TBA21 National Teams Challenge – Northern NSW Sweep Baker Event
By Matt Stevens
To cap off the opening day of the 2025 TBA21 National Teams Challenge, bowlers grouped up for the first official teams event of the competition – the Baker Teams event where Northern New South Wales claimed double gold medals to help boost their chances in the combined race.
A welcome addition to this year’s format, the Baker event was introduced to reflect its rising popularity in international competition and to give emerging bowlers valuable experience in the high-pressure, team-focused format.
Unlike traditional team bowling where each athlete bowls an individual game and their scores are combined, the Baker format sees four bowlers combine to complete a single game, rotating frames throughout. In this variation, Bowler 1 typically takes frames 1, 5, and 9; Bowler 2 takes 2, 6, and 10; Bowler 3 bowls 3 and 7; and Bowler 4 handles frames 4 and 8. The structure demands rhythm, trust, and clutch performances—especially from the anchor, who must close out games under pressure. It’s a true test of cohesion and chemistry.
Across eight games, teams aimed to post the highest possible pinfall totals to climb the standings and bank critical points—though it’s worth noting that Baker performances do not count towards the All-Events standings, making this a pure team test.
Female Division
The early going was tight, with all teams off to a modest start. No team surpassed 169 in the opening two games, though Northern New South Wales (NNSW) set the early benchmark.
That all changed in Game 3, when NNSW exploded with a 225 game—the highest single-game score of the entire session (including the male division). Their momentum continued, and they sat comfortably on 730 pins at the halfway point, with a healthy 123-pin cushion over the field.
South Queensland and North Queensland slowly reeled in the deficit, and by the final game, NNSW led by 64 pins over North Queensland, with South Queensland just 44 pins further back.
In the end, the lead held strong. Northern New South Wales claimed gold with a total pinfall of 1,385, followed by North Queensland (1,307) in silver position, and South Queensland (1,243) rounding out the podium with bronze.
Male Division
In the male field, Victoria 1 made their intent clear from the start with a 209 in Game 1, the first 200+ score of the session. Northern New South Wales countered in Game 2 with a division-best 223, followed by a 207 in Game 3 to back it up. At the halfway point, NNSW led with 787 pins, with Victoria 1 (781) and Victoria 2 (725) hot on their heels.
As the event wore on, the margin tightened. With one game remaining, NNSW clung to a 40-pin lead, but both Victorian teams remained within striking distance.
When it mattered most, NNSW delivered again—closing with a 209 in the final game to lock in gold with 1,562 pins. That result secured dual Baker event titles for Northern New South Wales across both divisions.
Victoria 1 claimed silver with 1,494, while Victoria 2 earned a well-fought bronze on 1,450, holding off a surging North Queensland outfit.
That wraps up Day One of the 2025 TBA21 National Teams Challenge. Action resumes tomorrow with Doubles and Traditional Teams, rounding out the challenge in style. Doubles partner listings will be published on the website tomorrow morning. Please note – points from the Baker event will be added to the totals on TenpinResults after the completion of the traditional team three game event tomorrow.
