Nobody can complain about the quality of the bowling in the finale of the 2010 Bowltech Aalborg International.

With four nations represented in the semis and some spectacular shots, it was well worth sticking with, and for those lucky enough, watching the web streaming.

All three matches were total pinfall over two games and perhaps the most interesting was that between Denmark's Jesper Agerbo and Petteri Salonen of Finland.

Agerbo suffered six splits in his first game and unbelievably converted five of them. Great stuff, but it he had converted all six he would have made the final. As it was, he tied with Salonen on 404 over the two games and had to have a one-shot play-off. Salonen won that, 6-7, so advanced to the final.

The other semi, between Dominic Barrett of England and Norway's Mads Sandbaekken was a little more decisive in favour of the Englishman. Barrett won, 440-413.

Critics proclaimed the first game of the final between Barrett and Salonen to be pretty boring. After the first game, Salonen led 204-201, but the match came alive from then on.

Both opened with strikes in the second game, then Salonen had a 5-washout in the second frame. Barrett then threw seven strikes and Salonen six. That game ended 259-241 in Barrett's favour and total pinfalls of 460-445.

The critics were silenced.

"I started off this tournament pretty well, then became a little lost," said Barrett after the final. "Mentally I'm not quite there and focused in the middle of the week. Come Sunday, it's different. I woke up this morning feeling good, played consistently well all day, needed to know what I had to do and did it. I struggled with the long pattern all week. The short was easy, but it was easy for everyone.

"I can understand that the first game of the final was boring to watch. In fact, it was boring to play in. It was difficult to hit a double. It happens quite often with the dual conditin, you get one lane and lose the other. Salonen did exactly the same.

"The last game must have been pretty good for everyone as we both figured out how to strike. I managed to do what I had to do and stayed focused, tthought positive and didn't put myself under pressure. I feel that I can do that a large percentage of the time now."

Next for Barrett will be the European Bowling Tour Masters, featuring the top 16 men and 16 women from the 2009 EBT rankings. That takes place on these Lovvang Bowling Centre lanes tomorrow and Tuesday.