18th August, Bangkok: Two bronze medallist, Nur Irdina Bte Hazly of Singapore B led two Team A compatriots, Rachel Ong Yan Zhen and Lim Shi En to occupy the top three positions of the 21st MWA Asian Junior Tenpin Bowling Championships Girl's Masters finals first block.

Singles gold and two bronze medallist, Ashley Victoria Lok got off the block with a win against team-mate, and leader Nur Irdina 238-149 in the opening match to lead Kondoh Mao of Japan, who beat sole Tainwanese finalist, 215-174.

Singapore Team A's Lim Shi En took her first win in the second match with a stunning 278 from a draw in her first to immediately moved into the lead. Lok dropped to second despite winning her second match with a respectable 224.

Both Lim and Lok shared the lead despite losing their third matches as All-Events champion, Ramita Sarntong of Thailand moved up into third with an impressive wins in the second and third matches.

Lim firmed up her lead after bouncing back with a win in the fourth match. A third Singaporean, Rachel Ong won her last two matches with 234 and 253 to take up second and trailing Lim by just two pins.

Nur Irdina, who was mid-table, won her fifth match with sizzling 279 to take over the running. Lim trailed in second, seven pins adrift. The new leader then won all her remaining matches with 238, 224 and 221 to end the block in the lead with 1811, winning a total of seven matches.

Ong won a total of five matches for a total of 1775 to clinch second spot while Lim settled for third spot with 1702 from five wins and a draw. Sarntong ended in fourth with 1701 with seven wins and a draw.

The best Japanese, Mao rounded out the top five with 1670 from just four wins. The girls will resume with their second block tomorrow morning. The top 3, based on their total will advance to the stepladder shootout finals. The top 16 boys finalists will contest their first block of eight matches after lane maintenance.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok, Thailand.