ANDERNOS/GRAVELINES - On the fifth day of the French team championship in Group B, the leading team Anderos outplayed Rouen: 6-2. The only winner for Rouen was Dick Jaspers, who showed himself too strong for Roland Forthomme. Laxou defeated Gravelines in this group 6-2 and is has almost certainly qualified second for the playoffs. Rouen needs a small miracle Rouen to reach the final rounds.
Andernos and Rouen played an excellent match with 1.517 for the leaders and 1.407 for Rouen. Dick Jaspers was once again the man in a superb form in his match against Forthomme, whom he defeated 50-29 in 14 innings. The Dutchman, shining with 5.000 average in the bundesliga last week, started with 1-2-5-7-0-6-0-12-8 now and had 41 points on the scoreboard after nine innings. Forthomme had a twelve near the end, making the score look a little better.
Javier Palazón could hang on in the match with Filippos Kasidokostas to 33-32 in 16. Kasido had the best final stretch with a run of seven in the second last inning: 50-45 in 26. Rouen thus lost valuable points in the race for qualification. Andernos took the points on three and four with Jérôme Barbeillon and Francis Connesson, beating Mikaël Devogelaere and Vincent Faquet 50-33 in 30 and 50-38 in 47.
Laxou took an important 6-2 victory in the home match against Gravelines and is almost sure in the playoff rounds. Torbjörn Blomdahl and Martin Horn set the tone in the matches against Martin Spoormans (50-30 in 21, 2.381 average) and Ronny Daniels (50-20 in 24, 2.083). The only Gravelines win came from Marc Vitse, who defeated Matthieu Frank 50-44 in 61 innings.
Gravelines will play in the second division next year.