The final weekend in the Dutch three-cushion league brings the tension to a climax. The battle for the playoff spots is between three, or at most four teams. Cues&Darts has already secured the top spot, while Aartsbouw, Eekhoorn, Dallinga, and Bousema still need to collect match points during the double-header final weekend. Anyway, it promises to be a weekend with magnificent lineups, like among others Horn-Blomdahl, Jorissen-Philipoom, Christiani-Merckx, Valentijn-Orak, Forthomme-Polychronopoulos, De Bruijn-Christiani, De Backer-Valentijn, and Merckx-Horn, to name just a few matches in that final battle. The matches can be seen on Kozoom.
The weekend of truth pits three of those teams against each other in the arena. Bousema plays the home match against Cues&Darts on Saturday, May 2. And Aartsbouw plays the home match against Bousema on Sunday, May 3. The task is therefore by far the toughest for Bousema, which fields a strong lineup with Martin Horn, Jeffrey Jorissen, Johan Loncelle, and Stefan Galla, who alternates with Frans van Schaik on Sunday.
In its two matches at home against Cues&Darts and away at Aartsbouw, Bousema must at least get past Dallinga, which only plays at home against RCN Nieuwegein on Sunday. If Dallinga wins, Bousema must therefore win both of its matches: a tough mission for Ronny Hazewinkel and his team.
The Bousema captain expects a hard battle. "I assume that we have to win twice against the numbers 1 and 2 in the rankings. That will be a tough task. I tried to get Tayfun Tasdemir to come as well, but he couldn't make it, so we'll do it with this team."
The advantage for Dallinga is that the team from Zeeland can wait and see what Bousema does against Cues&Darts on Saturday. Then it will be known what Dallinga himself needs to do against RCN on Sunday. Should Bousema and Dallinga finish tied for fourth place, Dallinga will now have three more match points in the standings.
Bousema has reached the play-offs 4 times in recent years, reaching the final twice.
Bousema-Cues&Darts is the top match of Saturday; Aartsbouw travels to RCN with Eddy Merckx and Turgay Orak as team leaders. Team Eekhoorn plays the away match against Van Baal and fields its strong quartet of Polychronopoulos, Leppens, Peter and Kurt Ceulemans to leave nothing to chance.
On Sunday, all eyes will be on Aartsbouw against Bousema, with Merckx-Horn as the most attractive fixture. The schedule and lineups for this double weekend:
Saturday, May 2:
Bousema-Cues&Darts
Martin Horn-Torbjörn Blomdahl
Jeffrey Jorissen-Jef Philipoom
Johan Loncelle-Huub Wilkowski
Stefan Galla-Joey de Kok
RCN Nieuwegein-Aartsbouw/Domicili
Dave Christiani-Eddy Merckx
Gerwin Valentijn-Turgay Orak
Philippe Vandendriessche-Barry van Beers
Henk Blauwblomme-Wesley de Jaeger
Van Baal Kelderafdichtingen-Team Eekhoorn
Roland Forthomme-Nick Polychronopoulos
Sam van Etten-Eddy Leppens
Thorsten Frings-Peter Ceulemans
Francis Forton-Kurt Ceulemans
Burgmans Biljarts-Harwig
Tom Löwe-Andreas Niehaus
Bart Ceulemans-Rob Lamboo
Marco Janssen-Dekker
Johan Roijers-Theo Moes
Paperclip-SIS/Vervoort
Dick Jaspers-Raimond Burgman
Anno de Kleine-Raymund Swertz
Emilio Sciacca-Martien van der Spoel
Peter van Lieshout-Harrie van de Ven
Sunday, May 3, 22nd round:
Dallinga.com-RCN Nieuwegein
Jean Paul de Bruijn-Dave Christiani
Peter De Backer-Gerwin Valentijn
Steven van Acker-Philippe Vandendriessche
Berry Dallinga-Henk Blauwblomme
Aartsbouw-Bousema/JBSCues
Eddy Merckx-Martin Horn
Turgay Orak-Jeffrey Jorissen
Barry van Beers-Johan Loncelle
Ronny Brants-Frans van Schaik
Team Eekhoorn-Burgmans Billiards
Nick Polychronopoulos-Tom Löwe
Eddy Leppens-Bart Ceulemans
Peter Ceulemans-Marco Janssen
Kurt Ceulemans-Johan Roijeers
SIS Vervoort-Van Baal
Jean van Erp-Roland Forthomme
Raimond Burgman-Sam van Etten
Raymund Swertz-Thorsten Frings
Martien van der Spoel-Francis Forton
Harwig-Paperclip
Andreas Niehaus-Dick Jaspers
Rob Lamboo-Anno de Kleine
Dekker-Peter van Lieshout
Theo Moes-John van der Stappen.