Martin Horn shines with best win

HALLE-ZOERSEL - The 17th matchday of the Belgian league started on Monday with a main role for Martin Horn (3.125 average, highest run 19), separated the top three of the rankings even more and ended with the match in which Mister 100 Lier continued its final sprint .

Martin Horn dashed off with a masterly win and beat the leader of the Kortrijk team, Stany Buyle, 50-12 in 16 innings. His team, De Ploeg, won the match 6-2, thanks to a superb Wesley Jaeger (1.909) , Jean van Erp (1.448) and in spite of Jef Philipoom's loss (1.046).

De Goeie Queue kept its leading position, winning the away game against BC Op de Meir (6-2): only Michel van Camp was edged by Marc Roofthooft, but Frédéric Caudron (1.562, run 13), Eddy Leppens (1.219) and Peter Ceulemans (1.135) claimed the wins, what means that BC Deurne is still one point down on the ranking.

BC Deurne itself finished it off in style against BC Herentals (8-0), in a meeting in which the team scores spoke volumes (Deurne 1.657, Herentals 0.990). The top three players were bringing the opponents to despair: Dick Jaspers rolled over Christian Rudolph (50-22 in 20), Eddy Merckx tormented Dave Christiani (50-26 in 37) and Jean Paul de Bruijn beat Leon Smolders 42 -24 in 21. Davy Havere escaped at the end against Geert Meylemans: 42-38 in 33.

De Witte Molen is the first pursuer in the ranks after the three leaders, eight points behind De Goeie Queue. The team of Benny van Goethem defeated BC Op Meir 2 in its house 6-2, among others thanks to Francis Forton who beat Dutchman Ronald Uytdewillegen in the best match of the evening (50-44 in 34).

The Dutch clash between Glenn Hoffman and Barry van Beers ended with a surprisingly big margin: Van Beers snatched the win 50-23 in 27 innings.

Biljart Express defeated BC De Ploeg 2 with Guy van Litsemborg 'at four' as best man for the home team: he beat Eddy Willems 42-25 in 24 innings (1.750).

Mister 100 Lier flaunted with the full win in the home match against KBC Zanzibar. Kurt Ceulemans was successful for his team (50-46 in 35 against Roland Forthomme), Bart Ceulemans beat Kenny Miatton (50-48 in 59) and Raymond Ceulemans once again shone with an amazing match: 42-12 in 21 innings against Pierre Soumagne.