The Japanese girls (pictured left) rolled games of 816, 859 and 832 on long oil, an average of 208.92, to take over the pole position in the four-player Team event at the 18th Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championships in Macau with 2507 total.

Seika Fujiwara led the team with 682 and was followed by Manae Kameshima (616), Futaba Imai (605) and Mitsuki Okamoto (604).

Trailing Japan by mere 19 pins to sit in second place was Korea with 2488 total and an average of 207.33. Byun Sun Min, Kim Mi Ae, Jang Ryeon Gyeong and Lee Yeong Seung (right) sandwiched games of 854 and 851 around a 783 in game two.

Malaysia's Nur Syazwani Sahar, Nur Amirah, Natasha Roslan and Nora Lyana Natasia (left) were further 65 pins behind in third place with 2423 (201.92) including games of 825, 793 and 805.

Singapore's Joy Yap, Charlene Lim, Iliya Syamim and Kristin Quah (right) are 30 pins off the pace for the medals in fourth place with 2393 (199.42).

With three more games to go on the medium lane conditioning pattern, Byun Sun Min of Korea took over the lead in All-Events (combined scores in Singles, Doubles and Teams). Byun had the highest 691 series today including games of 224, 230 and 237 to lead the field of 40 players from ten countries with 3271 total and an average of 218.07.

Singles gold medalist Nora Lyana Natasia of Malaysia slipped to second place with 3241 (216.07) behind a 595 set in the Team event. Emily Rigney maintained the bronze medal spot with 649 and 3214 (214.27).

The boys will bowl their first block in the four-player team event later on today. All teams will return on Sunday for second three games on medium oil which will also determine the medals in All Events.

The top 16 boys and girls in All-Events qualify for Masters match play on Monday (eight games on medium) and Tuesday (eight games on long). The top three boys and girls advance to the stepladder finals at 4.10 p.m. China Standard Time (CST) Tuesday.