The billiards players in the top divisions in the Netherlands have started the long final sprint. For the play-offs in the first league, the Kozoom League, the five teams at the top of the rankings are the main contenders. Aartsbouw is the leader with a two-point lead over Cues&Darts; Team Eekhoorn, Bousema, and Dallinga are in pursuit with seven matches remaining. Aartsbouw plays against the last-placed team, Harwig, this Sunday, Cues&Darts against Burgmans, and Team Eekhoorn has a day off. Many players from this top class had a great preparation at the Capelle Grand Prix. In this final phase, it’s interesting to look at the teams that stand a chance of competing in the Highes league next year. Cues&Darts/Doozy is the leader in Group 1 of the First Division with 28 match points out of 18 games, ahead of Post Luchtkanalen with 25 points. The Hague-team J&F Auto’s are leading Group 2 with 31 points out of 18 matches, ahead of ’t Hartje van Oosterhout with the same number of match points.
The Kozoom league concludes the season on May 2 and 3 in a double weekend featuring Bousema-Cues&Darts and Aartsbouw-Bousema, among others, as the grand final. It is known so far that Team Babbelz dropped out early and that the number 11 (currently Harwig) is being relegated. In their place come the champions of the First Division in Grou 1 and Group 2. Furthermore, RCN Nieuwegein and SIS/Vervoort are stopping after this season. It’s possible that RCN will finish in 10th place, which would require them to play promotion/relegation against the best number 2 from the First division. However, since RCN is stopping, the best number two would then be promoted automatically. The Kozoom league would then be one team short to bring the total back to 12. After the registration closes, the Section board awards a license to one of the teams from the first division that is registered highest based on strength.
The tension was already palpable in the round of February 22. Aartsbouw drew against SIS/Vervoort. Team Eekhoorn and Cues&Darts shared the points.
Cues&Darts/Doozy won its final match in Group 1 with Therese Klompenhouwer, Thomas Broux, Joris van ’t Zelfden, and Luca Philipoom. Broux won his match with an average 3.076.
In this class, the scores of VP Sport are being followed with interest. That team, featuring Frédéric Caudron, is currently in 5th place, 5 points behind Cues&Darts and two points behind Post Luchtkanalen.
J&F Auto’s and Hartje van Oosterhout are fighting a fierce duel for the title and promotion. J&F won his last encounter 8-0 with Gökmen, De Zwart, Bruijstens, and Van Daalen, but lost 6-2 with Dion Nelin in the Poeliershuis Schraauwen team, among others.
The program this week in the Kozoom league features interesting encounters between Jean Paul de Bruijn and Jean van Erp, Peter De Backer and Raymund Swertz, Dave Christiani and Roland Forthomme, Jeffrey Jorissen and Dick Jaspers, and two standouts from the first rounds of the Grand Prix in Capelle: Frans van Schaik against Dan Breur. The matches and lineups in the Eredivisie for Sunday, March 22:
Cues&Darts-Burgmans Biljarts
Glenn Hofman-Tom Löwe
Ruben Legazpi-Bart Ceulemans
Jef Philipoom-Erwin Kivits
Huub Wilkowski-Maarten Janssen
Dallinga.com-SIS/Vervoort
Jean Paul de Bruijn-Jean van Erp
Peter De Backer-Raymund Swertz
Steven van Acker-Martin van der Spoel
Berry Dallinga-Harrie van de Ven
Aartsbouw/Domicili-Harwig
Eddy Merckx-Andreas Niehaus
Barry van Beers-Rob Lamboo
Wesley de Jaeger-Richard Dekker
Ronny Brants-Luca Philipoom
RCN Nieuwegein-Van Baal/Kelderafdichtingen
Dave Christiani-Roland Forthomme
Gerwin Valentijn-Sam van Etten
Philippe Vandendriessche-Sergio Jimenez
Henk Blauwblomme-Thorsten Frings
Bousema/JBSCues-Paperclip
Jeffrey Jorissen-Dick Jaspers
Johan Loncelle-Anno de Kleine
Stefan Galla-Cédric Melnytsc henko
Frans van Schaik-Dan Breur