BERLICUM – The team boss Carl Verhoeven returned from southern France on the day of the Dutch cup final, where he attended a meeting on the future of global billiards. He was back just in time to see his SIS Schoonmaak team win the national cup. The Brabant players launched the triumphant tour, in which they also aim to win the top prize, the national title, in a few weeks time. For the Dutch cup, SIS beat the team of Dekker Keukens in a match under the new, shortened concept 9-4 in sets after a 4-4 break score. The second part of the final was a true exhibition for SIS Schoonmaak with Jean van Erp in the leading role. The local billiard crack played a superior match against Barry van Beers, whom he beat 15-4 and 15-14: averages 2.666 and 1.700. The other winner, with maximum scores, was Eddy Merckx in his match against Dave Christiani. The Belgian leader won all four sets: 15-10, 15-9, 15-9 and 15-5 in 36 innings (1.666). Jean van Erp scored his 56 caroms in 21 innings, good for 2.666 on average. The last two sets in particular were sublime: Van Erp closed the first with 10 and started the second set with 11.
The revamped system, devised by the KNBB for the final, in which the winning team had to win 12 sets, was shortened during the final. At the time, the scoreboard in the Benelux Theatre was at 4-4 and according to estimates, in that rhythm of scoring, it could turn out into a final that would last well into the evening. Therefore, after consultation, the sports director decided to shorten the final to 9 sets won.
Who could have suspected that after that 4-4 tie, the SIS Schoonmaak team would win all further sets? Before the stop, Eddy Merckx won twice against Dave Christiani, Jean van Erp once against Barry van Beers, Raimond Burgman once against Gerwin Valentijn, but two sets went to Dekker and Henk Blauwblomme won his two sets against Raymund Swertz 15-7 and 15-13.
Then things ran like an express train for SIS Schoonmaak, Eddy Merckx defeated Dave Christiani 15-9 and 15-5 and Jean van Erp started his power attack against Barry van Beers 15 in 5 and 15 in 4. The cup-holder's team then needed only one set on an 8-4 score to win the cup again. That was achieved by Raimond Burgman against Gerwin Valentijn 15-12 in 10 innings.
Jean van Erp was the happiest winner afterwards. The Brabant player, who was beaten in the semi-final by Erwin Kivits 2-1, took a resounding revenge. ''We played great as a team after the break,'' commented Jean.
The new system and the whole set-up of the cup final was under discussion in players' and organizers' circles afterwards. Harry Mathijssen, the organizer on behalf of BEN, already felt before the final day that there was an urgent need to talk. ''The crowd is staying away, so we are not doing quite right,'' he said. ''We may have to go to an individual cup final, or at least it's not working the way we're doing it now.''
The planned final to 12 sets won also turned out not to be a happy choice. The organization realised halfway through, that the system had to be changed during the matches. And so, eventually Carl Verhoeven, of the winning team, was a bit right. ’’I got a lot of new insights during the global meeting. We should start brainstorming about the future in the Netherlands as well.''
Carl Verhoeven and Eddy Merckx celebrate the cup success
The cup winners in the final with Dekker Keukens
Raimond Burgman after the winning point
The Dekker team ending as the runner-up