In the first rung of the step ladder finals, the defending champion, Australian Ann Maree Putney, defeated England’s Zara Glover by two games to nil, 246 to 219 and 248 to 202.

In the men’s section, Martin Larsen of Sweden defeated Zulmazran Zukifli of Malaysia, by two games to one, 203 to187, 180 to237 and 249 to187.

So Ann Maree and Martin moved forward to meet our top seeds, Jasmine and Derek.

Both matches lived up to the expectations of a World Cup. In the first game, Ann Maree scored 222 but was outpaced by Jasmine who threw the first 9 strikes, leaving a big split in the 10th frame to finish on 263. The second game was of the highest quality; this time Jasmine threw the first eleven strikes before hitting eight with her final ball, setting a new record of 298 for the World Cup finals. Ann Maree hit 215, so the title went to Singapore.

Jasmine, a 20-year-old student of media and communications, said afterwards: “I just tried to throw the best ball I could and if that meant a 300, then that is what it meant. I have been having some psychology sessions before coming here and concentrating on my refocusing plan, coping with setbacks. These sessions have really helped me.”

Jasmine paid tribute to her coach, Mervyn Foo. “He was in our national team for many years and it is great to have a coach who understands what a major tournament is all about.”

It was precisely 5.24am, and national bowling coach Mervyn Foo sounded as if he were about to burst when he called just minutes later.

‘She did it, she did it,’ he gushed, referring to Jasmine Yeong-Nathan, who had just become Singapore’s first world champion at the AMF Bowling World Cup in Hermosillo, Mexico.

The 20-year-old had gone where even top local keglers Grace Young and Remy Ong had never been before - taking top spot in bowling’s most prestigious event.

And she had done so in style, blowing away the reigning world champion Ann-Maree Putney of Australia in the process.

In Game One of the women’s finals, Yeong-Nathan plundered nine strikes to post a score of 263. Putney had a 222.

With the world title in her sights, the Singapore Polytechnic student would do even better in Game Two.

She reeled off eleven strikes in a row, and was only denied a perfect game when her last throw left two pins standing.

The match - and the trophy - had already been won by then, with Putney managing only a 215.

The media and communications student’s win denied Putney the chance of being the first woman to win back-to-back titles since Jeanette Baker Finch in 1982 and 1983.

‘I had never seen her play so well before,’ said Foo.

He then passed the phone over to Yeong-Nathan, whose voice quivered with joy.