DOUBLES - Games 1-6 of 12 - Short Oil Pattern:
Squad 1
Finland set the pace after the first two games on the first of three squads of Doubles, the duo of Jaana Stromberg and Minna Makela hitting 851, 19 pins ahead of England's mum and daughter Pauline Buck and Jemma Smith. Birthday girl Christel Carlsson (pictured) and Nina Flack of Sweden were in third place.
Game four featured a strikefest from both Finland and Sweden with the Finns coming out on top, thanks to a fantastic 290 by Minna Makela (pictured with her final strike) and backed up with 232 by Stromberg for a new record 522 single game.
Smith and Buck dropped to fifth after the third game.
Finland total 1832 after four games, 120 pins ahead of Sweden.
After game five it was status quo with top positions and Makela had a fantastic run on 17 strikes from the second frame of the fourth game, spoiled by the 'big four' split in game five.
The Netherlands came into the picture by taking third place as Priscilla Maaswinkel and Jolanda Visser hit 466.
The final game saw the Finns slightly run out of steam, falling back with a lowly 363, but posting a six-game total of 2621 as the score to beat for six games and their fourth game 522 for a single game.
"We both like the short oil pattern," explained Stromberg, 35, from Helsinki, when the duo had managed to relax for a few moments. "But we're both happy on both the conditions set for this event. This is the first time we have ever bowled together so we are hoping that we have set a new record and that our score will stand and if we can hit six more good games on the long pattern tomorrow, be there for the gold medals."
Makela, 24, from Hameenlinna, was overjoyed with her performance. "Although I have bowled three perfect games in my career, this is the first time that I hit 17 strikes in a row," she happily stated. "We both enjoyed the experience very much."
"I did have a couple of problems with ball reaction at times," added Stromberg, "but I came through by trusting my coaches and having belief in myself."
The Swedish duo of Carlsson and Flack made up a bit of ground with a 431 in the final game of this first block and will have to make up 65 pins when they go into the next squad.
The Dutch duo of Maaswinkel and Visser held together with a 419 final game for third place.
There are two more squads to bowl in this short oil section and they progress to the long oil from Sunday evening.

Pic: Minna Makela and Jaana Stromberg

STANDINGS AFTER SQUAD 1 - SHORT OIL PATTERN

SQUAD 2:
Marylin Planchard and Isabelle Saldjian of France set off with a strong start to lead Squad 2, opening the first two games with 437 and 445 to hold a 14 pin lead over yet another strong Finnish pair, Reija Lunden and Piritta Kantola.
Danish sisters Mai Ginge Jensen and Anje Ginge Jensen,  yet another all-family duo, currently hold third place with 854.
A 480 from the Danish girls in game three took them to the top of the pile on 1334, demoting France to second place (1309) and Finland and Sweden's Diana Alfredsson and Malin Glendert to third, tied on 1247.
Game four saw Denmark still sitting in squad pole position with 1278, but Finland came up into second place (1722). 18 pins aback sit France with 1704.
If the two Danes can maintain this pace they will take over pole position overnight.
A disappointing fifth game of 387 by the Danes dropped them off the pace and they fall to second place in this squad as the only 500-plus in this squad, a 509, brought them up to 2205, 40 pins ahead of Denmark. The Finnish duo's 442 held them in third on 2164.
Just two teams managed to exceed 400 in the last game, France with 431 and Denmark, 421, but the Danes took back pole position for just this squad, their total still 35 pins off that target of 2621 set by Finland in Squad 1.
Mai Ginge Jensen, 22, from Hjorring, remarked: "I was a little nervous on this short condition so moving to the long on Monday will come as a new challenge. I hope we will do well then."
Sister Anje, 20, also from Hjorring, where she is a bowling center employee, agreed. "We can cope with both conditions but I must say that I prefer the long pattern. We had a very slow start today as I was also nervous in the beginning."
Both have been bowling well this year. Anje is currently fifth in the European Bowling tour rankings and was fifth in the Brunswick Aalborg International in Aalborg earlier this year. Mai took fourth spot in the Irish Open in Dublin. This is the first time that the pair have bowled as a doubles team in international competition.
Play has finished for the day and Squad 3 will take to the lanes Sunday morning at 10:00, local time. After that, Squad 1 return for their second six-game block which will be on the long oil pattern.
 

SQUAD 2 STANDINGS	Country	Sq	Game 1	Game 2	Game 3	Game 4	Game 5	Game 6	Pins	G	Ave	High
Ginge Jensen, Mai - Ginge Jensen, Anja	Denmark	2	371	483	480	444	387	421	2586	12	215.50	483
Lunden, Reija - Kantola, Piritta	Finland	2	464