Session 3 - Saturday 19:00

One Baker team match as the opener will be followed by five singles events to complete the second day's

schedule.

With the Europeans leading 7-5 after a very interesting Saturday afternoon session, Chris Barnes is determined to get his quartet at least back on level terms, but more hopefully in the lead at the end of the session.

With the Europeans having won the last two Weber Cups and the overall score now standing at 6 wins to five in favor of the Americans, Chris Barnes, the American captain, is determined to keep that advantage and not let the home players even the score.

Baker team line-ups:

Europe: Osku Palermaa, Mika Koivuniemi, Dominic Barrett, Paul Moor.
USA: Chris Barnes, Bill O'Neill, Tommy Jones, Mike Fagan.

An extremely satisfied group of four Europeans sat on stage after the opening match of session 3, the Baker team event. This has always been the key event in many recent confrontations, but this year they seem to have got their act together. Asked earlier why Osku Palermaa has not changed the team or the line-ups, he responded: "Why change a winning team?" Why indeed.

Back to a two-point buffer as Chris Barnes got the upper hand over a frustrated Dominic Barrett, finishing the European off with a 212-179 victory. Barrett suffered two 2-10 splits, the first in the first frame and the second in the fourth and that put him in catch-up mode. Barnes did leave the door slightly ajar by leaving a 7-10 split in the eighth frame but all ten pins refused to jump into the pit for Barrett and nine-spares were just not enough to trouble the lithe American.

Now Barrett continues, taking on Mike Fagan.

Not a high-scoring match this time and Fagan in trouble right from the start, opening his account with two splits while Barrett coasted merrily along, full of confidence on a difficult lane condition, that is until he missed the single 10-pin in the seventh frame. A chance for Fagan to step in was truly scuppered when he left the 2-8-10 split in the ninth frame, so heigh-ho, another point for Europe for a 9-6 lead.

Now it is the match of the captains as Chris Barnes and Osku Palermaa go head-to-head.

Could it possibly have been a sympathy miss for Palermaa when both players started the frist frame with opens? That, my friends is very doubtful and it didn't mean that it cost the Finn the match as Barnes came back to pile on the pressure.

This was a fresh lane condition which Barnes quickly mastered with a four-bagger from the fifth frame and after that he never looked back, getting his own back on Palermaa, 225-192.

Now Koivuniemi versus Jones and it was murder, the Finn the victim. "Nightmare on elm Street," said TV commentator Cass Edwards. Opening up with three splits was nightmare enough for Koivuniemi and finding himself 69-27 behind in just the third frame was enough to just spoil the day. Trouble came back with a 7-10 split in the eighth frame and the result of 269-181 made Koivuniemi slink away with his tail well and truly between his legs.

Now the pressure is on Paul Moor to beat Bill O'Neill, otherwise today's program closes with a 9-9 result. If Moor can pull the rabbit out of the hat, then it will be 10-8 and that is what the European team want.

Oh, there will be dancing in the streets of Barnsley (and Hull) tonight, may an impressive firework display as well, all in celebration of Payul Moor's win over Bill O'Neill and save the disappointment of having the second day and third session finish with a drawn finish instead of the now 10-8 European lead.

Session 4 commences at 13:00 tomorrow and the final session at 18:00. don't miss it, this is a fantastic showcase for bowling.

 

Name	Nat	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
	BAKER	X	X	7/	9/	6s1	9/	X	X	X	X81
	USA	27	47	66	82	89	109	139	169	197	216	216
		9/	X	9/	9/	9/	X	X	X	X	XX8
	Europe	20	40	59	78	98	128	158	188	218	246	246

Name	Nat	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
Chris		X	X	X	9/	X	9/	X	8s1	X	X7s1
Barnes	USA	30	59	79	99	119	139	158	167	194	212	212
Dominic		8s1	X	X	8s1	9/	X	X	9/	9/	7 2
Barrett	Europe	9	37	56	65	85	114	134	153	170	179	179

Name	Nat	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
Mike		6s2	7s2	X	6/	X	X	9/	6/	7s2	X9/
Fagan	USA	8	17	37	57	86	106	122	139	148	168	168
Dominic		8/	9/	X	9/	X	X	9-	X	7s/	9/6
Barrett	Europe	19	39	59	79	108	127	136	156	175	191	191

Name	Nat	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
Chris		8s1	X	7/	9/	X	X	X	X	9/	XX8
Barnes	USA	9	29	48	68	98	128	157	177	197	225	225
Osku		9-	X	9/	9/	8/	X	X	9/	9/	X8-
Palermaa	Europe	9	29	48	66	86	115	135	154	174	192	192

Name	Nat	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
Tommy		9/	X	X	9/	X	X	X	X	X	X XX
Jones	USA	20	49	69	89	119	149	179	209	239	269	269
Mika		6s3	7s2	7s2	X	X	X	9/	8s1	X	X9-
Koivuniemi	Europe	9	18	27	57	86	106	124	133	162	181	181

Name	Nat	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
Bill		X	X	9/	X	X	9/	8s/	X	9/	8/9
O'Neill	USA	29	49	69	98	118	136	156	176	194	213	213
Paul		X	X	X	9/	X	X	9/	X	X	X 9/
Moor	Europe	30	59	79	99	128	148	168	198	227	247	247