Spares, strikes and bad splits Mystery Cache

In a nordic championship in bowling taking place at an alley in the Göteborg region, it was time for the stepladderfinal to determine who gets the gold, silver and bronze medals.

In the first match over one serie, the swede Martin would face the contender from the north, the norwegian friend Tore. The match started with a close battle with very good scoring where the outcome was uncertain for along time, but after two very unlucky frames, everything changed. Just as Martin started to find the right line and the strikes were coming, Tore got splits impossible to spare (almost anyway). The match ended in favor for Martin, by a number-of-pins.

After Tore´s two unluckey shots Martin could relax and he striked out, but if the norwegian had striked in frame 8 and 9, where he lost a number-of-pins in a flash, it could easily ended the other way around. Now it was Martin who advanced to the goldfinal. Their total pincount was quite high and the audiance was delighted. Very good bowling, as aspected in a final. Although, with strikes in the two bad frames, the total score could have been an even higher number-of-pins.

Now it was time for the last game in the championship, the fight for the title. Martin now faced yet another friend, from east this time. The twohanded finnish player Osku was this far the only player who successfully made the actual-number-of strikes in a row required for a perfect game. That was done during the qualification rounds which was played on the PBA oil pattern Viper. Now in the finals the oil pattern was changed to Dick Weber so it might have been a little bit trickier, even if both players know both oil patterns well and the actual-number-of feets in difference between them.

Osku, who was top seeded, choose to start giving him the position to play the ten´th frame last. He started with an eight and spare before it was Martin turn to play the first and second frame. Martin opened with a strike and then nine and a spare. Osku continued with his second and third frame and the both seemed to have found a good rythem and "read" the lanes quite well. They didn´t seem to face any difficulties and the match was even, as expected.

It was in the seventh frame everthing changed. Mabye it was because of the hot camera light for the TV-production having there effect on the laneconditions combined with alot of peoples in the bowlingalley effecting the moisture and temperature, not to forget that they now have played one and a half serie on this two lanes and the oil have moved during this time. Anyhow, something effected the balls reaction in a way none of the players had anticipated.

Osku had just completed his six frame with a solid strike and now played his seventh, when the ball didn´t hook like it did before and left the "The Greek Church". He managed to get all but 1 pin in his spare attempt, but the damage was done.

Martin then played his seventh frame and hit the pins right in the pocket giving him a perfect strike. I the eight frame it was Martins turn to get into trouble when he left the "Double Pinochle", also known as "Big ears", "Golden gate" and by another even more common name. He then left 2 pins after his spare shot leaving an open frame.

Osku then finished the eight frame with a most powerfully strike out of pure frustration over the previuos frame. He played his nine´th frame with a solid 10th pin left standing, which he easily spared.

It was now time for Martin to play his last two frame and try to save this titlematch. In the nineth frame he released his ball almost perfectly and everbody in the audience was certain it should be a strike, but the bad luck wanted something else. Left on the board was the "Chistmas Tree", ironicly also known as "Faith, Hope, Charity". Was this the end?. Martin concentrated, knowing he can spare this, and he did. He converted this dreadfull split, and he still got a chance to win. In his last frame he then started with yet another prefect strike before the bad luck mocked him. Almost the same bad split, but with late help, it was only a "Baby Split" which he converted so many time before, but he needed a strike, not this. He then made his final shot and left one pin. Now it was just to wait and see what Osku does.

If Osku started with a strike in his last frame, it will be all over. He would then have closed the match. Osku prepared him self and then made his first shot. Ohh, noo ... the damn "Bedposts". He couldn´t believe it. He did not want to check the scoreboard to see if he now lost or still could win. All he could do is to try to make this spare. He left one pin and the final was over.

Who did win?? Both the competitors had played very well, but the bad luck hunted them in this final. Anyhow, their combined number-of-pins scored was still not bad, but could have been alot better.

Marigins between winning and loosing can be this vicious, especially in bowling were good shots can leave you bad ugly splits and bad shots, like a "Brooklyn Strike", can boost the score of any bowler. In the end though, the skillfull players will always battle for the trophy.

NOTE !!
You need to get all the numbers. Then you shall adjust the coordinates you get by subtracting 0.002 from north, and for east, add 0.025 for every pin between the players in the final.
Example: if you get N57 42.931 E12 01.297 and the diff in the final is 3, you will get
N57 42.931 - 0.002 => N57 42.929 ... and ... E12 01.297 + (3*0.025) => E12 01.372