NIEUWEGEIN - The bell for the last round will sound this Sunday in the first Dutch three cushion league, where all teams will go to the end of the regular competition in the battle for the places for the play-offs. The lead is in the hands of SIS Schoonmaak, which still faces a tough double round of play: on Saturday evening against Cus&Darts, Sunday afternoon the away match against Bousema in Lochem. Dekker Keukens, which plays one more match, on Sunday afternoon away to Zundert, has also already qualified in the top four of the rankings. For the other two positions that entitle them to an appearance in the play-offs, the double is still hard fought.
Cues&Darts is the favorite for the third position and plays two more matches: away against SIS Schoonmaak and at home against Dallinga. The competition is fierce, as there are still a number of contenders for fourth place: Team Eekhoorn, Topbiljart Zundert, Dallinga and, in theory, Woonwonder.
On Saturday, Dallinga-Team Eekhoorn in particular will be a crucial match in Sluiskil. Team Eekhoorn can get rid of a major rival when the team can win, Dallinga remains in the race only if it wins. Topbiljart Zundert has chances when there is a win in its two matches, on Saturday away to Woonwonder, Sunday at home against Dekker Keukens.
The battle for 10th place is also still exciting. The team finishing in that place will play promotion/degradation against the best number two of the first division. A1 Biljarts, quit in the interim, and Post Luchtkanalen are already certain to disappear from the DKM Tools league. The number 10 (Woonwonder, J&F Auto's, Bousema or Burgmans) will play the decisive match on 11 June.
The play-offs are already scheduled. The number four in the final standings will play an away game against the number three on 4 June. The winner visits the runner-up on 11 June, after which the winner of that match will play the runner-up for the national title on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 June.
We have already drawn up the ranking of best players (averages) for this last double weekend. Eddy Merckx is the best with 1.954 average from 15 matches. Number two is Glenn Hofman with 1.731 ahead of Eddy Leppens with 1.594, Martin Horn with 1.594 and Jean Paul de Bruijn with 1.567. A notable role is played by Steven van Acker, who is sixth after his leader Jean Paul de Bruijn (Dallinga) with 1,555. The Belgian has even played 1,900 in home matches, playing 132 per cent more than his starting average for this competition.
Jean Paul de Bruijn played the best match with 3.636 on average ahead of Glenn Hofman and Barry van Beers with 3.333 and Johan Loncelle and Dave Christiani with 3.076 average.
Steven van Acker, great season for Dallinga team
Jean Paul de Bruijn, beste match of the season
The individual rankings so far:
- Eddy Merckx 1.954
- Glenn Hofman 1.731
- Eddy Leppens 1.595
- Martin Horn 1.594
- Jean Paul de Bruijn 1.567
- Steven van Acker 1.555
- Roland Forthomme 1.520
- Barry van Beers 1.487
- Dave Christiani 1.483
- Robinson Morales 1.481
- Jeffrey Jorissen 1.448
- Murat Naci Coklu 1.444
- Ruben Legazpi 1.440
- Raymund Swertz 1.434
- Ismail Yasin 1.428
- Martien van der Spoel 1.428
- Jean van Erp 1.424
- Peter De Backer 1.414
- Johan Loncelle 1.411
- Jef Philipoom 1.404
- Peter Ceulemans 1.399
- Frans van Kuyk 1.399
- Pierre Soumagne 1.380
- Huub Wilkowski 1.318
- Raimond Burgman 1.312
- Gökhan Salman 1.302
- Birol Uymaz 1.300
- Sam van Etten 1.269
- Thorsten Frings 1.260
- Gerwin Valentijn 1.258
- Wesley de Jaeger 1.256
- Bart Ceulemans 1.248
Best lady: Therese Klompenhouwer 1.029.
The SIS team before the season start
Ranking with two rounds of play to go:
- SIS Schoonmaak 19-29-1.443
- Dekker Keukens/AP Sprundel 20-27-1.339
- Cues&Darts/Xtreme 19-24-1.319
- Team Eekhoorn 19-22-1.259
- St. Topbiljart Zundert 19-20-1.229
- Dallinga 19-20-1.254
- Woonwonder/’t Hartje 19-18-1.147
- J&F Auto’s/Jorissen 20-18-1.194
- Bousema Lochem/JBScues 19-17-1.253
- Burgmans Biljarts 19-17-1.209
- Post Luchtkanalen 19-6-0.950