20-26 October in Vienna, Austria
Athletes
| Hayley Russell and Mark Patrick |
 |
Reports
Team England has a strong history of success at the European Championship of Champions (ECC), accumulating numerous medals over the years. Verity Crawley and Hadley Morgan claimed six medals between them over the last two years and looking to continue the success are Hayley Russell and Mark Patrick.
Three wins in 2024 for Mark and claiming the English Sport Tour Order of Merit sees Mark looking to take that success into Europe. Hayley, well she is a UK Tenpin Hall of Famer with a list of wins too long to list here. She is a name all the other athletes will know about or soon will.
Day 1 (Games 1-8)
Hayley was first to start at 9am Vienna time and a good beginning with 227 before a dip to 173 and bouncing back 233. Another dip to 189 then the rollercoaster continued with 258 then 199 and sitting in 7th place with two to go. Up we went again with a 237 and into 4th place and in touching distance of the leader. A 201 to end with and 1717 and 5th place.
Mark up in the afternoon and opposite to Hayley and starting low and going high with 190 then 224 and going much much higher with 279 in game three. Further games of 190, 224 and 206 and on 1313 with a game to go yet back in 17th with a 218 average. Next up a 210 followed by 212 for a total of 1735 in 16th. A good block by anyone’s standard and in among a lot of other high scoring athletes. Great start by both our bowlers today.
Day 2 Mixed Doubles (Games 9-16)
Mixed doubles time and we have a 100% record having won both since it’s inception. No pressure then. Hayley not feeling it with 230 start and Mark not bothered with 227 for a 457 opener and third place in the squad.
Game 2 and both starting with a fourpack and just one open from Mark ip to the seventh frame. Hayley frustrated by spares in the latter half for 224 and Mark with 210 for 434 and back one to fourth place.
Game 3 and both clean through six, Hayley catching a double and Mark firing a turkey. Hayley then finding a run and three in a row to the tenth. Hayley with an open in the tenth but still 215 on the scorecard. Mark on strike adding two more and nine for 247 and 662.
Back into third and ten pins off the Silver after three and just one open in the first six frames for our duo in the fourth game. A run of strikes from Hayley then an open in the tenth for 223 and Mark firing two turkeys for 238 and 461.
Just one open over the first three frames and Hayley on strike. Hayley going well after the open and a double spare and strike spare strike as Mark catching strikes and sparing then adding a turkey up to the eighth frame. Mark flying with a fourbagger now and Hayley spare in the ninth. Strike in the tenth for Hayley and 197 as Mark kept the run going to five and ending with 238 and 435 and dropping to fifth.
Game 6 and a double for Hayley to start as Mark was sparing then hit a turkey and spare. Hayley with an open but back with a spare and double into the seventh frame. Mark with an open in the seventh but back on strike in the eighth. Both hitting doubles in the ninth and Hayley ending with 215 and Mark with 212 and 427 now in 7th but just 53 pins off Bronze and 73 off Silver with two to go.
Time for a couple of big games and Hayley flying with strike spare and fourbagger, Mark with a double but pegged back by spares. Mark find a double and Hayley no problem finding and three more for seven in a row, Mark adding another for a turkey. Scores were massive across the house now and even 450 could see us go backwards. Hayley making it eight then nine in a row into the tenth. Nine to end with and an awesome 279. She must have read our minds with the time for a big game. Mark big strike in the tenth for a fourbagger, another for five in a row and then six for 245 and 524.
As stated they actually lost 16 pins on Sweden who they were facing and hit 540 with Czeh Republic hitting 546 ahead of our pair also. Maybe that gives us an idea of how hard it was going to be here to win a medal. Up into 5th and 60 pins off Bronze and 78 off Silver but fighting against a massive wave.
Final game and Hayley with a strike and two spares, Mark with a double and spare. Hayley frustrated again by spares up to the fifth, Mark catching another double and going well. Sweden were flying but Czech Republic could be caught yet with a run of strikes. Hayley with a strike in the sixth and Mark making it a turkey. Another from Hayley for the double and Mark making it a fourbagger. The run had started and excitement mounting. Turkey for Hayley, pesky ten pin and spare for Mark. Into the ninth and fourbagger from the Hall of Famer and spare again from Mark slowing his pace. A proper team effort here though. Into the tenth Hayley run ending with a spare and strike for 226 and 1809. Mark ending with strikes for 244 and 1861 and an overall of 3670. 5th place and just 26 pins off the Bronze in a high scoring Mixed doubles, Brilliant performance from both our athletes.
Day 3 (Games 17-24)
Men
Final block day and Mark up first to complete qualifying and the full 24 games that included the doubles yesterday. Mark opening with spare double and spare. A fourbagger followed and Mark flying but a nine spare stopping the run. Strike spare for 238 and a good start.
