Dom Barrett (pictured left) of England retained a 99-pin lead over reigning Player of the Year Sean Rash (right) of Montgomery, Ill., after two of three rounds of match play in the Professional Bowlers Association World Championship Wednesday at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas.

Barrett, who entered the 24-game match play finals as the top qualifier after 28 games bowled in four animal pattern tournaments earlier in the PBA World Series of Bowling V program, won nine of his first 16 matches on the PBA World Championship oil pattern to finish the sixth round with a 44-game total of 10,649 pins, including match play bonus pins.

He held off a charge by Rash, who averaged 252.62 in winning all eight of his matches in the morning round and finished the day with a 14-2 match play record and a 10,550 pinfall total.

With eight more match games to go Thursday to determine the top five players for the stepladder finals, Barrett and Rash have distanced themselves from the field.

Mike Fagan (left) of Fort Worth, Texas, in third place with 10,282 pins, 268 pins behind Rash; 21-year-old rookie E.J. Tackett (right) of Huntington, Ind., was fourth with a 10,266 total and 2010 World Champion Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., was fifth with a 10,249 total.

Three other players Australian two-hander Jason Belmonte (left; 10,232), Texan two-hander Shawn Maldonado (right; 10,196) and Mika Koivuniemi, Finland/USA (10,170), were less than 100 pins behind Smallwood in the race for the top five.

"Sean bowled well this morning. I didn't bowl bad, but it just shows how good these guys are for him to make a move like that (from 12th to second)," Barrett said.

"I put my striking shoes on tonight, had a really good round. I think we are pretty much locked into the top two, but I want to go for the top seed tomorrow. That's very important."

Barrett, 28, won his only PBA Tour title in the 2011 Scorpion Championship. He also has qualified No. 1 for this weekend's Chameleon Championship finals, but the World Championship is the prize everyone bowling in the PBA World Series of Bowling V wants to win.

"Winning the World Championship would be a dream, but I have a lot more work to do," he said. "One thing you can't do is take anything for granted with these guys. I can't do anything more than bowl the best I can. I've had a good week so far, so I'll just try to keep it going."

The World Championship stepladder finals will take place Sunday at 12:30 p.m. PT on a special two-lane installation in South Point Exhibition Hall B. ESPN will air the finals on Sunday, Dec. 29, at 1 p.m. ET. First prize in the 2012-13 season's final major championship is $50,000.

The final match play round will be covered live on PBA's Xtra Frame online bowling channel Thursday at 2 p.m. PT, and via "live scoring" on pba.com.

 

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PBA World Championship - Match Play Round Two (Sixth round overall)

Players with position, hometown, match-play record and 44-game total, including match play bonus pins; the top five after 52 games advance to ESPN stepladder finals.

1, Dom Barrett, England, 9-7, 10,649
2, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 14-2, 10,550
3, Mike Fagan, Ft. Worth, Texas, 8-8, 10,282
4, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 9-7, 10,266
5, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 10-6, 10,249

6, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 8-8, 10,232
7, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 10-6, 10,196
8, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 9-7, 10,170
9, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 8-8, 10,137
10, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 9-7, 10,133
11, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 8-8, 10,131
12 (tie), Todd Book, Russells Point, Ohio, 9-7, and Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 9-7, 10,112
14, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 9-7, 10,068
15, Paul Moor, England, 8-8, 10,049
16, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 5-11, 9,987
17, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 6-10, 9,916
18, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 7-9, 9,886
19, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 6-10, 9,861
20, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 7-9, 9,852
21, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 8-8, 9,839
22, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 8-8, 9,742
23, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 4-12, 9,658
24, x-Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2-6, 9,464
25, D.J. Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 2-6, 8,003
x – Allen replaced DJ Archer, who withdrew due to injury.

300 Games: Tom Baker.

 

PBA World Championship - Match Play Round One (Fifth round overall)

Players with position, hometown, match-play record and 44-game total, including match play bonus pins.

1, Dom Barrett, England, 4-4, 8,589
2, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 8-0, 8,541
3, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 4-4, 8,328
4, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 4-4, 8,322
5, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 4-4, 8,289

6, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 5-3, 8,288
7, Mike Fagan, Ft. Worth, Texas, 4-4, 8,266
8, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 5-3, 8,251
9, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 7-1, 8,244
10, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 4-4, 8,243
11, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 4-4, 8,218
12, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3-5, 8,196
13, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 2-6, 8,194
14, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 4-4, 8,177
15, Todd Book, Russells Point, Ohio, 4-4, 8,140
16, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 5-3, 8,121
17, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 4-4, 8,108
18, Paul Moor, England, 4-4, 8,107
19, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 2-6, 8,078
20, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 4-4, 8,047
21, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3-5, 8,030
22, D.J. Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 2-6, 8,003
23, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 3-5, 8,000
24, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 3-5, 7,990

300 Games: None.