It’s what tenpin bowlers strive a lifetime for – the perfect game.
Lachlan Nielsen, at 14 years old, was bowling in the regular Friday night league a week ago against Matthew, his opponent.
He’d knocked down all 10 pins four times in a row when Matt jokingly said: “You only need 12.”
What he meant was that Lachlan would need 12 strikes in a row for a 300 score. In tenpin bowling, there’s no better. It’s the ultimate achievement. A bit like a hole in one in golf.
After the fifth frame, Lachlan who is in Year 9 at Woodridge State High School, started to think it might be possible.
His previous best had been seven strikes in a row. Maybe this time he’d achieve eight. Maybe he’d beat his previous personal best score of 224.
“This was the point of the game where I usually psyche myself out,” he said.
Then six. And seven. Previous best accomplished.
Coach Jesse Ellis, who is a junior state representative and member of the national tenpin bowling squad, has two perfect games to his credit. But they took some time, the first two years after bowling a high game of 299.
Both Jesse and Lachlan have a two-handed release of the ball, a relatively modern way of generating more speed and spin which ultimately creates more action on the pins, and a better opportunity to knock more down.
“Jesse says I can only ever get five strikes in a row, so at seven I’d proved him wrong,” Lachlan said.
“After I’d hit the seventh, I thought ‘if I get eight, I’m happy’,” he said.
He knocks down his eighth. A crowd of about 60 people start to migrate to his lane.
Then nine. And 10.
“The first nine were perfect strikes, and the 10th was okay. But the 11th and 12th were lucky,” Lachlan said.
“In fact, I thought I’d missed the 11th. I’d turned my back, until I heard the crowd cheering. One of the pins was knocked over by another which was rolling along the ground.”
On the 12th, his knees were knocking. And the final bowl was delayed because the score needed to be corrected after the late pinfall of the 11th.
It couldn’t have been more dramatic.
Remember what the coach had said. Go through the process. Don’t foul. Don’t gutter ball. Don’t miss the head pin.
Jesse was a few hundred kilometres away at Coffs Harbour, so he couldn’t help.
The last frame wasn’t perfect, but everyone watched as the 8-pin wavered, almost waiting for the applause as it toppled over.
“I was so nervous, I couldn’t even sign the card properly,” he said. “I think it’s starting to sink in now, but yes, I was very excited.”
All this from a boy who’s been bowling a little more than two years and began with games of 80s and 90s in the “Bowl Patrol” leagues for beginners, and more recently has been bowling with an average of around 160.
“I suppose now it’s about getting my second one (perfect game) and improving my consistency,” he said.
