England found success on the short pattern Tuesday, shooting 3,310 for three games to take the lead heading into Wednesday's final team block. The series included a record-breaking game of 1,261 in the second game, which included a perfect game by Kirsten Penny.

Fiona Banks led the team with 750, Followed by Penny (701), Lisa John (661), Zara Glover (646) and Jemma Smith (552). The fivesome averaged 220.67 for the first block and missed the WWC record for three games set by the Colombian team 2003 in Malaysia (3,335) by mere 25 pins.

"I'm actually finding that I have a better look on the long pattern, but Kirsten certainly had a really good look today," said England's Zara Glover, who shot 646 Tuesday. "Most of the women, with their rev rates, create a better angle into the pocket to carry on the short. I think on the long, they don't have the same angle. But I have the opposite problem. I haven't spared so many 10 pins in three days in my life."

Trailing England by 52 pins to sit in second place are the women from Indonesia with Happy Soediyono, Putty Armein, Tannya Roumimper, Shalima Zalsha and Sharon Limansantoso, who had games of 1,009, 1,127 and 1,116 for 3,252 and an average of 216.80.

2003 world champion Malaysia with Esther Cheah, Shalin Zulkifli, Sharon Koh, Wendy Chai and Zandra Aziela sits in third place 34 pins behind the Indonesians with 3,218 pinfall total (214.53).

Finland (3,166), Denmark (3,162) and Korea (3,161) positioned 4 through 6 are within five pins but already more than 80 pins off the medals. Colombia without their two finest players, former World Ranking Masters champions, Clara Juliana Guerrero and Sara Vargas, is 7th (3,144), Venezuela 8th (3,138) and Singapore 9th (3,089).

Rounding out the top 10 are the teams from the United States and Japan, who are tied at 3,082).

As the 2007 World Tenpin Bowling Association Women's World Championships has progressed, there has been a very noticeable trend in how the players have scored on each of the two lane conditions.

Without a doubt, the short-oil lane condition has been far higher scoring since the start of the tournament on Saturday. Among the top 50 players in all-events, the average on the short pattern has been over 222 per game while the same players have averaged just 207 on the long pattern.

Nearly every record in doubles and trios was broken and then broken again as the competitors bowled on the short pattern. With the completion of the first squad of team event Tuesday on the short pattern, most of the remainder of the tournament shifts to the long pattern with the final three games of team on long as well as the six-game singles event while Masters will use a combination of both patterns.

Team USA's Diandra Asbaty said over time the international players have seen more and more short patterns, which may also add to the higher scoring.

"We have been bowling on short and long patterns for awhile now," Asbaty said. "I think as the players get more exposure to the short and long patterns we see a trend of what works and doesn't work. So the players are getting better at understanding how to attack the patterns."

"I think it's a lot more difficult to get your ball into a roll on the long pattern, and I think that definitely makes the long more difficult," Asbaty. "The long requires a much more specific match-up while on the short you just have to maintain the friction on the lane. As long as you maintain that friction, your ball will get to the pocket."

By Lucas Wiseman





The Women's World Championships features 225 athletes from 43 countries competing in six events - Doubles, Trios, Team, Singles, All Events And Masters. Individual totals from Doubles, Trios, Team and Singles are combined to determine the All Events winner. The top 16 in All Events also advance to Masters play.

Korea's Kim Yeau-Jin leads with 3,443, an average of nearly 230 a game, while teammate Choi Jin-A is second at 3,409. Helen Johnsson, Sweden, is third at 3,390, with Team USA's Lynda Barnes close behind in fourth place with 3,384. Diana Alfredsson, Sweden, is the "women on the biubble" in 16th place with 3,243 or an average of 216.20. Defending Masters champion Diandra Asbaty, United States, is 32nd with 3,178.


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Team

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