Compiling a 7-1 match play record and averaging 241.5, Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., surged into the lead after the first round of match play in the Rolltech PBA World Championship Saturday at the National Bowling Stadium.

The four-time Tour winner, with two wins this season including the Bowlmor AMF U.S. Open for his first major, had games of 237, 244, 250, 238, 259, 241, 217, 246 in the first match play round.

“This is the highest block I’ve had all week which has really been a boost for my confidence," said Ciminelli. “I just kept getting more and more comfortable and everything just fell into place. I need to keep riding the wave for another day.

“To win seven matches tonight was really phenomenal,” he added. “I was able to score well and win matches which is always a bonus. Going forward I think it’s going to be all about winning matches. I don’t think I’ll need to average 240, just string strikes when I can and stay in the matches.”

Overall, after 50 games, which included the qualifying rounds of the PBA animal pattern tournaments in the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VII presented by Silver Legacy, and today’s six game cashers’ round on the World Championship lane condition earlier in the day, Ciminelli led with an 11,730 overall pinfall total including bonus pins. Bowling on five different PBA lane conditions – Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon, Scorpion and World Championship – he’s averaging 230.4.

“This is the most consistent I’ve been,” Ciminelli said. “It seems like my experience in the World Series has been all or nothing, but coming in here with two wins including my first major, my confidence is still fresh.”

Trailing Ciminelli was 2013 PBA Rookie of the Year E.J. Tackett of Huntington, Ind., in second with 11,558 pins and a 5-3 match play record. One-time Tour winner, Stuart Williams of England, dropped to third after holding the lead after the cashers’ round, going 4-4 in match play and finishing with a 11,515 pinfall. Rounding out the top five were Gary Faulkner Jr. of Memphis, Tenn., 6-2, and 11,471 pins and Jakob Butturff of Chandler, Ariz., who had an excellent round going 7-1 in match play and finishing with 11,449 pins.

Dom Barrett of England, who won the World Championship in October of 2013 and is the lone past champion making the top 24, finished with 11,218 moving from 22nd to 11th with the help of a 5-3 match play record.

Seven countries are represented in World Championship match play which include England, Sweden, Canada, Denmark, Colombia, Australia and the U.S.

The 24 match play finalists will return Sunday for two more eight-game rounds at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT which will determine the top five players for the live World Championship finals to be telecast Thursday on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT).

All qualifying and match play rounds of the WSOB are being covered live, exclusively by PBA’s online video streaming service, Xtra Frame. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link. Real-time results also will be posted on pba.com under its “live scoring” link.

ROLLTECH PBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Saturday

MATCH PLAY ROUND ONE (includes match play record and 50-game pinfall totals including bonus pins)

1, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 7-1, 11,730.
2, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 5-3, 11,558.
3, Stuart Williams, England, 4-4, 11,515.
4, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 6-2, 11,471.
5, Jakob Butturff, Chandler, Ariz., 7-1, 11,449.
6, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 6-2, 11,443.
7 (tie), Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 4-4, and Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 5-3, 11,401.
9, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 4-4, 11,385.
10, Matthew McNiel, Prior Lake, Minn., 5-3, 11,256.
11, Dom Barrett, England, 5-3, 11,218.
12, Patrick Girard, Canada, 3-5, 11,204.
13, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 3-5, 11,189.
14, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 2-6, 11,184.
15, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3-5, 11,175.
16, Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas, 4-4, 11,158.
17, Paul Moor, England, 4-4, 11,153.
18, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1-7, 11,113.
19, Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 4-4, 11,073.
20, J.R. Raymond, Bay City, Mich., 3-4-1, 11,072.
21, Ryan Graywacz, Feeding Hills, Mass., 2-6, 11,013.
22, Sam Cooley, Australia, 2-5-1, 10,992.
23, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 3-5, 10,915.
24, n-Warren Crawford, McKinleyville, Calif., 3-5, 10,866.

CASHERS’ ROUND RESULTS (after 42 games)

1, Stuart Williams, England, 9,719.
2, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 9,641.
3, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 9,588.
4, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 9,505.
5, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 9,488.
6, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 9,486.
7, Patrick Girard, Canada, 9,472.
8, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 9,468.
9, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 9,431.
10, Jakob Butturff, Chandler, Ariz., 9,426.
11, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 9,403.
12, Paul Moor, England, 9,401.
13, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 9,395.
14, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 9,386.
15, Ryan Graywacz, Feeding Hills, Mass., 9,380.
16, Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas, 9,379.
17, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 9,375.
18, Sam Cooley, Australia, 9,369.
19, J.R. Raymond, Bay City, Mich., 9,352.
20, Matthew McNiel, Prior Lake, Minn., 9,340.
21, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 9,320.
22, Dom Barrett, England, 9,307.
23, Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 9,276.
24, n-Warren Crawford, McKinleyville, Calif., 9,275.

Did not advance
25, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 9,272, $4,000.
26, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 9,262, $3,800.
27, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 9,247, $3,800.
28, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 9,244, $3,600.
29, Ronnie Sparks Jr., Ecorse, Mich., 9,243, $3,500.
30, n-Matt Gasn, Laurel, Md., 9,242, $3,400.
31, Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 9,209, $3,300.
32, B.J. Moore III, Apex, N.C., 9,186, $3,200.
33, Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., 9,182, $3,100.
34, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 9,180, $3,000.
35, Kim Bolleby, Thailand, 9,147, $2,900.
36, John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 9,144, $2,900.
37, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 9,124, $2,700.
38, Tobias Boerding, Germany, 9,123, $2,600.
39, Joseph Hostetler, Louisville, Ohio, 9,120, $2,500.
40, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 9,119, $2,400.
41, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 9,107, $2,400.
42, Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 9,106, $2,200.
43, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 9,094, $2,150.
44, Markus Jansson, Sweden, 9,091, $2,100.
45, Joonas Jehkinen, Finland, 9,084, $2,050.
46, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 9,073, $2,000.
47, n-Zeke Bayt, Henderson, Nev., 9,069, $2,050.
48, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 9,065, $1,910.
49, Pascal Winternheimer, Germany, 9,062, $1,890.
50, T.J. Schmidt, Mishawaka, Ind., 9,051, $1,870.
51, Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, 9,044, $1,850.
52, Nathan Bohr, Austin, Texas, 9,036, $1,830.
53, Manuel Otalora, Colombia, 9,035, $1,910.
54, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 9,010, $1,790.
55, Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., 8,989, $1,770.
56, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 8,968, $1,750.
57, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 8,967, $1,730.
58, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 8,966, $1,710.
59, n-Adam Barta, Girard, Ohio, 8,917, $1,790.
60, Magnus Johnson Jr., Sweden, 8,845, $1,670.
61, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 8,243, $1,650, WD.

n-denotes non-member