JEDDAH: Underdogs AL Striker and Carling Sport Wear upstaged high profile teams to qualify for the stepladder finals along with D’ Barkads after the knockout game of three handicap series among the six remaining teams in the 9-team field in the Sarawat Superstores Thursday Bowling League 13th Season Bowling City in Sultanah Center.

Qualified as the Nos. 4, 5 and 6 teams, Al Striker, Carling and D’ Barkads join the top 3 finalists namely Al Murjana, Habagat and defending champion Magnolia Ice Cream into the stepdladder phase of the competition.

In the first match of the stepladder, AL, Carling and D’ Barkads knock each other out in two games with handicap with the winner to take on third qualifier Magnolia. Match 2 winner then advances opposite No. 2 Habagat to determine the challenger to the waiting No. 1 Murjana in a twice to beat format championship match.

Languishing in the bottom of the pack, AL Striker came good on this night to shoot total of 2,981 to show the way for Carling and D’ Barkads.

Sawary Energy, which has never been out of the top five in recent weeks, was widely tipped to reach the next round. Instead, it had to settle for a seventh place finish, beaten for the No. 6 spot by 3 points by D’ Barkads 2,958-2,955.

Carling Sport Wear was well entrenched at No. 5 on 2,962.

Another fancied team eliminated was the late-blooming BCT-Hokbi Fashion, which wound up eighth ahead of 9th and last RJ Tumbador.

Cesar Pagtalunan strung together a solid 630 on scratch games of 191, 216 and 163 at the helm of the AL attack that also netted 606 and 599 from Bonnie Garcia and Jack Jarin to go with the 190-170 by Cesar Monares, 185-155 by Ally Bin and 182-178 by Phepz Niere.

For Carling, the leading scorers were Ed Botardo 621, Mao Orolfo 602 and Carlos Constantino 595. Andy Yumena added 580, Atoi Cruz had 177-182 and Jimmy Mandigiado 165.

Rudy Valenzuela was the highest individual scorer of the night on 634 in leading the D’ Barkads who drew 631 fom Gerry Tano, 561 from Leo Edejer, 202-164 from James Galvan and 192 from Ed Sardiña.

Alex Flora and Paolo Allego shot 624 and 615 in the Sawary’s losing cause.