8th July, Melbourne: Fiona Banks' victory in the Women's Masters event sealed England overall champions title of the 3rd Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship while George Frilingos gave Australia their second with the Men's Masters title.

England's Fiona took the Women's Gold after she defeated Jennifer Willis-Park of Canada, 199-233 and 202-222 for a 432-424 total pinfall victory. Willis-Park settled for the silver medal despite ousting Australia's Ann-Maree Putney, 213-210 in the first match to have a crack at the title.

The victory gave Banks her third Gold in the championship which also gave England the overall champion title with 4 Gold and 3 Silver medals. Banks had won the Women's Doubles Gold partnering Katie Jowsey and the Mixed Doubles Gold partnering Dominic Barrett.

Wendy Chai of Malaysia was unlucky when she missed out on the stepladder finals after finishing fourth in the earier second block finals. Laurey Phoney of Scotland and Caroline Lagrange of Canada took fifth and sixth positions respectively.

In the match between top-seed, George Frilingos of Australia and challenger, Mohd Noer Said of Malaysia, the Malaysian was on fire defeating his opponent, 211-178. In the second match, Noer was unable to repeat his striking form but encountered two unlucky splits to end the match 165 to Frilingos' 208. Noer's two-game total of 376 fell short by just 2 pins to the champion's 378.

The Malaysian settled for the silver medal despite ousting third-seed, Jon Zadel of England, 233-186 in the first stepladder match. Zadel took home the bronze medal for finishing third. Jason Waters of New Zealand missed the cut for the stepladder finals to finish fourth in the earlier 6-game second block finals.

Host nation, Australia finished second overall with 2 Gold, 3 Silver and 4 Bronze medal with Canada third on 1 Gold and 2 Silver medals. Malaysia came in fourth with 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze medal.

Photos by SIdney Tung, MTBC.

7th July, Melbourne: England's Doubles Gold medalist, Fiona Banks is set to take home her third Gold medal after finishing in the lead at the end of first block Women's Masters finals of the 3rd Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship.

Banks chalked up a total 1413 total winning all her six matchplay round-robin matches to stay ahead of Canada's Jennifer Willis-Park by 113 pins. A further 186 pins came Malaysia's Wendy Chai, who turned in a much improved performance this afternoon.

Another Canadian, Caroline Lagrange and Aussie Katie Jowsey rounded up top five in fourth and fifth positions on totals of 1209 and 1207 respectively. the leader was in great form firing lines of 213, 225, 246, 207, 258 and 204 to average 225.50.

Jennifer won four out of the six matches with lines of 227, 212, 226, 219, 181 and 195 while Chai, who had one poor game in her fourth but was able to maintain her average in the rest with lines of 197, 213, 200, 165, 200 and 212 wining out of her six matches.

Meanwhile, Australia's George Frilingos grabbed the lead of the first block in the men's division with a total of 1461 winning all but one match. Doubles Gold medalist, Mohd Noer Said put in a spirited display to finish second with 1357 and winning all his six matches.

If not for Frilingos' third and fifth high games of 269 and 268, the Malaysian would have been a lot more closer but instead trailed the Aussie by 104 pins. The surprise was Malta's Ray Fazlon Reale finishing third with 1311 despite only winning two matches.

Canada's George Lambert IV settled for fourth just 8 pins adrift with 1303. The women and men will continue their second block of 6 games over the long oil condition. The top 3 from both division will make the cut for the stepladder finals. For detailed scores and information, please visit http://www.tenpin.org.au/2006ctbc.

Photos by Sidney Tung, MTBC.

6th July, Melbourne: Canada finally captured their first Gold medal in the 3rd Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship by winning the Mixed Team event with Australia and England taking home the Silver and Bronze medal.

Singles Silver medalist, Caroline Lagrange led teammates, George Lambert, Jonathan Simoneau and Jennifer Willis-Park to triumph in the Mixed Team of 4 event with a total of 4969 and a comfortable 117 pins ahead of their nearest opponent.

The Canadians, who led the first block of 3 games by just 12 pins with lines of 793, 819 and 889, lost their lead briefly at the start of the second block with a lowly 732. But the quartet fought back galantly with 864 and 878 in the last two games to pull away for the victory.

Host nation, Australia had to settle for the silver medal with 4852. George Frilingos, Glen Loader, Tracy Madden and Ann-Marie Putney downed 818, 703, 847, 803, 875 and 806 to edge the English foursome of Fiona Banks, Dominic Barrett, Katie Jowsey and Jon Zadel for second spot 34 pins ahead.

England leads the Overall Medal tally with 3 Gold and 2 Bronze medals with Australia in second with 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 3 Bronze medals. Canada's win in the Mixed Team moved them up to third with 1 Gold and 1 Bronze medal.

The top 12 men and women will bowl two blocks of matchplay round-robin finals over 12 games on the 7th and 8th July. The top 3 at the end of the 12 games will make the cut for the stepladder finals. For detailed scores and information, please visit http://www.tenpin.org.au/2006ctbc.

Photos by Sidney Tung, MTBC.

5th July, Melbourne: Dominic Barrett and Fiona Banks edged two Australia pairs to win the Mixed Doubles of the 3rd Commonweath Tenpin Bowling Championship to give England their third God medal at Oz Tenpin Bowlong Centre.

The Doubles Gold medalist, Fiona Banks, teaming up Dominic Barrett overtook Squad A leader, George Frilingos and Ann-Maree Putney of Australia edged the Aussies for the win with 2675. Barrett, an accountant by profession, set a new individual 6-game record of 1472 erasing the old record of 1456 set by fellow-countryman, Nick Froggatt in 2002.

