Bingley Ten-Pin owler Clive Bracewell could hardly believe his luck.

Just 24 hours after admiring the skill of England's Richard Hood as he scored a perfect 300 in the Commonwealth Games he completed his first maximum.

The surroundings were mark-edly different.

Hood recorded his in Kuala Lumpur as he and partner Pauline Buck took the silver medal in the mixed doubles.

Forty-eight-year-old Bracewell achieved his maximim of 12 successive strikes at the Merrion Centre bowling alley in Leeds while playing in the Monday Night Fours League for the Strike Machine against York-shire Puddings.

Bracewell, who has been playing the game since he was 15, could hardly believe what was happeneing in his first game of the match.

He says: "I started off feelinggood and knew that I had to keep my mind on the task ahead.

"I have had nine strikes before but let things slip away by getting too excitied. I didn't want that to happen this time.

"I knew that I was bowling well and getting perfect strikes. The important thing was keeping everything together.

"I had seen Richard Hood get his maximum the previous day and when I got to 11 strikes I knew it was on.

"It was at that point I got a little nervous. My hand started shaking a lot but I got the strike. It was a great feeling."

Bracewell followed up with games of 178 and 200 and admits; "I think I lost my focus a little afterwards because of the excitement."

Bracewell, whose previous best score was 279, also plays in the Shipley Scratch League on Tuesdays and in Leeds again on Fridays.

He adds: "I have been bowling for a long time but have only really taken it seriously for the last six. I find it great fun."

There was almost another maximum on Tuesday at Shipley. Bracewell's bowling friend Paul Armitage had a 299.

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