3-Cushion
DEN HAAG/HAARLO - The attack on the leading position of SIS Schoonmaak from The Hague was effectively neutralized. The other leader, HCR Prinsen had no problem in their away game against 't Hartje in Oosterhout. The Buffalo League is only in its fifth week, but the two frontrunners are already away from the pack, thanks to their ten match points from five rounds. Their meeting on November 19 in Haarlo will be a day to look forward to.
On this sunny Sunday, the highest flying birds stayed out of reach of the lower swarm. Roland Forthomme and Peter Ceulemans of the Zundert team missed their third player (Barry van Beers) to put away A1 Biljarts. Raymon Groot's missed equalizer now resulted in an expensive point lost.
The leaders ran another point away from their main competitors in this round. SIS Schoonmaak's win over Bousema (5-3) and Prinsen over 't Hartje (8-0) was celebrated as soon as the news came that STZ Zundert and A1 Biljarts had played a draw. Team Eekhoorn climbed into the top-5 after their victory over de Veemarkt, 6-2.
The most remarkable and the best match of the weekend was produced by Jean van Erp. The Brabant player put German Martin Horn through the wringer in a very painful way: 40 - 6 in 15. Van Erp's one-man show inspired his team to a victory over a feared opponent, due to the fact that Bousema had shown up in its strongest possible line-up. Jean van Erp later said: ,,This is a glorious feeling for me, after having lost twice in a row. It is bizarre, to beat Horn with this margin. Martin later said: "I couldn't have hit water if I stood on a boat." And I took full advantage of it.''
The other highlight of the day came from De Veemarkt, where one of the hip-hopping Eekhoorntjes (squirrels) stole the show with an opening run of fifteen. Frans van Kuyk, playing and beating Tayfun Tasdemir, made himself the man of the moment.
In the Belgian clash between Merckx and Caudron, the better finish was for Merckx. From 24-20, he produced a seven and a nine to dominate the last few innings and win 40-29 in 18.
It was a consolation prize for Merckx, because his team was beaten in their own home, by Dallinga (6-2). The modest pistolero of the Sluiskil team, Steven van Acker, remained unbeaten when he played Gerwin Valentijn. Van Acker now boasts four wins and a draw.
Frans van Kuyk did help his team to victory with his win over Tasdemir, in spite of a strong showing by Can Capak, who got past Kurt Ceulemans in 17 innings (40-20). Jack Wijnen (a win in 21) lifted the team average of De Eekhoorn to a very respectable 1.5.
Dick Jaspers, uncharacteristically, was the "worst" of the four winning players for HCR Prinsen. Against Ad Koorevaar, he even had to come from behind, which he solidly did to win 40-28 in 32. Jelle Pijl, Raymund Swertz and Anno de Kleine for once were better winners than Jaspers, using 26, 17 and 31 innings respectively.
Red lantern MCR won their first point in a draw against DPC. Thorsten Frings shone against Birol Uymaz: 40-20 in 20.
L&B Leermode, seen as one of the league favorites on paper, lost again (2-6 against Dallinga) and should probably look for goals, other than the title this year. The Brabant team from Hoeven has only won three points in five rounds.
The top of the table for now:
1 and 2: HCR Prinsen en SIS Schoonmaak, both 10 from 5.
3 and 4: A1 Biljarts en STZ Zundert, both 7 from 5.