Mark opening with a turkey in game two then a fourbagger but the run ending with a seven spare. Back with a strike in the sixth. 7-10 in the seventh and Mark mocking the pins with a thumbs up. Showing resilience, Mark back with a double. The game ending with a 222.
Game three and spare and turkey to open with. Two spares followed and back on strike in the seventh frame. Pinned back by spares, Mark a spare in the ninth. At this point he was hitting the pocket every shot and was becoming a carry contest. Ten pin in the tenth and ending with a frustrated 216.
Double and spare to start off game four and some bigger games needed as Mark had gone backwards to 11th even with 676. Another double and stopped by two more spares then a strike and a spare. Strike in the tenth, big five three and 216.
Sitting in 11th after four and just a few pins off the 12 cutline Mark opening with a double, spare and strike. Either this game or the next a big game needed to consolidate the top 12 position. Award for most pocket ten pins was looking good as Mark spared in the fifth frame. Kicking a pin over to take out the ten pin in the sixth to strike then a mixing double. Frame eight and a turkey at last. A massive fourbagger in the foundation frame and on the run we were needing. Five in a row and first one in the tenth, through the face for seven and spare and better 246.
Still 11th and 40 pins up with three games to go, Strike spare and strike over three. Mark playing deeper now just not getting the pace on the ball and through the face for a split open in the fourth but back with a strike in the fifth. That turned into four in a row then a spare and looking good. Spare strike and 216.
Mark, up to 10th with two to go and 46 pins safe. Strike but then a chop and open in the second. Back with a strike then a double and not the first time Mark had reacted in the best way you can after an open. Another spare then a strike in the sixth and back to a spare in the seventh. Just needed to stay clean and catch another double, Mark striking in the eighth and a double in the ninth. Spare strike for 203.
Forty one pins safe inside the cut with a game to go in 10th place. Just keep doing what he was doing and maybe more. An open then of course a strike in the first two frames of this last game. A spare and a turkey followed up to the sixth. An open in the seventh and spare in the eighth was next. Strike in the ninth, double in the tenth and split for 200 and 1752 with an overall of 5347.
Women
Hayley up next in the afternoon to complete the 24 games and sitting nicely in 3rd place so no worries on cutline. Game 1 and just a UK Hall of famer doing Hall of Fame things, spare and five in a row. A reality check and single pin miss in the seventh frame but back with a strike. Nine spare in the ninth and ending with a high hit split and 214.
Game 2 and flying with a spare and a fourbagger but sparing this time at the end of the run. A spare and double took us to the tenth frame and a turkey spare for 247.
Bowling on the same pair as fellow UK Hall of Famer Mel Oates from Wales, a spare then open and a strike in game three. In second overall and just two pins off the overall lead. Hayley making it a double in the fourth frame. Adding another two for a fourbagger and spare up to the seventh but a split open in the eighth and 160 on the scorecard. Almost a split in the next frame but seven pin falling and Hayley despatched the nine pin into the pit for a spare in the ninth. Spare and nine for 198.
Two spares and a turkey at the beginning of game four and only seven pins off the overall leader Laura Beuthner from Germany. A nine spare stopping the run in the sixth frame and another nine spare in the seventh. Two strikes followed up to the tenth. Spare and eight for 224. Now 20 behind the overall lead.
Front three and a spare got us going in game five but then a split open to break the mood. Back with a strike in the sixth. Facing the leader from Germany who had two opens at this point so pins being won back by Norway’s Jennie Mathieson now in the frame and pushing Hayley into third, Hayley with a spare in the seventh. Strikes were drying up again and an eight spare in the eighth. Back to strike at last in the ninth. Then the most bizarre misses for a long time for TE as Hayley set off and the ball stuck and went flying in the air and 204.
Game six and strike spare double from the off for Hayley. Two spare and a double but an open in frame nine. Third and 41 off the top spot, Hayley ending with 204 again.
Hayley having a good block but by her own high standards probably feeling there could have been more. At this point it wasn’t about chasing the position as more finding ball reactions for the coming games. Three spares to start us off in game seven followed by a strike that soon became a turkey. Split open in the seventh just to upset the watching fans on the livestream. Back with a strike though in the eighth but a split open in the ninth and ending with 185.
The final game and sitting pretty in third and just 58 off second and 80 off top and starting with spare, strike, split open and a strike. That was soon a double and taking us to the halfway point. A split in the sixth and open in the seventh and time to dig deep and see this one out. Comfortably qualified for the last 12 and showing a lot of why she was inducted for a stellar career so far. Career, family and kids and back challenging for a European medal. Hard not to be impressed by that. Back with a strike in the eighth and ninth like a champ. Two more in the tenth and a lesson again how to save a game at the end. 203 for a total block number of 1679 and overall of 5205.
