9th May, Doncaster: German veteran Jens Nickel was crowned 2005 Pokermillion.com World Tenpin Masters champion as he put in a superb second game performance to take the title from local hero Paul Moor by a huge 96 pin margin.

Eight successive strikes were enough to put sufficient distance between himself and Moor and the 40 year-old from Bremen fought back the tears as he closed out the match to take the US $30,000 top prize.

Egged on by an enthusiastic capacity crowd, Nickel performed at the peak of his ability when he needed it the most - a mark of a true champion. For Moor it was a disappointing finish following some stunning wins in the earlier rounds but he struggled in the second game as he delivered his worst score of the tournament.

Both players started the match well and it was nip and tuck through the first game as they matched each other. Moor eventually carried a 5 pin lead to the halfway stage but it would have been bigger but for a nasty 7-10 split in the final frame.

Nickel opened the second half of the match with a strike and for the first time in the tournament Moor was under pressure. Further strikes from Nickel increased his lead and a 6-7 split for Moor in the sixth frame gave the Yorkshireman a huge uphill battle to fight.

The German, though had found his mark and strikes in the seventh and eighth sealed Moor's fate. Choking with emotion, Nickel attempted the maximum but with victory in the bag he ran out of steam. This was Nickel’s second appearance in the Masters following a first round exit in 2000, and following his success he looks a sure bet for Team Europe when the Weber Cup takes place later in the year.

Afterwards he was clearly enjoying every minute of his success; "It's not about the money, it's about playing in front of a fantastic crowd and having fun because when you get to bowl in this environment you must always have fun.

"Paul is a fantastic player and he was so consistent and hard to beat. He played well throughout the championship and was a real credit. The fans here though were a big part of my success and hopefully, I'll be back next year to defend my title."

For Moor it was a disappointing final but the contribution he made to the tournament was immense and a runners-up cheque for US$10,000 was just reward for his efforts.

In the semifinals, giant killer Paul Moor of Hull continued to build up his collection of big name scalps as he sent defending champion Tore Torgersen of Denmark crashing out at the semifinal stage.

In the second semifinal Bremen-based German international Jens Nickel pulled away in the second game to record a huge 90 pin victory over Australia's Jason Belmonte, who was shaping up to the player of the tournament.

Nickel nosed in front in the first game but with everything to play for he found his form and scored strike after strike to widen the gap. Belmonte by contrast, fell apart as a succession of splits and open frames were his downfall.

Photos courtesy of Matchroom.com.

8th May, Doncaster: Paul Moor kept up his relentless effort to give his hometown fans hopes in the Pokermillion.com World Tenpin Masters by moving into the semifinals defeating South Africa's Guy Caminsky.

The southpaw from Hull, who is making his debut in the finals, set a scorching pace to post 248 and 247 to overshadow his opponent, Guy Caminsky of South Africa winning by a comfortabe margin of 100 pins. Caminsky could only manage 195 and 200 going down, 395-495 two game aggregate.

Moor, 26, has set his sights on the title as he seems to have an advantage over the left-hand side of the lanes but his biggest challenge would be when he meets defending champion, Tore Torgersen in the semifinals.

"I'm used to playing under that sort of pressure but the big difference is the set-up and the crowd. I'm trying to concentrate on my game and block the rest out.."

"The next match is a tough against Tore Torgersen but I've got to approach as I've approached the others and play my own game and not let him affect me."

Perfect game scorer, Jason Belmonte of Australia, continued where he left off Saturday with games of 253 and 244 on a blistering pace and at the expense of Swede, Tomas Leandersen, despite posting 234 and 210 in his two games.

The unauthordox two-handed delivery style went down the lanes fast and generated high revs and hooking to give the Aussie the strikes he needed to win both the games. Belmonte took up a semifinal berth and will meet Germany's Jans Nickel.

In the first quarterfinal match, three-times champion, Tore Torgersen of Norway had to work hard for his place in the semifinal after he ousted reigning World Cup champion, Kai Virtanen of Finland, 422-391. Virtanen was trailing Torgersen with ittle seperating both the bowlers but eventually, Torgersen's vast experience in the finals that gave him the win.

The last quarterfinal match saw the German, Jens Nickel fighting back galantly after loosing the first game, 203-222 with 228 against England's Phil Scammell's 181 in the second game.

