3-Cushion
ZUNDERT - The two leading teams in the Dutch league, STZ Zundert and MCR/De Uitspanning play in the same line-up, all through the year. Which translates to the ranking as it is now, one match before the winter break. The two teams met each other today for the first time in this competition. De Uitspanning won (5-3) and leads the ranking three points ahead of Zundert.
Buffalo.nl and A1 Biljarts, the main followers, also use the strategy of the best, weekly line-up. The teams of Prinsen, Dallinga.com and Holland Mineral are missing their key players Dick Jaspers, Frédéric Caudron and Murat Naci Coklu in some matches and therefore struggle to hold on to the top.
Caudron and De Bruijn were missing today both in the Dallinga team against Prinsen. The Sluiskil team paid the toll for it with a hopeless lost match: 8-0. Dick Jaspers was the only top player in the encounter in Sluiskil. He defeated the home frontman Steven van Acker 50-17 in 23 innings.
The match of the day between Zundert and De Uitspanning turned after the break. The home team led 3-1 after Barry van Beers beat Roland Uytdewillegen (50-44 in 43) and a tie between Raymon Groot and Sander Jonen in 52 innings.
In the second part, in the cozy, crowded room, the score turned into a 5-3 win for De Uitspanning. Dave Christiani, allthough not as spectacular as at the Grand Prix in Capelle, confirmed his form against Peter Ceulemans (50-44 in 35). Eddy Leppens had a magnificent final part against Roland Forthomme with a run of nine on a 39-35 score.
Buffalo.nl was way too strong for Post Luchtkanalen on Saturday, but lost to A1 Biljarts on Sunday. Eddy Merckx and Raimond Burgman were the match winners after the break against Glenn Hoffman (50-31 in 22) and Jean van Erp (50-46 in 36).
Merckx ran away with a double attack, 10 in the seventh and 9 in the twentieth inning. Martien van der Spoel played an excellent match against Jeffrey Jorissen: 50-27 in 20 innings scoring one run of seven and two of six.
't Hartje/Van Wanrooy surprised with a big margin vs VDO. Martin Spoormans was the best winner in 35 innings, Ad Koorevaar in 36.
Holland Mineraal kept the full win at home vs Eekhoorn. Frans van Kuyk was the only winner for the Brabant team against Therese Klompenhouwer (50-47 in 31). Miatton and Schollink played a draw, Frans van Schaik defeated Kurt Ceulemans (50-37 in 28), Stefan Spilleman bested Jerry Hermans 50-31 in 41.