ENGLAND TO THE FORE
Top bowlers as Squad 'E'  took to the lanes for their first block of six qualifying games this afternoon were both from England. Ron Oldfield, 63, from Sheffield (pictured, left) set a new high for six games, outpacing the 1325 hit by Sweden's  Karlsson on Squad 'A' Wednesday morning, and Brenda Pratt from Burton-on-Trent led the squad with 1243, but that score comes second to the 1258 set by local heroine Doris Camilleri late last night.

Oldfield, receiving seven points per game age bonus, averaged 218.17 scratch over his first six games and is confident of challenging the lead when he plays his second block tomorrow. This is his third challenge for glory in the Malta Senior Open, placing eleventh and fourth in previous attempts. That fourth place will forever remain in his memory as he only needed a spare in the tenth frame in his opening stepladder match against Sweden's Sonny Olsson but left and missed the 3-10 baby split. He has the amazing record of having won 17 of the 19 senior tournaments that he has entered over the past two years, with the Senior Irish Open notched to his belt recently. "To me, the Malta Senior Open is the toughest of the lot," he joked.

Brenda Pratt, 64, (pictured in the fast lane), has a 100 per cent record for Malta Senior Open entries and has a high finish of fourth place, achieved in 2003. She, too, has just clinched an Irish Senior Open title at Tallaght Bowl in Dublin. "I really like Malta," she commented. "But it is a small island and I think I've seen it all now."

This squad will return to the SuperBowl lanes Friday at 16:00 for their second block. In the meantime, Squad 'A' will return for their second block and then the last newcomers as 'F' Squad will hit their first six.

CURRENT STANDINGS: