further information, contact Keith Hale: keithhale679@aol.com