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41st QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup Page 1 | 2 | 3| Previous stories...
Two worthy champions, Barnes and Schmidt

19th November, Ljubljana: Lynda Barnes of Texas, USA and Michael Schmidt of Winnipeg, Canada were two worthy champions of the 41st QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup which concluded Sunday after a week of fantastic bowling.

41st AMF World Cup logo


Fiona Banks of England did pretty well to face up against the onslaught of Lynda Barnes of USA. The American opened up both games with four in a row and that was enough to make any opponent run away and hide.

Nevertheless Fiona fought on gamely but couldn't put the strikes together that she desperately needed whilst Lynda somehow felled lazy 10-pins she perhaps did not deserve.

The champion took the first game, 230-197 to go one up and followed it up with 219-188 in the second and a two to nothing ending. The only spares that Lynda missed were splits, suffering an 8-10 in the seventh frame of the first game, then a 2-10 in the fifth of the second and a 4-7-10 in the ninth.


Champion - Barnes
Deserving champion, Lynda Barnes of USA

The men's final was indeed, a finale to remember. Israel versus Canada is unique enough, but the bowling was fantastic, just the occasional spare in a string of strikes causing the eventual outcome.

A 2-10 split in the sixth frame of the first game cost Or Aviram that game, 200-211 and a 4-9 in the second game for Michael Schmidt, 205-233. The Israeli left the 4-9 in the tenth frame of the last game, picked it up, but it didn't win him the match as the champion ended with three strikes from the seventh then nine-spare in the tenth with a strike as the fill ball taking the game 216-214 and the match, two games to one.

Game and match over and the strains of 'O Canada' being played for the champion at the presentation ceremony.

Champion - Schmidt
Newly-crowned champion, Michael Schmidt


When asked how this win ranked among all her other titles, she said: "This is really special. I played the World Cup in Belfast in 1996, so I've had a 10-year build up to this. It means I can take my bowling shoes off!" The bowling shoes will not be coming off just yet: Lynda will be bowling in her coffee morning league on Wednesday!

So, for the fourth consecutive year, a north American takes the Bowling World Cup trophy and the third time it has gone to the United States in that period. This is the eighth United States ladies' victory in the World Cup's history.

Story by Keith Hale, Bowlers' Journal International and photos by Hiro Noda of Japan.

Canadian marches on to the finals

20th November, Ljubljana: Top seed, Michael Schmidt of Canada once again notched up another scintillating display of power play to cruise into the finals of the 41st QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup to set up an encounter with Or Aviram of Israel.

41st AMF World Cup logo


The lefty, Gery Verbruggen of Belgium versus righty, Michael Schmidt show went down to the wire but some fierce gum chewing by the Canadian saw him once again strike out in the tenth frame to notch the first game on his gun holster, 211-189.

Top honors went to the Canadian after taking the second game, 214-197 for a two-nil win and the final is now set as Canada versus Israel, a very intriguing encounter. Canada's last World Cup title was in Hamburg in 1972 when Ray Mitchell beat Filipino Loreto Maranan in the championship match.

No Israeli bowler has previously reached the final so Aviram will be looking forward to creating history if he can mount his attack on the burly Canadian.


Michael Schmidt
Michael Schmidt notching up another scintilatting display


In the first semifinal match, Badr Al Sheikh of Saudi Arabia was 24 pins ahead in the eighth frame and then missed a single pin in the ninth to open the door for Aviram, who was working on a double and needed two more strikes and pins to win the first game, 206-196.

But Badr struck out whilst Aviram spared, so advantage Saudi Arabia, 1-0. Roles reversed in the second game as the Israelist hit five strikes in a row whilst Badr suffered open frames to end the game, 148-225 for a third game decider.

Although Badr had five strikes in a row, it wasn't good enough to take him into the men's final as Aviram hit a turkey, a doubles and then finished with four, just needing to mark in the tenth frame.


Or Aviram
Or Aviram, the first Israeli to reach the finals


Story by Keith Hale, Bowlers' Journal International and photos by Hiro Noda of Japan.

American champion storms into finals

20th November, Ljubljana: American champion, Lynda Barnes stormed into the ladies' finals of the 41st QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup to to face challenger, Fiona Banks of England after comfortably winning their semifinal matches.

41st AMF World Cup logo


Lynda of Texas, USA certainly came out with all guns blazing, hitting 278 in the opening game of this second semifinal, the highest game so far from the quarterfinals. Currently, Lynda shares the ladies' high game with Helen Johnsson of Sweden, both scoring 299 and both leaving the 10-pin on the final shot.

Luckily, it was games won, not total pinfall, so Wendy Chai of Malaysia had to get her act together to win the next two games. Chai must have been thinking to herself - for the sake of two pins. The slim Malaysian held off Lynda's charge in the second and final game but came up short of a win by three pins so has to settle for a bronze medal position.

Lynda advanced into the finals to face a thougher opposition and winner of the first semifinal match, Fiona Banks of England after knocking out Chai, two games to nothing.


Lynda Barnes
Barnes blazing the lanes with a 278 opener


Spares more than strikes were the feature of the opening game between Banks and Ann Lousie Haugen of Norway, although both managed a double which brought the scores up.

Fiona looked the more confident player, but things could have changed as they both settle into this early morning encounter. Consistent bowling from both but advantage Fiona and a comfortable two-nil win to book her place in the final.

It has been three years since an English woman contested the World Cup final. Gemma Burden won the title in 1995 in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Nikki (Harvey) Woods was runner-up to Shannon Pluhowsky of the United States in Riga, Latvia in 2002.


Fiona Banks
Fiona Banks to meet the favorite, Barnes in the finals


Story by Keith Hale, Bowlers' Journal International and photos by Hiro Noda of Japan.

Contents
Information
Schedule
Previous C'ships
Past Winners
Participants
Detailed Scores
Women's First Blk
Men's First Blk
Women's Second Blk
Men's Second Blk
Women's Third Blk
Men's Third Blk
Women's Fourth Blk
Men's Fourth Blk
Women's Top 24
Men's Top 24
Women's Quarterfinals
Men's Quarterfinals
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