Paul Moor will meet the vastly experienced Tore Torgersen in the first semifinal match while Aussie, Jaso Belmonte will face Jens Nickel in the other semifinal.

Photos courtesy of Keith Hale, Bowlers Journal.

7th May, Doncaster: Jason Belmonte of Australia shot the first-ever perfect game in the eight-year history of the Pokermillion.com World Tenpin Masters to defeat 2001 champion, Shalin Zulkifli by just 23 pins.

The unauthodorx Belmonte, who delivers the ball with two hands, strung together 12 consecutive strikes at the Adwick Leisure Center in Doncaster to take a comfortable 98-pin lead in the first game.

But the crowd came to live when Shalin Zulkifli of Malaysia started striking to put pressure onto her opponent. Belmonte wilted and could only have two spres and an open frame in the third. After ten strikes from the Malaysian, the match was evened up until a stubborn pin 10 ended her charge making yet another early exit in the finals.

"That's my 20th 300-game but I've had plenty more 298's and 299's than 300's so you never know until that last strike goes down. I was very nervous at the end because I know anything can happen and luck can come into it.

"Shalin never gave up though. She's the kind of bowler that when she needs strikes, she gets them and she was so aggressive in that second game.

Meanwhile, n the first match of the second session, Guy Caminsky of Durban, South Africa, came from behind to secure a quarterfinal berth as he overturned a 24-pin first game deficit to oust Denmark's Britt Bröndsted, the 2004 European women's ranking champion.

The 23 year-old from Copenhagen, started the stronger, reeling off six strikes in a row to help her on her way to a 256 first game. Caminsky struggled in the early stages but picked up some strikes to stay in touch with Bröndsted. The Dane though lost her way in the second game as Caminsky held firm to close out the match.

The final match of the session was a comparatively low scoring affair as Masters veteran Tomas Leandersson of Sweden edged out the Philippines Liza del Rosario by a 13-pin margin.

Neither player was at the top of their respective games but it was Leandersson who got the nod courtesy of his greater strike rate. Germany’s Jens Nickel comfortably booked his spot in the last eight of the 2005 Pokermilion.com World Tenpin Masters as he comfortably got the better of Caroline Lagrange of Canada by a 58 pin margin at the Adwick Leisure Centre, Doncaster.

Lagrange’s exit means that all six female competitors in the Masters have fallen at the first hurdle and it was Nickel’s power game that told in their encounter.

There was a shocking ending to the final first round match as England’s Phil Scammell eliminated former Masters champion Tim Mack in a match that went down to the last throw. That throw came from Mack and needing just nine pins to win the match and eight to draw, he managed to knock down only seven to hand it on a plate to Scammell by a single point.

It was a low scoring encounter as both players struggled to get to grips with the lane conditions and at the half way stage Scammell lead 156-134, the lowest aggregate of the tournament to date.

Photos courtesy of Mr Lawrence Lustig.

6th May, Doncaster: Reigning World Cup champion, Kai Virtanen of Finland, took an easy win over British hopeful, Zara Glover as the Pokermillion.com World Tenpin Masters 2005 got underway at Adwick Leisure Center in Doncaster, England.

The first two matches played on Friday saw two England's top female bowler, Zara Glover and Lisa Gardner bowing out of the tournament in the first round. Virtanen, the World Tenpin Masters debutant set the lanes on fire stringing together seven consecutive strikes in the second game for a 69-pin over Glover.

The Finn won the first match 226-192 to build up a 34-pin lead his opponent. Glover, the triple Gold medalist at the 2003 World Championship, despite fighting on gamely, could not hold the Finn's devastating form loosing the second match, 225-254.

Lisa Gardner of Newbury also struggled to settle her nerves and went down to defending champion, Tore Torgersen of Norway 373-489 after the ex-PBA posted 248 and 241 in the two-game round.

England, however had their hero Paul Moor revived their hopes as the 26 year-old knocked out 2004 Qatar Open champion, Remy Ong of Singapore 450-421. Moor narrowly lost the first match 244-258 but Ong could not maintain the momentum from the first game and gave away the second match to Moor 163-206.

The World Tenpin Masters is organised by Matchroom Sports, a British TV production company which invited 16 of the world's top amateur bowlers from 13 countries to contest for the top prize of US$30,000. The knock-out format of play is held over three days with each macth being decided on a two game aggregate.

The whole series is taped into 15 one-hour shows and distributed in England and worldwide through Sky Sports.