Masters Round of 12
Off we went at 9am for the Round of 12. Hayley and Mark fighting for a top four place in the Semi Finals. 8 game shootout with scores carried over from Qualifying.
Out of the blocks Hayley fires twelve in a row for 300 and only caught ten pins on the overall lead. Mark struggling to get going over the first two games. Hayley adding 247 after the perfecto but more important 157 above the cut. Mark could more or less relax now and enjoy. The cut was out of sight but higher positions were still available. Hayley doing Hayley things with 226 in the third game and someway behind the men now in running time. Mark adding games of 227,187,216 as Hayley ticking along nicely with 194 and up to 224.
Mark ending on a high with 256 and 200 for a block of 1657 and overall of 7004 and in 11th place. Hayley ending with a 200 and making it the the semi finals in third with 1817 and 7026.
Masters Semi Finals
A big match against a tall player in Jennie Mathieson from Norway in this Semi final at ECC and no easy matches from here on in.
Hayley opening with the front three as Jenny spared twice and struck. Early lead and now to keep it. 8 split open in the fourth not helping as Norway spared then spared again and Hayley same split open again. This had turned around quickly and five pins down at the fifth frame. Jennie jumping at the opening with a strike then a double and strike then a nine miss and this one was all but lost as Norway struck again for a turkey. Time to find the shot for game two. Hayley back on strike in the ninth after a spare then hitting a double and smelling success when Jennie opened in the tenth for 200, Two more strikes needed but nine count spare for 190 and 0-1.
Game two could be a belter now as Hayley would 100% fightback and fight back she did with an opening turkey but so did Jennie. Norway fourbagger and catching a rolling pin onto the tenpin. Hayley high count eight and spare and now chasing. Front five for Norway and Hayley could only just wait and hope for the run to end. Nine spare slowing an attack in the fifth. Six in a row for Norway and looking over but Hayley implying not yet and striking. Indeed Jennie then with a split open and Hayley hitting the double in the seventh. A rattles Norway hitting light hit six count and spare and Hayley drilling the turkey in. Never count this girl out, she was in it again after looking out. She had not saved this yet though and strike from Norway in the ninth and nine spare for Hayley. All tied on 196 but Norway on strike. Exciting stuff this and Hayley hitting a srike and nine for 235 to Jennie’s strike eight spare. 236-224. 1-1 and what a save.
Game three and both opening with a strike and Jennie to blink first with a spare as Hayley doubled. Jennie striking in the third must be thinking, how am I in a third game, well she was and behind as Hayley struck for a turkey. Front five for Hayley and you could imagine her thinking, if you gonna throw six strikes at me I’m throwing them back and she did making it a six pack. Norway not spared in three frames now and could only watch Hayley fly away from her.
As we learned from the previous game though, not quick over yet and famous last words as Hayley hit a five count split as Jennie struck in the seventh. Still a good lead but Norway on strike but failing to capitalize and sparing. Hayley striking in the eighth then sparing in the ninth as Norway also spared. Hayley through to the final 227-195 and 2-1. What a fightback
Masters Final
ECC Final against Finland’s Emma Palermaa and what a match it promised to be. Two outstanding athletes and this could go either way, but hopefully our way.
Not a great start though as Hayley opens in the first and spares in the second and Emma hitting a double. Hayley back on strike in the third frame but Finland hitting the turkey. Into the fifth and Hayley hitting the turkey as Emma added another two strikes for front five. Just a waiting game as before and keeping up the pressure. Fourbagger for England, Six pack for Finland. The runs ending for both in the seventh with nine spare each and Hayley 30 pins down. Emma Palermaa back with a strike and hayley with a ten pin leave and spare. This one probably was slipping away and the Finn looking awesome in game 1 and hitting a double to pretty much seal the deal. Hayley back with a strike in the ninth but Emma hitting another in the tenth for a turkey. Hayley with a double and spare to end with 227 and Emma off the sheet for 279.
Game two and if we learned anything today it was not to count Hayley out, One down but all to play for. Two spares for Finland, Strike and spare for England in the opening two frames. Two frames without a strike the Finn was back with one in the third frame and matched by Hayley. Double for Finland but Split open for Hayley in the fouth and chasing again. Hayley fighting back with a double but Emma riding five in a row and 60 pins ahead. Hayley with the Turkey and Emma responding with another for six then seven and we were going to have to settle for Silver. A split in the tenth and open for Emma and 244. Hayley with a strike in the tenth for the double and spare for 215.
Results
Results will be posted here during the event
Semi Final and Final
Women
Men
Round of 12
Women
Men
Women
Men
Women
Schedule
