BERLIJN/WEYWIESEN - The German team championship in on the way to a climax with two contenders on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 April. BC Weywiesen (team Blomdahl) leads the rankings with 26 points out of 12 after the double weekend in the 11th and 12th rounds. BC International (team Horn) follows two points down. The clash between the two frontrunners is on Sunday 30 April: BC Weywiesen-BC International. The teams of St Wendel (with Dick Jaspers) and BC Magdeburg (with Dion Nelin) were relegated from the top division of the bundesliga this weekend.
The title race centers on the two teams that distanced themselves from main rivals BC Elversberg and BC Elfenbein. The eight teams in the bundesliga have one more weekend to go, in which the title race goes to its climax. BC Weywiesen will certainly play in that final weekend with Torbjörn Blomdahl and Roland Forthomme in the leading positions, BC International comes to the finals with Martin Horn and Nikos Polychronopoulos. Before the decisive match, Weywiesen plays against relegated Magdeburg on Saturday, BC International plays at home against BCC Witten, a very tough opponent according to Martin Horn.
The penultimate weekend started last Saturday with two draws for the two leaders. BC International played a 4-4 match against BC Nied including a win for Sameh Sidhom against Martin Horn 50-47 in 34 innings and a win for Jean van Erp against Patrick Sofsky 50-33 in 38. For the Berliners, Roestel won his match and Karaca lost.
BC Weywiesen let the maximum win against Elversberg slip away in the match between Torbjörn Blomdahl and Peter Ceulemans. The Swede had a comfortable lead, but could not finish the game: he missed the match ball in his last eight innings. Peter Ceulemans came back and won the match with a final run of 5. According to witnesses to the match, Blomdahl totally lost his way in his last 8, 9 innings and then even missed his equalizer for the team's win. Roland Forthomme (Weywiesen) won against Pierre Soumagne 50-41 in 38, Frings beat Bosel, Rudolph won vs Stamm.
On Sunday, BC Weywiesen's team moved into the leading position in the match against St Wendel by a 5-3 victory. Torbjörn Blomdahl won his match against Dick Jaspers 50-32 in 29 innings. Thorsten Frings took the win by beating Jérôme Barbeillon 50-45 in 37. Christian Rudolph and Lutz Schwab played a draw 40-40 in 39.
BC International dropped another point on Sunday by playing a draw against Elfenbein Höntrop. Martin Horn won the German clash against Dustin Jäschke 50-40 in 44, Jean van Erp won for the Berliners against Stefan Galla in a strong game 50-24 in 18 innings (2.778 on average). John Tijssen beat Roestel 40-17 in 32 innings.
Saturday's relegation of Magdeburg, a former championship team, was completed by Elfenbein in a 4-4 match. On Sunday, Magdeburg lost to BC Nied 8-0, including wins for Sidhom and Robinson Morales in 37 and 41 innings.
Sankt Wendel did still win against BCC Witten 6-2 with a win for Dick Jaspers against Michael Nilsson 50-14 in 18 innings (series 18).
The standings with two rounds to play:
1 BC Weywiesen 12-26
2 BC International 12-24
3 BC Elversberg 12-21
4 Elfenbein Höntrop 12-18
5 BCC Witten 12-14
6 BC Nied 12-13
7 BC Magdeburg 12-8
8 St Wendel 12-6.
Martin Horn: ''We need a little miracle, but we still have a chance to win the title.''