"The lanes are getting better with the long oil pattern today. I was very confident right from my first game," said the beaming Barrett. He had lines of 268, 226, 243, 267, 231 and 237 helping teammate Banks who could only manage 1203.

Squad A leader George Frillgos and Ann-Maree Putney had to settle for Silver with 2618 while the other Australian pair of Glen Loader and Tracy Madden took the bronze with 2611. Canada's Jonathan Simoneau and Jennifer Willis-Park, who was second in Squad A ended up in fourth.

Wendy Chai teaming up with Doubles Gold medalist, Isaac Russell bowling was third in Squad A with 2540, but slipped to fifth at the conclusion of Squad B with the scores combined. Choy Poh Lai and Mohd Noer Said bowling in Squad B looked promising after first 3 games but could not maintain their pace too finishing sixth overall with 2523. For detailed scores and information, please visit http://www.tenpin.org.au/2006ctbc.

Photos by Sidney Tung, MTBC.

4th July, Melbourne: Championship debutants Mohd Noer Said and Isaac Russell put up a brilliant fight back in the last two games to snatch the Men's Doubles Gold Medal of the 3rd Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship from host Australia on Day 2 at Oz Tenpin Bowl.

The Malaysian pair started off poorly as the men took to the lanes for their doubles event over the short oil condition and was fifth behind pace-setter, George Lambert and Jonathan Simoneau of Canada in the lead and George Frilingos and Glen Loader of Australia second.

A strong 459 from Mohd Noer and Isaac Russell of Malaysia took them to the top of the pack with England's Dominic Barrett and Singles Gold medalist, Jon Zadel second and the Canadians third, just 5 pins separating each team.

Two disasterous third and fourth game saw the Malaysia duo thumbling down the field whie the English and home team, Australia surging ahead to take over the lead past the halfway mark. The champion fought on galantly in the final two games with 490 and 479 to seal the victory with 2546 to give

Malaysia their first Gold in the championship. Australia were able to maintain their momentum to claim the silver meal with 2519 from the strong finishing pair of Craig Nevatt and Jason Waters of New Zealand share the bronze medal with England on 2463.

"I was struggling with the short oil condition at the beginning but after a poor 169 in the fourth game, my coach told me to try out another ball and it worked," said the delighted Isaac after the medal presentation interview.

Meanwhile, Fiona Banks and Katie Jowsey gave England their second Gold when the duo triumphed in the Women's Doubles event. Lying third after the second game, the English pair stepped up their pace with two identical 435 games to take a comfortable lead of 120 pins after the fourth game.

Banks and Jowsey wrapped up their efforts with a strong 449 in the final game to cap another good day winning the gold medal with 2419. Malta's Sue Abela and Melissa Anastasi stromed home to earn the silver medal with 2349 while Australia's Ann-Maree Putney and Tracey Madden settled for the bronze with 2286.

After two events, Singles Gold medalist, Ann-Maree Putney is a comfortable 74 pin leader in the Women's All Events standings with 2505 with Doubles

Gold medalist, Katie Jowsey and Fiona Banks second and third with 2431 and 2399 respectively.

George Frilingos also lead the men's standings for Australia with 2571 but with Doubles Gold medalist, Mohd Noer Said of Malaysia in a close second with 2542 and George Lambert of Canada third with 2501. For detailed scores and information, please visit http://www.tenpin.org.au/2006ctbc.

Photos by Sidney Tung, MTBC.

3rd July, Melbourne: Season campaigner, Ann-Maree Putney and Jon Zadel gave Australia and England a superb start in the 3rd Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship with victory in the Women's and Men's Singles event.

When the women took to the lanes for their 6-game singles over the long oil condition, debutant, Ivena Heald of New Zealand set a cracking pace with a score of 239 to take a 30-pin lead. Heald was forced to share the lead after the second game with England's Fiona Banks as both totaled 421.

But it was the experience of the previous Commonwealth Championship Singles Gold medalist, Ann-Maree Putney of Australia that prevailed after posting two successive high games of 235 and 258 to take over the lead past the halfway mark.

With the final game to play, Putney had a eleven pin margin over Malaysia's Choy Poh Lai putting in her claim for the gold. The 36-year-old from Newcastle brought home a 233 in front of a strong crowd of supporters to give Australia their first Gold medal with a total of 1323.

Canada's Caroline Lagrange stormed home to pip the Malaysian by 9 pin to clinch the silver medal with 1289 while Choy Poh Lai settled for the bronze medal with 1280. Early pace-setter, Ivena Heald dropped to fifth with 1215 behind Canada's Jennifer Willis-Park, who finished fourth with 1231.

Earlier in the day, Jon Zadel of England snatched the Men's Singles Gold medal with 1314 from pace-setter, Sonith Lockhart of the Bahamas. Lying midfield in the first three games, the English debutant picked up his pace with 235, 244 and 215 in the final series to give England their fist Gold medal.

"I feel fantastic winning the Singles Gold here," said Jon Zadel, a member of Team England that won the European Championships' Team Gold 2001 at the age 21. "This is my first-ever trip to Australia, and it's great that I'm able to do well here."

Lockhart settled for the silver medal with 1253, 33 pins pins adrift the champion while local hopeful, George Frilingos of Australia claimed the bronze medal with 1247, just 1 pin ahead of Canada's George Lambert on 1246. For detailed scores and information, please visit http://www.tenpin.org.au/2006ctbc.

Photos by Sidney Tung, MTBC.